Landscape structure changes in urbanized areas:: Case study from the Prague outskirts

Historical development of landscape structure and their parameters (changes in landscape matrix, mosaic character, porosity, size and number of patches, connectivity, land use/covcr and landscape stability) has been investigated in the model territory of 4 neighbouring cadastres of the total area of 10 km(2), situated in the south-eastern periphery of Prague. The results confirm a tendency of rapid changes but the developments may be very different even in neighbouring cadastral areas. Generally speaking, fragmentation and mosaic character are increasing in the suburban landscape. At the same time connectivity of ecologically more stable landscape segments and structures is decreasing, But single parameters of landscape structure according to Forman and Godron do justice only to particular characteristics of the landscape that do not affect as isolated in the real landscape. It is a reason the exact results should not be overestimated because the landscape has to be regarded as a dynamic system (holon).