Spatial pattern changes in Bory Tucholskie forest landscape

The fast transformation from agricultural into forest landscape took place in considerable areas of Bory Tucholskie District (Pomerania Province) at the end of 19(th) and the beginning of 20(th) century. The reasons of those changes were economical and political factors, i.e. wood price increase and purchase of Polish land estates by Prussian government. On the basis of analyses concerning area research results, historical cartographic materials (Schrotter-Engelhardt Maps from 1796-1802; Messtischblatt from 1870-1910), forest inventory books, aerial photographs and Landsat TM and ETM+ imagery (from 1990 and 2000) made with GIS technology in the area of Zabory Landscape Park, there was established the influence of previous land utilization and afforestation on the following parameters of landscape pattern and texture: NDVI, diversity, fragmentation, fractal dimension, number of different classes, class area and some other structural characteristics such as number of patches and mean patch size. On the basis of the first image analysis it has been stated that landscape with intensively exploited forests on former agricultural soils was characterized by lower values of NDVI and higher values of diversity and fragmentation in comparison to those with sustainable forest management. By comparing two satellite images it has been stated that changes in forest technology in Poland during the last decade intensified differences between areas. The present work demonstrates the application of remote sensing methods to define the influence of political factors and economical activities, which took place in forestry during the last two centuries on habitat equality and a landscape spatial pattern.