2004 UC Proceedings Abstract
Solutions for Characterizing Natural Landscape Character Using GIS Track: Environmental Management Author(s): Lars Brabyn This paper explores solutions for characterizing naturalness in relation to visual landscapes using GIS. In New Zealand, legislation requires special management of natural landscapes. It is argued therefore that planners need to identify natural landscapes and monitor changes in their extent. Just like the indices that have been developed to describe the state of the economy, indices need to be developed that monitor the state of natural landscapes. The complications in characterizing natural landscapes are outlined, but it is argued that there is a need to develop definitions of natural landscapes that can be operationalized with a GIS. This will have the advantages of the efficiency of the technology and that the definition will be explicit and the implementation will be independent of the operator. Several GIS solutions are provided, and these are an analysis of landcover, a density analysis of roads and utilities, and an analysis of property sizes. Lars Brabyn University of Waikato Geography University of Waikato, Department of Geography, Private Bag 3105 Hamilton 3105 NZ Phone: 0064 7 8384466 E-mail: larsb@waikato.ac.nz |
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