Long term land use changes in Czech Republic Rudna-Cestlice

Abstract

[EN] Urban land cover and land use change (LCLUC) is the most irreversible and human dominated form of land use. On the one hand urbanization brings many socioeconomic benefits such as more job opportunities, GDP and knowledge creation and efficient resource use, on the other hands urbanization also influences changes in land cover, hydrological systems, biogeochemistry, climate, and biodiversity (Grimm et al., 2008). Urban areas affect local climate resulting in higher polution and temperatures (Arnfield, 2003). Urban LCLUC is one of the most important driver of habitat loss and species extinction (McKinney, 2008). The expansion of build up is a complex of functional changes (Antrop, 2004) – possitive or negative- that largerly influence the environment (e.g. fragmentation of natural areas, climate chage, changes in population structure, job opportunities, education).