2 Landscape Change in Europe
21
• Meta-analyses and overview publications to identify general patterns within the
case studies on how specific landscape characteristics and socioeconomic circumstances in combination with potential driving forces can lead to predictable change
(e.g. van Vliet et al. 2015).
In the next section, we present an overview of the findings of 18 studies on recent
major landscape change trends and driving forces at the European level (from a few
decades to 200 years). These studies have been carried out taking a pan-European
approach, including both European large-scale analysis studies and meta-analysis
of case studies (see Table 2.1). These studies were performed within two collaborative projects sponsored by the EU—HERCULES (Sustainable Futures for Europe’s
Heritage in Cultural Landscapes) and VOLANTE (Visions of land use transitions in
Europe). Both projects share many features with the BMBF’s Programme on Sustainable Land Management, such as in taking a systems perspective on landscapes, in
investigating the links between land management and ecosystem services and in
creating actionable knowledge for land use policy and practice.
2.3 Trends in Land Use and Land Cover Change
A recent large-scale analysis of land use changes in Europe between 1990 and 2006
undertaken by Kuemmerle et al. (2016) serves as an appropriate starting point to
introduce this section. The current composition of land cover types in Europe is
dominated by agricultural land (representing 41.1% of the territory, mainly dedicated
to arable land, permanent crops and grassland), followed by forest land (32.6%)
and unused or abandoned land (15.8%), leaving the remaining land to urban and
industrial areas and infrastructure (Eurostat 2017). The main land cover change in
recent decades identified in this study is a decrease in croplands, followed by an
expansion of areas covered by pastures and forests (partly due to the aforementioned
decrease in crop production) and, to a lesser extent, by an increase in urban land
(Fig. 2.1; Kuemmerle et al. 2016). The most dramatic declines in croplands were
found in the east of Europe and the Mediterranean, while some hotspots for their
expansion were found in areas of the Netherlands, Germany, France and Ireland
(Kuemmerle et al. 2016). The expansion of urban land happened mainly around
capital cities and along the Mediterranean coast (Kuemmerle et al. 2016; Levers
et al. 2015).
Interestingly, in contrast to the widespread perception that landscapes have been
undergoing intense transformation in Europe, Levers et al. (2015) and Kuemmerle
et al. (2016) identified stability in land cover as one of the most common recent trajectories, particularly in Central, Western and Northern Europe. Lieskovský and Bürgi
(2018) carried out a study of the persistence of the land cover across Europe since
1900 (Fig. 2.2) and found that the most persistent land covers were forests and settlements (about 80% of the 1900-era forest cover and settlement areas were persistent),
while grasslands and croplands were the most dynamic and least persistent ones.
21
• Meta-analyses and overview publications to identify general patterns within the
case studies on how specific landscape characteristics and socioeconomic circumstances in combination with potential driving forces can lead to predictable change
(e.g. van Vliet et al. 2015).
In the next section, we present an overview of the findings of 18 studies on recent
major landscape change trends and driving forces at the European level (from a few
decades to 200 years). These studies have been carried out taking a pan-European
approach, including both European large-scale analysis studies and meta-analysis
of case studies (see Table 2.1). These studies were performed within two collaborative projects sponsored by the EU—HERCULES (Sustainable Futures for Europe’s
Heritage in Cultural Landscapes) and VOLANTE (Visions of land use transitions in
Europe). Both projects share many features with the BMBF’s Programme on Sustainable Land Management, such as in taking a systems perspective on landscapes, in
investigating the links between land management and ecosystem services and in
creating actionable knowledge for land use policy and practice.
2.3 Trends in Land Use and Land Cover Change
A recent large-scale analysis of land use changes in Europe between 1990 and 2006
undertaken by Kuemmerle et al. (2016) serves as an appropriate starting point to
introduce this section. The current composition of land cover types in Europe is
dominated by agricultural land (representing 41.1% of the territory, mainly dedicated
to arable land, permanent crops and grassland), followed by forest land (32.6%)
and unused or abandoned land (15.8%), leaving the remaining land to urban and
industrial areas and infrastructure (Eurostat 2017). The main land cover change in
recent decades identified in this study is a decrease in croplands, followed by an
expansion of areas covered by pastures and forests (partly due to the aforementioned
decrease in crop production) and, to a lesser extent, by an increase in urban land
(Fig. 2.1; Kuemmerle et al. 2016). The most dramatic declines in croplands were
found in the east of Europe and the Mediterranean, while some hotspots for their
expansion were found in areas of the Netherlands, Germany, France and Ireland
(Kuemmerle et al. 2016). The expansion of urban land happened mainly around
capital cities and along the Mediterranean coast (Kuemmerle et al. 2016; Levers
et al. 2015).
Interestingly, in contrast to the widespread perception that landscapes have been
undergoing intense transformation in Europe, Levers et al. (2015) and Kuemmerle
et al. (2016) identified stability in land cover as one of the most common recent trajectories, particularly in Central, Western and Northern Europe. Lieskovský and Bürgi
(2018) carried out a study of the persistence of the land cover across Europe since
1900 (Fig. 2.2) and found that the most persistent land covers were forests and settlements (about 80% of the 1900-era forest cover and settlement areas were persistent),
while grasslands and croplands were the most dynamic and least persistent ones.