Zmiany użytkowania ziemi w Polsce w II połowie XX w. na podstawie analizy danych kartograficznych

Two databases were elaborated by the Institute of Geodesy and Cartography as results of CORINE Land Cover 90 and CORINE Land Cover 2000 projects. They contain data about land cover in Poland in 1990 and 2000. The comparison of these two databases revealed insignificant differences in land cover in the last decade of 20th century. Taking into account development of Polish economy, bigger changes in land use/land cover could be expected. To determine whether land use in Poland is stable or changeable, but over much longer period of time, the CORINE Land Cover 2000 database was compared with the General Map of Land Use in Poland at the scale 1:1 000 000 elaborated by F. Uhorczak. Topographic maps at the scale 1:100 000 elaborated before the World War II were the source materiale for compiling the General Map of Land Use in Poland at the scale 1:1000000. This map was converted to digital form to compare its content with the CORINE Land Cover 2000 database generalized to 8 land use/cover forms. There is a time lag of about seventy years between elaboration of topographic maps and the CORINE Land Cover 2000 database and for that reason bigger land use/ cover change could be observed. Comparison of the General Map of Land Use in Poland at the scale 1:1000000 with generalised CORINE Land Cover 2000 database revealed considerable changes in land use/land cover over the period of seventy years. They comprised above 9% of the total area of the country. The greatest changes occurred in arable areas, meadows and pastures. These land use/cover forms were converted into forests, settlements and industrial areas.