Evaluation of land cover changes in Southwestern Lithuania from 1984 to 2018 using medium spatial resolution satellite imagery

In this study, we assess the land cover changes in southwestern Lithuania from 1984 to 2018. These changes were examined using data derived from Landsat 5, Landsat 8, and Sentinel-2 multispectral images. The study area encompasses the Nemunas Delta, which is affected by river-induced floods leading to seasonal variations in water coverage. The water-covered area was found to be quite stable across the years during the dry seasons, i.e., in summer and early autumn. A significant increase in forested areas was observed during the study period (from 15.1% to 19.0% of the total area). During the examined period, the average size of agricultural parcels decreased several times (from approximately 35 ha to approximately 5 ha), which was caused by the transition from socialist to private ownershipbased agricultural practices in the early 1990s. Almost all changes observed had rather positive environmental impacts (for biodiversity and maintenance of wildlife). Positive impacts included the establishment of several new protected territories between analysed periods. Negative impacts included the construction of wind turbines (approximately 50 in the area of study), which were not present at the beginning of the study period and may negatively affect the natural (agricultural and wetland) landscape of the regionBioekonomikos plėtros fakultetasKlaipėdos universitetasVytauto Didžiojo universiteta

Expert-based assessment and mapping of ecosystem services potential in the Nemunas Delta and Curonian Lagoon Region, Lithuania

The Curonian Lagoon (SE Baltic Sea) and the coastal wetland system play a vital role in maintaining the overall cultural, economic and ecological health of the region. However, its value is still largely underestimated and there is a lack of integrated ecosystem management based on multiple ecosystem services assessment. In this study, 34 ecosystem services (ES) were identified, assessed and mapped following the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES). Using expert opinion, 35 land cover classes were scored for their ES potential, these being 15 CORINE land cover classes (CLC) and 20 Natura 2000 areas of conservation (habitat types, i.e., Sites of Community Importance). The total ES potential was calculated by averaging the opinions of experts, using self-confidence scoring as weights, and the ES relative importance index was derived from a questionnaire. As a result, three maps corresponding to each ES potential category (provisioning, regulation and maintenance and cultural) were calculated and further used for hot- and coldspot analyses. Regulation and maintenance and cultural ES were highly interrelated and had the highest potential in the studied area. Forested areas had the highest total ES potential and contributed significantly to the land cover of the ES hotspots