Ghent University. Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Abstract
Spatio-temporal forest cover changes between 1775 and 2000 in Flanders were mapped in a GIS, to explain the recovery level of present-day forest vegetation in post-agricultural forests. By mapping forest cover changes in relation to a site qualification, the impact of spatio-temporal forest cover changes on habitat availability, quality, and connectivity, were quantified. The first chapters of this work covered the whole of Flanders, but in the following chapters additional information on soil, light, and forest management was used to explain patterns of vegetation recovery with a high spatial and temporal resolution
