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Spatial relationship between human population density, land use intensity and biodiversity in the Czech Republic

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Abstract

We test a hypothesis about the spatial coincidence of human population density and species richness, and analyze effects of land conversion and ecosystem use on species richness and landscape diversity in human dominated Central European country, the Czech Republic. We calculated fraction of aboveground net primary productivity appropriated by humans and compared it to the species richness of vertebrate, invertebrate and plant groups and to landscape diversity index in 560 mapping grid squares with grid size approximately 130 km2. Spatial correlations and regressions were established between human population density, appropriation of net primary production, land cover and biodiversity. We found positive spatial coincidence between human population density and species richness. Although the amount of net primary production was not related to species richness in general, we found significant negative spatial relationship between ecosystem use intensity and landscape diversity. As the area of the Czech Republic exhibits relatively high land use intensities, spatial patterns of human impacts have important implications for land management and biodiversity conservation in a cultural landscape.

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Acknowledgments

The preparation of the manuscript was supported by the Grant No. QH92295 (National Agency for Agricultural Research, Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic). The collection of data was supported by the research intention MSM6293359101 Research into sources and indicators of biodiversity in cultural landscape in the context of its fragmentation dynamics.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environment Center, Charles University in Prague, J. Martího 2/407, 16200, Prague 6, Czech Republic

    David Vačkář

  2. Global Change Research Centre, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Bělidla 986/4a, 60300, Brno, Czech Republic

    David Vačkář

  3. Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic, Kaplanova 1931/1, Chodov, 14800, Prague 11, Czech Republic

    Karel Chobot

  4. GISAT, Milady Horákové 57, 17000, Prague 7, Czech Republic

    Erika Orlitová

Authors
  1. David Vačkář
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  2. Karel Chobot
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  3. Erika Orlitová
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Correspondence to David Vačkář.

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Vačkář, D., Chobot, K. & Orlitová, E. Spatial relationship between human population density, land use intensity and biodiversity in the Czech Republic. Landscape Ecol 27, 1279–1290 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-012-9779-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-012-9779-3

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