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Abstract
A GIS Approach to Understand Recent and Historic Distribution of Littorella Uniflora in Northern Europe
O Pedersen
Associate Professor
Integrated Tropical Coastal Zone Management, AIT
Pathumthani, Thailand
Email: opedersen@bi.ku.dk
Andersen T, Hossain MZ , Ikejima K, Brodersen KP
Abstract
Denmark is a typical example of countries in Northern Europe where intensive farming has developed tremendously over the last fifty years with subsequent environmental problems of export of nutrients and pesticides to the aquatic environment. Nutrient enrichment (eutrophication) of the aquatic environment leads to major changes in compositions of the underwater vegetation and the amphibious plant, Littorella uniflora, is always negatively affected by eutrophication because of inferior competition with more opportunistic and fast growing species. Nutrient enrichment is closely related to intensive pig farming which leads to dramatic nitrogen emissions and subsequent depositions in the aquatic environment. In this study, we have used GIS to describe the spatial distribution of recent Littorella lakes (lakes where the plant is still found) and historic Littorella lakes (lakes where the plant has disappeared). The spatial information on plant distribution is compared to N deposition, soil composition and land cover in the catchment area and our study clearly demonstrates the close relationship between intensive farming and the decline in lakes with Littorella. We also evaluate the effect on using a GIS-computed land cover estimated from the perimeter of the lake versus the more traditional work-intensive hydrological catchment area and its associated land cover.
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