Egle PIŠKINAITE, Vilnius University, Lithuania
Darijus VETEIKIS, Vilnius University, Lithuania
With increasing possibilities of digitization, technologies and innovation studies of land use/land cover (LULC) variety and amount of short term LULC change studies is constantly growing. However, only the long term LULC change studies can give deeper insights into the inherited features of the modern landscape. Our review (Veteikis, Piškinait?, 2019) showed that historical LULC change studies are scarce in Lithuania. To address this lack, an attempt to create a 19th century LULC map of Lithuania was made. Russian imperium maps (1846-1863) were taken as a data source for a study. High resolution copies of map were given by Vrublevski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences. Some parts of map were downloaded from open access sources. Our presentation deals with the methodological aspects of reconstructing historical LULC of Lithuania.
28 historical map sheets were connected to coordinate system. Georeferencing was done by using control points from a reference map already present in the GIS with a coordinate system. Automatic classification of our historical map was difficult, therefore time-consuming manual method of LULC recognition and digitization of old maps was applied. The detected LULC types were: urban areas, forests, wet forests and swamps, pastures and cultivated fields, water bodies.
The research showed that during georeferencing for a large area involves mistakes and discrepancy, especially in map sheets where control points were difficult to set. Therefore, there were gaps and overlays between some map sheets, some objects do not match perfectly in historical and modern map. Authors agree with T. Podobnikar that high precision georeferencing of the system of historical map sheets covering a large area is a difficult task (Podobnikar, 2009).
Despite methodological, technological challenges and occurring errors historical maps are unique source of information in LULC change studies and are valuable for the experts in other fields (Király et. al, 2008).
Mots clés : Old maps, georeferencing, historical geography
A102865EP