Geoscience Reference
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1990s about the way in which conceptual formalism affects operational formalisms:
geographers used to question space generate spatio-temporal processes called “space
dominant” while historians keep a time-related view and produce spatio-temporal
models much more “time dominant” [WAC 99].
Figure 2.10.
Chronographic (according to [LEF 12])
2.3.3.
Evaluating the impact of mobile objects on a spatial support
The methodological challenge of this example is to reveal an approach assessing
the possible impacts of mobile objects' behaviors on land use changes. That is
Buard's objective [BUA 13]. She develops a methodology to establish relationships
between the practices of herbivores herds in terms of consumption of plant resources
and of stamping due to their movements, with the transformations of the vegetation
cover. This example involves both movement (the movement of herds of herbivores)
and places (as spatial regions). The hypothesis to be tested from a thematic point of
view is that the vegetation cover is further deteriorating in the places where the
herds have been staying, and all the more if these stays have been numerous. From
the theoretical point of view, different conceptualizations are possible:
- adopting a continuous field approach and evaluating the properties of each
point in space in terms of the animal frequentation intensity and change in the
vegetation cover;
- choosing an object approach. The question is then to build up places as spatial
portions
13
. On the one hand, there are places of animal frequentation, and on the
other hand places that are homogeneous according to the change of their vegetation
cover;
13 This approach corresponds to the “categorical coverage” case proposed by Plewe and
referred to in Chapter 1, section 1.1.3. A portion of the space is carved out due to its
homogeneity relative to several properties of the spatial points.
