Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 6.3
Shares (%) of individual land-cover categories on both sides of the Iron Curtain in 2000,
and changes in comparison with 1990
4
Share of category [%] in 2000
Decrease/increase (1990-2000)
Category
Total
East
West
Total
East
West
Arable land
34.2
34.4
33.9
−
4.6
−
8.0
−
1.0
Permanent
cultures
9.9
5.8
13.9
−
0.6
−
1.4
−
0.2
Grasslands
11.7
14.2
9.2
8.7
13.6
2.1
Forest land
36.3
36.9
35.7
1.2
2.7
0.2
Built up areas
4.5
4.6
4.5
5.2
7.1
3.5
Water areas
1.9
2.4
1.4
5.4
7.4
2.2
Other areas
1.5
1.7
1.4
−
1.8
−
6.6
4.6
Table 6.4
Land-cover changes (1990-2000) between individual categories on both sides of the
Iron Curtain
5
Share (%) of the change of a sum of all
changes
Category
1990
2000
Total
East
West
Arable land
Perm. cultures
3.4
2.4
7.8
Arable land
Grasslands
42.5
48.2
14.4
Arable land
Forest land
1.0
1.0
1.0
Arable land
Built up areas
4.6
3.5
10.0
Arable land
Other areas
1.1
0.4
4.4
Perm. cultures
Arable land
2.1
1.7
4.1
Perm. cultures
Grasslands
3.4
2.7
6.6
Perm. cultures
Built up areas
0.6
0.4
1.8
Grasslands
Arable land
6.0
5.7
7.3
Grasslands
Perm. cultures
1.4
0.8
4.1
Grasslands
Forest land
18.7
20.5
10.3
Forest land
Grasslands
10.4
8.0
22.4
Other areas
Water areas
1.6
1.9
0.2
All other changes
3.2
2.8
5.6
Total
100.0
100.0
100.0
a
Explanation: each number denotes a share (%) of the given land-cover change of the sum of all
changes; see text for more explanations.
of development. The eastern side of the belt along the Iron Curtain can be viewed
as “frozen” or “conserved” between the years 1948 and 1990, trapped in the steady
decay of socialism; consequently seeking to “catch up” with its western neighbour
after 1990. In other words, the same development that took decades in the West must
have been made in only a few years in the East.
Among minor, partial factors, may belong: (1) creation of new buildings and
check points, especially on the eastern side of the former Iron Curtain; (2) re-
classification of dead forests as grasslands in National park Šumava in 2000;
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