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What might methodological approaches drawing on Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and Social Network Analysis (SNA) offer to sub‐disciplines in geography which have traditionally been dominated by qualitative and often micro‐scale research, such as historical or political geography? How might these approaches—often understood as opposing—be brought together to advance transnational research in particular? This article responds to these questions through a reflection on a recent project on the geopolitics of diplomatic training in the mid‐twentieth century. Building on the established use of biography to focus transnational analyses within a complex abundance of sources, the project complemented such close‐reading with computational methods of distant‐reading, able to analyse large datasets to produce prosopographies and network visualisations that help identify diffuse and larger scale political and geographical relationships. The article concludes with a consideration of how such methods might be effectively integrated in the historical or political geographer's toolkit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The catastrophic flood of 1813 that occurred in the Western Carpathians region was the largest natural disaster ever recorded here. The 1812/1813 winter season was very cold with abundant snow cover. Spring and summer months were also rich in liquid precipitation, further increasing soil saturation and catchment runoff. Torrential rains were reported to occur from 24 to 26 August when two deep low-pressure systems met over the Western Carpathians above the headwaters of large rivers like Váh and Hron. This resulted in a flood with the flood wave being 10 m above the long-term river stage. In this study we summarize the findings from our archival research to report on the causes, severity and extent of the 1813 flood. Using three-dimensional terrain modelling we have reconstructed the culmination water level in two towns affected by the flood from the rivers Váh and Hron using historical maps and preserved flood marks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the modernization of the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS) by the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) in the United States. The modernization involves updating reference frames and vertical datums, impacting the geospatial industry. The benefits of the Modernized NSRS include improved accuracies and enhanced interoperability. The article provides recommendations for industry professionals to prepare for the upcoming changes and emphasizes proactive measures for a smooth transition to the new reference frames and vertical datum. [Extracted from the article]

Metaphor occupies a central role not only in language use, but also in language change and evolution. Specifically, semantic extension motivated by metaphor plays an important role in extending the lexicon of languages. It is this process that enables the emergence of one of the key properties of modern languages, namely that they are open-ended, systematic, polysemous, structured semiotic systems. Here, we review results from three approaches whose integration presents an important cornerstone for an interdisciplinary account of the role of metaphor in the evolutionary dynamics of language: (1) Historical linguistics and diachronic semantics (2) Computational approaches and natural language processing, and (3) Experimental semiotics. Research in historical linguistics has shown that metaphor is a major mechanism of semantic change. Diachronic semantic analyses have not only mapped detailed historical trajectories of semantic extension motivated by metaphor, but also identified common metaphoric pathways of change as well as shared cognitive principles underlying them. Computational approaches and natural language processing have used findings and data from historical linguistics in attempts to automate the detection of metaphoric semantic change and to build data-driven models models of the principles underlying it. Experimental semiotics is a paradigm in which participants have to create novel communication systems in the absence of language. It represents an experimental design that can investigate cultural linguistic evolution and the emergence of metaphors and metaphorical extensions under controlled laboratory settings to shed light on the interactional and cognitive principles involved in it. Combining results from these approaches represents an important first step towards an interdisciplinary, integrative account of the role of metaphor, and processes of polysemous meaning extension more generally, in the evolutionary dynamics of language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of New Architecture is the property of New Architecture Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Agricultural heritage represents a unique fusion of natural and cultural elements, encompassing both tangible and intangible aspects that reflect the historical bond between humanity and the land focused on food production. Recognising its significance is vital, as it not only preserves tradition and expertise but also fosters sustainability and environmental resilience. While significant initiatives like Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) are in place to safeguard remarkable agricultural areas with unique heritage values, frameworks for recognising the historic significance of non-outstanding agricultural areas are not sufficiently consolidated. Nonetheless, it is equally important to acknowledge the heritage value of agricultural systems that, while lacking exceptional features, succeed in preserving traditional techniques and processes, thereby conserving cultural landscapes and gastronomic identities. For this reason, this paper introduces a methodology for assessing the time depth of agricultural elements such as roads, livestock routes, agricultural plots, rural buildings and land use using historical cartography. By mapping historically significant features in farming areas, this method might be useful for recognising agricultural heritage and integrate it into spatial decision-making, ensuring the preservation of its cultural and environmental values. The method’s application is presented in a case study of Spain’s floodplains and irrigation areas near Aranjuez (Community of Madrid). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New approaches are needed to resolve persistent geographic gaps and biases in paleofire research. Most sedimentary paleofire research relies on lake and peat sediments. We present an unconventional sedimentary charcoal record preserved in a modern, post‐bomb bat guano deposit and compare its accumulation to historical fire data. We find strong correlations between charcoal accumulation rates (CHAR) and non‐winter prescribed burns. CHAR in bat guano is more strongly correlated with prescribed fire than wildfire or total area burned, likely due to bats seeking out areas burned by prescribed fire for better foraging opportunities and/or bats avoiding wildfire. We attribute the CHAR in guano being a better recorder of area burned during non‐winter months to winter bat hibernation. Our analyses show that charcoal preserved in bat guano is a reliable paleofire proxy system, which has important implications for the paleofire field and encourages future research using bat guano as a viable archive. Plain Language Summary: Charcoal preserved in sediments can be used to reconstruct fire history. The bulk of these studies focus on traditional sediments (e.g., lakes, peats). We try this out with bat guano, a very unconventional sediment system. By comparing charcoal preserved in guano with historical fire maps, we show that guano charcoal reliably reconstructs fire history. But, it is even better at reconstructing non‐winter fire (due to bat hibernation during the winter) and prescribed fire (due to bats avoiding wildfire and seeking out prescribed fire areas). Our work is an important first step to show that charcoal in bat guano is a reliable method. It also opens new doors for understanding fire history more broadly, due to the seasonal and behavioral uniqueness of bats. Key Points: Fire history is recorded by charcoal in bat guanoBat guano can differentiate human‐set fires from wildfiresBat behavior governs seasonal lens of guano as fire recorder [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Translocations, a conservation tool used to conserve and restore dwindling species, are often associated with high failure rates. Inadequate long‐term monitoring of both populations and their introduction sites beyond the initial years post‐translocation creates a gap in our understanding of the factors that determine translocation success or failure, resulting in less informed projects in the future. This lack of long‐term monitoring is partly caused by the absence of a well‐defined framework by which the success of the translocation can be measured, leading to premature and sometimes inaccurate assessments of their outcome. We investigated the long‐term outcome of a red squirrel translocation in the west of Ireland, specifically assessing the habitat changes in the translocation site since the introduction in 2005, and their impact on the capacity of the forest to sustain a population of a given size. Using digitised historical map data, we showed that the translocation site experienced a 53% reduction in suitable habitat. Additionally, there was a 41%–81% reduction in the total number of red squirrels the forest could support, according to feeding survey data. Clear‐felling, a forest fire and a shift in tree species composition collectively contributed to this decline in site suitability. This investigation underscores the complexity of translocation projects and emphasises the pivotal role of habitat quality in their outcomes. We advocate for detailed habitat assessments during the planning phase, avoidance of unstable habitats as translocation sites, and the implementation of long‐term monitoring practices. Translocations often face high failure rates, due in part to our lack of understanding of their long‐term outcomes. We investigated long‐term outcome of a red squirrel translocation in the west of Ireland, focusing on habitat loss and changes in carrying capacity. We found a 53% reduction in suitable habitat and a 41%–81% decline in carrying capacity, emphasising the importance of detailed habitat assessments and the use of stable sites for successful translocations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conservation of cultural heritage is a well-established fact recognized by public administrations, the scientific community, and society at large. Understanding this heritage strengthens the historical memory of communities. However, there is a type of heritage that, as it disappears or evolves over time, cannot be physically recovered: the urban fabric of historic cores. This article aims to implement a system for integrating historical urban data into a Geographic Information System (GIS) to enable the graphic recovery of urban evolution within a territory. This system facilitates the storage of alphanumeric and graphic data in a centralized database, providing a holistic view of the transformation process of a historic center's landscape. This case study focuses on an area in the historic center of Valencia, a territory influenced by multiple cultures since the city was founded by the Romans. Each culture has altered the spatial structures within the area. Georeferenced documents from historical archives, historical cartography, and the scientific literature were utilized for this study. The results have been integrated into the current cartography of Valencia in the GIS, producing plans of successive urban stages through the overlay of historical maps and current cartography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canton (present-day Guangzhou, China) has a long history as a trading port and serves as a window for studying the history of Sino-Western cultural exchanges. Canton was a city built under Confucian orders, leading to significant differences (when compared to Christian cities) in urban functional zoning, layout, urban landscape, and methods for shaping spatial order. Therefore, the churches constructed by Christian missionary societies in Canton merit particular attention in missionary history research and urban planning history. Based on local gazetteers, historical maps, export paintings, Western travelogues, and archives at that time, from a cultural landscape perspective, this article compares and analyzes the spatial expansion of Christian churches and their influences on the urban landscape in Canton in two stages. In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, the spatial layout of the churches indicated an active integration into Canton City. After the Opium War, churches were not only used for religious purposes but also served as symbols asserting the presence of Christians and Western powers (which made the situation more complicated). Missionary societies attracted believers through the construction of public facilities, building Christian communities centered around churches, thereby competing with authorities for spatial power and influencing the urban functional system and spatial layout controlled by the authorities. Comparatively, the Roman Catholic Cathedral has profoundly changed the traditional landscape order in Canton, while the Protestant Dongshan Church interacted more closely with the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate and timely crop maps are crucial for monitoring agricultural production. Current supervised classification methods based on remote sensing rely heavily on ground-truth samples collected at a high cost, and the years without sampling highly limit classification accuracy. To address such a challenge, we proposed a time-migration method based on historical training samples collected in 2017, 2018 and 2020 to conduct supervised crop classification mapping in the target year (2021) with no ground samples. We chose Hailun City, Heilongjiang Province of northeastern China, as the study site; the major crops included corn, soybean, and rice. We reconstructed time series of Sentinel-2 data and selected spectro-temporal features to identify standard crop phenological curves. We calculated the similarity between reference and image spectra and designed label-matching rules to identify training samples through the dynamic time warping algorithm. We then used the historical samples to map the crop types of the target year. The results showed that the migration accuracy reached 95% for major crop. Using these samples as training data with a random forest to classify the target year, the overall accuracy reached 94.13%. The new sample time-migration method proposed in this study can efficiently migrate historical samples, greatly reducing the cost of ground-truth sampling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal erosion and sea level rise has become a significant threat to coastal heritage due to climate change. Management bodies are monitoring the risks posed by undertaking studies, ranging from Rapid Coastal Zone Assessments to much larger government and research council funded studies. These studies have incorporated varying techniques and datasets such as environmental sampling, LiDAR, GPS, and UAV surveys. However, these approaches rarely combine study of historic shoreline change with physical susceptibility modeling. This paper presents a combined methodology, utilizing LiDAR and survey data collected by the Climate, Heritage, Environments of Reefs, Islands and Headlands (CHERISH) project, along with historic mapping and aerial photography to produce a risk assessment for the heritage assets located on Ynys Enlli (Bardsey Island), North Wales. By constructing an Historic Erosion Model and an Erosion Susceptibility Model using ESRI's ArcGIS 10.5.1. with the DSAS Plugin and combining them with the LiDAR-derived spatial extents of archaeological features on the island, this project has shown that using both methodologies alongside each other can create a more complete overview of coastal environment change for the creation of vulnerability indexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human activities have both positive and negative impacts on forests, altering the extent and composition of various forest vegetation types, and increasing uncertainty in ecological management. A detailed understanding of the historical distribution of forest vegetation is crucial for local conservation efforts. In this study, we integrated phenological features with climatic and terrain variables to enhance the mapping accuracy of forest vegetation in Yunnan. We mapped the historical distributions of five forest vegetation type groups and nine specific forest vegetation types for 2001, 2010, and 2020. Our findings revealed that: (1) rubber plantations can be effectively distinguished from other forest vegetation using phenological features, coniferous forests and broad-leaved forests can be differentiated using visible spectral bands, and environmental variables (temperature, precipitation, and elevation) are effective in differentiating forest vegetation types under varying climate conditions; (2) the overall accuracy and kappa coefficient increased by 14.845% and 20.432%, respectively, when climatic variables were combined with phenological features, and by 13.613% and 18.902%, respectively, when elevation was combined with phenological features, compared to using phenological features alone; (3) forest cover in Yunnan increased by 2.069 × 104 km2 (10.369%) between 2001 and 2020. This study highlights the critical role of environmental variables in improving the mapping accuracy of forest vegetation in mountainous regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lack of precise data on the environmental requirements of the conspicuous fungus with a northern distribution limit in Slovakia, Pogonoloma macrorhizum, initiated our study. Its identity was verified by sequencing of ITS and 28 S nrDNA regions. The analysis of trophic status by stable-isotope ratio of carbon and nitrogen suggested that the species is probably ectomycorrhizal. For the seventeen sampling sites, environmental data were obtained and information on landscape development and management were retrieved from historical maps and aerial orthophotographs. All these parameters were analysed by multivariate ordination methods. In Slovakia, P. macrorhizum is found in thermophilous to mesophilous stands on acidic soils with a pH ranging from 4.1 to 6.2. These habitats are dominated by Quercus cerris, with non-frequent tree taxa of Carpinus betulus and Quercus petraea agg. The key environmental drivers shaping the habitat of P. macrorhizum were identified as time since deforestation, with the presence of old Q. cerris individuals (former solitary trees of pastures) and soil characteristics. The fungus appears to be a species of transitional habitats historically affected by grazing. These transitions occur between thermophilic and mesophilic sites, including oak forest communities, dry steppic grasslands and forest edges, as well as spontaneously overgrown pastures and forests with a closed canopy. It is regrettable that the Q. cerris stands in Slovakia are under threat, particularly because of felling and the lack of grazing in forests. Furthermore, recent silvicultural practices have resulted in the replacement of oaks (Quercus spp.) by hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) and the formation of closed stands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flood hazard assessment of cities gained significance globally due to rise in frequency of flood events and rapid urbanisation. Uncertainties in flood inundation models largely depend on the quality of input datasets, among which topography plays a vital role. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of global terrain models in simulating accurate flooding and generating hazard maps while considering the influence of land-use dynamics focussing on data-scarce regions. Open-source forest and building removed digital elevation model (FABDEM) and a terrain model TDX-12 DTM derived from TanDEM-X 12 DSM using a simple-morphological-filtering technique are considered for comparing their performance in simulating a flood event occurred in Surat city during the year 2006. Spatially varying short-term urban growth scenario for the year 2035 is developed by utilizing historical land-use maps of the study area and urban growth indicators. These are combined using multi-criteria-decision-making techniques and Cellular-Automata-Markov-Chain model. The FABDEM based hydrodynamic model performed better (Root-Mean-Squared-Error RMSE of 1.59 m) than TDX-12 DTM based model (RMSE: 1.88 m). Intercomparison of hazard maps of the FABDEM and TDX-12 DTM with ground-surveyed TopoDEM based-model showed an overall accuracy of 71.8% and 72.8%; for the future scenario 71.8% and 75.5% respectively. In a span of 29 years, a notable increase in hazard magnitude of 7.5% is solely attributed to change in land dynamics. In this study, though the FABDEM based-model showed better RMSE than TDX-12 DTM, the model is relatively less successful in capturing high-hazard regions. The DEMs processed for removal of non-ground objects yield accurate models than globally trained models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In urban planning, land-use change is paramount for ensuring sustainable urban ecosystems. Monitoring, analyzing, and quantifying land use change is crucial to making statistical inferences and predicting the economic, environmental, and societal impacts of urban expansion. Recent technologies have enabled robust monitoring, recording, and documenting of spatio-temporal trends. When historical data remain nondigital, integrating modern technologies with traditional paper-based town maps becomes invaluable for digitization. Despite significant efforts in this field, little exploration has been done of the potential of Geographic Object-Based Image Analysis (GOBIA) for digitizing paper-based cadastral maps. This study introduces an innovative approach using unsupervised learning algorithms, K-means and Gaussian Mixture Models (GMM), in conjunction with GEOBIA techniques, to accurately extract land parcels from decades-old cadastral maps of Karachi, Pakistan. Initially, the maps were georeferenced using ArcGIS software, and unsupervised machine-learning algorithms were applied to preprocessed scanned images. Both clustering algorithms were evaluated based on key performance metrics, such as precision, recall, and F1 scores. The experimental results indicated that both algorithms performed well, with GMM slightly outperforming K-means in all aspects. GMM achieved 0.87 precision and recall and 0.86 F1 score of 0.86, while K-means achieved 0.82 precision, 0.78 recall, and 0.78 F1 score. Finally, unwanted features were removed by implementing a geometric criterion based on feature size and shape. This methodology effectively distinguishes between adjoining land parcels and ensures precise extraction of cadastral boundaries and land parcels, providing a reliable foundation for urban research and modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Engineering (17264073) is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Folklor / Edebiyat is the property of Cyprus International University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 aims to better protect natural ecosystems with high biodiversity and climate change mitigation potential. To achieve this goal, it is crucial to identify forests worth protecting, such as those characterized by long continuity and old age. Here, we propose a robust approach that combines historical maps from the mid‐19th century with remote sensing data to identify areas that have been forested for over 150 years, aiming to reduce the need for detailed and time‐consuming field investigations in potential conservation areas. We tested this approach in a 20,000 km2 region in the Polish Carpathians, an area likely containing many unprotected forests of high conservation value, where historical maps from the mid‐19th century are representative of much of Central Europe. Our results showed that an area of approximately 4200 km2 has been continuously forested since at least the mid‐19th century. Currently, 50% of these forests are outside protected areas, representing an important conservation opportunity. More generally, our approach can support the identification of valuable forests worth protecting before they are lost and provide useful insights for policymakers and stakeholders in the ongoing debate on the challenges of improving forest conservation in the Carpathians, and Europe more widely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper focuses on the historical distribution of haylofts in Slovakia, geographical conditions related to hay meadows with haylofts, and land cover changes of former hayloft localities. Moreover, the current state of preserved haylofts and the land use of their surrounding area were documented at a regional scale, during the field research. A map of the historical occurrence of haylofts was digitised based on the Czechoslovakian military topographic maps from 1952–1957 (1:25,000). Altogether, 9,742 haylofts were recorded. The haylofts were usually built in mountain and sub-mountain areas on places with low soil quality, mostly at higher elevations, on moderate or moderately steep slopes and in more distant and isolated areas. About half of former hayloft meadows now exist as meadows or pastures with different intensity of grassland management. Forest or shrubs already cover the other 38% of the sites. To a lesser extent, the areas have been converted into arable land or recreational areas. Only a few haylofts have survived to this day; for example, in Upper Liptov Region, it is only 1% of their former abundance in this area (48 haylofts). Apart from a few positive cases where they have been restored or preserved, those that have survived continue to decay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applying deep learning to high-precision ionospheric parameter prediction is a significant and growing field within the realm of space weather research. This paper proposes an improved model, Mixed Convolutional Neural Network (CNN)—Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (BiLSTM), for predicting the Total Electron Content (TEC) in China. This model was trained using the longest available Global Ionospheric Maps (GIM)-TEC from 1998 to 2023 in China, and underwent an interpretability analysis and accuracy evaluation. The results indicate that historical TEC maps play the most critical role, followed by Kp, ap, AE, F10.7, and time factor. The contributions of Dst and Disturbance Index (DI) to improving accuracy are relatively small but still essential. In long-term predictions, the contributions of the geomagnetic index, solar activity index, and time factor are higher. In addition, the model performs well in short-term predictions, accurately capturing the occurrence, evolution, and classification of ionospheric storms. However, as the predicted length increases, the accuracy gradually decreases, and some erroneous predictions may occur. The northeast region exhibits lower accuracy but a higher F1 score, which may be attributed to the frequency of ionospheric storm occurrences in different locations. Overall, the model effectively predicts the trends and evolution processes of ionospheric storms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe GIS Center at the University of California, Merced provides research services to faculty and is responsible for managing and maintaining a geospatial collection for our students and researchers. We support Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software for over 500 users yearly and provide workshops and consultations. GIS Center technical research staffs have provided consulting services to researchers and direct project support. Through four case studies, we will detail our processes for converting historic maps into GIS products that contribute to research publications and data sets. Specifically, we will discuss the technical demands and research benefits of georeferencing and vectorizing digitized historic maps utilizing various methods including machine learning and heads up digitizing and sharing that data via ArcGIS Online and other cloud-based applications. We conclude with recommendations for others embarking upon this type of work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of cartographic representation of landslides on susceptibility models is well-known but often neglected by academic studies, which rarely explore its practical implications. This study aims to address this knowledge gap by evaluating the impact of different landslide sampling strategies on statistical models of landslide susceptibility in Ouro Preto, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in South-eastern Brazil. The study's main objective was to assess how different landslide sampling strategies affected statistical susceptibility models. It adopted an innovative methodological approach that categorized dependent variables between training and test subgroups, adopting both balanced and unbalanced divisions of dependent variables, and focusing on shallow and deep landslides. In addition, the study introduced a systematic and critical approach to cartographic representation, providing valuable insights for future research and practice on landslide susceptibility mapping. Eighteen models were produced using an inventory with 57 historical landslides mapped with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. The area and volume of these landslides were determined. Three divisions of dependent variables were adopted between training and test subgroups: one balanced division, with large and deep landslides in both subgroups, and two unbalanced divisions, with a predominance of large and deep landslides in the training subgroup or test subgroup. The construction of landslide susceptibility models employed the information value method, validated through success and prediction curves. The results show the significant influence of cartographic representation (point or polygon) on the quality of statistical models and the spatial distribution of susceptibility classes. The polygonal cartographic representation and balanced partition of dependent variables produced the best results. However, it is emphasized that this cartographic representation is not universally optimal in other contexts. The worst result was obtained using a point and random cartographic representation. Overall, findings indicate the need for more accurate landslide inventories and databases, possibly through standards and regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the transformation of the urban fabric by analyzing changes in both structural and numerical parameters of spatial organization, with a particular emphasis on the hierarchical relationships between streets, blocks, and buildings. The research utilizes Bursa, the former Ottoman capital in Turkey, as a case study to explore these dynamics. The elements of streets, blocks, and buildings are posited as fundamental components in conceptualizing cities as layered palimpsests, where successive historical layers coexist within the urban fabric. The research establishes a conceptual parallel between the methodologies and analytical tools of urban morphology, particularly through the shared notion of the palimpsest. In the case of Bursa, the architectural remains and urban form of the Early, Classical, and Late Ottoman periods and of the Republican period are superimposed. In particular, the late Ottoman reform era, the Tanzimat period of the 19th century, brought great change. Historical maps from this era serve as primary sources for comprehending the evolving character and spatial configuration of the city. This research presents a novel methodological contribution by extending the analytical framework of urban morphology to integrate both qualitative and quantitative data. It employs Geographic Information Systems (GISs) and statistical methods to quantify changes in the urban fabric, assessing both pre-modernization and post-modernization phases. Historical maps from the 19th century are utilized as primary sources to trace and compare transformations within the urban fabric, with clustering techniques further aiding this analysis. The findings provide a deeper understanding of the dynamic processes that shape the historic structure of cities, offering a dual approach to urban transformation that harmonizes historical continuity with modern development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Located in the southwest of Jakarta, Pagedangan has been known as one of the hotspots for large-scale residential complexes or 'new town' in the Jakarta Metropolitan Area, Indonesia. By using a diachronic approach, we aim to examine spatial transformations of rural Pagedangan at micro-scale from 1901 to 2022 which shows the trajectory of new-build gentrification in the study area. This study thoroughly examines how land conversion transforms the rural Pagedangan into gentrifying urban landscape using historical maps and multitemporal imageries. During the last decade, Pagedangan has experienced massive agricultural land conversion which increased land price in the area. It has become gentrified seen by the rise of new town's urban economy. Meanwhile, pre-existing irregular settlements, or kampungs, have remained as an assemblage of enclaves in a new town, a realm that completely differs from their previous rural environment. Despite displacement has not yet been the main issue in Pagedangan, kampungs are still possibly at risk of disappearance. This study delivers a comprehensive empirical study on physical gentrification process to provide insights into urban studies discourse, especially in urban Asia. This study proposes kampung as an important spatial entity which government should consider in Indonesian land use planning and urban policy making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the archaeological interest in shipwrecks in the Caribbean Sea during the Modern Period (16th to 18th centuries). It highlights the challenges of looting and lack of protection for cultural heritage sites. The study analyzes historical documents to identify 692 shipwrecks, categorizing them based on archaeological interest and causes of shipwrecks. The research aims to improve knowledge of the maritime history of the Caribbean through underwater archaeology, emphasizing the importance of archival data and modern prospecting techniques. [Extracted from the article]

Urban geomorphology is a recent discipline that has gained a great deal of interest amongst the scientific community also for its clear connection with the concept of Anthropocene. The identification of anthropogenic landforms in an urban area requires a multidisciplinary approach, mostly using multi-temporal map comparisons, direct and indirect geognostic surveys, and detailed study of the urban landscape. Mediterranean cities have a particularly complex history: their original settlement usually dates back to the medieval period, but often to more ancient, occasionally even prehistoric, times. The result is an urban landscape characterised by modified natural landforms, but above all by anthropogenic landforms linked to the stratification of various urban phases. Reconstructing the landforms before major anthropogenic impacts of the last centuries is a particularly complex operation, and scientific research appears in its early stages. In this research, we introduce examples of the reconstruction of natural landforms in the historic centre of Genoa, a port city that experienced a peak of expansion in the Middle Ages and the Modern Age. The results obtained on four pilot areas highlight significant and previously unknown anthropic modifications and the associated landforms in the urban landscape. Large excavations, fills supported by ramparts, and sea embankments have been identified and quantitatively evaluated using a mixed approach between different disciplines: historical geography, geomatics, physical geography and geomorphology, and engineering geology. This methodology may be applied to other Mediterranean and extra-European urban contexts and may contribute, on the one hand, to the identification of potential geomorphological risks in urban areas and, on the other hand, to the use of urban landscape forms for geological heritage and geodiversity development activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, the ways of testing tactile signs lack systematization. Hence, the aim of our research was to methodically evaluate the legibility of the proposed set of tactile signs. Our solution is based on the sign theory, in which signs have relations with reality, other signs, and users. We employed a two-step procedure by first assessing signs in isolation to verify the ease of decoding and differentiation of signs within the same geometry type, and then evaluating their correct interpretation in context – on a map with signs in different geometries. We validated our approach using signs designed for historic garden maps that formed our case study. We tested these signs across three matrices (for point, line and area signs). Most of the signs were correctly recognized by the study participants in the first attempt. Any illegible signs were redesigned and reevaluated in context using seven pseudomaps. At this stage, minor issues related to single signs arouse, primarily due to inappropriate pseudomap design rules rather than sign geometries themselves. Based on participants’ feedback, we refined the signs again, and finally obtained a standardized set of 52 legible signs, intended for 3D-printed tactile maps using the DLP technique. Our analysis confirms that the proposed signs are legible, regardless of the user’s skills and characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long-term interaction between the environment and humans has significantly shaped contemporary landscapes worldwide. As a heritage landscape, the polder is essential for understanding the impact of the past human activities on contemporary landscape on low-lying area of land. In this case study, we reconstructed the regional spatial distribution of the polders in the early twentieth century and examined their coherence over the past century using historical maps and other materials in the Jianghan Plain. The results revealed several key findings: (1) In the early twentieth century, there were 1571 polders covering an area of 11,826.1 km2 with a perimeter of 17,035.9 km. (2) These polders exhibited a J-shaped distribution, with few large-scale polders despite their substantial areas. (3) The shape of these polders reflected an ability to balance human needs and the natural environment. (4) Considerable regional differences in these polders were attributed to centuries-old interactions between humans and the environment. (5) The remnants of these early twentieth century polders have had a lasting influence on the contemporary landscape, particularly in rural areas. This case study underscores how taking into account a broader historical perspective can enhance our understanding of present-day landscapes and, more importantly, the role that past human actions have played in shaping them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The case study area is a small but typical prehistoric landscape in the Kras Plateau on the north coast of the central Mediterranean. The Late Bronze and Iron Age Kras Plateau was an emblematic Mediterranean archaeological landscape dotted with numerous hillforts. Since the mid‐20th century, the landscape had been overgrown with some of the most archaeology‐hostile vegetation, severely impeding landscape archaeology until archaeological LiDAR revealed thousands of archaeological features that attest to a carefully constructed and managed agro‐pastoral landscape. However, these discoveries were hampered by insecure chronology typical of any LiDAR guided analysis. This case study meticulously documented two prehistoric hillforts and a previously unknown agro‐pastoral landscape with hundreds of archaeological features. The focus of the article, however, was on establishing a more precise and objective dating method. We proposed a multiproxy method to date the archaeological landscape. It combines relative dating using remote sensing data and historical maps; dating based on historical context; relative stratigraphic dating; indirect dating based on associated archaeological finds; and dating by association. Particularly, we focused on the association‐based dating of archaeological features. We proposed a method based on the concept of taskscapes that relies on kernel density estimation. Using these methods, we objectively demonstrated that agro‐pastoral landscape features documented with archaeological LiDAR were contemporaneous with Late Bronze Age and Iron Age hillforts and have no connection to the post‐medieval landscape. The latter has important methodological implications for the prehistoric archaeology of Mediterranean karst landscapes, where backdating post‐Medieval landscapes is a common practise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary post-industrial urban areas face opposing transformation trends: on one hand, abandonment or underutilization, and its replacement by new constructions and uses, on the other hand, the revaluation of the historical fabric and the implementation of initiatives to rehabilitate this legacy as industrial heritage. This study aimed to understand the factors that influence trends, and simulate land-use scenarios. A methodology based on three phases is proposed: digitization, exploratory spatial data analysis and simulation. Using the former textile district of Bellavista in Tomé (Chile), this study created and used historical land-use maps from 1970, 1992 and 2019. Meanwhile the main change observed from 1970 to 1992 was a 59.4% reduction in Historical Informal Open Spaces. The major change from 1992 to 2019 was the Historical Informal Open Space loss trend continuing; 65% of the land dedicated to this use changed to new usages. Consequently, the influence of two morphological factors and three urban management instruments on land-use changes between 1992 and 2019 was studied. The projection to 2030 showed a continued trend of expansion of new housing uses over historic urban green spaces and industrial areas on the waterfront, although restrained by the preservation of the central areas of historic housing and the textile factory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In their claim to distance from reality, maps seek power from representation. Maps are constituted by a particular set of practices that are enmeshed within wider social relations. Maps, then, are a powerful vantage point for understanding the geometries of power. Under settler colonialism, geography is constantly reshaped and reconfigured by expansionist and eliminatory logics. Such is the case in Palestine, where Israeli settler colonialism has fragmented the map of historic Palestine into messily separated archipelagos. As Palestinian geographies are constantly being reconfigured under Israeli settler colonialism, can maps catch up? How do we locate Palestine on the map? I take up these questions by focusing on the 1948 and 1967 Palestinian territories as two spatio‐temporally differentiated locations of settler colonial spatial reconfiguration. Using a counter‐map designed by Palestinian artist Haya Zaatry, I highlight the importance of counter‐mapping in bringing into sharp relief the conjunctural layering of dispossession in Palestine. If dominant colonial maps are about the neat packaging of lived realities into dominant spatio‐temporal demarcations, counter‐maps are about highlighting the ghostly stories and embodied spatial practices and processes of living within and beyond such demarcations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper critically examines the intersections of Science, colonialism, and cartography in shaping perceptions of the ocean and its human-nature relationships. Drawing on Postcolonial Science and Technology Studies (PCSTS) and Decolonial Theory, it scrutinizes historical mapping practices, revealing how they perpetuated ontological hierarchies and controlled narratives of the ocean. Through archival research spanning from the Revolution to colonial exploration, the paper exposes how maps framed the ocean as a controllable entity, obscuring socio-cultural dimensions of biodiversity. Focusing on a case study in Northern Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa, the authors explore an Empatheatre mapping process, that challenges Western ontologies and promotes counter-hegemonic cartographic practices. Situating this within critical cartography and PCSTS literature, the paper reveals how colonial projects molded perceptions of oceanic space and influenced environmental governance. In the South African context, the ocean is haunted by a violent history of racial exclusion and ecological exploitation. Initiatives like Operation Phakisa's Blue Economy plan underscore the tension between economic growth and ecological sustainability, leading to rapid coastal developments. Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) emerges as a tool to reconcile these interests, yet its implementation raises questions about inclusivity and community participation. Introducing the Empatheatre method, characterized by a 'Call and Response' approach, the paper invites local communities to co-create maps reflecting their concerns and relationships with the ocean. Through attentive listening and collaborative storytelling, Empatheatre challenges traditional consultation methods, prioritizing meaningful engagement and collective meaning-making. Mapping in this context is not merely a static representation but a dynamic process of collective thinking and relationality. By foregrounding the social, cultural, and ecological context, Empatheatre's approach redefines the mapmaker-map relationship and empowers communities as active agents in shaping their narratives. The transformative potential of Empatheatre lies in its ability to shift power dynamics and foster empathy between diverse stakeholders. Through performative storytelling and visual representations, Empatheatre creates space for marginalized voices and alternative modes of knowledge transmission. In conclusion, this paper advocates for a decolonial approach to oceanic cartographies that acknowledges diverse ontologies and fosters inclusive governance structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maps are politically, socially, and culturally inflected objects that can communicate information and teach us about the time and society that shaped them. They are not only tools to serve present needs, but are also rich historical sources that require curation, conservation, and care. This historical legacy is well represented in the map collection of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG). The stewardship of these historical maps offers many challenges, but also an opportunity for education, for example on the complex history of empire, and collaboration, for example with artists. This paper highlights the varied work of the RGS in the preservation and promotion of its large collection of maps, charts, and globes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uniform plant spacing, seeding depth, and emergence are important factors heavily influenced by both machine settings and soil conditions. Understanding load distribution across the planter toolbar at varying planter settings and soil conditions provide feedback to improve planter performance and achieve desired seed placement consistency. One important soil property that affects opening disc load requirement in creating seed trench is soil texture which relates to soil strength. However, none of the existing methods (soil apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) maps, historic soil maps, and cone penetrometer) provide accurate soil strength data on a high spatial resolution which could be used to optimize planter performance. This study was conducted to (1) quantify the percentage of time row-planters need uplift during planting and (2) quantify opening disc loads using real-time machine control system recorded data across different ECa zones. Results showed that uplift events varied from 13 to 18% with wing and track sections revealed higher instances of uplift. Higher instances of uplift were observed on the non-track section for planter with wing wheels. Results revealed a modest correlation between soil ECa and opening disc load with 435 N more or 12% higher opening disc load applied on high soil ECa zones as compared in low soil ECa zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rivers are one of the most complex formations on the Earth's surface; they are connected with the deep structure of the Earth, the landscape environment, and unpredictable weather cataclysms. The study aims to investigate the peculiarities of the geological structure and tectonics of the Lower Dniester region, examine the types of meanders, determine the horizontal displacements of the riverbed, and assess the impact of anthropogenic factors on the riverbed and riparian areas. The methodology is based on the use of tectonic maps, geological maps of Quaternary deposits, historical topographic maps, and satellite images to determine the long-term horizontal displacements of the riverbed, identify meander types, and study the meandering characteristics and their relationships with tectonic structures. Horizontal riverbed displacements were measured at 76 points using data from the 1980 map and a Sentinel-2 image obtained in 2020. For the purpose of studying the types of meanders and their analysis, it is proposed to use the characteristics of meanders and their relationships. This approach will allow for more efficient analysis and prediction of changes in channel processes under the influence of natural and anthropogenic factors across various temporal scales. The research shows that the Lower Dniester region is influenced by the tectonics of internal structures and the seismically active Vrancea zone in Romania. Additionally, a comparison of cartographic data from 1880 and 1980 and satellite images from 2020 allows us to assess how the territory of the Lower Dniester riparian area has changed under the influence of anthropogenic factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protected areas (PAs) serve as crucial elements in biodiversity conservation but are in danger of becoming isolated islands in human-dominated landscapes. It is related to landscape changes, especially changes in land use and land cover (LULC). Over the past decades, most research on the effectiveness of nature conservation has focused mainly on PAs, while the areas surrounding PAs are of key importance for maintaining ecological connectivity and biodiversity. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to determine the long-term changes in LULC within the selected national park in Poland and its surroundings and to assess the effectiveness of the BZ based on these changes. We hypothesized that, despite restrictions within the buffer zone, land development has intensified and increased, in the nearest surroundings of the analyzed national park. For the analysis, we selected Ojców National Park (southern Poland), one of the oldest national parks in Poland. We analyzed landscape changes before (since the 1930s) and after establishing the park and its BZ. We conducted a comprehensive quantitative analysis of the landscape structure and LULC. We used historical maps and the contemporary national LULC database. Our results showed that almost 40% of the study area consisted of lands with non-persistent LULC. The main changes include a three-fold increase in built-up areas and an increase in forest cover, mainly on abandoned agricultural land. We also found that land development around the national park is at a level similar to the general rate for the area outside the BZ. It suggests the ineffectiveness of the buffer zone in preventing land development. The identified long-term landscape changes the basis for sustainable development land management from the nature conservation perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to reconstruct historical road networks, focusing on an area of South-Eastern Europe (specifically on a part of northern Greece) and to contribute to the research for cultural heritage landscapes promotion. By the proposed approach, ignored cultural corridors would be revealed, paving the way for significant management and the emergence of cultural landscapes. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) tools, textual references and historical maps are utilised to identify the historical roadways. The spatial information is mined from the historical maps, whilst the descriptive information is mined from both the textual sources and the maps as well. The combination of the maps and the narratives supported an integrated classification of the roads for all periods, according to the construction style/technique, allowing the interpretations of the historical roads' landscapes. The suggested approach and the consequent maps could serve as a valuable contribution to the enhancement of heritage management of historical landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Operational forecasters desire information about how their reservoir and riverine systems will evolve over monthly to seasonal timescales. Seasonal traces of hydrometeorological variables at a daily or sub-daily resolution are needed to drive hydrological models at this timescale. Operationally available models such as the Climate Forecast System (CFS) provide seasonal precipitation forecasts, but their coarse spatial scale requires further processing for use in local or regional hydrologic models. We focus on three methods to generate such forecasts: (1) a bias-adjustment method, in which the CFS forecasts are bias-corrected by ground-based observations; (2) a weather generator (WG) method, in which historical precipitation data, conditioned on an index of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation, are used to generate synthetic daily precipitation time series; and (3) a historical analog method, in which the CFS forecasts are used to condition the selection of historical satellite-based mean areal precipitation (MAP) traces. The Yaque del Norte River basin in the Dominican Republic is presented herein as a case study, using an independent dataset of rainfall and reservoir inflows to assess the relative performance of the methods. The methods showed seasonal variations in skill, with the MAP historical analog method having the strongest overall performance, but the CFS and WG methods also exhibited strong performance during certain seasons. These results indicate that the strengths of each method may be combined to produce an ensemble forecast product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While it is often assumed that the core debates about nationalism were settled by modernist scholars already in the 1980s, there are reasons to question this theoretical 'consensus', especially because it fails to anticipate the wave of nationalist geopolitics that is currently sweeping through the world. Contemporary studies of nationalism typically refrain from conceptualising politics in spatial terms, while overstating states' ability to shape ethno‐national identities irrespective of their ethnic roots and offering little empirical validation. To overcome these limitations, it is useful to analyse how nationalism transforms the state, rather than the reverse. This article reports findings from an EU‐funded research project that uses historical maps covering borders of states and ethnic groups to show how nationalism causes increasing congruence between these borders and how a lack thereof makes conflict and border change more likely. This risk is further increased by 'restorative' narratives bemoaning supposedly lost independence and unity. Further research traces the spread of reactive nationalism through modernisation processes driven by railroad expansion until the early 20th century. Yet this does not mean that state partition offers the only, or the best, solution to nationality problems. Power sharing can pacify at least as well as ethno‐nationalist border change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Western Black-headed Snake (Tantilla planiceps) is one species of a complex of cryptic, ground-dwelling species that are not well studied. Historical range maps in California were based on a small number of specimens and have been incrementally reinterpreted, typically showing a reduced area over time. More recently, with access to online sources for museum specimens and citizen science projects, locality data from verifiable observations have increased dramatically. We believe that current observations expand the range--but not outside of the historical lines--and reconnect populations that were considered disjunct over time. We recommend that biologists, herpetologists, naturalists, and citizen scientists report findings of this species so that future iterations of range maps can be based on observational data. We contend that this effort is essential to appropriate management of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Great Lakes Basin landscapes are undergoing rapid land cover and land use (LCLU) change. The goal for this study was to identify changes in land cover occurring in the Great Lakes Basin over three time periods to provide insights into historical land cover changes occurring on a bi-national watershed scale. To quantify potential impacts of anthropogenic changes on important yet vulnerable Great Lakes Wetland ecosystems, the historical changes in land cover over time are assessed via remote sensing. The goal is to better understand legacy effects on current conditions, including wetland gain and loss and the impacts of upland ecosystems on wetland health and water quality. Three key time periods with respect to Great Lakes water level changes and coastal wetland plant invasions were mapped using Landsat-derived land cover maps: 1985, 1995, and 2010. To address change between the three time periods of interest, we incorporate both radiometric and categorical change analysis and open-source tools available for assessing time series data including LandTrendr and TimeSync. Results include maps of annual land cover transition from 1985 to 1995 and 1995 to 2010 basin-wide and by ecoregion and an assessment of the magnitude and direction of change by land cover type. Basin-wide validated change results show approximately 776,854 ha of land changed from c.1980–1995 and approximately 998,400 ha of land changed from c.1995–2010. Both time periods displayed large net decreases in both deciduous forest and agricultural land and net increases in suburban cover. Change by ecoregion is reviewed in this study with many of the change types in central plains showing change in and out of agriculture and suburban land covers, the mixed wood plain ecoregion consisted of a mixture of agricultural, suburban, and forestry changes, and all top five change types in the mixed wood shield consisted of various stages of the forestry cycle for both time periods. In comparison with previous LCLU change studies, overall change products showed similar trends. The discussion reviews why, while most changes had accuracies better than 84%, accuracies found for change from urban to other classes and from other classes to agriculture were lower due to unique aspects of change in these classes which are not relevant for most change analyses applications. The study found a consistent loss in the deciduous forest area for much of the time studied, which is shown to influence the aquatic nitrogen implicated in the expansion of the invasive plant Phragmites australis in the Great Lakes Basin. This underscores the importance of LCLU maps, which allow for the quantification of historical land change in the watersheds of the Great Lakes where invasive species are expanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In forensic commingled contexts, when the disarticulation occurs uniquely at the atlantoaxial joint, the correct match of atlas and axis may lead to the desirable assembly of the entire body. Notwithstanding the importance of this joint in such scenarios, no study has so far explored three-dimensional (3D) methodologies to match these two adjoining bones. In the present study, we investigated the potential of re-associating atlas and axis through 3D–3D superimposition by testing their articular surfaces congruency in terms of point-to-point distance (Root Mean Square, RMS). We analysed vertebrae either from the same individual (match) and from different individuals (mismatch). The RMS distance values were assessed for both groups (matches and mismatches) and a threshold value was determined to discriminate matches with a sensitivity of 100%. The atlas and the corresponding axis from 41 documented skeletons (18 males and 23 females), in addition to unpaired elements (the atlas or the axis) from 5 individuals, were superimposed, resulting in 41 matches and 1851 mismatches (joining and non-joining elements). No sex-related significant differences were found in matches and mismatches (p = 0.270 and p = 0.210, respectively), allowing to pool together the two sexes in each group. RMS values ranged between 0.41 to 0.77 mm for matches and between 0.37 and 2.18 mm for mismatches. Significant differences were found comparing the two groups (p < 0.001) and the highest RMS of matches (0.77 mm) was used as the discriminative value that provided a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 41%. In conclusion, the 3D–3D superimposition of the atlanto-axial articular facets cannot be considered as a re-association method per se, but rather as a screening one. However, further research on the validation of the 3D approach and on its application to other joints might provide clues to the complex topic of the reassociation of crucial adjoining bones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the historical maritime route between Zhangzhou and Manila during the 16th and 17th centuries, exploring the monsoon-driven commercial navigation in the South China Sea. It examines in detail the nautical terms and orientation methods used by Chinese sailors, as well as the units of time and distance employed in navigation. The route from Zhangzhou to Manila is reconstructed, analyzing various historical documents and maps, including the Dongxiyangkao and the Shunfeng xiangsong. Variations in the duration of the journey according to meteorological conditions are discussed, and descriptions of the route in different historical sources are compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intricate organization of nuclei within the dorsolateral funiculus of the spinal cord has long been an area of interest in the field of neuroanatomy. Numerous researchers have endeavored to determine the morphology, neurochemistry, connections, and physiology of the lateral cervical nucleus and lateral spinal nucleus throughout history. This manuscript charts the historical progression in the mapping, naming, and comprehension of the lateral cervical nucleus and lateral spinal nucleus across a variety of species, such as rats, mice, marmosets, rhesus monkeys, and humans. It synthesizes significant research spanning decades, which together shed light on the nuanced topography of these nuclei, starting from Theodor Ziehen's foundational work in 1903, through Molander's precise mappings, to the detailed contemporary mappings by modern scholars. Despite the wealth of research elucidating the mappings of these nuclei, there remains a need for further investigation into their roles and neurochemical characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental history contributes to historical geography in Quebec through the attention it pays to the spatial and material dimensions of the relationship between society and the environment. This contribution, which can be characterized by the term "environmental historical geography," can be seen in a series of works that enrich our understanding of the relationships between populations and their different milieux de vie, exemplified as forest, rural, and urban environments in this article. The use of digital tools, such as geohistorical information systems, and digitized sources, such as historical maps and survey archives, makes it possible to recast our understanding of the relationships between Quebec societies and their territories and to offer a geographical and ecological reinterpretation of historical problems. By jointly rethinking time and space with novel questions, methods, and theories, as well as sources recently revealed or digitized, environmental historical geography projects new intellectual niches to grasp the relationships between populations and their living environments. Messages clés: Les objets, les thématiques et les approches de recherche que se partagent l'histoire environnementale et la géographie historique rendent difficile tout travail de démarcation entre ces deux champs d'études.L'étude des dimensions matérielles et spatiales des rapports entre milieux de vie et populations en histoire environnementale contribue à la pratique de la géographie historique au Québec.Les méthodes de la géographie historique environnementale se sont enrichies de la numérisation de sources multiples et l'application d'outils numériques pour la spatialisation et la visualisation des données. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prediction and monitoring of urban sprawl is a significant urban issue for planners, decision makers, and local authorities in terms of spatial data, strategies, and prediction models. Egyptian cities have expanded rapidly in the last 40 years. This uncontrolled urban growth requires a review of Egyptian urban policies and regulations. The Greater Cairo Region (GCR) is Egypt's economic capital and a significant industrial and commercial city. This study uses spatio-temporal data to suggest an approach based on integrating cellular automata (CA) and multicriteria evaluation (MCE) like analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and running it within the geographical information system (GIS) for monitoring, analyzing, and allocating informal growth in the context of unplanned regions like the GCR. At first, the weights of influencing growth factors were determined and calculated using AHP. Next, the probability map was created according to AHP weights. The historical probability map was then generated based on the historical development. Then a standalone CA macro was developed based on AHP weights to calculate the proximity index for existing urban and transportation features using Moore's extended neighborhood matrix. Finally, the general suitability map was created to identify the most sensitive areas for growth over the next two decades. The prediction process was performed based on the 2012 urban boundary. Then, the prediction accuracy was verified using the Kappa coefficient based on actual urban extents in 2017. The results showed that 676 km2 (35%) of the study area was not sensitive, 386.5 km2 (20%) was slightly sensitive, 522 km2 (27%) was almost sensitive, and 348 km2 (18%) was extremely sensitive to urban sprawl. Finally, we predicted the urban growth for the period from 2022 to 2052 for every 5 years. The outcomes showed a linear scattered sprawl pattern along transportation features and an annular pattern around existing urban spaces. Therefore, fertile farming land and natural resources in the GCR are set to become almost extinct over the next two decades, threatening food production and security. These results indicate the necessity to modify the region's urban policies to protect the agricultural areas and control the unplanned urban sprawl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historical land use reconstructions help to assess climate change, interactions between ecosystems and human and strengthen the knowledge about these interactions. They are conducted on the basis of historical maps that only cover certain areas. Hence, there is a need to seek other maps enabling historical land use to be reconstructed. The aim of study is to assess the suitability of contemporary maps for reconstructing a historical non-forest area range in the Western Carpathians. The content of contemporary maps was compared with that of historical maps, including the number of glades, their area and the length of their boundaries. Over 60% of glades were reconstructed, which is 90% of the glade area inventoried based on historical maps. Over 50% glades with an area of less than 1ha were not reconstructed. However, the area they occupy does not account for 2% of the total glade area. Thus, it has no significant impact on the total area of the reconstructed glades. As much as 90% of the boundaries' length was reconstructed. The study shows that contemporary maps may be useful in reconstructing the forest and glades range and may be an additional source of information to verify the content of historical maps. • Contemporary maps are useful to reconstruct the historical land cover. • Reconstructing the land cover forms area gives better results than their boundaries. • Invariability of the plot structure make it easier to reconstruct past land use. • Large land fragmentation make it easier to reconstruct past land use. • Spatial range of different plots indicates the maximal range of past deforestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]