Large-scale vegetation map generalization experience on the example of the forest area “Staraya Granitsa” (St. Petersburg)

E. S. Derkach, S. D. Ozerova, E. A. Volkova, V. N. Khramtsov

DOI: https://doi.org/10.31111/geobotmap/2024.03

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The article is devoted to the principles and converting methods of large-scale vegetation maps to generalized large-scale maps. The research was done in the “Staraya Granitsa” forest area, 21.4 km² (Kurortnyy district of St. Petersburg). Vegetation is typical for the southern taiga subzone. The largest areas are occupied by forests (85.5 %), among which are conventionally primary coniferous (spruce and pine) and black alder; long-term secondary pine-spruce and spruce-pine forests, in which both spruce and pine participate in varying proportions. Various types of small-leaved (birch, aspen and gray alder) forests are common on abandoned agricultural lands, on drained mesotrophic and mesoeutrophic swamps and felled areas. The vegetation of the Sestra River valley and streams with moist-grass types of spruce or birch forests and meadow communities contributes significant diversity to the overall picture.

Due to diversity of plant community’s types, this area can be considered as a model territory for East-European southern taiga forest mapping. At first the vegetation map has been compiled at 1 : 15 000 (in print 1 : 30 000) scale based on field data and interpretation of satellite images (Fig. 2). The map legend contains 66 main numbers (Table 1).

Next the generalized large-scale map at 1 : 100 000 scale for the same territory was done using geographic and geometric generalization principles. Geographic generalization means the use of higher-rank taxonomic units in the map legend; the elimination of serial plant community types; the transition from individual plant community types to various combinations, etc. Geometric generalization helps to preserve and delineate the essential features and peculiarities of the vegetation cover structure. This might be achieved by straightening contours, eliminating small-area contours, smoothing boundaries, etc.

The legend numbers decreased 3.5 times during the map re-work from the initial map to the final one, and the number of contours decreased 5 times (Fig. 2: inset, Table 3). The average size of contour area increased from 6 to 31 ha. The ratio of the areas of the main plant community types remained the same, that is, the features and patterns of distribution of plant communities have been preserved both on the original and on the generalized map (Fig. 4). Derived communities (small-leaved forests, meadows at different stages of development) often replace each other in small patches: we have to deal with the vegetation cover mosaic in the city. At the same time, the map shown the large patches of coniferous forests within the surveyed territory. This indicates the ongoing processes of primary vegetation restoration within the St. Petersburg megalopolis.

The methodological approaches applied in this research will promote the creation of a vegetation map of St. Petersburg at 1 : 100 000 scale based on large-scale vegetation maps of the city’s local areas.

Key words: urban forests, geographical generalization, geometric generalization, cartographic analysis

Section: Articles

How to cite

Derkach E. S., Ozerova S. D., Volkova E. A., Khramtsov V. N. 2024. Large-scale vegetation map generalization experience on the example of the forest area “Staraya Granitsa” (St. Petersburg). Geobotanical mapping 2024: 3–24. https://doi.org/10.31111/geobotmap/2024.03

Received October 22 2024

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