Profiling Rural Landmarks over Time: An Integrated Approach

The present study illustrates an approach to map a landscape element typical of the Mediterranean rural landscape by integrating digitization from topographic maps and photo-interpretation on recent Google Heart imagery. The approach was applied to a case study in Greece. The location of water open reservoirs used for crop irrigation, taken as a typical element of the rural landscape in the area, was mapped through (i) digitization of Hellenic Military Geographical Service (HMGS) maps scaled 1:25,000 referring to late-1970s and (ii) interpretation of Google Heart Imagery referring to early-2010s with the support of ancillary data sources. Maps have been included into a Geographic Information System (GIS) incorporating layers, which describe land-use and population distribution. The cartography was processed to develop landscape indicators by using spatial analysis tools. The integration of digitization techniques with geographic information systems and spatial analysis represents an original approach for landscape assessment in areas suffering from the lack of digital information on the environment.