The demands on an intensely-managed landscape require a regional landscape planning system, which balances the social-economic needs with geo-biological conditions. Planning needs a system of classification of the landscape, which is consistent and reflects the natural patterns, the potential capacity and the limits of natural units, and the history of human use. In the GDR we have created a classification scheme which identifies a variety of objects on the landscape, which can be mapped, and which represent the patterns of potential use and the limits on usages. A set of terms and definitions is presented, which represent hierarchical levels of this classification.

Landscape is defined as the material-physical entity comprising the structures of nature and land use and their mutual relationship. This reduced but more precise specification of the landscape includes certain geo-and bioscientific problems as well as socio-economic conditions, motives and functions in the sense of a system approach, which have to be considered, but do not belong to its object sphere directly. For landscape research a multi-stage procedure is introduced. It includes (a) the scientific and technical analysis of natural and land use structures inclusive their spatial and temporal dynamics (and genesis), (b) the functional analysis of landscape within the processes of socio-economic reproduction, i.e. landscape as an object of socio-economic activities and (c) the comparison of landscape structures with standardized parameters set by society under consideration of natural regularities leading to the evaluation and prognosis of these structures or certain parts of them.

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While the natural structures of the GDR territory influenced by geological features and relief formation show a north-south sequence, variations in climate belong to a more northwest-southeast directed differentiation by maritime to continental features. Already since the Middle Ages the natural conditions of this territory have been utilized by man, at present many socially necessary functions of natural regions require rational and effective solutions for the complex utilization of nature and its resources. In order to support decisionmakers by scientific foundations for the solution of these problems, Physical Geography is concerned chiefly with three tasks: I. Determination of the suitability and carrying capacity with regard to certain requirements of society (landscape survey). 2. Analysis of the functioning of landscape systems by the investigation of natural processes and technogene impacts on them by different forms of use. 3. Elaboration of scientific foundations in order to render possible a rational uitlization and effective forms of control of natural and technogene determined landscape processes.Natural Structure of the German Democratic Republic

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