Visual Analysis of the Cultural Landscape in Terms of Vegetation for the Purposes of Revitalization of Rural Areas

Abstract

The article presents a visual analysis of the landscape, based on the modified SBE method and the possibility of using this type of research for the purposes of revitalization of rural areas. The scope of the research covered the Puchaczów commune in which, due to environmental conditions, mining related to hard coal extraction has developed. The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that the existence of diverse height structure of the plant cover increases the attractiveness of the landscape. The research method consisted in using the SBE analysis for 13 landscape units, presented as actual illustrations and modified pictures (as computer visualizations) by adding trees and shrubs. Then, using the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey post hoc test, it was examined whether there is a significant difference for the average visual value evaluation between original and modified sketches.