RESEARCH FOR

Maija Jankevica
accounting and characterizing of landscape
elements;
- to evaluate biotope structure and vegetation in
blue-green areas of Jelgava city;
- to assess landscape ecological aesthetics
using comparative matrix and to detect main
problems to challenged landscape for further
development.
Based on the research results, possible development
of landscape ecological aesthetics of Jelgava will
be carried out in further studies. Research helps to
understand and analyze successful development
directions for Jelgava city.
materials and methods
The basis of the research was Jelgava city.
Landscape survey, photo fixation and inventory were
managed in the spot of this Latvian city.
Jelgava is a city in central Latvia about 41 km
southwest of Riga. As of 1st of January 2011, the
city had a population of 64516 inhabitants. Jelgava
is situated on both banks of the Lielupe River from
0.0 to 6.0 m above sea level. Total area of Jelgava is
60 km 2 , of which open-water area is 2.34 km 2
and parks cover 1.62 km 2 of Jelgava area (Jelgavas
pilsētas pašvaldības..., 2012). It is the largest town in
Zemgale region. Jelgava has regular, broad streets.
In the research, general scientific qualitative
research methods were used. The subject of
research was ecological aesthetical quality of green
environment in urban territories.
Landscape inventory was used to survey current
situation of Jelgava. Inventory was conducted within
the description of the landscape the collection,
recording and landscape assessment adding value
ReseaRch foR RuRal Development 2012
to individual landscape elements, depending on the
specific criteria (Ainavu aizsardzība..., 2000). At
the beginning of inventory of the landscape, it was
necessary to study the existing situation of Jelgava.
Photo fixation was carried out during the research in
autumn and winter 2011. The weather was cloudy and
dull. The analyzed areas were grouped by its functional
use: neighbourhood areas, courtyards of multi-storey
buildings (Figure 1), urban natural areas, parks, forest
areas, water courses and reservoirs (Figure 2). There
was existing landscape visual and ecological structure
marked on inventory map.
The value of landscape is expressed by specific land
uses, field patterns, traditional architecture (Krause,
2001). Aesthetical quality of Jelgava landscape was
mapped using visual landscape assessment method.
Landscape scenery, significant viewpoints and
elements were marked in an assessment map. The
aims of visual quality assessment are to help to list
the areas to be protected, to determine whether a
landscape is aesthetically appropriate or not and to
define physical landscape components that affect
the preferences for this particular area (Kane, 1981;
Bulut and Yilmaz, 2008). Cartographic method ‘City
building analysis’ which is developed by Kevin Lynch
was used for distribution of city regions with similar
properties (Lynch, 1960). There were housing areas,
commercial and industrial territories, manufacturing
areas and green spaces detected in Jelgava city.
Biotope analysis is an ecological characterisation
of landscape structure of urban areas. In these maps,
the word ‘biotope’ is synonymous to word ‘habitat’,
it is defined as area in which animals and plants
can live, and primarily represents different land-use
classes (Leitão and Ahern, 2002; Löfvenhaft et al.,
landscape ecological aesthetics assessment matrix of territories in Jelgava
Values Area 1 Area 2 Approach
Order, regularity 1-10 1-10
Quality of man-made elements 1-10 1-10
Visible human intention 1-10 1-10
Particularity 1-10 1-10
Use of outlandish species 1-10 1-10
Use of natural forms 1-10 1-10
Accordance with architecture 1-10 1-10
Biodiversity 1-10 1-10
Accordance with landscape type 1-10 1-10
Native species 1-10 1-10
Natural elements 1-10 1-10
Carelessness 1-10 1-10
Wildlife 1-10 1-10
Unaffected nature processes
Source: author’s created.
1-10 1-10
ASSESSMENT OF LANDSCAPE ECOLOGICAL
AESTHETICS IN URBAN AREAS. EXAMPLE OF JELGAVA
Aesthetics
Ecology
Table 1
135