The main topic of this contribution is an analysis of the visual interpretation process of remotely-sensed images for geoecological purposes. Several image interpretation steps, relations, and ...decisions are discussed, as well as background theories related to regional land cover/land use classes. As a case study and as an application of these methods a coloured Ecological Land Classification Map of Argolis and Arcadia (Peloponnesus, Greece) in the scale 1:100 000 was produced. In detail the relations between photo-pattern-areas and land use-/land cover-classes are pointed out. The interpretation key shows the rules for the matching process of these two feature categories. Bases for the set of land use-/land cover-classes are a regional model of the natural/semi-natural vegetation classes and a model of the agricultural land use in the study area. Due to perceptual and cartographic constraints, small land use patterns are aggregated to mixed land use classes or land use class mixtures. The results of visual-manual classification of multi-temporal satellite images are new regional information, which can be extended to the delineation of cultural-landscape regions. The use of remote sensing data, together with collateral data, is adequate and recommendable for such regional spatial-analytical purposes.
The socio-ecological differentiation of an oriental town is presented by an analysis of its business streets. Even the density of shops and the quality of their goods, i.e. the ...qualitative-quantitative criteria, can be interpreted as supply to extremely varied, differing social groups. At the same time phases of growth are shown, from the western-type city district with a recent CBD at the forefront of growth to the older business streets (from the time around 1930) which, having lost prestige and suffered social decline, form the rear of the system extending from the bazaar. As a new method to classify socio-ecologically different business streets and thus districts of the town branch associations are formed. They represent groups of business types, which, as a result of aiming at a certain group of customers (spatiallly concrete supply and demand system) are only to be found in certain limited parts of the town. Besides the socio-ecological principle of location of associations of shop types there is a central-peripheral gradient that reflects the inner-city centrality. It points to the co-existence of two business street systems, the centres of which — bazaar and Western CBD — serve different social groups. Thus the bi-polarity of the westernized oriental city is established by way of the analysis of its business streets.
PDF
