THE ANALYSIS OF CORRELATIONS BETWEEN LAND-USE CHANGES, SLOPE, AND ACCESSIBILITY IN THE CLOSED GARDEN AREAS OF THE SETTLEMENTS OF THE PILISVISEGRÁD MOUNTAINS

Abstract

The closed garden areas are present nationwide in Hungary related to the settlements. As
a kind of buffer area, their land use is characterized by a dynamic change. In terms of their
original function, they were traditionally small gardens with vineyards, fruit, and vegetable
growing areas, but their land use gradually changed and differentiated as they approached
the time of change of regime.
From the 1990s to the present, these areas have been affected by several social, economic,
natural factors, therefore they’ve lost all or part of their traditional agricultural
characteristics. They’ve undergone a significant change in function. With the expansion of
settlements towards agricultural areas, they became inland areas, or afforested, or began
the spread of invasive plants in the enclosed garden areas.
The present research aims to answer the land-use changes of the closed garden areas in
connection with their location, their distance from the settlements, and their connection to
the settlements’ clear.
Based on the statistical analyzes it was confirmed that there is a correlation between the
above-mentioned parameters and the change in the land use of the closed garden areas.
The size weighted cross tabulation analysis revealed more significant correlations, which is
an automatic consequence of artificial element number increase. The slope category
influences the closed garden transformation processes. Areas with a slope of less than 12%
are more vulnerable, while closed gardens with a slope of more than 12% are more stable
sustaining their original land use.
Based on size weighted statistical calculations, it can be stated, that the closer the enclosed
garden is to the settlement core, the higher the proportion of areas with medium and large
changes. While moving away from the settlement, the proportion of areas with little change
is clearly increasing.
The enclosed garden areas bordering the interior parts, clearly show a greater tendency to
transform. However, enclosed gardens within and outside the agglomeration of Budapest
do not show a correlation with land-use change based on the statistical comparison.