GIS-Based Landscape Stability Analysis: A Comparison of Overlay Method and Fuzzy Model for the Case Study in Slovakia

Landscape stability refers to spatial and functional stability of land use categories over time. This article is focused on the identification and comparison of stable areas in landscape using the overlay method and fuzzy model applying geographic information systems. The study area includes Handlova town and Cigel municipality in Slovakia. Both methods were based on land use data from 1955, 1987, 2003, and 2016. After determining stable areas, it was found that the difference between the overlay method and fuzzy model was 29.62 percent. Both methods resulted in an almost identical size of stable built-up area. The stable forest area computed by the fuzzy model was larger than the one calculated by the overlay method. Using the fuzzy model, arable land and grassland categories were mainly found to be unstable. As for the overlay method, the share of stable areas in case of arable land and grassland categories was 5.89 percent of the total stable area.