RESEARCH ON LANDSCAPE STRUCTURE AND ECOLOGICAL STABILITY

Abstract

The article examines landscape structure and its role in the ecological stability of territories. Changes in landscape structure and configuration directly reflect the ecological stability of an area and indicate how sustainably the territory is being used. The study analyzes five Lithuanian municipalities with exceptionally high productivity scores (an average of 48.94): Šakiai, Kėdainiai, Vilkaviškis, Pasvalys, and Joniškis. These municipalities are characterized by particularly large areas of arable land, averaging more than 60% of the total land use area. The study calculated historical changes in land use areas within these municipalities to assess the long-term impact of their structure on ecological landscape stability. A comparative spatial data analysis revealed that despite an increase in the areas of natural meadows, pastures, shrub vegetation, and forests, the relatively large proportion of arable land significantly deteriorates overall ecological landscape stability. The ecological stability index remains particularly low in Šakiai and Kėdainiai municipalities, at 0.38 and 0.4, respectively, while in the remaining municipalities, it is close to a critical level—0.3 in Vilkaviškis, 0.32 in Pasvalys, and 0.34 in Joniškis. To restore ecological stability and implement sustainable land use, a strategic approach is necessary. This strategy should include measures to preserve and restore natural landscape elements, mitigating the negative impact of anthropogenic land use on ecological stability.