The oxbow-lakes’ typing based landscape structure in the Lower Tisza valley

Abstract

Nearly a quarter of the present territory of Hungary was a floodplain in the era of the conquest. In the second half of the 19^th century, the Tisza River was controlled in order to drain off the marshes and swamps. Most of the oxbow-lakes which exist now, developed from artificial cutoffs in the second half of the 19^th century. The oxbow lakes of the Lower Tisza Valley have all been artificially created. Ten oxbow lakes are located in the region of the Lower Tisza Valley. The states of the area’s oxbow lakes are rather different. There are protected, highly valuable sites in terms of landscape and nature conservation, yet degraded areas utilized for economic purposes can also be found. The states of the area’s oxbow lakes are rather different. There are protected, highly valuable sites in terms of landscape and nature conservation, yet degraded areas utilized for economic purposes can also be found. The attributes or usage of oxbow lakes allow for a diverse system of categorisation. The landscapecharacter factors of oxbow-lakes: natural capability, landscape structure, landscape elements, emotional factors, traditions, social factors. The oxbow-lakes connected areas can be grouped „landscape-details types”. The land use of oxbow-lakes connected areas influence landscape visual appearance of the the oxbow-lake. The most important elements of the landscape structure are: predominant land use, vegetation coverage, built, cultivated area ratios. However, the oxbow-lakes location (saved pages or active floodplain) specifies the land use. The examination and classification of oxbow lakes can establish the grounds for state assessment, as well as for planning the interventions of landscape rehabilitation.