<abstract xml:lang="en" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Topographic exposure is a topographic characteristic representing a degree of protection by a surrounding topography of a certain site. Detailed knowledge of topographic exposure has broad use in a number of applications ranging from studying forest wind damage through research on snow storage dynamics to optimisation in positioning wind power stations. This paper describes a method for creation of topographic exposure on the basis of a digital elevation model (DEM) using GIS. In combination with other climatic data on wind direction and speed, this factor is used to define the degree of terrain ventilation. Low terrain ventilation has, among other things, a significant influence on the creation of valley inversions and related vegetation zoning inversions. By combining the degree of terrain ventilation with DEM and forest vegetation zones in the area of the Training Forest Enterprise Křtiny, a clear relationship between the influence of topographic exposure, or terrain ventilation, and the creation of the vegetation zoning inversion was determined.</p></abstract>

Topographic exposure is a topographic characteristic representing a degree of protection by a surrounding topography of a certain site. Detailed knowledge of topographic exposure has broad use in a number of applications ranging from studying forest wind damage through research on snow storage dynamics to optimisation in positioning wind power stations. This paper describes a method for creation of topographic exposure on the basis of a digital elevation model (DEM) using GIS. In combination with other climatic data on wind direction and speed, this factor is used to define the degree of terrain ventilation. Low terrain ventilation has, among other things, a significant influence on the creation of valley inversions and related vegetation zoning inversions. By combining the degree of terrain ventilation with DEM and forest vegetation zones in the area of the Training Forest Enterprise Křtiny, a clear relationship between the influence of topographic exposure, or terrain ventilation, and the creation of the vegetation zoning inversion was determined.

Topographic Exposure and its Practical Applications

Department of Geoinformation Technologies, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 3, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic

Journal of Landscape Ecology

{"article-title":"Topographic Exposure and its Practical Applications"}

Topographic exposure is a topographic characteristic representing a degree of protection by a surrounding topography of a certain site. Detailed knowledge of...

Topographic Exposure and its Practical Applications

Published Online: Aug 08, 2012

Page range: 42 - 51

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10285-012-0022-3

Keywords
DEM, GIS, hillshade, terrain ventilation, topographic exposure

This content is open access.

Topographic Exposure and its Practical Applications

Published Online: Aug 08, 2012

Page range: 42 - 51

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/v10285-012-0022-3

KeywordsDEM, GIS, hillshade, terrain ventilation, topographic exposure

This content is open access.

Keywords
DEM, GIS, hillshade, terrain ventilation, topographic exposure