Landscape sustainability in terms of landscape services in rural areas: Exemplified with a case study area in Poland

The qualitative categorization of LS provided the most complete perspective on LS provided in the study areas. Landscape metrics (LM) allow the significance of landscape diversity and connectivity to be emphasized, whereas the quantitative analysis of regulating LS allow to compare the results of quantitative assessment and qualitative categorization. These two types of indicators are especially useful when threshold values are required. Composition metrics (proportion of forest and arable land) allow a determination of landscapes dominated by regulating and provisioning LS, whereas configuration metrics (especially Shannon's Diversity Index and Contagion Index) allow landscapes with a high flow of cultural LS to be identified.