Inferring landscape change from differences in landscape character between the current and a reference situation

The aim of this paper is to measure the difference in landscape visual character as an indicator of landscape change. We used seven map-based landscape character indicators calculated in two situations in a study area in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula. The first situation corresponds to the current landscape and the second to a reference landscape, assumed to be its historical condition. The results show that the difference in landscape character is mainly due to the loss of naturalness and the increase in landscape complexity brought about by agriculture and urban development. This work is replicable and transparent, and constitutes a methodological step for landscape indication, since it adds a reference value for analysing differences in landscape character and can be used to explain its change.