Agricultural landscape change: a case study in Yläne, southwest Finland

The structural changes during a period of 39 years in an agricultural landscape in Yläne, southwest Finland, are described, using the following indices: landscape percentage (%LAND), mean patch size (MPS), patch density (PD), mean shape index (MSI) and total edge length (TE). Clumps of trees and bushes have not decreased, but barns have. The absolute areas of farmyards has increased. The important role played by the Finnish Agri-Environmental Programme (FAEP) in disseminating information on pro-environmental agricultural practices and their implementation can be seen, for example in increased areas of buffer zones. The intensification of agriculture has meant that the landscape of Yläne has become more homogeneous as the number of patches has diminished. One way of increasing diversity at landscape and also at species level might be to manage the margins around the waterways.