Determining the nature, significance and contrast of the visual impact to landscape of wind turbines in Šilutė district

Visual impact of wind farms located in the region of Šilutė is analyzed in the paper. In seeking to assess the impact of wind turbines based in Šilutė region on the landscape, the analysis of cartography material was carried out and the inventory of all wind turbines was made (GIS data base). Two wind farms (of six and seventeen wind turbines) are built in the territory under analysis. During the research in situ, photofixation was carried out, and the nature, significance and degree of contrast of the impact on the landscape have been determined from the selected ten observation decks (table 2). The major factors of visual impact of wind farms are atmospheric conditions, vertical natural and anthropogenic objects (forests, buildings, etc.). There are proposed such intervals of zones of visual influence: 0–1 km; 1–3 km; 3–5 km; 5–7 km; 7–10 km; 10–13 km; 13–16 km; 16–20 km; >20 km. At a distance of 0–3 km wind turbines usually dominate in landscape, at a distance of 4–7 km – they become accents, at a distance of 8–10 km – subdominants and at a distance of >10 km – background elements