Do land consolidations contribute to better landscape accessibility through rural roads? - Case study South Bohemia Region (Czech Republic)

• Significant extension of rural roads after land consolidation. • Decrease in connectivity of the road network due to dead-end roads. • Impacts vary according to regional specificities and conditions. • Need to combine economic and environmental planning considerations. • IPE index captures road network efficiency. The study evaluates the impact of land consolidations on the accessibility of agricultural land through changes in the road network in the South Bohemia Region (Czech Republic). The main objectives were to analyse the extension of rural road lengths and the improvement of rural road connectivity. The results show that land consolidations contribute significantly to the extension of the road network, thereby increasing the efficiency of land management and improving land accessibility. However, analysis of connectivity indices (alpha, beta and gamma) revealed a decline in network connectivity, which is associated with the emergence of dead-end roads and landscape fragmentation. These results underline the importance of balanced planning that combines economic and environmental aspects. The study provides important insights for future land use planning and sustainable development of rural areas.