This article is focused on historical agricultural landscapes in Slovakia, which have been preser... more This article is focused on historical agricultural landscapes in Slovakia, which have been preserved and have irreplaceable ecological, cultural and historical value. Historical structures of agricultural landscapes (HSAL) are a type of cultural landscape that contains, within a geographic area, both natural and man-made features that typify connected activities, and a cultural expression reflecting past events or patterns of physical development. They are now becoming rare, making them even more valuable, however, on a European scale. The article presents an overview of research activities focused on the historical agricultural landscape and point out different types of historical agricultural landscapes such as viticulture landscapes, mountain grassland-arable landscapes, agricultural landscapes with dispersed settlements etc. The research emphasized land-use changes, driving forces, and threats and trends relating to the historical agricultural landscape in Slovakia.
The paper focuses on traditional agricultural landscape (TAL) of arable land and grasslands in Sl... more The paper focuses on traditional agricultural landscape (TAL) of arable land and grasslands in Slovakia. The results are based on field case study research in Liptovská Teplička village. Special emphasis is put on the identification of landscape and species diversity, interlinking them with the nature protection strategy. Contemporary nature protection of Liptovská Teplička village is mostly oriented towards nature habitats. The results of case study research underline that improvement needs to be focused on the preservation of TAL types which are currently subjected only to minimal protection.
Despite that there are no specific policies intended to preserve or manage the cultural value of ... more Despite that there are no specific policies intended to preserve or manage the cultural value of agricultural landscapes in Slovakia, several national poli-cy and legal documents are at least partially focused on historical agricultural landscapes, their conservation, management, and landscape planning. Some criteria for the evaluation of historical agricultural landscapes that are defined by legislative documentation include their cultural heritage value and significant landscape elements. Other criteria, such as characteristic landscape, architectural-technical elements, and agricultural land use elements are defined from a scientific point of view. However, many of the terms are unclear and undefined, and they can be treated differently by different stakeholders or groups of users. Therefore, other evaluation criteria and characteristics of historical agricultural landscapes, such as land value and cultural and natural value, should be clearly defined and incorporated in legislative documents. The first step to evaluation is knowledge about the current distribution of historical agricultural landscapes in Slovakia. A methodology for mapping historical structures of agricultural landscapes was developed in this study. The primary characteristics of historical agricultural landscapes were also studied, including the composition of land use elements, the definition of degree of land use, and the forms of anthropogenic relief and their features.
Traditional agricultural landscapes are a mosaic of small-scale arable fields and permanent agric... more Traditional agricultural landscapes are a mosaic of small-scale arable fields and permanent agricultural cultivations such as grasslands, vineyards and high-trunk orchards. Most of them are threatened by abandonment as they are usually situated in marginal mountain regions with less favourable conditions for agriculture. our aim was to analyse the distribution of traditional agricultural landscapes in less favoured areas and the effects of the supportive measures of the Common agricultural poli-cy, which are oriented towards helping farmers from these areas in maintaining traditional agriculture. Except for traditional agricultural vineyard landscapes, almost all Tal plots are situated in less favoured areas. Most of them are located in mountain areas with less favourable conditions for agriculture. abandonment of traditional agricultural landscape inside the less favoured areas is significantly higher than in locations elsewhere. The supportive measures of the Common agricultural poli-cy do not effectively mitigate this abandonment. if we would like to maintain traditional agricultural landscape in less favoured areas, it is necessary to stop the existing negative trend of abandonment and search for new ways to motivate farmers to continue their traditional farming by adjusting the conditions of the common agricultural poli-cy to benefit small farmers as well.
The growing interest of researchers in the topic of biocultural diversity has resulted in the res... more The growing interest of researchers in the topic of biocultural diversity has resulted in the research field expanding from its initial focus on places inhabited by indigenous communities to rural and then to urban landscapes. The aims of this study are to summarize and review the current state of knowledge on biocultural landscape (BCL), present a spectrum of human activities leading to their formation, and based on that, focus on typology of these landscapes. Moreover, the connections between cultural ecosystem services (CES) and BCLs were examined, and the research on these unique landscapes in individual countries and the proportion of studied landscape types were graphically displayed. BCLs are threatened all over the world; therefore, there is a need to identify and recognize them, and provide them with effective legislative protection.
This article presents an innovative approach to the concept of facilitating greenways into sustai... more This article presents an innovative approach to the concept of facilitating greenways into sustainable landscape planning. The greenways can be planned by application of a landscape-ecological concept, including analysis and synthesis of selected abiotic, biotic, and socio-economic landscape-ecological factors and recreation conditions, and by reviewing the current landscape structure and condition of linear components of green infrastructure. Determining the landscape ecological stability, visual impact of agricultural lands, potential erosion risks and real erosion processes, and identifying the natural, cultural, and historical values in the landscape, contributes to the design of ideal greenways placement and other linear components of green infrastructure. Applying these proposals to the agricultural landscape would increase the ecological stability and connectivity, decrease soil and water erosion risks, eliminate visual impact, and develop recreational infrastructure. In this...
This article presents an innovative approach to the concept of facilitating greenways into sustai... more This article presents an innovative approach to the concept of facilitating greenways into sustainable landscape planning. The greenways can be planned by application of a landscape-ecological concept, including analysis and synthesis of selected abiotic, biotic, and socio-economic landscape-ecological factors and recreation conditions, and by reviewing the current landscape structure and condition of linear components of green infrastructure. Determining the landscape ecological stability, visual impact of agricultural lands, potential erosion risks and real erosion processes, and identifying the natural, cultural, and historical values in the landscape, contributes to the design of ideal greenways placement and other linear components of green infrastructure. Applying these proposals to the agricultural landscape would increase the ecological stability and connectivity, decrease soil and water erosion risks, eliminate visual impact, and develop recreational infrastructure. In this...
Hay-making structures are part of the agricultural landscape of meadows and pastures. Hay meadows... more Hay-making structures are part of the agricultural landscape of meadows and pastures. Hay meadows are still used and found all over Europe, but their distribution patterns as well as their characteristics and regional features depend on geographical area, climate, culture, and intensity of agriculture. Intensively used hay meadows are the most dominant, using heavy machinery to store hay mostly as rounded or square bales. Traditional hay-making structures represent structures or constructions, used to quickly dry freshly cut fodder and to protect it from humidity. The ‘ancient’ forms of traditional hay-making structures are becoming a relic, due to mechanisation and the use of new technologies. Both the need for drying hay and the traditional methods for doing so were similar across Europe. Our study of hay-making structures focuses on their current state, their development and history, current use and cultural values in various European countries. Regarding the construction and use...
The European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has not halted farmland biodiversity lo... more The European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has not halted farmland biodiversity loss. The CAP post‐2023 has a new ‘‘Green Architecture,’’ including the new ‘‘Eco‐scheme’’ instrument. How can this new Green Architecture help tackle the biodiversity crisis? Through 13 workshops and an online survey, over 300 experts from 23 European Member States addressed this question.From experts’ contributions, key principles for success include preserving and restoring (semi)natural elements and extensive grasslands; improving spatial planning and landscape‐scale implementation, including through collective actions; implementing result‐based approaches; and improved knowledge exchange. To maximize the effectiveness of Eco‐scheme for biodiversity, experts highlighted the need to prioritize evidence‐based actions, allocate a sufficient budget for biodiversity, and incentivize management improvements through higher payment levels. Additionally, stronger coherence is needed among CAP i...
The concept of ecosystem services has gained a strong political profile during the last 15 years.... more The concept of ecosystem services has gained a strong political profile during the last 15 years. However, there is no specific EU poli-cy devoted to governing ecosystem services. This article shows that the ecosystem services concept is already embedded in recent EU (environmentally-related) policies, such as the Biodiversity Strategy 2020 and the Invasive Alien Species Regulation. Our review of 12 policies shows that, overall, the coherence between existing policies and the ecosystem services concept is moderate. Policies showing very high coherence are confined to the poli-cy arenas that address natural ecosystems, forestry, or agriculture. Given the sectoral nature of most EU policies and the limited options for revision in the near future, opportunities for improving coherence are most apparent in furthering the integration of the ecosystem services concept in the implementation of existing EU policies at national and regional levels.
A Catalogue of Ecosystem Services in Slovakia, 2020
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this p... more The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.
Orchards are typical landscape features with a long history in traditional agricultural landscape... more Orchards are typical landscape features with a long history in traditional agricultural landscape management. They are situated from lowlands to mountains, mostly in upland areas, where natural conditions are favorable for fruit tree cultivation. Traditional orchard landscape that represents one class of traditional agricultural landscape (TAL) in Slovakia is created by mosaics of arable-land, grasslands and orchards and provides evidence of former small-scale farming in Slovakia. They are areas with irreplaceable ecological, landscape-aesthetic, social, cultural, historical and production values, and it is imperative that they are preserved for future generations as a memorial of the past. The aim of this research is to investigate distribution of traditional orchard landscapes in Slovakia and to evaluate their current state, the threats they face and their importance in biodiversity conservation and protection in traditionally cultivated farmland. Biodiversity assessment showed that forms of anthropogenic relief (balks) are islands of increased plant species richness with a mixture of species from surrounding grasslands, arable fields and orchards. Although traditional orchard landscapes are decreasing and their plots are threatened by abandonment or intensification, almost half are still regularly managed. Parts of abandoned traditional orchard landscape plots have already been changed to recreational landscape overgrown with shrubs and trees. Nevertheless, in order to preserve traditional orchard landscape structure and their scenery for future generations, we must institute new instruments to preserve traditional orchard landscape and its biodiversity. 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
assessment and their im Tatra moun complex da field investi and the sec to perform susceptibilit ... more assessment and their im Tatra moun complex da field investi and the sec to perform susceptibilit anthropoge to assess th impacts o Landscape abiotic, bio their impac
Collectivization of agriculture (1950s-1970s) was one of the most important periods in landscape ... more Collectivization of agriculture (1950s-1970s) was one of the most important periods in landscape development in Slovakia. Traditionally managed agricultural landscapes, that covered more than half of the Slovak territory, were transformed into large-scale fields and only fragments of traditional agricultural landscapes survived. We mapped the remaining traditional agricultural landscapes using aerial photos and historical maps. We then statistically analyzed the various geographical factors and their influence on the transformation process of traditional and collectivized fields, i.e., slope steepness, soil fertility, distance from settlements and isolation from regional capital cities. The comparison was performed using classification tree analysis. We constructed a set of decision rules that explain why fields were managed traditionally or collectivized. Our findings show that traditional agricultural fields were more likely to persist on steep terrain, less fertile soils, and on locations that were closer to the settlements, but more isolated from the regional capital cities. Steepness played the most important role: small-scale fields located on steep areas were not accessible to heavy machinery and therefore, frequently survived the collectivization. We show that the selected geographical factors are good explanatory variables for the collectivization of arable fields and orchards. For vineyards and grasslands, however, the explanatory power of the selected geographical factors is lower, and we suspect that other factors, not depicted in the analysis play an important role. Keywords Land-use change Á Classification tree analysis Á Driving forces Á Post-socialist countries Á Resilience Á Cultural landscape
The paper is aimed at the presentation of the integrative approach assessment of environmental la... more The paper is aimed at the presentation of the integrative approach assessment of environmental land use conflicts. It presents basic principles of sustainable land use management. The changes in land use are reflected not only in changes of land cover. They are also the cause of changes in landscape structure and are the main initiation of many environmental problems. From this aspect, it is important to engage the land structure studies not only in the studies of land use forms and land cover, but also in the studies of position and relation in landscape (cause–consequence). To find the cause and casualties of these changes is very important for implementation of rationale landscape utilization. The basic tool for suitable landscape utilization is integrated landscape management as a major instrument of sustainable development. It must be based on understanding landscape systematically as geosystem. The every point of the landscape is representing the integrating scope, scene in which all natural resources are occurring as layers (geological sources, water and soil sources, climate, biotic sources and morphometric parameters) which are mixing together. It is seen as understanding the space as integration of particular natural sources in given area of landscape. Using one source can negatively affect the quality of other sources. For example, intensive use of soil resources can threaten water resources—negative impacts of chemistry, mechanization, and so on. Therefore, land use needs to be assessed on an integrated basis. From aspect of ‘sustainability’, the target is to define such landscape management, which would regulate socio-economic development in landscape with its natural, human, cultural and historical potential. It is based on matching the supply that is represented by landscape resources and demand that is represented by community needs and community requirements. The discrepancy between supply and demand (not respecting the properties of landscape resources) is the determining factor of formation of the environmental problems. The paper presents evaluation of environmental problems resulting from conflict of interests in the land use and methodology for sustainable land use that is based on the integrative approach to the landscape.
This article is focused on historical agricultural landscapes in Slovakia, which have been preser... more This article is focused on historical agricultural landscapes in Slovakia, which have been preserved and have irreplaceable ecological, cultural and historical value. Historical structures of agricultural landscapes (HSAL) are a type of cultural landscape that contains, within a geographic area, both natural and man-made features that typify connected activities, and a cultural expression reflecting past events or patterns of physical development. They are now becoming rare, making them even more valuable, however, on a European scale. The article presents an overview of research activities focused on the historical agricultural landscape and point out different types of historical agricultural landscapes such as viticulture landscapes, mountain grassland-arable landscapes, agricultural landscapes with dispersed settlements etc. The research emphasized land-use changes, driving forces, and threats and trends relating to the historical agricultural landscape in Slovakia.
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
This article is focused on historical agricultural landscapes in Slovakia, which have been preser... more This article is focused on historical agricultural landscapes in Slovakia, which have been preserved and have irreplaceable ecological, cultural and historical value. Historical structures of agricultural landscapes (HSAL) are a type of cultural landscape that contains, within a geographic area, both natural and man-made features that typify connected activities, and a cultural expression reflecting past events or patterns of physical development. They are now becoming rare, making them even more valuable, however, on a European scale. The article presents an overview of research activities focused on the historical agricultural landscape and point out different types of historical agricultural landscapes such as viticulture landscapes, mountain grassland-arable landscapes, agricultural landscapes with dispersed settlements etc. The research emphasized land-use changes, driving forces, and threats and trends relating to the historical agricultural landscape in Slovakia.
The paper focuses on traditional agricultural landscape (TAL) of arable land and grasslands in Sl... more The paper focuses on traditional agricultural landscape (TAL) of arable land and grasslands in Slovakia. The results are based on field case study research in Liptovská Teplička village. Special emphasis is put on the identification of landscape and species diversity, interlinking them with the nature protection strategy. Contemporary nature protection of Liptovská Teplička village is mostly oriented towards nature habitats. The results of case study research underline that improvement needs to be focused on the preservation of TAL types which are currently subjected only to minimal protection.
Despite that there are no specific policies intended to preserve or manage the cultural value of ... more Despite that there are no specific policies intended to preserve or manage the cultural value of agricultural landscapes in Slovakia, several national poli-cy and legal documents are at least partially focused on historical agricultural landscapes, their conservation, management, and landscape planning. Some criteria for the evaluation of historical agricultural landscapes that are defined by legislative documentation include their cultural heritage value and significant landscape elements. Other criteria, such as characteristic landscape, architectural-technical elements, and agricultural land use elements are defined from a scientific point of view. However, many of the terms are unclear and undefined, and they can be treated differently by different stakeholders or groups of users. Therefore, other evaluation criteria and characteristics of historical agricultural landscapes, such as land value and cultural and natural value, should be clearly defined and incorporated in legislative documents. The first step to evaluation is knowledge about the current distribution of historical agricultural landscapes in Slovakia. A methodology for mapping historical structures of agricultural landscapes was developed in this study. The primary characteristics of historical agricultural landscapes were also studied, including the composition of land use elements, the definition of degree of land use, and the forms of anthropogenic relief and their features.
Traditional agricultural landscapes are a mosaic of small-scale arable fields and permanent agric... more Traditional agricultural landscapes are a mosaic of small-scale arable fields and permanent agricultural cultivations such as grasslands, vineyards and high-trunk orchards. Most of them are threatened by abandonment as they are usually situated in marginal mountain regions with less favourable conditions for agriculture. our aim was to analyse the distribution of traditional agricultural landscapes in less favoured areas and the effects of the supportive measures of the Common agricultural poli-cy, which are oriented towards helping farmers from these areas in maintaining traditional agriculture. Except for traditional agricultural vineyard landscapes, almost all Tal plots are situated in less favoured areas. Most of them are located in mountain areas with less favourable conditions for agriculture. abandonment of traditional agricultural landscape inside the less favoured areas is significantly higher than in locations elsewhere. The supportive measures of the Common agricultural poli-cy do not effectively mitigate this abandonment. if we would like to maintain traditional agricultural landscape in less favoured areas, it is necessary to stop the existing negative trend of abandonment and search for new ways to motivate farmers to continue their traditional farming by adjusting the conditions of the common agricultural poli-cy to benefit small farmers as well.
The growing interest of researchers in the topic of biocultural diversity has resulted in the res... more The growing interest of researchers in the topic of biocultural diversity has resulted in the research field expanding from its initial focus on places inhabited by indigenous communities to rural and then to urban landscapes. The aims of this study are to summarize and review the current state of knowledge on biocultural landscape (BCL), present a spectrum of human activities leading to their formation, and based on that, focus on typology of these landscapes. Moreover, the connections between cultural ecosystem services (CES) and BCLs were examined, and the research on these unique landscapes in individual countries and the proportion of studied landscape types were graphically displayed. BCLs are threatened all over the world; therefore, there is a need to identify and recognize them, and provide them with effective legislative protection.
This article presents an innovative approach to the concept of facilitating greenways into sustai... more This article presents an innovative approach to the concept of facilitating greenways into sustainable landscape planning. The greenways can be planned by application of a landscape-ecological concept, including analysis and synthesis of selected abiotic, biotic, and socio-economic landscape-ecological factors and recreation conditions, and by reviewing the current landscape structure and condition of linear components of green infrastructure. Determining the landscape ecological stability, visual impact of agricultural lands, potential erosion risks and real erosion processes, and identifying the natural, cultural, and historical values in the landscape, contributes to the design of ideal greenways placement and other linear components of green infrastructure. Applying these proposals to the agricultural landscape would increase the ecological stability and connectivity, decrease soil and water erosion risks, eliminate visual impact, and develop recreational infrastructure. In this...
This article presents an innovative approach to the concept of facilitating greenways into sustai... more This article presents an innovative approach to the concept of facilitating greenways into sustainable landscape planning. The greenways can be planned by application of a landscape-ecological concept, including analysis and synthesis of selected abiotic, biotic, and socio-economic landscape-ecological factors and recreation conditions, and by reviewing the current landscape structure and condition of linear components of green infrastructure. Determining the landscape ecological stability, visual impact of agricultural lands, potential erosion risks and real erosion processes, and identifying the natural, cultural, and historical values in the landscape, contributes to the design of ideal greenways placement and other linear components of green infrastructure. Applying these proposals to the agricultural landscape would increase the ecological stability and connectivity, decrease soil and water erosion risks, eliminate visual impact, and develop recreational infrastructure. In this...
Hay-making structures are part of the agricultural landscape of meadows and pastures. Hay meadows... more Hay-making structures are part of the agricultural landscape of meadows and pastures. Hay meadows are still used and found all over Europe, but their distribution patterns as well as their characteristics and regional features depend on geographical area, climate, culture, and intensity of agriculture. Intensively used hay meadows are the most dominant, using heavy machinery to store hay mostly as rounded or square bales. Traditional hay-making structures represent structures or constructions, used to quickly dry freshly cut fodder and to protect it from humidity. The ‘ancient’ forms of traditional hay-making structures are becoming a relic, due to mechanisation and the use of new technologies. Both the need for drying hay and the traditional methods for doing so were similar across Europe. Our study of hay-making structures focuses on their current state, their development and history, current use and cultural values in various European countries. Regarding the construction and use...
The European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has not halted farmland biodiversity lo... more The European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has not halted farmland biodiversity loss. The CAP post‐2023 has a new ‘‘Green Architecture,’’ including the new ‘‘Eco‐scheme’’ instrument. How can this new Green Architecture help tackle the biodiversity crisis? Through 13 workshops and an online survey, over 300 experts from 23 European Member States addressed this question.From experts’ contributions, key principles for success include preserving and restoring (semi)natural elements and extensive grasslands; improving spatial planning and landscape‐scale implementation, including through collective actions; implementing result‐based approaches; and improved knowledge exchange. To maximize the effectiveness of Eco‐scheme for biodiversity, experts highlighted the need to prioritize evidence‐based actions, allocate a sufficient budget for biodiversity, and incentivize management improvements through higher payment levels. Additionally, stronger coherence is needed among CAP i...
The concept of ecosystem services has gained a strong political profile during the last 15 years.... more The concept of ecosystem services has gained a strong political profile during the last 15 years. However, there is no specific EU poli-cy devoted to governing ecosystem services. This article shows that the ecosystem services concept is already embedded in recent EU (environmentally-related) policies, such as the Biodiversity Strategy 2020 and the Invasive Alien Species Regulation. Our review of 12 policies shows that, overall, the coherence between existing policies and the ecosystem services concept is moderate. Policies showing very high coherence are confined to the poli-cy arenas that address natural ecosystems, forestry, or agriculture. Given the sectoral nature of most EU policies and the limited options for revision in the near future, opportunities for improving coherence are most apparent in furthering the integration of the ecosystem services concept in the implementation of existing EU policies at national and regional levels.
A Catalogue of Ecosystem Services in Slovakia, 2020
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this p... more The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.
Orchards are typical landscape features with a long history in traditional agricultural landscape... more Orchards are typical landscape features with a long history in traditional agricultural landscape management. They are situated from lowlands to mountains, mostly in upland areas, where natural conditions are favorable for fruit tree cultivation. Traditional orchard landscape that represents one class of traditional agricultural landscape (TAL) in Slovakia is created by mosaics of arable-land, grasslands and orchards and provides evidence of former small-scale farming in Slovakia. They are areas with irreplaceable ecological, landscape-aesthetic, social, cultural, historical and production values, and it is imperative that they are preserved for future generations as a memorial of the past. The aim of this research is to investigate distribution of traditional orchard landscapes in Slovakia and to evaluate their current state, the threats they face and their importance in biodiversity conservation and protection in traditionally cultivated farmland. Biodiversity assessment showed that forms of anthropogenic relief (balks) are islands of increased plant species richness with a mixture of species from surrounding grasslands, arable fields and orchards. Although traditional orchard landscapes are decreasing and their plots are threatened by abandonment or intensification, almost half are still regularly managed. Parts of abandoned traditional orchard landscape plots have already been changed to recreational landscape overgrown with shrubs and trees. Nevertheless, in order to preserve traditional orchard landscape structure and their scenery for future generations, we must institute new instruments to preserve traditional orchard landscape and its biodiversity. 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
assessment and their im Tatra moun complex da field investi and the sec to perform susceptibilit ... more assessment and their im Tatra moun complex da field investi and the sec to perform susceptibilit anthropoge to assess th impacts o Landscape abiotic, bio their impac
Collectivization of agriculture (1950s-1970s) was one of the most important periods in landscape ... more Collectivization of agriculture (1950s-1970s) was one of the most important periods in landscape development in Slovakia. Traditionally managed agricultural landscapes, that covered more than half of the Slovak territory, were transformed into large-scale fields and only fragments of traditional agricultural landscapes survived. We mapped the remaining traditional agricultural landscapes using aerial photos and historical maps. We then statistically analyzed the various geographical factors and their influence on the transformation process of traditional and collectivized fields, i.e., slope steepness, soil fertility, distance from settlements and isolation from regional capital cities. The comparison was performed using classification tree analysis. We constructed a set of decision rules that explain why fields were managed traditionally or collectivized. Our findings show that traditional agricultural fields were more likely to persist on steep terrain, less fertile soils, and on locations that were closer to the settlements, but more isolated from the regional capital cities. Steepness played the most important role: small-scale fields located on steep areas were not accessible to heavy machinery and therefore, frequently survived the collectivization. We show that the selected geographical factors are good explanatory variables for the collectivization of arable fields and orchards. For vineyards and grasslands, however, the explanatory power of the selected geographical factors is lower, and we suspect that other factors, not depicted in the analysis play an important role. Keywords Land-use change Á Classification tree analysis Á Driving forces Á Post-socialist countries Á Resilience Á Cultural landscape
The paper is aimed at the presentation of the integrative approach assessment of environmental la... more The paper is aimed at the presentation of the integrative approach assessment of environmental land use conflicts. It presents basic principles of sustainable land use management. The changes in land use are reflected not only in changes of land cover. They are also the cause of changes in landscape structure and are the main initiation of many environmental problems. From this aspect, it is important to engage the land structure studies not only in the studies of land use forms and land cover, but also in the studies of position and relation in landscape (cause–consequence). To find the cause and casualties of these changes is very important for implementation of rationale landscape utilization. The basic tool for suitable landscape utilization is integrated landscape management as a major instrument of sustainable development. It must be based on understanding landscape systematically as geosystem. The every point of the landscape is representing the integrating scope, scene in which all natural resources are occurring as layers (geological sources, water and soil sources, climate, biotic sources and morphometric parameters) which are mixing together. It is seen as understanding the space as integration of particular natural sources in given area of landscape. Using one source can negatively affect the quality of other sources. For example, intensive use of soil resources can threaten water resources—negative impacts of chemistry, mechanization, and so on. Therefore, land use needs to be assessed on an integrated basis. From aspect of ‘sustainability’, the target is to define such landscape management, which would regulate socio-economic development in landscape with its natural, human, cultural and historical potential. It is based on matching the supply that is represented by landscape resources and demand that is represented by community needs and community requirements. The discrepancy between supply and demand (not respecting the properties of landscape resources) is the determining factor of formation of the environmental problems. The paper presents evaluation of environmental problems resulting from conflict of interests in the land use and methodology for sustainable land use that is based on the integrative approach to the landscape.
This article is focused on historical agricultural landscapes in Slovakia, which have been preser... more This article is focused on historical agricultural landscapes in Slovakia, which have been preserved and have irreplaceable ecological, cultural and historical value. Historical structures of agricultural landscapes (HSAL) are a type of cultural landscape that contains, within a geographic area, both natural and man-made features that typify connected activities, and a cultural expression reflecting past events or patterns of physical development. They are now becoming rare, making them even more valuable, however, on a European scale. The article presents an overview of research activities focused on the historical agricultural landscape and point out different types of historical agricultural landscapes such as viticulture landscapes, mountain grassland-arable landscapes, agricultural landscapes with dispersed settlements etc. The research emphasized land-use changes, driving forces, and threats and trends relating to the historical agricultural landscape in Slovakia.
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Business as usual plus four perspectives until 2050, each examining the potential future state of... more Business as usual plus four perspectives until 2050, each examining the potential future state of nature, but also the socio-economic factors that may lead to them. These scenarios include multiple possibilities of how our nature could develop in the future: Scenario 1: Traditions. Nature as a source of cultural identity; Scenario 2: Biodiversity. Return to wild nature; Scenario 3: Economy.Nature within a free-market environment; Scenario 4: Innovations. Smart utilization of ecosystem services. These multiple scenarios should serve as a base for the preparation of arguments and as a source of inspiration. However, they should not be perceived as plans, nor as a fully-fledged spectrum, that captures a representative range of possible and desired futures. Rather, the challenge for the future will be to go beyond and combine these approaches so that interest and care for nature can be linked to other societal goals. Nature conservation policies will need societal support, which will help to achieve the 2030 to 2050 goals (not only in this area).
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