MORAVIAN GEOGRAPHICAL REPORTS - Institute of Geonics ...

MoraVian geographical reports 4/2010, Vol. 18
SW territory (forests) and in the vicinity of the cities
(arable land). Areas under a greater human impact are
located in the north near the Levoča city; these areas
neighbour with the areas of zero intensity (Fig. 11 –
see cover p. 3). This area was originally used as forest
and later as arable land. Extensification prevails in
the E and central S part of the territory. These areas
were mostly used as arable land and later as forests or
grasslands. The whole study area is transected with
lines representing extensification or intensification.
However, these lines are mostly results of map sources
inaccuracy and represent a spatial shift of grasslands
following rivers and streams.
5. Conclusion
The long term land use development survey of the
lower Spiš region uncovered several land use change
trends. The most visible trend in the land use is
the decrease of arable land since the second half of
the 20 th century. The trend is mostly in progress in the
contact zone between arable land and forest where due
to land abandonment the arable land is overgrowing
with the secondary succession. It is also reflected in
the land use change intensity where the most intensive
changes are situated at the perimeter of the basin in
the contact zone between forest and arable land.
The land use intensification occurred in the N basin
part, where forests were changed to arable land or
grasslands. Extensification was in progress mostly due
the conversion of arable land into forest or grassland
especially in the higher situated parts of the basin and
steeper slopes of its mountain borders. The comparison
of land use development and its main trends in the
lower Spiš region and neighbouring regions or in
18
Categories (number of changes) 0 1 – 2 3 – 4 5 – 6 7 – 8 9 – 16
Ratio 33.4% 21.8% 21.4% 16.0% 4.3% 3.2%
Tab. 3: Absolute intensity of land use change
Trend of land use change Ratio
Extensification 18.2%
Unchanged or restored land use form 67.1%
Intensification 14.7%
Tab. 4: Relative intensity of land use
References:
similar landscapes (basins surrounded by mountains
or plateaus, Olah et al., 2006, 2010) unveiled several
similarities as follows:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
basic urban/agriculture/forest division of basin
landscape was stabilised already before the 1st studied time horizon (18th century),
extensification of land use (increase of grasslands,
shrubs and forests) since 1950s,
rapid urbanisation since the 1900s but mainly since
the 1950s,
the most stable land use categories occupy the most
suitable parts (geomorphology, soil and hydrology),
the most land use dynamic zones are situated
on the transition of main plains-hills-mountains
geomorphological zones.
While the main trends are almost identical for all
compared regions, they differ in quantity (more
dynamic landscape in the High Tatras) or in the
occurrence of special factors (water scarcity on
karst plateaus and slopes and wetlands in the basin
bottoms in the Slovak Karst). The second part of
the picture is the socioeconomic development of the
region. Flourishing medieval times contributed to
the region’s development and conversely the shift
of the new development in the 20 th cent. to the
western part of the region somehow contributed to
the preservation of the unique landscape. However,
for the future preservation and development of the
region the thoughtful regional management based on
a sustainable use of landscape is crucial. The results
of this study could be applied in understanding the
landscape response to human activities.
Acknowledgements
This article was supported by the Science Grant
Foundation VEGA project No. 01/0026/08 “Land
use development and its relation to the landscape
ecological complex's elements” and project
No. 1/0557/10 “Changing landscape conditions
and anthropogenic impact indicators”.
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