Conference proceedings - Zbornik Radova[1].pdf - Univerzitet u ...

IDENTIFICATION OF DEGRADED AREAS INTHE SOKOBANJA MUNICIPALITYAna Đorđević, Tanja Cupać, Tijana Čoporda MastilovićFaculty of Appled Ecology Futura, SingidunumUniversityAbstract: Results of a large number of previous studies points to thefact that almoust all mediums of the environment in Serbia aredegraded, but the exact extent and the scale of degradation are stillnot known. The presence of degraded areas is not onlyenvironmental, but also in certain way economic loss, wich largelyjustifies the reason for their identification. The aim of the researchconducted in 2007, on the territory of Sokobanja municipality was toidentify all forms of physical, mechanical and chemical degradationof space, caused mainly by the influence of anthropogenic activities(illegal dump sites, exploitation of gravel, sand, clay, mines andtailings dump sites) and their distance to the settlements (residentialbuildings) and water flows. Field research registered 56 illegaldump sites with an area about 75.300 m 2 and 10 sites of primarydegradation of ecosystems due to exploitation of gravel, sand, clayand other types of surface soil layers removal which is about138.400 m 2 of the municipality’s territory. All identified degradedareas are georeferenced and data implemented in the GeographicInformation System (GIS) – program MAPINFO PROFESSIONALand displayed cartographically. A large number of degraded landsare mostly located at 1.5 km from the first settlements and areas ofhuman activity. Therefore, as a recommendation for future activitiesin the remediation of degraded ecosystems, the possibility ofremediation by the project that includes controlled disposal of solidwaste, waste evacuation, spatial planning and recultivation, as wellas controlled exploitation of mineral resources should be considered.Key words: identification of forms of degradation/ GeographicInformation System (GIS)/ remediation of degraded ecosystem~ 136 ~