Suitability analysis of land use records of agricultural and forest land for detecting land use change on the case of the Pomurska Statistical Region

Abstract

The article presents the results of suitability analysis of land use records of agricultural and forest land from the Slovenian ministry responsible for agriculture, for the purpose of land use change monitoring in Slovenia. To date, these data are the only systematically gathered data concerning land use in the country. For qualitative land use change detection, the metadata of land use datasets are of crucial importance. In the article, the changing criteria for land use data acquisition of agricultural and forest land are exposed. For the case of the Pomurska Statistical Region, the analysis of land use change has been conducted based on land use data of the agricultural ministry in the period 2002-2011. The main objective has been to provide the basic information on the quality of used datasets in order to assist the critical and correct interpretation and use of land use data of the agricultural sector.