Bukovské vrchy in the Slovak Carpathian Mountains - Landscape changes and trends

Abstract

In recent times, the decline in agriculture has become a reality in mountainous parts of Europe (Garcia-Ruiz et al. 1996; Rabbinge and van Diepen 2000). Marginal location and unfavourable natural conditions for agriculture (harsh climatic conditions, less productive soils) are generally acknowledged as being the driving forces of such decline, resulting in changes in landscape structure, land use and landscape functions (Olsson et al. 2000; Jobin et al. 2003). This paper focuses on these processes in the NE region of Slovakia, in the Bukovské vrchy Mts. We discuss the region's most important landscape functions, their development over the last 50 years, and the conflicts that arise between stakeholders with different interests in the future development of the area. Possible scenarios and future perspectives for land-use and landscape change in the study area are also outlined. © 2007 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.