engleski

The function of drystone walling in the formation of the insular landscape – an example of selected Croatian Islands

Croatian Islands have been inhabited since prehistoric times. At first, communities cultivated more suitable lands like drained fields. Later on, land use patterns changed, and agricultural production was transferred onto hilly karst slopes because the population increased. To obtain additional land and fence the plots, the communities erected drystone walls whose characteristics were determined by the specifics of the karst terrain (geological features, terrain morphology and availability of stone). Drystone walls were not erected only in the Adriatic region and the Mediterranean but also in other areas due to the availability of stone, the need for terracing, soil conservation, pasture fencing, runoff control, and torrent prevention. By building drystone walls, islanders changed the natural landscape and obtained land for agricultural production (cattle breeding, cereals, olives, grapevines). In addition, man has used drystone walls to mitigate negative natural processes such as erosion, flooding, soil loss, and the like. The research aims are to make an inventory of drystone walls on selected islands in the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea. The authors intended to place drystone walls in the context of the geomorphological features of the terrain to find out if there is a pattern of drystone walls’ appearance. Also, the goal was to determine the role of drystone walls in land use over the last 200 years and if the drystone wall network is following the cadastral division of land.The authors used different types of aerial images along with detailed cadastral plans to map drystone walls. All the data were incorporated into a GIS database that enabled the analysis of drystone walls, terrain, and land-use features. The results indicate the existence of different densities of drystone wall mesh concerning terrain characteristics. Also, the analysis of drystone wall orientation may indicate their function in terracing where drystone walls extend perpendicular to the direction of the slope, or the orientation of extension may correspond to the orientation of the slope if the drystone wall is in the function of fencing. Drystone walls have preserved the way of land use in the past and also served to prevent soil loss on the slopes.

drystone walls ; Croatia ; islands ; landscape ; land use

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