engleski

Environmental impact and change on the Velebit Mountain, Croatia: an outline of the periodization

From the viewpoint of the intensity and type of the environmental impact in the central Velebit area it is possible to differ three distinctive phases: until 17th century ; from 17th to 20th century and 20th century.As a consequence of the occasional and temporary human presence and pressure on the environment in the mountain area of central Velebit (Croatia) during the centuries, the relative balance between the human impact and the environment have been maintained till the process of immigration in the 17th century. Thus the main phase of the environmental manipulation has begun at the 17th-18th centuries as a consequence of immigration, increased number of population, sheep, goats and cattle, the establishement of first sedentary settlements and introduced agriculture. The environmental impact resulted in the intense deforestation and accelerated soil erosion.The recent phase is characterized by the general process of depopulation, followed by abandoning of land to the natural succession and slight reforestation.

Velebit mountain, Croatia, periodization, environmental change

Rad je jedan od odabranih medju radovima koji su prezentirani na istoimenom skupu, održanom od 12.-13.09.2003., Napulj, Italija, na kojem je prezentiran kao pozvano predavanje.