Naslov
Landscapes in-between land abandonment and agricultural intensification: driving forces of contemporary landscape changes in Croatia

Autori
Čuka, Anica ; Blaće, Ante

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Izvornik
8th EUGEO Congress on the Geography of Europe / - , 2021, 287-287

Skup
8th EUGEO International Congress on the Geography of Europe

Mjesto i datum
Prag, Češka Republika, 28.06.2021. - 01.07.2021

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
Croatia, landscape changes, land use, driving forces

Sažetak
Located at the crossroads of the Mediterranean, Pannonian basin and Dinaric Alps, Croatia has favourable natural conditions for the development of agriculture. It has experienced the evolution of the agricultural landscape since the Neolithic. However, during the last thirty years, Croatia has faced intensive land use and landscape changes due to the intensification of various, mostly negative, socioeconomic processes. This paper aims to identify the driving forces that have influenced contemporary land use and landscape changes in Croatia. Data retrieved from the Corine Land Cover, Statistical yearbooks and Agricultural censuses were analysed and visualized using GIS software. Also, a literature overview was done and results were compared with the similar researches performed in other European countries. In general, the used agricultural area in Croatia is decreasing while the share of forests and woodlands is increasing. The reasons for the decrease of the agricultural area mostly lie in the transition from planned to the market economy, Croatian War of Independence (1991-1995), growth of the service sector (especially tourism) and unfavourable demographic trends which are results of depopulation and ageing especially in rural areas. On the other hand, the areas under newly planted olive groves and vineyards are expanding encouraged by the fact that wine and olive oil are some of the most lucrative agricultural products. One of the most important factors that influenced an increase in certain land use categories are accession to the EU in 2013 and subsidies provided for farming. As a consequence, traditional agricultural landscapes in Croatia are disappearing and the regeneration of the natural vegetation is taking place on abandoned land. On the other hand, new cultural landscapes are being shaped although their share in total area is rather small.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Geografija

POVEZANOST RADA