The role and importance of the landscape park Udin Boršt

Udin Boršt is an isolated conglomerate terrace in Gorenjska region, Slovenia. A number of surface karst features and caves developed here due to the predominance of carbonate gravel. It is one of the last contiguous areas of lowland forest in Gorenjska region, and a popular recreation location for the people living nearby. Due to its karst surface and the forest it offered shelter to the locals in turbulent times. Its role during the period when bandits (rokovnjači) was common and during the Second World War is still preserved in folk memory. Due to its natural and cultural heritage, the area was protected as a Memorial park in 1985, but the legislation has become outdated and needs to be amended and updated. This article presents new findings on the geomorphological and intangible cultural heritage that need to be incorporated in the amended legislation

Paleopoplave v porečju kraške Ljubljanice

The scientific monograph ('Palaeofloods in karstic Ljubljanica River Catchment') presents a research on palaeofloods in the main water confluence in the Ljubljanica River Catchment, namely the area between the Pivka Basin, Cerknica Karst Polje, and Planina Karst Polje. Several geomorphological forms genetically related to floods have been identified, e.g. floodplains, river terraces, corrosion notches on cave walls, as well as laminated fine-grained sediments. Since they were found at higher altitudes than the present floods reach, they were considered as palaeoflood features. Morphometric analysis of the studied geomorphological forms was used to determine the volume of palaeofloods and their altitudinal range. The hydrometric characteristics of the palaeofloods where calculated by computer modelling. Petrological analyses of fine-grained sediments from the surface and caves were used to determine the origin of sediments and their settling velocities, hence to prove their flood origin. Furthermore, morpho-chronological analyses with radiometric methods 14C and U-Th on flowstones interlaying with flood sediments where carried out. The results show that the volume and altitude of palaeofloods throughout the study area fairly exceeded the highest known recent floods.Paleopoplave v porečju kraške Ljubljanice so bile preučevane na območju najpomembnejšega sotočja vod, med Pivško kotlino ter Cerkniškim in Planinskim kraškim poljem. Poplavne oblike se na tem območju pojavljajo tudi na bistveno višjih nadmorskih višinah kot jih dosežejo najvišje poplave v današnjih hidroloških razmerah. Te oblike, ki so danes nad hidrološko aktivnim nivojem, so obravnavane kot sledi paleopoplav. Z več metodami je bil ugotovljen prostorski obseg ter dinamika sedimentacije gradiva ob paleopoplavah. Časovna umestitev paleopoplav je temeljila na datacijah sige z radiometričnima metodama 14C in U-Th. Ugotovljeno je bilo, da je bila jakost poplav v preteklosti bistveno večja, a je bila dinamika pojavljanja paleopoplav podobna današnjim. Tako kot ob današnjih poplavah v porečju Ljubljanice se je tudi ob paleopoplavah iz suspenzije odlagalo drobnozrnato gradivo. Hidrološki razvoj porečja se je skladno z dinamiko geomorfnih procesov spreminjal skozi več faz paleookoljskih sprememb v kvartarju

Eogenetic caves in Pleistocene carbonate conglomerate in Slovenia

This paper focuses on caves in Pleistocene carbonate conglomerates in Slovenia and for the first time defines them as eogenetic. The conglomerates show no deep burial that would resemble the mezogenetic stage of diagenesis and are still in the phase of early diagenesis (i.e. eogenetic stage). Based on speleological analysis the eogenetic caves were grouped into four types; (1) linear stream caves, (2) shelter caves, (3) breakdown caves, and (4) vadose shafts. All four types of caves, described in this paper, can appear individually, however, complex cave systems are often a combination of passages of different types

Morfogeneza in klasifikacija korozijskih uravnav v Sloveniji

Raziskava korozijskih uravnav v Sloveniji podaja sistematično klasifikacijo korozijskih uravnav na podlagi njihovih geoloških in morfoloških značilnosti. Klasifikacija jih združuje v štiri kategorije: kraški ravnik, suho kraško polje, robna uravnava kontaktnega krasa in robna uravnava fluviokrasa. Kraški ravniki so največji in nastanejo z denudacijo v stabilnih tektonskih in hidrogeoloških razmerah. Suha kraška polja so zaprte živoskalne kotanje le mestoma prekrite s sedimenti. Robne uravnave kontaktnega krasa so nastale na stiku kraških in nekraških kamnin. Robne uravnave fluviokrasa so nastale z večfaznim razvojem kraških polj zaradi tektonske dejavnosti. Ta raziskava prispeva k boljšemu razumevanju korozijskih uravnav in lahko pomaga pri njihovi identifikaciji in upravljanju v kraških območij

Holocene high floods on the Planina Polje, Classical Dinaric Karst, Slovenia

The Planina Polje is located in the northwestern part of Notranjsko Podolje, Slovenia. Annual floods cover the flattened floor of the polje at elevation 445 m a.s.l. and reach the depth of approximately 8 meters. Loamy sediments which were found on surface and subsurface features from the inflow part of Planina Polje up to the elevations of about 495 m a.s.l., indirectly show that floods in the past must have been much more extensive than the recent ones. Radiocarbon dating of flowstone layer from side passage Tiha Jama in Planina Cave revealed that the last such extreme floods appeared around 5,706 ± 49 BP. The time frame of the flood roughly corresponds with the Altithermal (8,000–5,000 BP). More humid mid-Holocene climate might be the main cause for the high floods on Planina Polje.Keywords: geomorphology, floods, radiocarbon dating (14C), Dinaric Karst, Planina Polje, Planina Cave

Management of small retention ponds and their impact on flood hazard prevention in the Slovenske Gorice Hills

One of the methods of water resource management is to construct small retention ponds. Within the framework of the “Possible ecological control of flood hazard in the hilly regions of Hungary and Slovenia“ project the management of small ponds and their impact on flood prevention were studied in selected catchments. Data on pond management were gathered from interviews with pond owners. In a pilot study, we conducted an inventarisation and classification of all retention ponds. Primarily they were constructed for more specific use: fishing, irrigation, watering livestock. These functions have been gradually replaced by leisure-time activities, aesthetics, and tourism. Spring, stream and rainfall-fed ponds prevail in the pilot area and reduce the flood risk. Due to the increased variability of precipitation patterns ponds are also becoming an important measure to limit drought consequences at a local level

From urban geodiversity to geoheritage: The case of Ljubljana (Slovenia)

The city of Ljubljana lies at the intersection of various geomorphological regions that have strongly influenced its spatial organization. Prehistoric settlements were built on marshland, a Roman town was built on the first river terrace of the Ljubljanica River, and in the Middle Ages a town was built in a strategic position between the Ljubljanica River and Castle Hill. The modern city absorbed all usable space between the nearby hills. This paper reviews some relief features in Ljubljana, their influence on the city’s spatial development, and urban geoheritage. The results indicate new possibilities for urban geoheritage tourism in the Slovenian capital and its surroundings

Alluvial Fans on Contact Karst: an Example from Matarsko Podolje, Slovenia.

Several types of contact karst are found within the Slovenian karst, but the most common is the ponor type, which usually appears between flysch and limestone. The most extensive contact of this type is in western Slovenia, in the area of Matarsko podolje, where a variety of typical contact karst depression features can be found. In the northwestern part of Matarsko podolje two types of alluvial fans occur. One alluvial fan has an active process of alluvial sedimentation on its surface and is distinct in shape, just like alluvial fans in fluvial geomorphic systems. The other type represents relict alluvial fans on contact karst. They are fan-shaped surface features in carbonate bedrock. Their formation is a result of the gradual removal of alluvial cover and the chemical denudation of carbonate bedrock on areas that were covered by alluvial fans. Geomorphological features and processes on alluvial fans, and the influences of alluvial fans on the development of contact karst have been investigated in detail

Prostorski in regionalni razvoj Sredozemlja

This book (‘Spatial and regional development of the Mediterranean: A unified approach and selected tools’) discusses the main development challenges and factors influencing the attainment of territorial cohesion and competitiveness of Mediterranean regions. In addition to the main physical and socio-geographic features, it summarizes some of the results of the transnational project OTREMED (Tool for the Territorial Strategy of the MED Space). The methodology for developing a uniform approach to spatial and regional planning in the Mediterranean macroregion – or a tool for uniformly monitoring the area’s development challenges – has been developed as part of this project. This tool is based on selected development factors and indicators, which are presented in greater detail for the Mediterranean part of Slovenia.Kljub naravnogeografski in družbenogeografski raznolikosti se evropski sredozemski prostor sooča s skupnimi razvojnimi problemi. Skladnejši in bolj uravnotežen regionalni razvoj otežujejo geografska, gospodarska in politična razdrobljenost območja. Obstoječa orodja, s katerimi sredozemske države in regije rešujejo razvojne izzive, ne omogočajo spremljanja vzorcev na ravni celotne makroregije, ki jo je Evropska unija opredelila s Programom Mediteran, programom teritorialnega sodelovanja v evropskem Sredozemlju. V knjigi so osvetljeni glavni razvojni izzivi in dejavniki, ki vplivajo na doseganje teritorialne kohezije in konkurenčnosti sredozemskih regij. Poleg poglavitnih naravnogeografskih in družbenogeografskih značilnosti so v njej povzeti nekateri rezultati transnacionalnega projekta OTREMED (Orodje za strateško prostorsko načrtovanje v Sredozemlju). V njegovem okviru je bila oblikovana metodologija za enoten pristop k prostorskemu in regionalnemu načrtovanju v sredozemski makroregiji – orodje za enotno spremljanje razvojnih izzivov območja. Orodje temelji na izbranih razvojnih dejavnikih in kazalnikih, ki so podrobneje predstavljeni za sredozemsko Slovenijo