Impact of land consolidation on the visual characteristics (scenery) of a landscape Vplyv pozemkových úprav na vizuálnu charakteristiku (scenériu) krajiny

Abstract New spatial and functional rearrangement of the territory represented by the changed structure of the plots (change of the landscape structure) is one of the main and most visible results of a comprehensive landscape adaptation. Projects of comprehensive landscape adaptation are designed to accommodate for production and landscape value of the territory. Landscape structure belongs to the most important components of landscape character. The landscape structure was evaluated in three levels: historical structure (2 nd military mapping), present-day structure (results of mapping survey in the frame of a comprehensive landscape adaptation) and the new landscape structure (results of the proposed plan of the functional rearrangement of the territory) based on the cadastral territory of Veľké Vozokany in Nitra region (near Zlaté Moravce), South-Western Slovakia. The changes in the landscape are identified by the rearrangement of the arable land, forests, vineyards, gardens, fruit gardens/plantations, permanent grassland, water surfaces, and other areas. In this contribution, we made an attempt to describe the role of the comprehensive landscape adaptations in the process of designing landscape changes which do significantly contribute to modification of the landscape character. Keywords: land consolidation, landscape evolution, landscape adaptation, types of plots Abstrakt Pozemkové úpravy riešia nové priestorové a funkčné usporiadanie územia, ktoré je realizované zmenou druhov pozemkov, teda zmenou krajinnej štruktúry. Projekty sú koncipované tak, aby zohľadňovali súlad medzi výrobnými a krajinárskymi hodnotami krajiny. Krajinná štruktúra patrí k jednej z rozhodujúcich zložiek krajinného rázu. Krajinnú štruktúru posudzovaného územia sme hodnotili v troch úrovniach: historická krajinná štruktúra (2. vojenské mapovanie), súčasná krajinná štruktúra (výsledky účelového mapovania polohopisu v rámci projektov pozemkových úprav) a nová štruktúra krajiny (výsledky návrhu všeobecných zásad funkčného usporiadania územia) na príklade katastrálneho územia Veľké Vozokany. Indikátorom zmien v krajine bolo využitie územia, ktorého základnými kategóriami boli v našom prípade orná pôda, lesné pozemky, vinohrady, záhrady, ovocné sady, trvalé trávne porasty, vodné plochy a ostatné plochy. V príspevku sme sa pokúsili popísať úlohu pozemkových úprav pri tvorbe a návrhu zmien krajiny, ktoré významne prispievajú k tvorbe krajinného rázu územia. Kľúčové slová: adaptácia krajiny, druhy pozemkov, krajinný ráz, pozemkové úpravy, vývoj krajiny Detailný abstrakt Pozemkové úpravy riešia nové priestorové a funkčné usporiadanie územia, ktoré je realizované zmenou druhov pozemkov, teda zmenou krajinnej štruktúry. Projekty sú koncipované tak, aby zohľadňovali súlad medzi produkčnými a krajinárskymi hodnotami krajiny. Krajinná štruktúra patrí k jednej z rozhodujúcich zložiek krajinného rázu. Krajinnú štruktúru posudzovaného územia sme hodnotili v troch úrovniach: historická krajinná štruktúra (2. vojenské mapovanie), súčasná krajinná štruktúra (výsledky účelového mapovania polohopisu v rámci projektov pozemkových úprav) a nová štruktúra krajiny (výsledky návrhu všeobecných zásad funkčného usporiadania územia) na príklade katastrálneho územia Veľké Vozokany. Indikátorom zmien v krajine bolo využitie územia, ktorého základnými kategóriami boli v našom prípade orná pôda, lesné pozemky, vinohrady, záhrady, ovocné sady, trvalé trávne porasty, vodné plochy a ostatné plochy. Územie má ráz poľnohospodárskej krajiny (91 % zastúpenie ornej pôdy). V záujmovom území sa uplatňujú dva geomorfologické celky. V severovýchodnej časti územie spadá do Podunajskej nížiny, v severozápadnej časti do Hronskej pahorkatiny. Má charakter aluviálnej nivy obkolesenej pahorkatinným reliéfom. Ústredný vodný tok -Širočina vytvára svahové rozhranie medzi striedajúcimi sa územiami južnej, juhovýchodnej a severnej, severozápadnej expozície. Prevažujú veľkoblokovo využívané plochy, ktoré sú miestami rozhraničené drobnými plošnými a líniovými porastmi nelesnej drevinovej vegetácie. Územie má charakter silne zvlneného reliéfu s dlhými svahmi a výraznými údolnicami. Aj z tohto dôvodu je výrazne postihnuté vodnou eróziou, má nízke zastúpenie nelesnej drevinovej vegetácie. Pri návrhu novej, budúcej, krajinnej štruktúry sa vychádzalo z identifikácie problémov v území. K hlavným oblastiam, ktoré sa identifikovali patrí: vodná erózia, povodne, nízka ekologická stabilita, podpora rozvoja rekreačného potenciálu územia, budúca výstavba rýchlostnej komunikácie, vysoký stupeň zornenia poľnohospodárskej pôdy a pod. Posúdiť a navrhnúť funkčné, priestorovo vhodné a hlavne estetické riešenie územia musí byť založené na kompromise a viacfunkčnosti navrhovaných opatrení. Návrh využívania krajiny do budúcnosti zohľadňuje súčasné trendy vývoja. Zamerali sme sa hlavne na ochranu a sprístupnenie všetkých pozemkov. Zmeny predpokladáme v miernom poklese ornej pôdy a trvalých trávnych porastov hlavne na úkor ostatných prvkov (komunikácie, ochranné opatrenia...). Ostatné prvky krajiny by mali ostať zhruba v nezmenenej podobe

Mišljenje vlasnika o završenim projektima okrupnjavanja zemljišta u Slovačkoj: izabrani slučajevi

Land consolidation (LC) is stagnating in Slovakia despite problems in landscape needing a resolution (including a huge land ownership fragmentation), allegedly also due to the resistance from the landowners. This contribution sought positions of owners in 4 areas with finished land consolidation (LC) projects and tried to verify the negative opinion in that matter. It also attempted to identify if there are some differences between groups of owners in perception. 15 question survey conducted by local, credible interviewers familiar with the topic has been applied to find out the answers. The research was motivated by personal experience of authors (as LC designers) with mandatory interviews of owners during LC project and the fact that a feedback on the project from the owners is not currently collected after the LC in Slovakia. There was no confirmation of rather negative positions of owners towards LC. Contrary to it, collected answers document a positive LC perception of respondents and allowed to confirm 3 key groups (higher educated middle-aged people, seniors with lower education and young adults) that demonstrate some differences in their positions. Authors tried to show that owners’ feedback after a LC project could provide useful information and help to address potential issues including promotion of LC by adapting the approach with respect to the opinions of owners.Okrupnjavanje zemljišta stagnira u Slovačkoj unatoč problemima u krajoliku koji zahtijevaju odlučnost u rješavanju (uključujući ogromnu rascjepkanost vlasništva nad zemljištem), a također i zbog otpora vlasnika zemljišta. Ovaj rad je istražio mišljenja vlasnika u 4 područja u kojima su završeni projekti okrupnjavanja zemljišta te pokušava provjeriti negativno mišljenje vezano uz ta pitanja. Također, pokušalo se identificirati postoje li neke razlike u mišljenjima između skupina. Kako bi se pronašli odgovori, provedena je anketa metodom upitnika s 15 pitanja koju su proveli lokalni vjerodostojni ispitivači upoznati s ovim područjem. Istraživanje je bilo motivirano osobnim iskustvom autora (kao dizajnera okrupnjavanja zemljišta) stečenim u obveznom intervjuiranju vlasnika kroz projekt okrupnjavanja zemljišta te činjenicom da povratne informacije od vlasnika trenutno nisu prikupljene nakon okrupnjavanja zemljišta u Slovačkoj. Nije bilo potvrde o prilično negativnim mišljenjima vlasnika o okrupnjavanju zemljišta. Naprotiv, prikupljeni odgovori dokumentiraju pozitivno mišljene ispitanika o okrupnjavanju zemljišta te omogućavaju potvrđivanje 3 skupine (visokoobrazovni ljudi srednjih godina, starije osobe s nižim stupnjem obrazovanja i mlađe osobe) među kojima su iskazane neke razlike u mišljenju. Autori su pokušali pokazati da bi povratne informacije vlasnika nakon provedbe projekta okrupnjavanja zemljišta mogle pružati korisne informacije te pomoći u rješavanju eventualnih problema uključujući promociju okrupnjavanja zemljišta uz prilagodbu pristupa na temelju mišljenja vlasnika

Impact of land consolidation on the visual characteristics (scenery) of a landscape

New spatial and functional rearrangement of the territory represented by the changed structure of the plots (change of the landscape structure) is one of the main and most visible results of a comprehensive landscape adaptation. Projects of comprehensive landscape adaptation are designed to accommodate for production and landscape value of the territory. Landscape structure belongs to the most important components of landscape character. The landscape structure was evaluated in three levels: historical structure (2nd military mapping), present-day structure (results of mapping survey in the frame of a comprehensive landscape adaptation) and the new landscape structure (results of the proposed plan of the functional rearrangement of the territory) based on the cadastral territory of Veľké Vozokany in Nitra region (near Zlaté Moravce), South-Western Slovakia. The changes in the landscape are identified by the rearrangement of the arable land, forests, vineyards, gardens, fruit gardens/plantations, permanent grassland, water surfaces, and other areas. In this contribution, we made an attempt to describe the role of the comprehensive landscape adaptations in the process of designing landscape changes which do significantly contribute to modification of the landscape character

Land plots valuation in land consolidation in Slovakia: a need for a new approach

The spatial and functional rearrangement of a territory in the process of land consolidation (LC) requires the prior valuation of the land and comparison with the proposed state. This is one of the most difficult stages of the project. The official (information) price of agricultural land is at present determined on the basis of comparing the boundaries of land areas and spatial distribution of the soil-quality ecological units (SQEU). This procedure does not reflect the real value of land and leads to disagreements particularly with large differences in price levels in the neighborhood. Therefore, the authors suggest establishing pricing information using a multicriteria evaluation, into which enters SQEU (through a single price area for the projection unit) as well as the development factor and location factor. The methodological approaches and procedures for land valuation on agricultural land in the LC are illustrated by the example of the cadastral area of Skačany (in northwestern Slovakia). The authors argue that a new approach is more objective to the owners and simplifies the entire process in compliance with the criteria of proportionality

Prioritization and Evaluation of Land Consolidation Projects—Žitava River Basin in a Slovakian Case

Experience shows that existing selections (particularly in Slovakia) of cadastral areas for land consolidation (LC) projects have been overwhelmingly subjective based on diverse sources of information, particular interests and the degree of LC’s popularity in different regions. Multi-criteria evaluation and clustering may be an adequate, universal and yet an inexpensive solution as a semi-objective approach for selection and evaluation of land consolidation projects. Based on an analysis of parameters and data from 74 cadastral areas in the Žitava River basin in Slovakia, a set of criteria (geometrical, ownership/social, environmental, erosion, and morphology) and weights for them have been identified and combined into composite indices/criteria for designing a ranking system for LC prioritization and evaluation. However, they are universally applicable/adaptable, and are not limited to a particular territory or country. Presented results for finished projects in the case study area also verify that the selection process has been deeply unsatisfactory

New methods for gathering the spatial data from land consolidation project

Land consolidation projects in the Slovak Republic have reached the state where there is sufficient sample of valuable information (planimetric and hypsographic measurements, updated maps of estimated pedologic-ecological units, concepts of local territorial system of ecological stability, plans for the general principles of functional organization of the territory, etc.) for society. The contribution points out need to create a uniform public or archiving information system (database), which is incurred in landscape planning activities in model areas. By now several information systems created in Slovakia are not connected one to another and thus cannot be further use. The article pointed out the procedures leading to the processing of a unified information system that collects and archives the outputs of landscaping activities in the area. This is dedicated to the administrators, system users and use cases of the unified system. Therefore we emphasized the importance of system deployment defined for different users. Next step is to describe the input to the elaboration of a comprehensive database. The system is demonstrated on the basis of data obtained from land consolidation projects. Subsequently, we present all computed graphical information by publishing on the local console of OpenGeoSuite environment

Floodplain forest protection in agriculturally intensive areas (from design to implementation)

Floodplain forests are Europe’s most endangered forest habitats. In many areas they have either been transformed into arable land or cultivated as poplar plantations. The Territorial System of Ecological Stability (TSES) used in Šaľa, Slovakia, creates the ecological framework for agriculturally intensive areas. This paper discusses the study of floodplain forests in the Lower Váh River composed of willows of the Salix genus and poplars. It presents a design for applying recommendations from scientific research related to TSES for legislation to protect the last natural fragments of floodplain forests in Šaľa district through the Luhy na Bystrom Protected Landscape Element in agriculturally intensive areas

Map Based Information Support System on Land Use: Case of Horná Nitra, Slovakia

A significant problem of the current land management in Slovakia is the long-term separation of usage and property rights. More than 91% of agricultural land is leased and used by larger agricultural enterprises (9%). Current common agricultural policies of the EU have been the subject of criticism for a long time, as inappropriate settings force farmers to manage unsustainably with a negative impact on biodiversity. Substantial, reliable and beneficial mutual information sharing between those who do business on the land, who own the land and who use the surrounding landscape, either as a living space for housing or relaxation and recreation might help to mitigate some issues. In this paper, the authors present an implemented proposal for multi-layer map and analytical support for land and soil use assessment. The model area includes the land units managed by the Agricultural Cooperative of Horná Nitra. The approach includes the identification of undesirable combinations according to criteria (degree of protection, area, type of use, erosion risk, and ecological stability) on each land block. This concept enabled the visualization and quantification of risks in the area in question through an online GIS application with a web interface