Dependence of the conservation status of acid grasslands at the Pohorje and Kozjak on socioeconomic parameters

Karmen KETIŠ, Klemen ELER, Andrej UDOVČ, Franc BATIČ

Abstract


Grassland habitats were studied on twenty farms on the area of the Radlje ob Dravi administration unit, in the transect from Kozjak to Pohorje at different altitudes. The aim of the study was to investigate how environmental and  socio-economic parameters influence the diversity of plant species and, consequently, the conservation of grassland on acid soils, which are rare in Slovenia and are therefore more protected. The socioeconomic structure of farms was studied on the basis of an inquiry carried out on farms. Part-time farms prevail; the average age of farmers is 56.5 years, and 30% of farmers has no education or just elementary school. The relationship among the environmental, socio-economic parameters and floristic structures of grasslands was studied using canonic-correspondence analysis. The impact of 16 parameters was analysed, of which six were determined not to be statistically significant. The occurrence of chosen plant species was analysed in relation to environmental and socioeconomic parameters. The efficiency of agro-environmental subsidies in relation to plant species diversity was evaluated. It was determined that the education and age of farmers influence the intensity of farming and consequently have an impact on the diversity of plants species and the conservation status of grasslands.

Keywords


grasslands; grassland management; acidity; soil ph; soil chemicophysical properties; biodiversity; socioeconomic environment; farm surveys; agricultural structure; botanical composition; plant population; nature conservation; resource management

Full Text:

PDF

References


Bakker J. P., ter Heerdt G. N. J. 2005. Organic grassland farming in the Netherlands: a case study of effects on vegetation dynamics. Basic and Applied Ecology, 6: 205-214. DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2005.01.003

Batič F., Eler K., Šircelj H., Vidrih M. 2002. Biotska pestrost in kmetijstvo – stanje v Sloveniji, razvoj kazalnikov in monitoring. V: Novi izzivi v poljedelstvu. Zbornik simpozija. Zreče, 5. in 6. december 2002. Ljubljana: 206-210

Critchley C. N. R., Burke M. J. W., Stevens D. P. 2003. Conservation of lowland semi – natural grasslands in the UK: a review of botanical monitoring results from agro – environment schemes. Biological Conservation, 115: 263-278. DOI: 0.1016/S0006- 3207(03)00146-0

Cunder, T. 1997. EU in slovensko kmetijstvo. V: Slovensko kmetijstvo in Evropska unija. Ljubljana, Kme č ki glas:143-155

Hodgson J. G., Grime J. P., Wilson P. J., Thompson K., Band S. R. 2005. The impacts of agricultural change (1963-2003) on the grassland flora of Central England: processes and prospects. Basic and Applied Ecology, 6:107-118. DOI: 10.1016/j.baae. 2005.01.009

Hrustel Majcen M. 2005. Pr ogram razvoja podeželja in ohranjanje biotske raznovrstnosti v Sloveniji. V: Zbornik referatov NATURA 2000 »Izzivi za kmetijstvo, gozdarstvo , razvoj podeželja in ohranjanje biotske pestrosti v Sloveniji«. Ljubljana, DOPPS: 25-29

Kleijn D., Berendse F., Smit R., Gilissen N. 2001. Agro-environment schemes do not effectively protect biodiversity in Dutch agricultural landscapes. Nature, 413: 723-725. DOI: 10.1038/35099540

Kovačič M. 1996. Socio-ekonomska in velikostna struktura kmetij v Sloveniji v obdobju 1981_1991. Ljubljana, Biotehniška fakulteta, Oddelek za agronomijo, Inštitut za agrarno ekonomiko: 104 str.

Plajnšek B. 2005. Poveza nost demografskih značilnosti z ohranjenostjo naravovarstveno pomembnih habitatov na Goričkem: diplomsko delo. Maribor, Pedagoška fakulteta: 62 str.

Popis kmetijskih gospodarstev v Republiki Sloveniji, junij 2000. 2002. Ljubljana, Statistični urad Republike Slovenije: 257 str.

Poročilo o stanju kmetijstva, živilstva in gozdarstva v letu 2008. 2009. Ljubljana, Ministrstvo za kmetijstvo, gozdarstvo in prehrano, Kmetijski inštitut Slovenije:188 str.

Poschlod P., Bakker J. P., Kahmen S. 2005. Changing land use and its impact on biodiversity. Special feature. Basic and Applied Ecology, 6: 93-98. DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2004.12.001

Poschlod P., Wallis deVries M. F. 2002. The historical and socioeconomic perspective of calcareous grasslands – lessons from the distant and recent past. Biological Conservation 104: 361-376. DOI: 10.1016/S0006-3207(01)00201-4

Pregled stanja biotske ra znovrstnosti in krajinske pestrosti v Sloveniji. 2001. Ljubljana, Agencija Republike Slovenije za okolje: 224 str.

Program razvoja podeželja Republike Slovenije za obdobje 2007 - 2013. 2007. Ljubljana, Ministrstvo za kmetijstvo, gozdarstvo in prehrano: 321 str.

Sala O. E., Chapin F. S., Armesto J. J., Berlow E., Bloomfield J., Dirzo R., Huber-Sanwald E., Huenneke L. F., Jackson R. B., Kinzig A., Leemans R., Lodge D. M., Mooney H. A., Oesterheld M., Poff N. L., Sykes M. T., Walker B. H., Walker M., Wall D. H. 2001. Biodiversity - Global biodiversity scenarios for the year 2100. Science 278 (5459):1770-1774

Strijker D. 2005. Marginal lands in Europe--causes of decline. Basic and Applied Ecology, 6: 99-106. DOI: 10.1016/j. baae.2005.01.001

ter Braak C. J. F., Šmilauer P. 2002. CANCO 4. 5 for Windows – Software for canonical community ordination.

Udovč A., Kovačič M., Kramarič F. 2006. Socio- ekonomski tipi kmetij po podatkih Popisa kmetijskih gospodarstev v letu 2000. V: Slovenija v EU- izzivi za kmetijstvo, živilstvo in podeželje. 3. konferenca DAES, Moravske toplice. 10.-11. novembra 2005. Domžale, DAES: 71-79

Vidrih M. 2007. Razširjenost in prihodnost travinja v Sloveniji. Sejalec, 2, 3: 4-8

Vrišer I. 2005. Velikost kmetijskih gospodarstev v Sloveniji. Geografski vestnik, 77, 1: 9-25

Wytrens H. K., Mayer Ch. 1998. Unterschiedliche Nutzungs- und Bewirtschaftungsintensitäten im Grünland des Mittleren Ennstales und ihr sozioökonomischer Hintergrund. Vol. 3. Forschungsbericht der Arbeitsgruppe für Regionalplanung am Institut für Agrarökonomik der Universität für Bodenkultur. Wien, Institut für Agrarökonomik der Universität für Bodenkultur: 90 str.

Zechmeister H. G., Schmitzberger I. B., Steurer Peterseil J., Wrbka T. 2003. The influence of land – use practices and economics on plant species richness in meadows. Biological Conservation 114: 165-177. DOI: 10.1016/S0006-3207(03)00020-X

Žgavec, D., Eler, K., Udovč, A., Batič, F., 2013. Contribution of agricultural policy measures to maintain grassland areas (the case of Radensko Polje Landscape Park). Acta agriculturae Slovenica, 101-1: 77-86




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14720/aas.2014.103.2.8

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2014 Acta agriculturae Slovenica

 

Acta agriculturae Slovenica is an Open Access journal published under the terms of the Creative Commons CC BY License.

                           


eISSN 1854-1941