MAPPING AND ASSESSMENT OF LAND COVER CHANGE AND ECOLOGICAL STABILITY: A CASE OF THREE TRANSECTS IN SLOVAKIA

Abstract

Aim of the study: The aim of this paper is to analyze and assess the land cover change in three transects in Slovakia by applying the coefficient of ecological stability and the coefficient of anthropogenic impact in four different time horizons (1950, 1990, 2000, and 2020). Based on the specific natural and socio-economic factors influencing landscape formation and change, we chose three transects from the territory of Slovakia as study areas. The study areas are located in western Slovakia (transect called Záhorie: Rudava – Buková), central Slovakia (transect called Turiec: Martin – Moškovec), and eastern Slovakia (transect called Poloniny: Stakčín – Ruské). Material and methods: Several methodological tools have been created to express the level of ecological stability of a given territory. In our study, we used the coefficient of ecological stability (CES). The intensity of changes in the landscape as a result of human activity was also described through the coefficient of anthropogenic influence (CAI). Results and conclusions: The results of CES and CAI indicate a similar situation in case of the Záhorie: Rudava – Buková transect and the Poloniny: Stakčín – Ruské transect. For the Poloniny: Stakčín – Ruské transect, the CES values are significantly higher than 1.21, which is a landscape with high ecological stability, and the CAI values are close to 0, which also represents a landscape with a minimal intensity of changes due to human activity. In the case of the Záhorie: Rudava – Buková transect it is similar, but the CES values do not reach such high values as in the case of the Poloniny: Stakčín – Ruské transect, which is mainly influenced by the fact that the Poloniny: Stakčín – Ruské transect passes through a protected area of the Poloniny National Park. In the case of the Turiec: Martin – Moškovec transect, there is no correspondence between the CAI and CES values, as the CAI values are less than 1 (the highest value is 0.46), which represents a landscape with a minimal intensity of changes due to human activity. However, the results of CES are values lower than 0.8, which represents a landscape with low ecological stability.