Geodiversity and Landscape Services in the Region of Ogulinsko-Plašćanska Zavala, Croatia

Abstract

In terms of spatial planning and environment protection procedures in Croatia, geomorphological features as a component of geodiversity are mostly considered marginally. They are considered locally in the scope of certain operations such as urban development, mining, or activities that are being assessed in the environment impact assessment procedures or spatial and strategical planning. Regarding the protection and the planning processes connected with it, geomorphological features should be considered in the right scale and with all of its values and services that are being provided to the environment on a landscape scale. In this paper, geodiversity and its role in landscape evolution will be connected and explained with the example of subgeomorphological region Ogulinsko-plašćanska Zavala, in the mountainous Dinaric karst part of Croatia. As it has been a region with long human and nature interaction, and a region with preserved natural and seminatural landscapes, it is a suitable area for such an analysis. In order to properly assess the geomorphological features as one of the determinants of landscape, the basis for environment impact assessment procedures and spatial planning procedures, geoecological analysis of geodiversity and landscape services occurrence and spatial distribution is carried out.

Keywords

• landscape typology
• geodiversity
• relative relief assessment method