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

Abstract

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.

Keywords

• cooperative
• information support system
• webgis system
• lpis
• crops
• environmental land managment