ACTA GEOGRAPHICA SLOVENICA GEOGRAFSKIZBORNIK 2024 64 3 0101661851779 ISSN 1581-6613 A C TA G E O G R A P H IC A S LO V E N IC A • G E O G R A FS K I Z B O R N IK • 64 -3 • 20 24ACTA GEOGRAPHICA SLOVENICA GEOGRAFSKI ZBORNIK 64-3 • 2024 Contents Borut Stojilković, valentina Brečko GruBar Discharge regimes of Slovenian rivers: 1991–2020 7 radomir BodiroGa, tijana Banjanin, dajana vukojević ateljević, Simon kerma The trends in viticulture and winemaking in the context of wine tourism development in Bosnia and Herzegovina 33 anđela vrkić, ante Blaće Land use changes in Southern Croatia (Dalmatia) since the beginning of the 20th century 49 nuri erkin Öçer, dilek küçük matci, uğur avdan Monitoring the impact of the Corona pandemic on nitrogen dioxide emissions at large scales via Google Earth Engine 75 Zala virant, janez oSojnik, andreja koZmuS Environmental responsibility and communication in selected companies in the Podravska statistical region 97 Sai-leung nG, ching-Hua tien Mapping the landscape of recent research on agricultural geography (2013–2022) 111 aleš Smrekar, jernej tiran, katarina Polajnar Horvat Unveiling the cultural ecosystem services of urban green spaces: A case study of Ljubljana, Slovenia 135 naslovnica 64-3_naslovnica 49-1.qxd 25.11.2024 7:21 Page 1 ACTA GEOGRAPHICA SLOVENICA GEOGRAFSKIZBORNIK 2024 64 3 0101661851779 ISSN 1581-6613 A C TA G E O G R A P H IC A S LO V E N IC A • G E O G R A FS K I Z B O R N IK • 64 -3 • 20 24ACTA GEOGRAPHICA SLOVENICA GEOGRAFSKI ZBORNIK 64-3 • 2024 Contents Borut Stojilković, valentina Brečko GruBar Discharge regimes of Slovenian rivers: 1991–2020 7 radomir BodiroGa, tijana Banjanin, dajana vukojević ateljević, Simon kerma The trends in viticulture and winemaking in the context of wine tourism development in Bosnia and Herzegovina 33 anđela vrkić, ante Blaće Land use changes in Southern Croatia (Dalmatia) since the beginning of the 20th century 49 nuri erkin Öçer, dilek küçük matci, uğur avdan Monitoring the impact of the Corona pandemic on nitrogen dioxide emissions at large scales via Google Earth Engine 75 Zala virant, janez oSojnik, andreja koZmuS Environmental responsibility and communication in selected companies in the Podravska statistical region 97 Sai-leung nG, ching-Hua tien Mapping the landscape of recent research on agricultural geography (2013–2022) 111 aleš Smrekar, jernej tiran, katarina Polajnar Horvat Unveiling the cultural ecosystem services of urban green spaces: A case study of Ljubljana, Slovenia 135 naslovnica 64-3_naslovnica 49-1.qxd 25.11.2024 7:21 Page 1 ACTA GEOGRAPHICA SLOVENICA 64-3 2024 ISSN: 1581-6613 UDC: 91 2024, ZRC SAZU, Geografski inštitut Antona Melika International editorial board/mednarodni uredniški odbor: Zoltán Bátori (Hungary), David Bole (Slovenia), Marco Bontje (the Netherlands), Mateja Breg Valjavec (Slovenia), Michael Bründl (Switzerland), Rok Ciglič (Slovenia), Špela Čonč (Slovenia), Lóránt Dénes Dávid (Hungary), Mateja Ferk (Slovenia), Matej Gabrovec (Slovenia), Matjaž Geršič (Slovenia), Maruša Goluža (Slovenia), Mauro Hrvatin (Slovenia), Ioan Ianos (Romania), Peter Jordan (Austria), Drago Kladnik (Slovenia), Blaž Komac (Slovenia), Jani Kozina (Slovenia), Matej Lipar (Slovenia), Dénes Lóczy (Hungary), Simon McCarthy (United Kingdom), Slobodan B. Marković (Serbia), Janez Nared (Slovenia), Cecilia Pasquinelli (Italy), Drago Perko (Slovenia), Florentina Popescu (Romania), Garri Raagmaa (Estonia), Ivan Radevski (North Macedonia), Marjan Ravbar (Slovenia), Aleš Smrekar (Slovenia), Vanya Stamenova (Bulgaria), Annett Steinführer (Germany), Mateja Šmid Hribar (Slovenia), Jure Tičar (Slovenia), Jernej Tiran (Slovenia), Radislav Tošić (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Mimi Urbanc (Slovenia), Matija Zorn (Slovenia), Zbigniew Zwolinski (Poland) Editors-in-Chief/glavna urednika: Rok Ciglič, Blaž Komac (ZRC SAZU, Slovenia) Executive editor/odgovorni urednik: Drago Perko (ZRC SAZU, Slovenia) Chief editors/področni urednik (ZRC SAZU, Slovenia): • physical geography/fizična geografija: Mateja Ferk, Matej Lipar, Matija Zorn • human geography/humana geografija: Jani Kozina, Mateja Šmid Hribar, Mimi Urbanc • regional geography/regionalna geografija: Matej Gabrovec, Matjaž Geršič, Mauro Hrvatin • regional planning/regionalno planiranje: David Bole, Maruša Goluža, Janez Nared • environmental protection/varstvo okolja: Mateja Breg Valjavec, Aleš Smrekar, Jernej Tiran Editorial assistants/uredniška pomočnika: Špela Čonč, Jernej Tiran (ZRC SAZU, Slovenia) Journal editorial system manager/upravnik uredniškega sistema revije: Jure Tičar (ZRC SAZU, Slovenia) Issued by/izdajatelj: Geografski inštitut Antona Melika ZRC SAZU Published by/založnik: Založba ZRC Co-published by/sozaložnik: Slovenska akademija znanosti in umetnosti Address/naslov: Geografski inštitut Antona Melika ZRC SAZU, Gosposka ulica 13, p. p. 306, SI – 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenija; ags@zrc-sazu.si The articles are available on-line/prispevki so dostopni na medmrežju: http://ags.zrc-sazu.si (ISSN: 1581–8314) This work is licensed under the/delo je dostopno pod pogoji: Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0 Ordering/naročanje: Založba ZRC, Novi trg 2, p. p. 306, SI – 1001 Ljubljana, Slovenija; zalozba@zrc-sazu.si Annual subscription/letna naročnina: 20 € Single issue/cena posamezne številke: 12 € Cartography/kartografija: Geografski inštitut Antona Melika ZRC SAZU Translations/prevodi: DEKS, d. o. o., Živa Malovrh DTP/prelom: SYNCOMP, d. o. o. Printed by/tiskarna: Birografika Bori Print run/naklada: 250 copies/izvodov The journal is subsidized by the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency (B6-7326) and is issued in the framework of the Geography of Slovenia core research programme (P6-0101)/Revija izhaja s podporo Javne agencije za znanstvenoraziskovalno in inovacijsko dejavnost Republike Slovenije (B6-7326) in nastaja v okviru raziskovalnega programa Geografija Slovenije (P6-0101). The journal is indexed also in/revija je vključena tudi v: Clarivate Web of Science (SCIE – Science Citation Index Expanded; JCR – Journal Citation Report/Science Edition), Scopus, ERIH PLUS, GEOBASE Journals, Current geographical publications, EBSCOhost, Georef, FRANCIS, SJR (SCImago Journal & Country Rank), OCLC WorldCat, Google Scholar, CrossRef, and DOAJ. Design by/Oblikovanje: Matjaž Vipotnik Front cover photography: Sveta Gora, a settlement with a franciscan monastery overlooking the Soča valley, renowned as a Marian pilgrimage site, is located near the Slovenia-Italy border, at the intersection of Alpine, Medditerranean and Dinaric landscapes (photograph: Jure Tičar). Fotografija na naslovnici: Sveta Gora, naselje s frančiškanskim samostanom nad dolino Soče, ki je znano po marijanskem romarskem središču, leži na meji Slovenije in Italije ter na stiku alpskih, sredozemskih in dinarskih pokrajin (fotografija: Jure Tičar). 64-3-uvod_uvod49-1.qxd 25.11.2024 7:22 Page 4 Acta geographica Slovenica, 64-3, 2024, 49–74 LAND USE CHANGES IN SOUTHERN CROATIA (DALMATIA) SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY Anđela Vrkić, Ante Blaće Ba(v)ljenac islet in Šibenik-Knin County. Intensive dry stone walling occurred in the late 19th century due to the cultivation of vineyards, resulting in its present-day nickname, »Fingerprint Island«. G E O P O R TA L, C R O AT IA N G E O D E T IC A D M IN IS T R AT IO N 64-3_acta49-1.qxd 25.11.2024 7:22 Page 49 Anđela Vrkić, Ante Blaće, Land use changes in Southern Croatia (Dalmatia) since the beginning of the 20th century DOI: https://doi.org/10.3986/AGS.13490 UDC: 911:711.14(497.58) “19/20” Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Anđela Vrkić1, Ante Blaće2 Land use changes in Southern Croatia (Dalmatia) since the beginning of the 20th century ABSTRACT: This research analyzed land use changes in Southern Croatia over the past 120 years. The methodological approach employed analysis and chronological comparison of archival and statistical data, and geoprocessing of the Corine Land Cover geodatabase. In the period spanning from 1900 to 1945, agri- culture was the main activity, accompanied by a notable decline in vineyards. The subsequent era, from 1945 to 1991, was characterized by the dominance of rapid industrialization, onset of land abandonment, and the reversion of former agricultural areas to natural vegetation. Since 1991, the trend of land aban- donment and deruralization has persisted and intensified. As a result, shrubs and forests now claim the largest share of the researched area, solidifying a new landscape configuration. KEYWORDS: land use, Southern Croatia, agriculture, land abandonment, succession of vegetation Spremembe v rabi tal v južni Hrvaški (Dalmaciji) od začetka 20. stoletja POVZETEK: Članek proučuje spremembe v  rabi tal v  južni Hrvaški v zadnjih 120 letih. Uporabljeni metodološki pristop vključuje analizo in kronološko primerjavo arhivskih in statističnih podatkov ter obdela- vo prostorskih podatkov iz podatkovne zbirke Corine Land Cover. Med letoma 1900 in 1945 je bila glavna gospodarska dejavnost na tem območju kmetijstvo, značilen je bil tudi precejšen upad vinogradov. Obdobje med letoma 1945 in 1991 so zaznamovali prevlada hitre industrializacije, začetek opuščanja zemljišč in zaraščanje nekdanjih kmetijskih površin. Od leta 1991 se nadaljuje in krepi trend opuščanja zemljišč in deruralizacije. Posledično danes na večini proučevanega območja prevladujeta grmičevje in gozd, ki spre- minjata podobo pokrajine. KLJUČNE BESEDE: raba tal, južna Hrvaška, kmetijstvo, opuščanje zemljišč, ekološka sukcesija The article was submitted for publication on November 3rd, 2023. Uredništvo je prejelo prispevek 3. novembra 2023. 50 1 andela.vrkic7@gmail.com (https://orcid.org/0009-0009-8068-8223) 2 University of Zadar, Department of Geography, Zadar, Croatia anblace@unizd.hr (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3937-7492) 64-3_acta49-1.qxd 25.11.2024 7:22 Page 50 1 Introduction Land use is a fundamental human activity, with diverse needs and requirements that vary across different regions of the Earth’s surface (Ramankutty et al. 2006). Almost all of the Earth’s surface have been altered, either directly or indirectly, by anthropogenic activities, particularly in the context of modern socio-eco- nomic development. The greatest impact is visible in areas that are permanently or intermittently inhabited, i.e. in the areas most economically valued and utilized (Marušić 2017). Land use and land cover changes (LULCC) stand out in recent studies as the two central processes through which human influence on the environment is most evident (Lambin et al. 2000). Originally rooted in the natural sciences, the study of LULCC changes now embraces an interdisciplinary approach due to the intricate interaction between humans and their environment. Land cover refers to biophysical structures on Earth’s surface and just below it (Lambin et al. 2006). Remote sensing methods such as satellite images and photogrammetry are primarily used in land cover studies (Alqurashi and Kumar 2013; Colditz et al. 2014; Pricope et al. 2019; Buchner et al. 2020; MohanRajan et al. 2020; Zhu et al. 2022; Chen 2023). Unlike land cover, which is biophysically determined, land use is more complex defined by human activities aimed at creating, altering, or maintaining specif- ic land covers (FAO 1998). The methodological approach is broader, encompassing remote sensing, cadastral data, fieldwork, surveys, agricultural statistics, and more (Meiyappan and Jain 2012; Lieskovský et al. 2018; Liu et al. 2018; Ettehadi Osgouei et al. 2022; Wang et al. 2022). In land use research smaller spatial units such as counties are usually studied, while land cover research is carried out for larger areas like countries or even continents. However, land use and land cover are used interchangeably, and the distinction between them often diminishes (Foški et al. 2018). Large portion of land is devoted to agricultural production, currently covering approximately 43% of the Earth’s surface (Ramankutty et al. 2018). But agriculture is marked by two opposing processes: the expansion of agricultural areas driven by the demand for agricultural products (food) and the aban- donment of agricultural areas, especially in developed countries (Levers et al. 2018). Although significant urbanization took place globally in the 20th and 21st centuries, large areas continue to serve agricul- tural production. Studies on land use changes on the territory of Southern Croatia were relatively rare, and often lim- ited to smaller spatial units such as microregions, settlements and islands (Blaće 2014; Durbešić and Fuerst-Bjeliš 2016; Blaće 2017). Those studies often revolved around landscape changes and relied on data from cadastres, old maps, and agricultural censuses. Recent research has incorporated GIS tech- nology. Šetka et al. (2021) analysed land use changes in the Lower Neretva river area (a region within Southern Croatia) using satellite imagery for the period from 1990 to 2020. Subsequently, they simu- lated LULCC changes in the same area up to 2035 based on various criteria (Šetka et al. 2023). In contrast, numerous studies have dealt with land use changes in other Mediterranean areas, such as parts of Italy (Falcucci et al. 2007), Spain (Millington et al. 2007; Cervera et al. 2019; Delgado-Artés et al. 2022), Mediterranean coast of France (Abadie et al. 2018) and Greece (Tzanopoulos and Vogiatzakis 2011; Schaich et al. 2015; Kefalas et al. 2019; Dimopoulos and Kizos 2020; Kefalas et al. 2020; Chouvardas et al. 2022). Coastal areas exhibit an increase in built-up areas at the expense of former agricultural and forested land, while inland regions often witness the conversion of agricultural land into urban areas and forests (Di Fazio et al. 2011; Salvati et al. 2014; Gallardo et al. 2023). Conversely, certain areas experience an expansion of agricultural land (Ruiz-Benito et al. 2010; Gemitzi et al. 2021; Gallardo et al. 2023) and peri-urban zones (Ustaoglu and Aydınoglu 2019). Additionally, agricultural land tends to become increas- ingly fragmented (Topal and Konakoğlu 2023). Despite variations in chronological scope and methodologies among these studies, they collectively underscore similarities in land use dynamics across diverse Medi- terranean regions. The paper aims to analyze land use changes in Southern Croatia from the early 20th century to the present, to quantify these changes and identify the most important drivers. This research fills the gap in comparison with other Mediterranean countries where LULCC studies are numerous. Our main hypoth- esis is that agricultural areas prevailed until the mid-20th century, while today the largest part of the land is covered by shrub/macchia and forest in various stages of development. These changes directly and indi- rectly reflect the large socio-economic shifts that occurred in Southern Croatia during the studied period and even indicate some environmental changes, such as forest fires. Acta geographica Slovenica, 64-3, 2024 51 64-3_acta49-1.qxd 25.11.2024 7:22 Page 51 Anđela Vrkić, Ante Blaće, Land use changes in Southern Croatia (Dalmatia) since the beginning of the 20th century 52 2 Research area and methods 2.1 Research area The research area, Southern Croatia, refers to the four southernmost Croatian counties: Zadar, Šibenik- Knin, Split-Dalmatia and Dubrovnik-Neretva (Figure 1, Table 1). This county division has been in place since 1997. However, considering the territorial changes during the 20th century, it was necessary to align the previous territorial units, which existed in the research area before 1997, with today’s county bound- aries. Southern Croatia is nearly coterminous with the historical region of Dalmatia, which was a territorial until 1918 and today exists only as a vernacular region. The dominant geological features in Southern Croatia are limestone and dolomite layers, resulting in prevalent karst landforms and lack of arable land. Hypsometrically, the majority of the land lies at eleva- tions up to 500 meters above sea level (Magaš 2013). Agricultural activities primarily took place in dolomite and flysch zones, while proper karst areas composed of limestone were used for grazing. Southern Croatia exhibits a varied climate, with temperate, warm, humid conditions featuring hot summers (Cfa) in the hin- terland and Mediterranean climate with hot summers (Csa) along the coastline and islands. These climate and pedological differences reflect specifies of the agricultural production. The coastal regions and islands are renowned for their cultivation of vines and olives, while the hinterland has been more suitable for arable farming and livestock cultivation (Maleš and Mladar 1996). Therefore, the predominant land use categories throughout the studied period were pastures, ploughfields, vineyards, orchards, and olive groves, accom- panied by the prevailing land cover of shrubs and forests. 2.2 Materials and methods For the purpose of this research, various data sources related to land use during the 20th and 21st cen- turies were collected and compared. Due to variations in methodologies across different sources and time periods, some categories were adapted to suit better overall research. For the period from 1900 to 1945, the main source used was the Općinski rječnik za kraljevine i zemlje zastupane u Carevinskom vijeću (C. KR. središnja … 1908). This source was processed based on the results of the national census conducted on December 31, 1900, reflecting the land use situation in 1896. Until 1950s, there were no more systematic census and data from the statistical reports on land use for 1921 and 1929 were utilized (Obrađena zemlja…1924; Kolar Dimitrijević 1990). Subsequently, data from the Statistical yearbooks of the Federal/Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia during the 1945–1991 period were consulted (provided by Savezni zavod za statistiku). The Statistical yearbooks of Dalmatia (1976–1987) were used to illustrate land categories in 1970 and 1980 (provided by Zavod za društveno planiranje Zajednica Općina Split). It is important to note that data from the statistical yearbooks should be interpreted with caution Figure 1: Research area – Southern Croatia (Dalmatia) and localities mentioned in the text. p p. 53 Table 1: Southern Croatia’s counties, number of inhabitants and population density in 2021 (provided by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics 2022). County Area (km2) Population in 2021 Population density (inhabitants per km2) Zadar 3,646 160,340 44.0 Šibenik-Knin 2,984 96,624 32.4 Split-Dalmatia 4,540 425,412 93.7 Dubrovnik-Neretva 1,781 115,862 65.1 Total 12,951 798,238 61.6 64-3_acta49-1.qxd 25.11.2024 7:22 Page 52 Acta geographica Slovenica, 64-3, 2024 53 ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! N er et va Bi bi nj e Si nj H va r K ni n Ko rč ul a Im ot sk i M ak ar sk a Be nk ov ac O lib M et ko vi ć Sp lit Za da r Ši be ni k D ub ro vn ik Za da r C ou nt y Sp lit –D al m at ia C ou nt y Ši be ni k– K ni n C ou nt y D ub ro vn ik –N er et va C ou nt y A d r i a t i c S e a C ro at ia Ita ly Se rb ia H un ga ry Sl ov en ia A us tr ia Ita ly Bo sn ia a nd H er ze go vi na M on te ne gr o A lb an ia Ko rn ati C on te nt b y: A nđ el a Vr ki ć, A nt e Bl ać e M ap b y: A nđ el a Vr ki ć So ur ce : C en tr al re gi st ry o f s pa tia l u ni ts in th e Re pu bl ic o f C ro at ia , C ro at ia n G eo de tic A dm in ist ra tio n, 2 01 6 © 2 02 4, U ni ve rs ity o f Z ad ar , D ep ar tm en t o f G eo gr ap hy C ou nt y ce nt re So ut he rn C ro at ia To w n ! 0 30 60 15 km ± 0 10 0 20 0 50 km 64-3_acta49-1.qxd 25.11.2024 7:22 Page 53 Anđela Vrkić, Ante Blaće, Land use changes in Southern Croatia (Dalmatia) since the beginning of the 20th century 54 since they are estimates, but they nonetheless provide valuable insights into land use trends during the latter half of the 20th century. The Corine Land Cover (CLC) database, initiated by the European Union, was used to analyze land use in 1990, 2006, and 2018 as well as the changes that occurred during those periods. The creation of the CLC database relies on the visual interpretation of Landsat satellite images following the standard CLC methodology. The minimum mapping area is 25 hectares, with a 5-hectare threshold for the category cover change. The CLC nomenclature includes 44 categories at the EU level, divided into three levels, each rep- resenting a different land cover type (García-Álvarez et al. 2023). The databases for all three years were retrieved from the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service website in geodatabase format. Subsequently, the data underwent geoprocessing within a GIS software (ArcGIS Desktop). Initially, the transformation of the projection coordinate system from ETRS 1989 LAEA to the projection coordinate reference system of the Republic of Croatia, HTRS96/TM, utilizing the Project tool was done. Following this step, the focus area of South Croatia, comprising four counties, was delin- eated by applying the Clip tool. To facilitate a clearer understanding of land use changes and enable comparison with previous periods, the original 36 CLC categories existing in Southern Croatia were reclassified into 8 distinct categories (Table 2). The reclassification was carried based on the methodology outlined by Kušan (2015). Subsequently, land cover and land use changes spanning from 1990 to 2006 and from 2006 to 2018 were analyzed and extracted using the Intersect tool. All data and results were chronologically compared, displayed in tables and a graph, while the results from Corine Land Cover (for the period 1990–2018) were additionally depicted cartographically. As a case study area, we selected Bibinje Municipality, located in the coastal part of Zadar County (Figure 1). We compared land cover of Bibinje derived from the Corine Land Cover (CLC) 2018 dataset with digital orthophoto (DOF) images from 2014–2016. The DOF is the official state map of Croatia and is produced at a scale of 1:5,000 for the entire territory of the country, with a pixel resolution of 0.50 meters. The CLC data was extracted from Figure 5, while the DOF images served as the basis for manual vector- ization of land use categories using ArcGIS software. Table 2: Reclassification of original Corine Land Cover categories. Original CLC nomenclature Reclassified categories 211 Non-irrigated arable land, 212 Permanently irrigated land, Mixed agricultural land with natural 242 Complex cultivation patterns, 243 Land principally occupied by agriculture, vegetation with significant areas of natural vegetation 221 Vineyards Vineyards 222 Fruit trees Orchards 223 Olive groves Olive groves 231 Pastures, 321 Natural grasslands Pastures and grasslands 311 Broad-leaved forest, 312 Coniferous forest, 313 Mixed forest, Shrubs (macchia)* and forests** 323 Sclerophyllous vegetation 324 Transitional woodland-shrub 111 Continuous urban fabric, 112 Discontinuous urban fabric, 121 Industrial or commercial units, Infertile land 122 Road and rail networks and associated land, 123 Port areas, 124 Airports, 131 Mineral extraction sites, 132 Dump sites, 133 Construction sites, 141 Green urban areas, 142 Sport and leisure facilities, 322 Moors and heathland, 331 Beaches, dunes, sand, 332 Bare rocks, 333 Sparsely vegetated areas, 334 Burnt areas, 411 Inland marshes, 421 Salt marshes, 422 Salines, 423 Intertidal flats 511 Water courses, 512 Water bodies Water bodies * macchia = mediterranean shrubs ** forests = in different degradation stages 64-3_acta49-1.qxd 25.11.2024 7:22 Page 54 3 Results 3.1 Land use 1900–1945 In the period until 1918, the basic territorial units of the Kingdom of Dalmatia, which was part of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, were districts (Table 3). The primary source of the data at the beginning of the 20th century was the revision of land use from 1896 which, like other Austrian territories, was doc- umented separately for the Kingdom of Dalmatia (Blaće 2015). The Dalmatian economy was mainly based on extensive agriculture, resulting in underdeveloped state of the region (Bralić and Kraljev 2011). Key activities were livestock farming in combination with arable farming, viticulture and olive growing (Ozimec et al. 2015). The most common land use category was pastures, accounting for 46.1% of the area (Table 3). Traditionally, livestock farming was an important activity, especially in the hinterland (Matas 2015). Ploughfields cov- ered the largest share of arable land, but in the districts of Šibenik, Split, Hvar, and Korčula, vineyards took precedence. Gardens represented 2.8% of the total area, a large figure primarily due to the 1896 revision’s grouping of gardens with olive groves and orchards into a single category (Blaće 2015). Infertile land was calculated by subtracting all other categories from the total land area within each district, encompassing built-up areas, swamps, and karstified terrain. The Metković district was noteworthy for its infertile land, due to the predominantly swampy Neretva river delta at the time. Acta geographica Slovenica, 64-3, 2024 55 Table 3: Land use in Southern Croatia in 1900 (in ha) (Općinski rječnik … 1908). Arable land Districts Total Ploughfields Gardens Vineyards Meadows Pastures Forests Infertile Zadar 143,503 15,655 4,864 10,354 1,285 75,619 30,600 5,126 Benkovac 158,086 20,507 422 2,240 586 61,305 66,080 6,946 Šibenik 96,229 7,917 4,455 14,099 212 51,450 15,094 3,002 Knin 140,807 21,711 534 4,488 1,554 73,082 36,289 3,149 Split 188,939 19,215 8,085 25,268 121 83,127 49,219 3,904 Sinj 133,615 17,904 308 629 5,098 69,373 37,915 2,388 Makarska 53,739 4,292 2,023 3,263 0 25,150 18,172 839 Imotski 64,641 9,544 242 1,192 704 37,392 14,120 1,447 Hvar 41,320 1,788 1,700 8,474 0 8,322 20,033 1,003 Metković 38,395 3,905 223 880 53 18,278 7,036 8,020 Korčula 59,023 1,001 4,477 6,386 0 12,783 33,262 1,114 Dubrovnik 77,748 5,827 5,958 2,854 23 35,047 26,084 1,955 TOTAL 1,196,045 129,266 33,291 80,127 9,636 550,928 353,904 38,893 Share (%) 100.0 10.8 2.8 6.7 0.8 46.1 29.6 3.3 Table 4: Land use in Southern Croatia in 1921 (in ha) (Obrađena zemlja … 1924). Arable land Total Ploughfields Vineyards Orchards Meadows Pastures Forests Infertile 1,272,900 110,041 29,407 10,993 8,670 545,049 378,300 190,440 Share (%) 100.0 8.6 2.3 0.9 0.7 42.8 29.7 15.0 64-3_acta49-1.qxd 25.11.2024 7:22 Page 55 Anđela Vrkić, Ante Blaće, Land use changes in Southern Croatia (Dalmatia) since the beginning of the 20th century 56 Land use in 1921 refers to the area of several newly established oblasts (territorial units) that mostly covered approximately same area as the abolished Kingdom of Dalmatia (Table 4). Notably, there was a con- siderable reduction in vineyard area, indicating significant vineyard loss due to the phylloxera epidemic at the end of the 19th century (Blaće et al. 2024), a phenomenon not apparent in the 1896 data. The most significant divergence lay in the infertile land categories between the two periods. In 1921, infertile land was computed by subtracting the sum of all other areas from the total. This notable increase is likely attrib- uted to methodological differences in the census and spatial coverage. The 1896 revision was based on clearly specified tax zones, while 1921 lacked such clear spatial definitions. The data for 1929 covered the area of Split and Dubrovnik oblasts within the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. This source differed methodologically from previous sources because land use data was obtained from the district-level data and each category’s data was computed as absolute values from relative values. All categories were categorized as arable land, with forest and infertile land calculated by subtracting arable land from the total. Unlike 1921, the total land area was once again smaller. Due to the absence of forests, it is presumed that their area was included in the »residue« category, along with infertile land. Additionally, vineyard areas expanded, indicating a gradual recovery from the phylloxera epidemic (Table 5). Unlike 1900, where gardens held a larger share, this was not the case in 1929 primarily due to the fact that only gardens were listed here (probably along with some olive and fruit trees). Pasture areas accounted for almost 50% of the area, especially in the hinterland and on the islands, reflecting the importance of livestock farming during the interwar period (Kolar-Dimitrijević 1990). 3.2 Land use 1945–1991 Following World War II, Croatia became a part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In Southern Croatia from the early 1900s until the 1960s, agriculture was the key economic activity. Predominantly rural populations often emigrated to coastal cities or abroad in search of improved living conditions. The 1960s marked a pivotal period when significant shifts began occurring, characterized by concurrent indus- trialization and land abandonment (Defilippis 2006). Since 1960s, agricultural land in the Socialist Republic of Croatia experienced a slow but steady decline (Table 6). Ploughfields decreased while meadows and pastures expanded. These shifts were driven by land abandonment and the expansion of extensive land use (Malić 1983). Data from 1970 and 1980, encompassing the former Community of Municipalities of Split (new type of administrative units), indicated decreased agricultural areas across most categories, yet an increase in pastures, meadows, and grasslands, consistent with trends observed throughout the Socialist Republic of Croatia (Malić 1983). The total area of agri- cultural land in 1970 increased compared to 1960, mainly due to the inclusion of the pasture category. While reforestation processes due to land abandonment and depopulation were ongoing, extensive land use prac- tices continued. The infertile land category primarily included fish ponds, reeds, and swamps, with a slightly increased share. The low share of infertile in 1970 and 1980 in comparison to 1960 is probably the consequence of different methodological procedures, and less of actual change. Land use since 1990 was analyzed using the CLC methodology (Figure 2). All land categories relat- ed to agricultural production saw a considerable decrease in comparison to 1980, especially pastures and grasslands (Table 7). Shrubs and forests, which made up the largest share, were not limited to this specif- ic category and were also present in the »mixed agricultural land with natural vegetation« category (Table 7). Due to the complex mosaic of small land plots where cultivated areas and Mediterranean vegetation inter- mingle, it is challenging to pinpoint their exact share. Nonetheless, it is assumed that shrubs and forests Table 5: Land use in Southern Croatia in 1929 (in ha) (Kolar-Dimitrijević 1990). Ploughfields Gardens Vineyards Orchards Meadows Pastures Swamps Forests and Total infertile 1,158,802 132,772 7,704 34,364 28,877 10,081 568,000 17,296 359,708 Share (%) 100.0 11.5 0.7 3.0 2.5 0.9 49.0 1.5 31.0 64-3_acta49-1.qxd 25.11.2024 7:22 Page 56 occupied at least 50% of these plots. Although vineyards, orchards, and olive groves also declined, they were also embedded within the mixed agricultural land with natural vegetation category. The extent of these categories was recorded only if they exceeded 25 hectares in size. The largest areas of olive groves, due to climatic conditions, were located on the coastline and islands. Vineyards were also cultivated in hinterlands, utilizing large acres of arable land, like in the vicinity of the town of Imotski. Ploughfields expe- rienced a pronounced decline, but due to their inclusion in complex cultivation patterns, their total area could not be precisely quantified either. Infertile land, despite comprising a broader range of CLC cate- gories, primarily consisted of urban (built-up) areas along the coastline and rocky karstic terrains. 3.3 Land use since 1991 This period commenced with destruction and population migration during the Croatian War of Independence (1991–1995), leading to large areas of land remaining uncultivated. After the war concluded, the process- es of urbanization and coastal development continued, with mainly adverse demographic and economic consequences for the islands and the hinterland. According to the CLC 2006 data, there were pronounced changes in land use in the whole research area compared to 1990 (Figure 3). Notably, the share of mixed agricultural land with natural vegetation, olive groves, shrubs and forests increased, while other land use categories experienced a decline (Table 8). Acta geographica Slovenica, 64-3, 2024 57 Table 6: Land use in Southern Croatia in 1960, 1970 and 1980 (in ha) (provided by the Croatian Bureau of Statistics). Arable land Year Total Ploughfields Vineyards Orchards Meadows Pastures Forests Infertile 1960 1,204,714 130,613 39,165 30,807 9,888 455,762 477,245 61,234 Share (%) 100.0 10.8 3.3 2.6 0.8 37.8 39.6 5.1 1970 1,205,818 123,200 32,502 27,543 8,271 548,089 459,777 6,436 Share (%) 100.0 10.2 2.7 2.3 0.7 45.5 38.1 0.5 1980 1,163,992 118,244 31,086 25,100 8,669 517,493 453,186 10,214 Share (%) 100.0 10.2 2.7 2.2 0.7 44.5 38.9 0.9 Table 7: Land use in Southern Croatia in 1990 (calculated from Corine Land Cover). Category Area (ha) Share (%) Mixed agricultural land with natural vegetation 243,474 18.7 Vineyards 15,767 1.2 Orchards 5,395 0.4 Olive groves 17,283 1.3 Pastures and grasslands 252,343 19.4 Shrubs (macchia) and forests 660,648 50.8 Infertile land 97,190 7.5 Water bodies 8,778 0.7 TOTAL 1,300,878 100.0 Figure 2: Land use in Southern Croatia in 1990. p p. 58 64-3_acta49-1.qxd 25.11.2024 7:22 Page 57 Anđela Vrkić, Ante Blaće, Land use changes in Southern Croatia (Dalmatia) since the beginning of the 20th century 58 Sp lit Za da r Ši be ni k D ub ro vn ik C on te nt b y: A nđ el a Vr ki ć, A nt e Bl ać e M ap b y: A nđ el a Vr ki ć So ur ce : C or in e La nd C ov er , C op er ni cu s L an d M on ito rin g Se rv ic e, 20 20 © 2 02 4, U ni ve rs ity o f Z ad ar , D ep ar tm en t o f G eo gr ap hy 0 30 60 15 km ± La nd u se O liv e gr ov es In fe rt ile la nd Pa st ur es a nd g ra ss la nd s M ix ed a gr ic ul tu ra l l an d w ith n at ur al v eg et at io n V in ey ar ds W at er b od ie s O rc ha rd s Sh ru bs a nd fo re st s 64-3_acta49-1.qxd 25.11.2024 7:22 Page 58 Acta geographica Slovenica, 64-3, 2024 59 An interesting shift occurred in the category of olive groves, with an increase in their area, primarily due to more precise categorization compared to 1990. The shift in agricultural land was characterized not by an increase in complex cultivation patterns, but by land predominantly characterized as mixed arable land with substantial areas of natural vegetation. This change reflected the continued progression of vegeta- tion succession, leading to an increase in the share of shrubs and forests. This was especially so in the hinterlands of Zadar and Šibenik-Knin Counties, heavily affected by war. Simultaneously, a decrease in the share of pastures and grasslands was likely due to the same reasons. The total change in 2006 compared to 1990 was 160,198 ha. The ten largest changes accounted for 86.5% of the total changes (Figure 4, Table 9). The most prominent change included the transition from shrubs and forests to mixed agricultural land with natural vegetation. This transformation was not driven by intensi- fied agriculture but rather the improved technical capabilities, especially satellite imagery, which allowed for a clearer distinction between areas previously categorized as shrubs and forests in 1990 and those more accu- rately classified as mixed agricultural land with natural vegetation in 2006. This process was evident on Olib Island (in Zadar County), where a substantial portion of shrubs and forests transformed into land primar- ily used for agriculture, with large areas of natural vegetation (Figures 4). Notably, native and non-native plants colonized areas formerly occupied by gardens, vineyards, and olive groves (Faričić and Magaš 2009). Table 8: Land use in Southern Croatia in 2006 (calculated from Corine Land Cover). Category Area (ha) Share (%) Mixed agricultural land with natural vegetation 254,085 19.5 Vineyards 12,939 1.0 Orchards 4,391 0.3 Olive groves 20,212 1.6 Pastures and grasslands 248,731 19.1 Shrubs (macchia) and forests 662,205 50.9 Infertile land 90,628 7.0 Water bodies 8,770 0.7 TOTAL 1,301,960 100.0 Table 9: Largest land use changes in Southern Croatia 1990–2006 (calculated from Corine Land Cover). Category change Area (ha) Share (%) Shrubs and forests → Mixed agricultural land with natural vegetation 24,964 15.6 Pastures and grasslands → Shrubs and forests 24,404 15.2 Mixed agricultural land with natural vegetation → Shrubs and forests 17,995 11.2 Shrubs and forests → Pastures and grasslands 16,857 10.5 Infertile land → Pastures and grasslands 16,179 10.1 Infertile land → Shrubs and forests 9,241 5.8 Pastures and grasslands → Mixed agricultural land with natural vegetation 8,947 5.6 Shrubs and forests → Infertile land 7,786 4.9 Mixed agricultural land with natural vegetation → Infertile land 6,702 4.2 Pastures and grasslands → Infertile land 5,564 3.5 Figure 3: Land use in Southern Croatia in 2006. p p. 60 Figure 4: Land use changes in Southern Croatia 1990–2006. p p. 61 64-3_acta49-1.qxd 25.11.2024 7:22 Page 59 Anđela Vrkić, Ante Blaće, Land use changes in Southern Croatia (Dalmatia) since the beginning of the 20th century 60 Sp lit Za da r Ši be ni k D ub ro vn ik La nd u se O liv e gr ov es In fe rt ile la nd Pa st ur es a nd g ra ss la nd s M ix ed a gr ic ul tu ra l l an d w ith n at ur al v eg et at io n V in ey ar ds W at er b od ie s O rc ha rd s Sh ru bs a nd fo re st s C on te nt b y: A nđ el a Vr ki ć, A nt e Bl ać e M ap b y: A nđ el a Vr ki ć So ur ce : C or in e La nd C ov er , C op er ni cu s L an d M on ito rin g Se rv ic e, 20 20 © 2 02 4, U ni ve rs ity o f Z ad ar , D ep ar tm en t o f G eo gr ap hy 0 30 60 15 km ± 64-3_acta49-1.qxd 25.11.2024 7:22 Page 60 Acta geographica Slovenica, 64-3, 2024 61 Sp lit Za da r Ši be ni k D ub ro vn ik C on te nt b y: A nđ el a Vr ki ć, A nt e Bl ać e M ap b y: A nđ el a Vr ki ć So ur ce : C or in e La nd C ov er , C op er ni cu s L an d M on ito rin g Se rv ic e, 20 20 © 2 02 4, U ni ve rs ity o f Z ad ar , D ep ar tm en t o f G eo gr ap hy 0 30 60 15 km Sh ru bs a nd fo re st s → M ix ed a gr ic ul tu ra l l an d w ith n at ur al v eg et at io n Pa st ur es a nd g ra ss la nd s → S hr ub s a nd fo re st s M ix ed a gr ic ul tu ra l l an d w ith n at ur al ve ge ta tio n → S hr ub s a nd fo re st s Sh ru bs a nd fo re st s → P as tu re s a nd g ra ss la nd s In fe rt ile la nd → P as tu re s a nd g ra ss la nd s In fe rt ile la nd → S hr ub s a nd fo re st s Pa st ur es a nd g ra ss la nd s → M ix ed a gr ic ul tu ra l l an d w ith n at ur al v eg et at io n Sh ru bs a nd fo re st s → In fe rt ile la nd M ix ed a gr ic ul tu ra l l an d w ith n at ur al ve ge ta tio n → In fe rt ile la nd Pa st ur es a nd g ra ss la nd s → In fe rt ile la nd La nd u se ch an ge s ± 64-3_acta49-1.qxd 25.11.2024 7:22 Page 61 Anđela Vrkić, Ante Blaće, Land use changes in Southern Croatia (Dalmatia) since the beginning of the 20th century 62 Figure 5: Land use in Southern Croatia in 2018. p p. 63 The shift from pastures and grasslands to shrubs and forests was most noticeable in the hinterland of Zadar and Šibenik-Knin Counties whereas changes from mixed agricultural land with natural vegetation to shrubs and forests were more widespread in the broader area of Dubrovnik-Neretva County. While the changes in Zadar and Šibenik-Knin were expected due to the continuous land abandonment and refor- estation, the changes in Dubrovnik-Neretva reflected not only these trends but also the methodological challenges of distinguishing between these two categories. Changes of pastures and grasslands to infertile land were most pronounced on the Kornati Islands (Figure 4) where natural grasslands were transformed into areas with sparse vegetation. Given the rocky terrain and limited vegetation on the Kornati Islands, this categorization was appropriate, most likely as a result of improved classification. The socio-economic processes that took place at the end of the 20th century continued in the early 21st century. The service sector, particularly tourism, became the main economic activity, with a strong presence along the coast and islands (Kapusta and Wiluś 2017). Simultaneously, the hinterland began devel- oping a tourist-oriented offer only in recent years, centred on vacation homes (Ralica and Blaće 2021). Compared to 2006, the vineyards and forests in 2018 had a smaller decrease in share, while the orchards, olive groves, and infertile land categories recorded an increase (Table 10). The increase in orchards and olive groves resulted from more precise categorization in comparison to mixed agricultural land with nat- ural vegetation. Moreover, the expansion of crops producing high-value products such as olive oil and wine contributed to this increase. This was again noticeable along the coastline and on the islands within Split- Dalmatia and Dubrovnik-Neretva Counties. Apart from favourable physical conditions, these areas have a long tradition of cultivation, but the commercial aspect emerged only after Croatia’s accession to the EU. The growth in the infertile land category was primarily associated with burnt areas, covering 14,405 hectares in 2018 (Figure 5). Land use changes from 2006 to 2018 (Figure 6) were less extensive than in the preceding period. These changes encompassed 62,324 hectares, with the ten largest changes accounting for 83.9% of the total change (Table 11). The most substantial shift involved the transition from shrubs and forests to infertile land. This change primarily occurred in Zadar and Šibenik-Knin Counties, with a smaller portion taking place in Split-Dalmatia County (Figure 6). These transitions were mainly attributed to areas affected by wildfires. Additionally, a minor portion of this change was associated with the ongoing construction of the A1 high- way in Split-Dalmatia and Dubrovnik-Neretva Counties. Wildfires are result of complex human-nature interactions and recognised as important driver of land cover in Mediterranean environments (Darques 2016). The findings regarding wildfire occurrences in Southern Croatia reveal that grasslands and shrubs (macchia) are the most susceptible vegetation types to fires, attributed to socio-demographic shifts such as agricultural abandonment and the growing impact of tourism, as well as climatic extremes such as heat- waves and droughts (Pavlek et al. 2017; Jajtić et al. 2019; Blaće et al. 2024). Based on our research, shrubs (including forests) and grasslands covered nearly 70% of Southern Croatia in 2018, indicating large areas vulnerable to wildfires. Table 10: Land use in Southern Croatia in 2018 (calculated from Corine Land Cover). Category change Area (ha) Share (%) Mixed agricultural land with natural vegetation 247,240 19.0 Vineyards 11,694 0.9 Orchards 6,185 0.5 Olive groves 25,116 1.9 Pastures and grasslands 249,073 19.1 Shrubs (macchia) and forests 643,295 49.4 Infertile land 110,329 8.5 Water bodies 9,176 0.7 TOTAL 1,302,109 100.0 64-3_acta49-1.qxd 25.11.2024 7:22 Page 62 Acta geographica Slovenica, 64-3, 2024 63 ± Sp lit Za da r Ši be ni k D ub ro vn ik C on te nt b y: A nđ el a Vr ki ć, A nt e Bl ać e M ap b y: A nđ el a Vr ki ć So ur ce : C or in e La nd C ov er , C op er ni cu s L an d M on ito rin g Se rv ic e, 20 20 © 2 02 4, U ni ve rs ity o f Z ad ar , D ep ar tm en t o f G eo gr ap hy 0 30 60 15 km La nd u se O liv e gr ov es In fe rt ile la nd Pa st ur es a nd g ra ss la nd s M ix ed a gr ic ul tu ra l l an d w ith n at ur al v eg et at io n V in ey ar ds W at er b od ie s O rc ha rd s Sh ru bs a nd fo re st s 64-3_acta49-1.qxd 25.11.2024 7:22 Page 63 Anđela Vrkić, Ante Blaće, Land use changes in Southern Croatia (Dalmatia) since the beginning of the 20th century 3.4 Case study – land use in Bibinje The land use pattern in Bibinje reflects the characteristics typical for other coastal parts of Southern Croatia. Residential areas and tourist facilities are predominantly situated along the coastline, while the hinterland com- prises primarily agricultural land, pastures, grasslands, shrubs and forests (Figure 7). Comparing CLC data with the DOF images (Figure 8, Table 12) reveals a notable difference in details. Due to the varying scales of 1:100,000 for CLC and 1:5,000 for DOF 2014–2016, this discrepancy is expected. However, despite this dif- ference, the generalization of categories in the CLC data was deemed appropriate. Although CLC failed to explicitly classify pastures and grasslands, this can be attributed to the vegetation’s resemblance to shrubs and forests, into which they were categorized. Similarly, vineyards and olive groves went undetected but often fell under the category of mixed agricultural land with natural vegetation. Additionally, some areas identified as vine- yards, olive groves, and mixed agricultural land with natural vegetation were erroneously classified as infertile land. While CLC data may not be suitable for detailed analyses of smaller areas such as Bibinje, encompass- ing 1,446 hectares, it can still be valuable for studying larger regions like Southern Croatia. It seems that further advancement in remote sensing and the usage of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicle) for small areas will yield more reliable results in land cover assessment. Comparison with cadastral maps is possible but it heavily depends on the alignment of the cadastral data with on-ground conditions, which is, for now, a rare case in Croatia. The previously explained phenomena of shrub and forest expansion, as well as the increase in infer- tile (built-up) land, are visible in Figure 8. Over a 50-year period agricultural land has been decreasing, mirroring trends seen in many parts of Southern Croatia. 64 Table 11: Largest land use changes in Southern Croatia 2006–2018 (calculated from Corine Land Cover). Category change Area (ha) Share (%) Shrubs and forests → Infertile land 18,980 30.5 Shrubs and forests → Pastures and grasslands 6,195 9.9 Pastures and grasslands → Shrubs and forests 6,136 9.8 Mixed agricultural land with natural vegetation → Shrubs and forests 4,120 6.6 Mixed agricultural land with natural vegetation → Olive groves 4,053 6.5 Shrubs and forests → Mixed agricultural land with natural vegetation 3,052 4.9 Pastures and grasslands → Infertile land 2,629 4.2 Vineyards → Mixed agricultural land with natural vegetation 2,554 4.1 Infertile land → Pastures and grasslands 2,423 3.9 Mixed agricultural land with natural vegetation → Pasture and grasslands 2,162 3.5 Figure 6: Change in land use in Southern Croatia 2006–2018. p p. 65 Figure 7: Land use in Bibinje. p p. 66 Figure 8: Aerial photos of Bibinje for 1968 (top) and 2016 (bottom). p p. 67 Table 12: Land use in Bibinje (calculated from Corine Land Cover). Category DOF 2014-16 Area (ha) Share (%) CLC 2018 Area (ha) Share (%) Mixed agricultural land with natural vegetation 181 12.5 559 38.6 Vineyards 21 1.5 0 0.0 Olive groves 56 3.9 0 0.0 Pastures and grasslands 558 38.6 0 0.0 Shrubs and forests 401 27.7 514 35.5 Infertile land 228 15.8 373 25.8 TOTAL 1446 100.0 1446 100.0 64-3_acta49-1.qxd 25.11.2024 7:22 Page 64 Acta geographica Slovenica, 64-3, 2024 65 Sp lit Za da r Ši be ni k D ub ro vn ik C on te nt b y: A nđ el a Vr ki ć, A nt e Bl ać e M ap b y: A nđ el a Vr ki ć So ur ce : C or in e La nd C ov er , C op er ni cu s L an d M on ito rin g Se rv ic e, 20 20 © 2 02 4, U ni ve rs ity o f Z ad ar , D ep ar tm en t o f G eo gr ap hy 0 30 60 15 km Sh ru bs a nd fo re st s → In fe rt ile la nd Sh ru bs a nd fo re st s → P as tu re s a nd g ra ss la nd s Pa st ur es a nd g ra ss la nd s → S hr ub s a nd fo re st s M ix ed a gr ic ul tu ra l l an d w ith n at ur al ve ge ta tio n → S hr ub s a nd fo re st s M ix ed a gr ic ul tu ra l l an d w ith n at ur al ve ge ta tio n → O liv e gr ov es Sh ru bs a nd fo re st s → M ix ed a gr ic ul tu ra l l an d w ith n at ur al v eg et at io n Pa st ur es a nd g ra ss la nd s → In fe rt ile la nd V in ey ar ds → M ix ed a gr ic ul tu ra l l an d w ith na tu ra l v eg et at io n In fe rt ile la nd → P as tu re s a nd g ra ss la nd s M ix ed a gr ic ut ur al la nd w ith n at ur al ve ge ta tio n → P as tu re s a nd g ra ss la nd s La nd u se ch an ge s ± 64-3_acta49-1.qxd 25.11.2024 7:22 Page 65 Anđela Vrkić, Ante Blaće, Land use changes in Southern Croatia (Dalmatia) since the beginning of the 20th century 66 Content by: Anđela Vrkić, Ante Blaće Map by: Anđela Vrkić Source: Corine Land Cover, Copernicus Land Monitoring Service, 2020 © 2024, University of Zadar, Department of Geography 0 0,5 10,25 km Land use CLC 2018 Content by: Ante Blaće, Anđela Vrkić Map by: Ante Blaće, Anđela Vrkić Source: Geoportal–Digital orthophoto 2014–2016, Croatian Geodetic Administration, 2016 © 2024, University of Zadar, Department of Geography Land use DOF 2014–2016 Infertile land Mixed agricultural land with natural vegetation Olive groves Pastures and grasslands Shrubs and forests Vineyards Infertile land Mixed agricultural land with natural vegetation Shrubs and forests ± 0 0,5 10,25 km ± 64-3_acta49-1.qxd 25.11.2024 7:22 Page 66 Acta geographica Slovenica, 64-3, 2024 67 ± Bibinje Municipality 0 1 km Map by: Anđela Vrkić, Ante Blaće Source: Geoportal, Digital ortophoto 2014–2016 Croatian Geodetic Administration, 2016 © 2024, University of Zadar, Department of Geography ± Bibinje Municipality 0 1 km Map by: Anđela Vrkić, Ante Blaće Source: Geoportal, Digital ortophoto 2014–2016 Croatian Geodetic Administration, 2016 © 2024, University of Zadar, Department of Geography 0.25 0.5 0.25 0.5 64-3_acta49-1.qxd 25.11.2024 7:23 Page 67 Anđela Vrkić, Ante Blaće, Land use changes in Southern Croatia (Dalmatia) since the beginning of the 20th century 68 4 Discussion In the first research period (1900–1945), Southern Croatia experienced pronounced changes in land use driven by political, economic, and social factors. The devastating impact of phylloxera led to a substan- tial loss of vineyards. The overcrowding of agrarian areas fuelled emigration from the islands and the hinterland to abroad. The second period (1945–1991) witnessed the profound alterations in land use, coin- ciding with major political and economic transformations. With the integration into socialist Yugoslavia, economic development in Southern Croatia concentrated around the coastal urban centers (Vresk 1985; Matas 2015). The process of land abandonment, initiated during the interwar period, accelerated from the 1960s onwards due to industrialization and partially collectivization of the land (Defilippis 2006). The third period (from 1991) began with the destructive impact of war, further exacerbating the processes of the previous era. Coastal cities continued to develop, while the islands and hinterland experienced a decline in both population and cultivated land. Political factors were manifested through the consequences of the war and the transition to a market economy. Economically, littoralization prevailed, leaving the hinter- land at the periphery of economic development. Nowadays tourism is especially strong driver of land use changes, reflected in construction of numerous apartments for renting (Opačić 2012). Changes in the land use categories by selected years clearly indicate a substantial decline in agricul- tural land often replaced by shrubs and forests (Figure 9). Vineyards, devastated by phylloxera, never fully recovered, leading to the cultivation of other crops (Faričić 2012). The exceptional increase in the infertile land category in 1921 can be attributed to different data collection methodologies rather than a drastic surge in built-up areas, swamps, etc. Pastures and grasslands made up the largest share until the 1960s, started to decline. The expansion of olive trees and orchards was not only due to the more efficient detection of certain land categories through the CLC methodology but also due to increased cultivation. This was fuelled by subsidies in agriculture 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 1900 1921 1960 1990 2006 2018 Year 0 Sh ar e (% ) Vineyards Olive groves and orchards Pastures and grasslands Shrubs and forests Infertile land Ploughfields (1900–1960) / Mixed agricultural land with natural vegetation (1990–2018) Figure 9: Share of land use categories in Southern Croatia 1900–2018. 64-3_acta49-1.qxd 25.11.2024 7:23 Page 68 (Očić et al. 2018), especially after Croatia joined the EU in 2013. Despite the apparent increase in plough- fields since 1990, it primarily consisted of mixed agricultural land with natural vegetation, where at least 50% was dominated by vegetation succession. Consequently, most categories during the studied period experienced reductions in their areas, while shrubs and forests expanded thus supporting the main hypoth- esis of this research. Land use/land cover change research from other Mediterranean countries indicate primarily the expan- sion of shrubs and forests and the abandonment of agricultural areas due to social and economic factors (Peñuelas and Sardans 2021). Although the Mediterranean region had only a 10% share of forests in 2015, the distribution of forests varied by country. For instance, Israel had a 6% forest share, while Slovenia had 61% (Nocentini et al. 2022) as a consequence of different natural conditions. Forest expansion is evident, with Slovenia seeing its forested area grow from 39% in the first half of the 19th century to 61% in 2015 (Gabrovec and Kumer 2019). Regionally, specific trends have emerged. Research conducted between 1960 and 2000 in Mediterranean parts of Italy (Falcucci et al. 2007) indicated the cessation of pasture grazing, reforestation, and the growth of urban areas, driven by tourism development and demographic growth. Greek island studies (Tzanopoulos and Vogiatzakis 2011; Schaich et al. 2015; Kefalas et al. 2019; Dimopoulos and Kizos 2020; Kefalas et al. 2020) indicated two major patterns: an increase in forests and scrublands and urbanization in lowland and coastal areas, primarily due to tourism. This is very similar to the processes in Southern Croatia. In the Mediterranean Alicante region in Spain approximately one-third of agricultural land was aban- doned and turned into macchia and urban areas between 1950s and 2000s. Forested areas doubled in size although their total area remained small (Symeonakis et al. 2007). Catalonia faced a long-term shift from deforestation and overexploitation during the 19th and first half of the 20th century followed by subse- quent forest transitions driven by land abandonment since the 1950s (Cervera et al. 2019). Abadie et al. (2018) found that in the French Mediterranean region, forest recovery occurred from 1860 to 2010 due to the abandonment of traditional agriculture and pastoralism. These changes were more promi- nent on remote and unproductive land, while accessible urban areas witnessed an increase in built-up areas. Gabrovec and Kumer (2019) and Gabrovec et al. (2020) concluded that the most significant land-use changes in Slovenia took place in the second half of the 20th century, driven by industrialization. Slovenia’s acces- sion to the EU in 2004 introduced common policies that influenced land use, with specificities like land fragmentation and dispersed settlements. Bičík et al. (2019) conducted somewhat similar study to this one, comparing land use changes in Czechia and Slovenia over the last two centuries, indicating much larger shares of arable land compared to Southern Croatia, reflecting the different physical and social charac- teristics of the study areas. Research on land use changes in Southern Croatia also pointed to certain difficulties with data sources. The oldest source, Općinski rječnik (C. KR. središnja … 1908) turned out to be the most reliable. All other data sources up to CLC 1990 mainly relied on estimates and should be interpreted cautiously. However, they indicate certain land use trends that have occurred over the last 120 years. While the CLC method- ology for 1990, 2006, and especially 2018 (benefiting from advancements in remote sensing) provided more reliable data on land use categories and changes between periods, it is not entirely precise database. Due to its mapping methodology, numerous changes in areas smaller than 5 hectares couldn’t be adequately represented, leading to some generalization of results. This is expected because the CLC is by definition a generalized database whose primary task is the comparison of land use in Europe (Aune-Lundberg and Strand 2021). Another issue is related to mixed classes. Mixed classes tend to lack clear-cut information regarding the state of the land surface, necessitating researchers to carefully weigh the results. Although the reliability of CLC data at the sub-national level may raise concerns, its usage becomes justifiable in cases where other data sources are unavailable (Popovici et al. 2013). These issues with CLC are evident in our research, particularly concerning specific categories. For instance, the category of pastures and grass- lands represents predominantly grasslands due to the limited extent of cattle breeding in Southern Croatia (Ozimec et al. 2015). Delineating between shrubs and forests poses a challenge, as it reflects agricultural abandonment, further complicating the differentiation between the two vegetation types. The category of mixed agricultural land with natural vegetation probably stands as the most intricate, embodying a mosa- ic of utilized and abandoned land, exacerbated by the 25 ha threshold. These dynamics and transitions are observable across the study area, particularly in hinterlands, mountainous regions, and sparsely pop- ulated areas within Zadar and Split-Dalmatia counties (Figure 4 and Figure 6). Southern Croatia, and Acta geographica Slovenica, 64-3, 2024 69 64-3_acta49-1.qxd 25.11.2024 7:23 Page 69 Anđela Vrkić, Ante Blaće, Land use changes in Southern Croatia (Dalmatia) since the beginning of the 20th century especially its rural areas, has dispersed settlements and diverse vegetation. Due to this, EU countries are developing national LULCC databases in large scale to provide reliable information for making political and professional decisions and for citizen’s personal matters (Foški et al. 2018). Corine Land Cover still remains the most dependable source for land classification in Croatian terri- tory. Nonetheless, the implementation of the new LIFE CROLIS (CROatian Land Information System) will improve data integration and processing regarding land use and land cover from diverse sources. Except for management on different levels, it should also serve as a tool for reporting and calculating greenhouse gas emissions and sinks from the land use, land conversion and forestry sector (LULUCF). It is expected that LIFE CROLIS will become operational sometime after 2024. 5 Conclusion In this research, we explored land use changes within Southern Croatia spanning from the early 20th cen- tury to 2018. Our analysis is structured into three distinct periods (1900–1945, 1945–1991, and post-1991) to align with the key socio-economic changes that unfolded throughout the 20th century. Over the course of the 20th century, the region witnessed profound transformations in land use. These changes were dri- ven by a complex interaction of social and economic factors. The continuous advancement of remote sensing and the availability of comprehensive databases, offer promising opportunities for ongoing and more pre- cise monitoring of land use trends in Southern Croatia and elsewhere. Despite the limitations of this study, it contributes to our better understanding of the intricate issues related to land use and landscape changes in the context of Croatia and the Mediterranean. 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