Parallels of environmentally friendly pastoralism to land cover changes and high nature value farmland

A progressive succession of woody plants on pastures, driven by factors such as conservation measures and natural conditions, threatens the preservation of valuable habitats and visually attractive karst landscapes within the Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst UNESCO World Heritage Site. The study assessed land cover changes over three decades in transtermitant farm operational areas and Biosphere Reserve (BR) zones, identifying that karst microreliefs were excluded from pastoral activities due to inherent nature of transtermitance and type of farmed animal. The research highlights the critical need for agreed-upon grazing conditions between farmers and BR administration to safeguard high nature value farmland, clean underground water, and the unique cave system.

Slámová, M., Mrázová, M., Hudáková, Ľ., Mikušová, M., Rácz, A., & Slobodník, B. (2024). Parallels of environmentally friendly pastoralism to land cover changes and high nature value farmland. Landscape Research, 49(5), 722–737. https://doi.org/10.1080/01426397.2024.2340537