TRANSFORMATION OF THE SLOVAK CULTURAL LANDSCAPE AND ITS RECENT TRENDS

The paper is focused on a long-term development of the selected Slovak cultural landscape types (plains, basins, uplands, highlands, and mountains) in approximately 200 years. This period shaped the main land use features as well as on the recent transformation trends. The land use development analysis showed that several distinct periods can be distinguished. Each of these periods was characteristic for certain types of land use changes depending both on the landscape character or the socioeconomic situation. The recent trends as land use intensification (intense agriculture, sub-urbanisation, industrial construction) or extensification (agricultural land overgrowing) are considered to be common for the whole Slovak territory. Special transformation trends reflect more local conditions, human needs and preferences (construction of water reservoirs, wind calamities or tourism resorts) and though they are spatially isolated and small they influence the majority of Slovak inhabitants.