ANALYSIS, SYNTHESIS, MAPPING AND INTERPRETATION OF GRASSLANDS IN LANDSCAPE-ECOLOGICAL PLANNING (EXEMPLIFIED BY THE ZAMAGURIE-ZDIAR AREA)

Zamagurie-a territory on Slovakia's NW border-is an area of specific features that have determined its economic development. A part of the territory is a national park (Pieniny), a part of the agricultural land is in collective, another in private ownership. As a contribution to the solution of the problems of this territory an ecological study has been elaborated; part of this study being the evaluation and mapping of the grassland vegetation and a suggestion for their optimum management. 11 types of meadow vegetation were mapped. Their indicative qualities, nutritive value, honey-bearing and pharmacological potentials were evaluated; these were interpreted from the aspect of their ecologico- socioeconomic importance. The ecologically optimum proposition envisages to use the major part of the territory as intensive grassland, and we propose to maintain a part of the territory with a well-preserved traditional management structure and with a high biological and landscape-ecological value in its autochthonous state.