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Understanding Land Cover Changes in the Italian Alps and Romanian Carpathians Combining Remote Sensing and Stakeholder Interviews

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  • Žiga Malek

    (International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Risk, Policy and Vulnerability, Schlossplatz 1, 2361 Laxenburg, Austria
    Department of Geography and Regional Research, University of Vienna, Universitätsstrasse 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria)

  • Anna Scolobig

    (Human Environment Systems Group, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 22, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland)

  • Dagmar Schröter

    (Transdisciplinarity Lab, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Sonneggstrasse 33 SOL F4, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland)

Abstract

In the last two decades, socio-economic changes in Europe have had a significant effect on land cover changes, but it is unclear how this has affected mountain areas. We focus on two mountain areas: the eastern Italian Alps and the Romanian Curvature Carpathians. We classified land cover from Earth observation data after 1989 by using applied remote sensing techniques. We also analyzed socio-economic data and conducted semi-structured interviews with local stakeholders. In Italy, most of the land conversion processes followed long-term trends. In Romania, they took off with the sudden political changes after 1989. In both areas, forest expansion was the biggest, but potentially not the most consequential change. More consequential changes were urbanization in Italy and small-scale deforestation in Romania, since both increased the risk of hydro-meteorological hazards. Stakeholders’ views were an added value to the spatial analysis and vice versa . For example, stakeholders’ explanations resolved the seeming contradiction of decreased economic activity and increased urbanization (Italian site), as a consequence of secondary home building. Furthermore, spatial analysis revealed that urbanization in Romania was less significant with regard to consequences for the wider human-environment system than many stakeholders thought.

Suggested Citation

  • Žiga Malek & Anna Scolobig & Dagmar Schröter, 2014. "Understanding Land Cover Changes in the Italian Alps and Romanian Carpathians Combining Remote Sensing and Stakeholder Interviews," Land, MDPI, vol. 3(1), pages 1-22, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:3:y:2014:i:1:p:52-73:d:32144
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. R. L. Ciurean & H. Hussin & C. J. Westen & M. Jaboyedoff & P. Nicolet & L. Chen & S. Frigerio & T. Glade, 2017. "Multi-scale debris flow vulnerability assessment and direct loss estimation of buildings in the Eastern Italian Alps," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 85(2), pages 929-957, January.
    2. Wenwu Du & Sofia M Penabaz-Wiley & Isami Kinoshita, 2019. "Relationships between land use changes, stakeholders, and national scenic area administrations: A case study of Mount Jinfo and its surroundings in China," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 37(8), pages 1507-1530, December.
    3. Žiga Malek & Veronica Zumpano & Haydar Hussin, 2018. "Forest management and future changes to ecosystem services in the Romanian Carpathians," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 1275-1291, June.
    4. Stella Margiorou & Aristeidis Kastridis & Marios Sapountzis, 2022. "Pre/Post-Fire Soil Erosion and Evaluation of Check-Dams Effectiveness in Mediterranean Suburban Catchments Based on Field Measurements and Modeling," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-18, October.

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