Soil Degradation Threat to Slovenia's Landscapes

Abstract

Due to the past trends in the development of Slovenia, especially after the second world war, one can certainly expect some kind of degradation of Slovene landscape and consequently its soils. Soils are among less researched components of Slovene environment, which results in relatively poor quantity and quality of available data. Studying soil degradation has been performed using GLASOD (Global Assessment of Soil Degradation) methodology, which has not been introduced in Slovenia, in terms of researching. Methodology is based upon recognising a degree of soil degradation of chosen land unit. Degree is determined through combining soil degradation severity and extent of soil degradation. Every unit had been studied in sense of soil degradation. Three main types soil degradation had been chosen: water erosion, pollution of soils with heavy metals and loss of fertile soil through elimination from natural environment. In order to determine each degradation standard methods had been used, but were modified for specific Slovene circumstances. GLASOD methodology was successfully introduced to Slovene researching but better and quantitative results are not yet possible to obtain because of the lack of data.