Ábrahám Levente (szerk.): Válogatott tanulmányok IX. - Natura Somogyiensis 24. (Kaposvár, 2014)
Miókovics E. - Bódis J. - Molnár Zs.: Analysis of landscape change in the Nagyberek (Somogy, Hungary) with the DPSIR Framework
Miókovics E., Bódis J., Molnár, Zs.: Analysis of landscape change 13 not regenerate. Large areas are used as crop fields with game management purposes (feeding of games). Damage caused by games is significant in each habitat type. During the period of communism the most worthless areas has been ploughed as well, therefore the ratio of poor arable land is high in the inner part of the area. The extent of arable land decreased because of abandonment. Recently the main impact is that crop farming became uneconomic. The responses are agri-environmental supports and supports from the EU. These favour cattle breeding, so the area decrease of arable land will continue. Discussion A significant part of the Nagyberek has been managed by large estates since the 18th century, similarly to Western Europe, but the natural vegetation remained mostly untouched, as technology did not allow the desiccation of the big marshes. Our results show that in the case of the four studied habitat complexes the main driving force was the transformation of agriculture to large-scale, intensive farming before but especially during the socialism. The study of Hosszú (2009) concluded that the inhabitants of the Nagyberek had used the natural resources of this special landscape in the same way for decades before the 20th century. Nature conservation management needs complex thinking. This thinking has just started to shape. Scientific research together with proper nature conservation management help the protection of these marshes and fens. Folke (2004) argues, that the landscape as a unit and as a system can only maintain its resilience when the relationship of inhabitants with the land is strong and stable (and land use is based on the local knowledge of generations), and the intervention and changes pay respect to the limits of healthy ecosystem functioning. Landscapes are changing even if there is no significant driving force, as landscapes have their own dynamics and living beings (including humans) have to adapt to it (Bürgi et al. 2004). For example in the case of the Nagyberek the extent of wetlands would also decrease without human intervention. Recently this process was accelerated with the artificial transformation of water balance. This accelerated change was too drastic for the ecosystem, which could not adapt to it. These rapid changes also altered the self-identity of inhabitants and their relationship with the landscape. Our study of landscape changes was based on the state-change of four habitat complexes. The responses in our area are laws and programmes which concern nationally and internationally important habitats. Owing to agri-environmental supports a stratum of farmers has formed in the last 10 years, which manages the grasslands with mowing and grazing and cultivate arable land in an environmentally friendly way. We argue that the DPSIR Framework can be used effectively to study the interactions of complex factors that determine landscape change and we hope the framework will also help the proper management of our landscapes. Acknowledgements We would like to thank György Rozner for his help in the preparation of the manuscript, and Zsuzsanna Sutyinszki for English translation.
