The study of human-environment relationships in mountain areas is important for both theoretical and practical reasons, because many mountain areas suffer similar problems, namely depopulation, unemployment and natural hazards. Medium mountains constitute a special case within mountains because they are more populated but less attractive as tourist targets than high mountains. In this context, Apuseni Mts (Romania) is considered as a case study. In the present paper, we applied GIS-based, quantitative methods to characterize the strength and dynamics of human-environment interactions taking into consideration some environmental factors (elevation, relative height, slope, river distance, lithology, land cover, natural attractions) as well as historical population and recent tourism data. We found that population density has strong (r 2 >0.8) relationships with all relief factors (elevation, relative height, slope, river distance), and that best-fit functions are nonlinear. We outlined the varying demographic scenarios by elevation zones and interpreted the historically switching sign of population change versus elevation relationship. We proved that lithology, too, has an impact on the spatial distribution of population, though it is not independent from the relief effect. The land cover of that mainly cultural landscape is very strongly correlated with relief parameters (especially slope) that suggests a good adaptation. We pointed out the dominance of karst objects in the natural tourist potential of Apuseni Mts and explored further components (spas, heritage, towns) of real tourism as well. Finally, we concluded that the studied environmental settings in fact constrain the spatial framework of society, but socio-economic changes in history can be explained from the side of society, which conforms the theory of cultural possibilism.
IzvlečekUDK 911.5:551.435.8(439+437.6) Tamás Telbisz, Zsolt Bottlik, László Mari & Alena Petrvalská: Raziskovanje odnosov med kraško pokrajino in socialnimi funkcijami: Primer kraškega območja Gömör-Torna (Madžarska-Slovaška) Odnosi med človekom in okoljem imajo v primeru kraških okolij nekatere posebne značilnosti. Ta so običajno manj gosto naseljena predvsem zaradi hidroloških, topografskih in pedoloških posebnosti. Vendar pa je vpliv naravnih dejavnikov kraških pokrajin na družbeno-gospodarski razvoj redko proučevan, vplivi pa so običajno pojasnjeni v kvalitativnem smislu. Zato je cilj tega prispevka kot sodobnega pristopa znotraj geografskega posibilizma raziskati neposreden in posreden količinski vpliv obravnavanega naravnega okolja na družbeno-gospodarski razvoj z uporabo-GIS orodij in statističnih metod. Študija je bila opravljena na primeru kraškega območja Gömör-Torna (na Madžarskem znan kot kras Aggteleka oziroma na Slovaškem kot Slovaški kras). Razmerja med naravnimi dejavniki (nadmorska višina, naklon, relativna višina, oddaljenost od pomembnih rek) in pokrovnostjo tal, kot tudi med naravnimi dejavniki in socialnimi podatki (gostota prebivalstva, gostota poselitve, povprečno število prebivalcev v naselju, spremembe prebivalstva, gostota cestnega omrežja) smo proučevali z regresijsko analizo. želeli smo ugotoviti, kako močno zgoraj navedeni naravni dejavniki vplivajo na socialne parametre. V nekaterih primerih (pokrovnost tal, cestno omrežje) je naklon najboljši pokazatelj, medtem ko v Human-environment relations have some special characteristics on karst terrains, and karstlands are usually less densely inhabited areas principally due to hydrologic, topographic and pedologic reasons. However, the natural factors of karst terrains and socio-economic development are rarely discussed together, and the relationships are usually expressed in qualitative terms. Therefore the aim of this paper is to explore the direct and indirect quantitative impact of natural settings on socio-economic development of karst terrains using GISaided, statistical methods as a modern approach within geographic possibilism by the case study of Gömör-Torna Karst (whose Hungarian part is known as Aggtelek Karst, while the Slovakian part as Slovak Karst). Relationships between natural factors (elevation, slope, relative height, distance from significant rivers) and land cover as well as between natural factors and social data (population density, settlement density, mean settlement population, population change, road network density) have been studied by regression analysis in order to determine how strongly these social parameters are influenced by the above natural factors. In certain cases (land cover categories, road network) slope is the best estimator, while in other cases (population density, longterm population change), the ACTA CARSOLOGICA 44/1-2015 122 TAMÁS TELBISZ, ZSOLT BOTTLIK, LÁSZLÓ MARI & ALENA PETRVALSKÁ distance from significant river provides the best correlation. Many karstlands are depopulating and ageing are...
We examine how geoconservation and geotourism can help the local development of an economically underdeveloped karst area. First, we briefly present the geoheritage of Aggtelek National Park, which largely overlaps the area of the Aggtelek Karst. The area is built up predominantly of Triassic limestones and dolomites. It is a typical temperate zone, medium mountain karst area with doline-dotted karst plateaus and tectonic-fluvial valleys. Besides caves, the past history of iron mining also enriches its geoheritage. Aggtelek National Park was set aside in 1985. The caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst became part of the UNESCO World Heritage in 1995 due to the high diversity of cave types and morphology. Socially, the area of the national park is a disadvantaged border region in NE Hungary. Baradla Cave has always been a popular tourist destination, but visitor numbers fell significantly after 1985. Tourism is largely focused on Baradla Cave, and thus it can be considered "sensu lato" geotourism. Reasons for the changes in visitor numbers are discussed in this paper. Tourist motivations, the significance of geotourism and other tourism-related issues were explored in our study by questionnaire surveys and semi-structured interviews. Furthermore, the balance of geoconservation versus bioconservation is also examined. Finally, the relationship of geotourism, nature protection and local development is discussed. We conclude that the socioeconomic situation of the Aggtelek Karst microregion is relatively better than that of the neighbouring regions, and this relative welfare is due to the existence of the national park and Baradla Cave.
In this article we analyse the human-environment relationships in geographical research from the end of the 19 th to the beginning of the 21 st century. We highlight paradigms, which aff ected our way of thinking about man-environment relations. Discussing scientifi c approaches and paradigms in geography the leading scientists who had infl uential thoughts and helped the shaping of a paradigm will also be mentioned. The research on human-environment relations has appeared in geography from time to time, but the connecting paradigms had also diff erent stories through time and space. Undoubtedly, the nowadays reviving determinism had the greatest infl uence, but possibilism has also had a signifi cant impact on our discipline. Research on human-environment relationships reappeared in a new form through the discourse on global climate change. Postmodern, poststructuralist, and postcolonial approaches changed radically the basis of human-environment research. In this paper, we argue that geography needs to renew not only its philosophical basis and theoretical context, but the connections between the two subdisciplines of geography (i.e. between physical and human geography) must be refreshed too.
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