Geographical studies and environment protection research
Volume X | Issue 2
The ‘Museum Night’ Event – the Demographic Profile of the Visitors in Serbia
Abstract: The aim of this paper is to consider the differences in the structure of visitors in tourist events, depending on the place of holding. The “Museum Night” tourist event was first held in Germany (Berlin) in 1997, with the aim of popularizing cultural tourism and museum complexes. This touristically considerable event has been very popular and frequented in Serbia since 2005. At first it was held only in Belgrade, when in the year 2007, gradually, other cities also joined the programme. Therefore, a public opinion poll was carried out for the purposes of this paper (analysis according to age, sex structure and economic activity). The sample of the population was divided into three age groups. The research, at the territorial level, included the cities of Belgrade and Novi Sad.
Volume X | Issue 1
Features of the Ski Area from the Romanian Banat
Abstract: The Romanian Banat is endowed with an important mountain area composed of the Banatului Mountains and the north-western part of the Retezeat-Godeanu Range, i.e. Ţarcu – Muntele Mic. The purpose of our paper is to make an account of the features of the two important ski areas within this mountain area: Ţarcu – Muntele Mic and Semenic. Their structure evolved over time according to the local and regional interest, but also due to more recent activities of the Romanian investors. Our research concluded that both ski domains have a great natural potential to sustain winter-sports and to further develop what today are two very small resorts. They have a low capability of attraction due to the small capacity of the pistes and to the fact that each resort has only two ski-lifts. In both cases the access is rather limited and as far as accommodation is concerned in both cases it is disproportional in relation with the provisioned capacity of the ski pistes. Having these aspects in view, we conclude that these resorts do not represent as yet a major attraction, especially due to the fact that there are undercapitalized and underdeveloped for the raising demand of the regional market for winter-sports. On the other hand in both cases projects have already been blue-printed by the aforementioned investors which are waiting to be undertaken for development.
Volume VIII | Issue 8
Coastal Environmental Changes Along the North Western Coast of Egypt Case Study from Alexandria to El Alamein Coast
Abstract: The present paper aims at highlighting the urban development, fishing activities, tourism, industrial development and agricultural activities that affect delicate and valuable coastal ecosystems. A supervised classification, post-classification, change detection techniques were applied to Land sat images acquired in 1991 and 2007, respectively, to map land cover changes along the north-western coast of Egypt, from Alexandria to El Alamein. A supervised classification was carried out on the six reflective bands for the two images individually with the aid of true ground data. The truthful ground information, collected during field trips using ancillary data, visual interpretation and experts’ knowledge of the area using GIS, further refined the classification results. Post-classification change detection technique was used to produce image through cross-tabulation. Changes among different land cover classes were assessed. During the study period, a very severe land cover change has taken place as a result of agricultural and tourist development projects. These shoreline and land cover changes led to modifications of the environmental properties.
Volume VIII | Issue 8
Assesment of Degradation Processes and Limitative Factors Concerning the Arenosols from Dăbuleni-Romania
Abstract: Soil degradation can be described as a process by which one or more of the potential ecological functions of the soil are harmed and also like a process that lowers the current and/or future capacity of the soil to produce goods and services. The arenosols from Dăbuleni Plain, located in the SW of the Romanian Plain, have a large extension due the aeolian sand deposits which covers the Danubian loess terraces. The main degradation processes affecting the arenosols are the removing and deposition of soil material by wind forces. This type of degradation causes loss of topsoil and severe sand accumulation, which reflects in terrain deformation. The loss of topsoil induces a decrease in depth of the A horizon due to the removal of soil material by the wind because of their sandy texture and insufficient protection offered by vegetation. We should also mention that the forest shelter belts are being destroyed. An irregular removal and depositions of soil material by wind action causes deflation hollows, hummocks and dunes which lead to “terrain deformation” with severe consequences concerning land quality.
Volume VIII | Issue 8
Soil Quality Cards for Participatory Soil Quality Assessment in Organic and Smallholder Agriculture
Abstract: Healthy soil is the basis of high quality food production. Increased awareness toward safe and healthy environment further aggravated the significance of soil quality evaluation and adoption of rational management practices. Evaluation of soil quality is crucial but expensive task for organic growers and smallholder agriculture. Participatory approach in soil quality assessment, thus, can serve the purpose of soil quality assurance for quality production. Physical, chemical and biological soil quality parameters are identified through participatory discussion and they are integrated in a way familiar to farmers. Farmers evaluate their farm soils based on their existing knowledge, agro-ecological condition and farming system of the area. This approach bridges farmers’ ideas with scientific facts with minimum financial investment. Initiatives have already been taken in this line, however, strengthening and institutionalization of the process is needed to replicate this practical technique. Preliminary work in Baccheuli, Chitwan, Nepal indicated the approach as practical, easy, cost effective and convincing to farmers. Moreover, this enhanced confidence to farmers of their soil quality and supported for further strengthening of organic and smallholder agriculture in Nepal.