The list of national projects SAS
Institute of Landscape Ecology
Analysis and evaluations of the environmental history of selected types of Slovak landscape from the early prehistory to the present
Analýzy a hodnotenia environmentálnej histórie vybraných typov krajiny Slovenska od mladšieho praveku po súčasnosť
| Duration: |
1.1.2023 - 31.12.2026 |
| Program: |
VEGA |
| Project leader: |
Mgr. Piscová Veronika PhD. |
| Annotation: | By using natural resources, ecosystem services and activities, man directly or indirectly affects the natural
environment and the quality of its components, within a time and space framework. The extent and intensity of
human influence on the landscape has been changing over the centuries, depending on current period. To
identify the degree of human influence on the landscape, it is essential to get know the original landscape, which
has not been significantly affected by man. As such, a landscape no longer exists in the Central Europe; it needs
to be scientifically reconstructed in some way. The aim of the project is to reconstruct the landscape, in model
areas representing selected types of the Slovak landscape, in several periods of historical and archaeological
past and to evaluate the consequences of human activities in them. It is important to analyse the relationship
between man and his environment over the time. |
Nutrient cycling in terrestrial plant ecosystems of the Carpathians in the changing world
Cyklus živín v terestriálnych rastlinných ekosystémoch Karpát v meniacom sa svete
| Duration: |
1.9.2024 - 31.8.2026 |
| Program: |
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| Project leader: |
Dr.nat.techn. Ing. Merganičová Katarína |
| Annotation: | The main idea of the project is to develop a model-data fusion framework, which will combine ground-based and remote sensing observations, and dynamic process-based modelling of ecosystem development to study nutrient dynamics in plant ecosystems of the Carpathians under the influence of environmental conditions, and natural and human-induced disturbances at different temporal levels. The overall objective is to enhance the understanding of short-, mid- and long-term plant ecosystem dynamics driven by climate, disturbances and management practices, and to examine the impact of their temporal changes, which will allow more reliable predictions of future trajectories of ecosystem development under different scenarios. The partial objectives are:
Objective 1: to analyse the long-term changes in nutrient cycling in vegetation of the Carpathians using a process-based modelling approach driven by the historic reconstruction of land cover and land use based on remote sensing and historical maps covering a period from the year 1819,
Objective 2: to analyse the mid-term inter-annual nutrient dynamics in vegetation of the Carpathians at the local and/or regional level driven by natural and/or human induced disturbances derived from ground-based data, and available remote sensing products covering historical periods, such as Landsat archive, based on the continuous development of ecosystem stocks and fluxes simulated by a process-based model from the year 1949 until present,
Objective 3: to determine the impact of intra-annual climate anomalies on the nutrient cycling in plant ecosystems at a local level using process-based modelling and dense annual time series of remote sensing vegetation products such as LAI from combined Landsat-Sentinel products and available high temporal resolution ground-based observation data from intensively monitored research sites and eddy covariance measurements.
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Diversity, landscape elements and reassessment of agricultural blocks of the intensive and extensive landscape of Slovakia
Diverzita, krajinné prvky a optimalizácia poľnohospodárskych blokov intenzívnej a extenzívnej krajiny Slovenska
| Duration: |
1.1.2025 - 31.12.2028 |
| Program: |
VEGA |
| Project leader: |
Mgr. Bezák Peter PhD. |
| Annotation: | The Strategic Plan of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for Slovakia 2023-2027 better reflects the global environmental changes compared to the previous versions. Relevant measures are aimed mainly at protecting and improving biodiversity, mitigation and adaptation to climate change. This means, for example, reducing large monoculture plots, increasing the non-productive area, etc., and this can directly enhance biodiversity and the provision of ecosystem services. But how the size, structure and management of agricultural blocks affect biodiversity and ecosystem services? Regular monitoring and scientific knowledge about these interactions so far are insufficient in Slovakia. A scientific comparison of unchanged blocks and blocks impacted by ecological interventions can help reveal the links between landscape diversity and correlated management. Subsequently, it can contribute to design of regular landscape-ecological monitoring and to more precise setting of sustainable farming interventions. |
Evaluating Biodiversity and Landscape Diversity Dynamics in Non-Forest Ecosystems of the Western Carpathians
Hodnotenie dynamiky biodiverzity a krajinnej diverzity nelesných ekosystémov pohorí Západných Karpát
| Duration: |
1.1.2025 - 31.12.2028 |
| Program: |
VEGA |
| Project leader: |
Mgr. Palaj Andrej PhD. |
| Annotation: | Biodiversity and landscape structure of the Western Carpathians have undergone significant changes over the
last few decades. Currently, biotic landscape components are primarily influenced by changes in temperature and
precipitation regimes and changes in land-use, which have a widespread impact on the landscape. In relation to
the vegetation, changes are associated with the loss of species richness and changes in landscape configuration.
The project focuses on evaluating the dynamics of non-forest phytocenoses, resulting from natural and
anthropogenically conditioned factors. An additional part of the project is the study of selected groups of
invertebrates, which are ideal bioindicators of processes and changes in the landscape. A significant part of the
project is also focused on the analysis of the current state and change of the landscape structure. Since the issue
is region-specific, study areas along an altitudinal gradient with various histories of use and natural conditions are
selected. |
Classification of landscape archetypes in Slovakia in the context of socio-economic changes and current climate development
Klasifikácia archetypov krajiny Slovenska v kontexte socio-ekonomických zmien a súčasného vývoja klímy
| Duration: |
1.1.2025 - 31.12.2028 |
| Program: |
VEGA |
| Project leader: |
Mgr. Piscová Veronika PhD. |
| Annotation: | Landscape archetypes represent territories reflecting the interaction of man and landscape features with an
emphasis on respecting natural laws and processes. The basic criteria for defining a territory as an archetype are
physiognomic features in the form of specific locational conditions, spatial arrangement of landscape elements
and patterns in the landscape structure. The significance of the archetypes defined in this way is that they are
quasi-model territories serving as reference sites for modelling and planning ecologically optimal land use in
various landscape types. Archetypes can be model locations with high efficiency in protecting natural resources,
mitigating the effects of surface runoff, eliminating slope gravity processes, also increasing water retention in the
landscape. Some aspects of these research were presented and accepted in the international context: Hreško,
Kanásová, Petrovič (2010), Hreško, Petrovič, Mišovičová (2015) and Atlas of landscape archetypes (Hreško,
Peluš et al. 2015). |
MORIDEK - Modelling long term impacts of plant invasions on danubian ecosystems
MORIDEK - Modelovanie vplyvov rastlinných invázií na dunajské ekosystémy
| Duration: |
1.6.2024 - 31.5.2026 |
| Program: |
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| Project leader: |
RNDr. Halada Ľuboš CSc. |
| Annotation: | The activities of the proposed MORIDEK project complement the interdisciplinary nature of the original Horizon Europe project Restore4Life, which represents an innovation action addressing the socially significant issue of wetland restoration. Our proposed MORIDEK project contributes primarily to the scientific and research component of this innovation activity, which is necessary for demonstrating the importance of wetland restoration based on solid and reliable scientific foundations. Specifically, it focuses on assessing the impact of a particular threat to the Danube's alluvial wetlands, which is posed by plant species invasions. Invasive plants represent a significant threat to many of the Danube's alluvial wetlands, which are important and valuable ecological zones in Europe, but also act as catalysts for the spread of these invasive species. These invasive plant species can significantly disrupt ecosystem balance, threatening native species and the overall functionality of wetlands. The project will employ innovative approaches to assess the impacts of plant invasions using a combination of Earth observation (EO) and ecosystem process modeling (EM), aiming to contribute to the understanding of potential impacts of plant invasions on wetlands, particularly in terms of carbon and nutrient flows. |
Multi-criteria approach of sustainable multifunctional use of highly vulnerable area determination
Multikriteriálny prístup stanovenia udržateľného polyfunkčného využívania vysoko zraniteľných oblastí
| Duration: |
1.1.2024 - 31.12.2026 |
| Program: |
VEGA |
| Project leader: |
RNDr. Barančoková Mária PhD. |
| Annotation: | The principles of sustainable soil use are based on respecting the limiting factors, their rational use. Adhering to these principles of farming in highly vulnerable areas, such as WPZ (water protection zone) Žitný ostrov, is especially important. The aim of the project is to determine landscape-ecological potential, assign zones of optimal multifunctional use – protection and revitalisation of land and its elements, sustainable economic use and non-agricultural land use, cultural and social development of the countryside. As farming companies employing conventional methods of farming are the most significant large-scale polluters, we would like to approach the farming subjects in the given area with a questionnaire survey and find out their way of farming, benefits, disadvantages, current legislative restrictions, recommendations, etc. The assessment will be the gauging of the suitability of land use, processing of the results, and their implementation into regional antennas of the National Rural Network of the Slovak Republic, and other strategic documents.
One of the aims of the project is to determine the landscape-ecological potential, differentiate the zones of optimal multifunctional use – protection and revitalisation of landscape and its elements, sustainable economic use and non-agricultural land use, cultural and social development of the countryside.
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Abandonment of agricultural land with different historical uses in selected regions of Slovakia and its impact on the development of soil properties and vegetation
Opustenie poľnohospodárskej pôdy s rôznym historickým využívaním vo vybraných regíónoch Slovenska a jeho dopady na vývoj pôdnych vlastností a vegetácie
| Duration: |
1.1.2025 - 31.12.2028 |
| Program: |
VEGA |
| Project leader: |
Mgr. Kollár Jozef PhD. |
| Annotation: | Abandonment of agricultural land is a global, dynamic and multidimensional problem. To study this phenomenon, the project focuses on 1) changes in selected soil properties and processes, and 2) processes of secondary regressive succession (vegetation development) on abandoned agricultural land. To capture different natural conditions and historical use, attention is focused on selected model areas. In the soil part, the changes and development of basic as well as some special soil characteristics will be studied with an emphasis on hydropedological properties, the vegetation part is focused on the processes and mechanisms of secondary succession. Such landscapes have a considerable area in Slovakia confirming the topicality and relevance of the study of the issue. Due to the nature of the project, the research team includes the staff of ILE SAS and the Department of Soil Sciences, Comenius University. The publication activity shows that they have been devoted to the topic for a long time. |
Development and strengthening of long-term ecological research of selected types of ecosystems.
Rozvoj a posilnenie dlhodobého ekologického výskumu vybraných typov ekosystémov
| Duration: |
1.1.2025 - 31.12.2028 |
| Program: |
VEGA |
| Project leader: |
RNDr. Gajdoš Peter CSc. |
| Annotation: | The project is aimed at the development of long-term ecological research of selected ecosystems in Slovakia as a
contribution to building the national part of the distributed European research infrastructure eLTER (eLTER RI).
eLTER RI formulated the principles of a holistic, systemic approach to the study of ecosystems through a set of
so-called standard observations. The main goal of the project is to achieve a comprehensive study of selected
ecosystems by supplementing standard observations, improving instrumentation and introducing new research
methods. These improvements will enable us to better, more comprehensively address the eLTER challenges of
biodiversity, climate change, eutrophication and chemical pollution. We will pay increased attention to the data
management compatible with eLTER standards and data accessibility for use. Part of the project is the
continuation of the long-term study of air pollution in Slovakia using bryophytes with a focus on forest and
selected non-forest ecosystems. |
Advancement of Digital Agriculture through Remote Sensing and Machine Learning
Rozvoj digitálneho poľnohospodárstva prostredníctvom dištančného snímkovania a strojového učenia
| Duration: |
1.1.2025 - 30.6.2026 |
| Program: |
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| Project leader: |
Mgr. Halabuk Andrej PhD. |
| Annotation: | The project focuses on developing an innovative hybrid methodological framework for remote sensing in agriculture, integrating physical Radiative Transfer Models (RTM) with advanced deep learning algorithms. It aims to create scalable models for early crop condition monitoring, advanced phenotyping, and precision agriculture systems, utilizing unique aerial and ground-based imagery datasets. |
Let's bring flowers back to the meadows – changes and ecological restoration of the diversity of rare meadow habitats of European importance
Vráťme kvety na lúky – zmeny a ekologická obnova diverzity vzácnych lúčnych biotopov európskeho významu
| Duration: |
1.1.2025 - 31.12.2028 |
| Program: |
VEGA |
| Project leader: |
Ing. Špulerová Jana PhD. |
| Annotation: | Grassland habitats in Europe are under threat from inappropriate agricultural practices, urbanisation, and landscape fragmentation. The European Commission has proposed a law on habitat restoration to preserve and enhance ecosystem biodiversity. This is a key element of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030, which calls for binding targets for the restoration of degraded ecosystems. The results of regular monitoring of habitats of European importance have confirmed that several of them are in poor condition in Slovakia. The aim of the project is to evaluate changes in rare and endangered non-forest habitats over the last three decades using phytocenological records and to propose appropriate restoration management practices based on controlled experiments. We will test measures aimed at increasing species diversity in large-scale and unmanaged stands. The knowledge gained will help in conservation and agricultural practice in fulfilling the obligations related to habitat restoration arising from EU legislation. |
Allotment gardens as a means of collective socio-ecological memory and an alternative to urban development frameworks of the "Slow City"
Záhradkárske osady ako prostriedok kolektívnej sociálno-ekologickej pamäte a alternatíva mestských rozvojových rámcov pomalého mesta „Slow city“
| Duration: |
1.1.2025 - 31.12.2028 |
| Program: |
VEGA |
| Project leader: |
Mgr. Babicová Daniela PhD. |
| Annotation: | In Europe and around the world, the issue of urban agriculture and allotment gardens (AG) has received a great deal of attention in the literature. In Slovakia, there is a lack of detailed and systematic research on ZOs in terms of their history, legislation, sociology and changes in the structure of AGs. There is also a gap in the assessment of AGs in terms of the fulfilment of their ecosystem services. The aim of the present project is to evaluate the ecosystem services of AG on the basis of an analysis of landscape diversity, abiotic, biotic and socio-economic factors and research on the way and intensity of human use of AG. |
The total number of projects: 12
