Traditional agricultural landscapes in Slovakia: why should we preserve them?

Abstract

Faced with the disappearance and ongoing abandonment of traditional agricultural landscapes (TAL) in Europe, our primary aim is to provide scientific evidence of the importance of TAL in terms of biodiversity, cultural and social values, and to stimulate action for their preservation in the Slovakian context. Surveys at both the national and local levels have acknowledged that TAL are generally associated with a relatively high species richness of plants and animals, including the presence of rare and threatened species. They have a high cultural-historical value due to the preserved small-scale structure and the presence of typical agrarian landforms and small architectural elements. A questionnaire survey showed that a major constraint for local inhabitants in maintaining TAL arises from insufficient governmental support. We argue that governmental financial instruments should recognise the concept of TAL in the context of measures concerning High Nature Value farmland.