Impact of the agri-geographical transformation of rural settlements on the geospatial dynamics of soil erosion intensity in municipalities of Central Serbia
The aim of study is to analyze the agri-geographical transformation of rural settlements on changes in the intensity of soil erosion and the geospatial differentiation of soil erosion intensity according to the specificities of rural settlements. The study area included 349 rural settlements in 14 m...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
De Gruyter
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Open Geosciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1515/geo-2025-0857 |
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| Summary: | The aim of study is to analyze the agri-geographical transformation of rural settlements on changes in the intensity of soil erosion and the geospatial differentiation of soil erosion intensity according to the specificities of rural settlements. The study area included 349 rural settlements in 14 municipalities of Central Serbia. The shift-share analysis method was applied to identify four types of rural settlements: progressive, stagnant, regressive, and dominantly regressive types. An erosion potential model was used to estimate the soil erosion in 1971 and 2011. Cluster analysis (CA) was used to differentiate rural areas of municipalities based on selected indicators. The highest rates of soil erosion intensity reduction were found in the regressive and dominantly regressive types (average specific gross erosion 1971: Ws1 = 980 m3/km2/year; 2011: Ws2 = 587 m3/km2/year). The lowest reduction in erosion intensity was observed in the progressive and stagnant types (average specific gross erosion in 1971: Ws1 = 1,214 m3/km2/year; 2011: Ws2 = 936 m3/km2/year). The spatial differentiation of municipalities through CA revealed a clear pattern: the risk of soil erosion decreases along a north-south gradient. Also, the results of CA showed that natural conditions (forest cover, mean altitude, sediments of Neogene) are the most significant in the differentiation of the rural space of Central Serbia. The multidisciplinary approach used in this study enables a holistic understanding of erosion processes, supports the identification of spatial patterns, and facilitates the formulation of targeted and region-specific land management strategies. |
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| ISSN: | 2391-5447 |