A comprehensive examination of the hedgerows within the master's thesis was made through an evaluation of their importance for nature conservation, agriculture and the cultural landscape. Special attention was paid to the three selected areas (Ljubljana Marshes, Vipava Valley, Študa Field), where hedgerows were mapped and classified into the new typology. Based on the typology, nature conservation functions were evaluated. As part of the evaluation of the importance of hedgerows for agriculture, interviews were conducted with farmers, agricultural advisors and other relevant stakeholders in the selected areas and at the national level. The opinion of the population was obtained through surveys.
The results point to the different understanding of the diverse role of hedgerows in the Slovenian cultural landscape. Since various changes in the environment in Slovenia pose a danger for hedgerows, the positive attitude of farmers and the rest of the population is important for their conservation. In Slovenia, the Conservation of Hedgerows operation, which is a part of the agri-environment-climate commitments under the Rural Development Program of the Republic of Slovenia (2014-2020), has contributed to increased awareness of hedgerows. The operation focuses on seven areas and it would make sense to extend it to the entire country, which requires accurate records of hedgerows across Slovenia. For this purpose we checked the suitability of the orthophoto and LIDAR images for a quality capture of hedgerows in this Master’s thesis.
|