Alpine pastures are part of the traditional agricultural use of land in the Alpine region but they are becoming overgrown due to the reduced number of livestock on farms. Digital ortophotos from the years 1995 and 2006 with a 0,5m pixel resolution were analysed by feature extraction with Feature Analyst, a GIS programme. Pastures were distinguished from other surfaces on the basis of the various types of spectral reflectance of different types of land use. By comparing land use maps for the analyzed period the dynamics of pasture overgrowth and other spatial processes in Belska planina and Reber were established. The findings show that changes at the level of the smallest surfaces, i.e. individual shrubs larger than 4 m2, can be reliably identified with the methodology used without long-term visual land use delineation. The processes of overgrowth over a period of 11 years were observed and, on the other hand, the clearing of shrub and arboreal vegetation performed by alpine farmers was identified. In Belska planina, located at an altitude of 1500-1900m, where dwarf pine stands are the prevailing overgrown type, 11,81 ha of overgrown and 5,99 ha of cleared surfaces were observed on 60,26 ha of pastures in 1995 for an 11-year period. In Reber, located at an altitude of 750-950 m, where thermophilic species of shrub and spruce are the prevailing overgrown type, 18,88 ha of overgrown and 1,52 ha of cleared surfaces were observed on 18.88 ha of pastures.
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