Recent land cover and use in Romania: A conservation perspective

Abstract

The study of land cover and use changes is important for sustainability, given that they are part of the global changes affecting our environment. In order to understand the mechanisms determining them, land cover and use changes must be studied based on their associated transitional dynamics. The present research aims to look at the most recent land cover and use changes from Romania, chosen as an example for post-socialists transitions. The methodology was based on applying geo-spatial analyses to data on land cover and use changes and natural protected areas. The results indicate that the most prominent transitional dynamics are deforestations and abandonment of cropland, rooted in the post-socialist property restitution. Furthermore, the study identified transitional dynamics indicating the human pressure within the natural protected areas, including urbanization, development of agriculture, and deforestation. Although subject to limitations bound to the use of CORINE data, the findings are important for understanding the environmental impact of socio-economic drivers, and provide additional evidence for the fact that emerging economies tend to sacrifice the environment during the economic crises.