THE ABANDONMENT OF THE GRASSLANDS IN THE MOUNTAIN AREA OF TIMIŞ COUNTY. CASE STUDY: ATU PIETROASA

Abstract

In the context of a dynamic environment, affected by various natural and / or anthropogenic factors and processes, monitoring and evaluation of grassland areas are essential. The purpose of this study is to capture the changes in time and space, in the surface of some meadows in the mountainous area of Timiş County, against the background of poor management and negative demographic indicators. The researches were carried out in the period 2006 - 2013 - 2018, on high spatial resolution aerial images (orthophotos) which allowed highlighting the details in accordance with the reality on the ground. Geospatial data were processed in the GIS environment, according to the specific methodology (vectorization, complex spatial analysis, change analysis). In all the analyzed cases, the useful surface of the meadows was considerably reduced, mainly as a result of the invasion of the forest vegetation. The changes produced in the structure and the surface occupied by the meadows at the level of the study area, are mostly related to the human factor through the depopulation phenomenon, specific to the western area of Romania and especially to the mountainous areas, defined on the one hand by the balance. natural demographic negative, and on the other hand by large migratory phenomena.