Ljubljansko Barje Research Articles

The expansion of Ljubljana onto the Ljubljansko barje moor

Ljubljana began its southward expansion south relatively late because the characteristics of the Ljubljansko Barje moor had a hindering effect on the expanding process of the city. However, with the gradual development of industry and commerce and the growing number of immigrants, the process of urbanization gradually started to spread into this area. The beginnings of the expansion began in the 1960's and intensified from the 1970's on. Along with organized construction, unregulated illegal construction was very widespread and settled numerous areas that were later rounded out and individual parts of pre-viously still unurbanized areas. Supervision over these construction sites was poor and allowed uncontrolled settling, which in places dictated the directions of further urban development. Due to its proximity of the center of the city, the area considered in this study became increasingly impor-tant. The number of activities increased greatly, shopping centers and the infrastructure network developed, and the comprehensive solution of communal network is still in the process of formation. Although this study covers only a part of the entire city, numerous smaller areas within it developed that have their individual characteristics and differ greatly, which is reflected in the pattern of settling, the devel-opment of the areas, and the structure of the population. For this reason, the area studied is extremely heterogeneous and, as such, a challenge for further research.

Springs on Ljubljana polje and Barje area, significant for quantity and quality condition of the groundwater body (Slovenia)

The intergranular aquifer of Ljubljana Field and the aquifer system of Ljubljana Moor are the most important sources of drinking water for Ljubljana. The springs that appear on the area of both groundwater bodies reflect the groundwater status, quantity and quality. The spring water in the Ljubljana Field appears on vowel change of the gravel terrace. We follow them in the lower part of Ljubljana Field aquifer from Fužine to confluence of rivers Sava and Ljubljanica. The spring water directly indicates the condition of groundwater level and the quality. On the Ljubljana Barje there are important springs on the Southern edge. These springs are crucial observation point for the quality and quantity status monitoring of the inflow fro main recharge area of Ljubljana Moor aquifers that are exploited for the water supply system By the detailed analysis of older sporadic measurements of springs in Ljubljana Polje and Ljubljansko barje we were able to assess the changes in theirs trends of quantity and to design the monitoring network of springs that would acquire adequate data for the actual and future assessment of quantity an quality of these groundwater bodies in the frame of all other available and representative observation points.

Isotopic investigations of the Ljubljansko barje water resources

Results of the study show that a combination of isotopic and hydrochemichal methods can be used to obtain new hydrogeological data about the properties of waters in individual aquifers of the Ljubljansko barje. An unambiguous distinction was made between waters flowing into the aquifer from the Krim mountains and waters originating in the Gradaščica. It was also possible to identify waters deriving from the karst basin of the Ljubljanica river. The mean altitude of individual waters’ recharge areas was estimated on the basis of isotopic analyses. The combination with Chemical analyses was used to assess the approximate share of carbonate rocks in the aquifer’s recharge area and determine its lithological composition. On the basis of annual changes in the amplitude of the isotope signal, also the recharge dynamics of aquifers and the age of observed ground and surface waters were estimated.

The Impact of Ljubljana’s Waste Deposit »Barje« on Groundwater

Ljubljana’s waste deposit is situated on rather thick formation of quaternary sediments on the northern margin of Ljubljansko Barje (Ljubljana Moor). The upper part of quaternary sediments consists of high compressive silty and clayey layers till the depth of aprox. 33 m. These layers are very heterogeneous and one can only find one continuous clayey gravel layer among them at the depth of 8 m and 4 m thick. Below these layers there is the Upper gravel aquifer and from the depth of 72 m there is the Lower gravel aquifer. The bottom of quaternary sediments is aprox. at 140 m depth. The consolidation of highly compressive upper layers and organic compounds from landfill leachate produce the evident impact by reducing conditions in the geological layers below the waste deposit. Though we can detect the reducing conditions also from natural environment in confined layers and rich organic matter content and also from other sources of contamination in the highly urbanized environment. The geometry of the contamination plume was not investigated in detail and also not the redox process dynamics. The advection velocities and actual contamination of groundwater are rather low. Further protection measurements will be designed by the aid of the established monitoring results.

In Memoriam Professor Tatjana Bregant (1932–2002)

Many of you knew and worked with the respected Professor Tatjana Bregant years before me. You were her colleagues and co-workers in the research at Ljubljansko barje and Celje Castle, and in Lupljanica and Obre in Bosnia. You saw and knew the aspirations she had, and the energy she put into establishing the chair of “Neolithic Archaeology” and the study and research programmes at the Department of Archaeology and the Science Institute of Filozofska Fakulteta in Ljubljana.

Archaeobotanical evidence for early agriculture at Ljubjansko barje (Ljubljana Moor), central Slovenia

Archaeobotanical evidence is presented for early agriculture at southwestern Ljubljansko barje (Ljubljana Moor), Slovenia. Archaeobotanical finds from the Eneolithic site at Hocevarica, and pollen records from an archaeological profile and from a nearby core were analysed. Numerous charred grains of cultivated cereals together with fossil seeds of Chenopodium sp. demonstrate that during the occupation of the settlement at Hocevarica, agriculture was well established. The majority of identified grains were of Hordeum vulgare (cultivated barley) and the rest were Triticum monococcum and T. turgidum ssp. dicoccum (cultivated wheats). Large amounts of cereal pollen and pollen of Chenopodiaceae also suggest strong human impact on the surrounding vegetation and landscape. Pollen and archaeobotanical data from Hocevarica show a large consistency in timing of the appearance of agriculture. In the pollen record from the core at Hocevarica a significant increase (up to 40%) in cereal pollen was detected at 4881 ± 50 B.P. (3770-3630 cal B.C.). Charred cereal grains were dated to 4800 ± 40 B.P. (3650-3520 cal B.C.). The grains of cultivated cereals from Hocevarica represent the oldest archaeobotanical evidence for agriculture in central Slovenia.