The traditional agricultural landscape (TAL) in Slovakia comprises mosaics of small-scale arable fields and permanent agricultural cultivations with balks (mounds, heaps, or terraces). Traditional farming management has been significantly influenced by agricultural collectivization, by the change from centrally planned to market economy after 1989, and the 2004 Slovakia accession to the EU. Detailed results of a questionnaire survey inspired the main objective of this paper; analysis and comparison of local residents’ attitudes to the TAL, its management and the various socioecological factors in three different TAL study areas. Identified differences and commonalities between the opinions of different groups of respondents on TAL management contribute to fine-tuning recent agricultural and rural policies and local management plans. Rural identity expressed in the knowledge and perception of local land users is crucial in TAL maintenance and sustainable rural development.

Traditional agricultural landscapes (TALs) in Slovakia are mosaics of small-scale arable fields and permanent agricultural cultivations resulting from continuous succession over centuries. The objective in this paper is to develop a strategy for the protection and management of TAL in the Liptovská Teplička cadastral area, which has mountainous arable land and grassland TALs. Driving forces, threats and other trends related to these TALs were identified, based on the valuation of land-use changes, socioeconomic and demographic phenomena and on biodiversity and sociological research. The strategy was oriented towards optimal multi-functional utilization and management of the investigated landscapes

This study investigates the distribution of terraced landscapes in Slovakia and analyzes their structural characteristics and land use. We found that traditional farming and terrace building as a part of agricultural intensification resulted in two types of terraced landscapes: historical terraced landscapes and new terraced landscapes. The two types differ in size, structure of various elements, their management intensity, and the impact of these spatial structures on biodiversity. Historical terraced landscapes in Slovakia have been partially preserved in vineyard regions, but they are mainly found in mountainous areas. New terraced landscapes are mainly linked to vineyard landscapes. The plant species composition on the mapped terraced landscapes shows a high diversity of habitats and terraces as agrarian relief forms create islands of species diversity in extensively managed agricultural landscapes.