VITÁLIŠOVÁ, K., VAVRÚŠOVÁ, M., PISCOVÁ, V. 2023. Possibilities of ecotourism development in the biosphere reserve Poľana In: Global social and technoligical development and sustainability : EUMMAS A2S conference. – 1. vyd. – Banja Luka : EUMMAS, 2023. – ISBN 978-9948-787-15-0. – Pp. 8-20.
Biosphere reserves are internationally recognized as model areas for the practical application of interdisciplinary knowledge to understand and maintain the relationship between man and nature and to coordinate change, including conflict prevention and biodiversity protection Their role is event strengthened by the Agenda 2030, which declares the importance of the relationship between man and nature, including biodiversity protection. They are also a unique selling point because of their special value declared by the title world natural heritage of UNESCO. Although the biosphere reserves include also the protected areas, the greater part of it is suitable for environmentally friendly activities. To the recommended ones belong the activities within ecotourism and rural tourism. These concepts in tourism development provide an opportunity to balance the number of tourists visiting the country, preservation of nature and the well-being of the local population. At the same time, it is based on the participatory governance of all relevant actors, mainly local community, tourists, entrepreneurs, pubic administration bodies to look for the optimal way of protection and sustainable tourism development for the next generations. The aim of the paper is to identify the possibilities for the development of ecotourism in the Poľana biosphere reserve in the Slovak Republic based on the deep analysis of the territory and good practices of the foreign biosphere reserves. We suppose that the development of ecotourism can contribute not only to solving the socio-economic problems of the territory, but also to the transition of the regional economy to the path of sustainable development. It is based on the exploitation of all resources with target to balance the socio-economic activities satisfying the needs of stakeholders and uniqueness of the nature and its biodiversity, as well as cultural specifics of the territory. The paper presents partial results of the project APVV-20-0108 Implementation of Agenda 2030 through biosphere reserves in the Slovak Republic.
Vitálišová, K., Vavrúšová, M., Špulerová J. 2024. Key for sustainable development strategy of the Poľana biosphere reserve In: Global business transformation in a turbulent era: 17th annual conference of the EuroMed Academy of Business. – 1. vyd. – Zürich : EuroMed press, 2024. – ISBN 978-9925-628-01-8. – ISSN 2547-8516. – Pp. 998-1012.
Current global challenges highlight the need for smart use of limited resources and sustainable development of territories. Biosphere reserves as model territories represent an environment where biodiversity conservation with sustainable development is essential. These territories, based on the harmony of man and nature, should be smart managed through strategic spatial planning in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. The aim of the paper is to evaluate the current approach to the strategic planning of the biosphere reserves and on the example of the Poľana Biosphere Reserve to develop the key recommendations for its sustainable development strategy. The case study of Poľana Biosphere Reserve includes the SWOT analysis of the partial territorial potentials, which is supplemented by the assessment of the quality of life on its territory by its inhabitants through a questionnaire. The discussion and conclusion present a TOWS synthesis of the results of the analyses, based on which, together with examples of good practice, are formulated the key recommendations for the development strategy of the Poľana Biosphere Reserve.
Sýkorová, K., Vaňová. A. 2024. Opportunities for development of slow tourism in Poľana biosphere reserve. Global Business Transformation in a Turbulent Era September 11th-13th, 2024. Book of abstracts.
Biosphere reserves are a specific type of protected area found around the world. Unlike other protected areas, they allow for socio-economic activities to take place within their valuable and unique natural conditions. The philosophy of UNESCO states that biosphere reserves are places for sustainable development. This paper focuses on the slow development (slow city) in the Poľana biosphere reserve in the Slovak Republic as a suitable approach to strengthen its development while protecting the unique environment.
This paper aims to identify opportunities for the development of slow tourism in the Poľana biosphere reserve in the Slovak Republic through analysis of the territory, relevant sources, statistical data, and practices of foreign biosphere reserves. We believe that the gradual progress through slow tourism can help address not only the socio-economic issues of the area, but also facilitate the transition of the regional economy towards sustainable and resilient development. The primary research has identified that the Poľana biosphere reserve has a rich potential for the development of slow tourism. The region provides a wide range of exceptional products and experiences, but it requires assistance not only from local and regional stakeholders such as government officials, entrepreneurs, and citizens, but also from the central government. The paper presents partial results of the project APVV-20-0108 Implementation of Agenda 2030 through biosphere reserves in the Slovak Republic and VEGA 1/0343/23 Modern approaches to the development of cities and regions.
Vavrúšová, M., Vitálišová, K. 2024. Participatory governance model in the Poľana Biosphere Reserve : Slovenská politologická revue = Slovak Journal of Political Sciences. – Trnava : Univerzita sv. Cyrila a Metoda, 2024. – ISSN 1338-3140. – Vol. 24, no. 2 (2024), pp. 122-150. https://doi.org/10.34135/sjps.240201
The systematic development of civic engagement and partnership with stakeholders within the biosphere reserve is a key to support the sustainability and resilience of the territory and development of its potential. The aim of the paper is to identify the authorities of the Poľana Biosphere Reserve and its relations with stakeholders, developed based on the concept of participatory governance and results of empirical research. The theoretical part of the paper explains the concepts of biosphere reserve and participatory governance. The practical part is focused on the analysis of the current state of the governance of the Poľana Biosphere Reserve and their legislative anchoring and functioning. The paper presents the results of surveys conducted with residents and selected stakeholders in the territory. The conclusion identifies opportunities to develop and strengthen community and stakeholder engagement within the Poľana Biosphere Reserve and propose a model of its governance.
IZAKOVIČOVÁ, Zita – MELICHER, Jakub – ŠPULEROVÁ, Jana – DOBROVODSKÁ, Marta – PISCOVÁ, Veronika. Landscape-ecological problems resulting from spatial conflicts of interest in the Poľana Biosphere Reserve [Krajinnoekologické problémy vyplývajúce zo stretov záujmov v BR Poľana]. In Land, 2025, vol. 14, iss. 2, article no. 402, ISSN 2073-445X. Dostupné na: https://doi.org/10.3390/land14020402
This paper is focused on presenting a methodological procedure for assessing landscape–ecological problems resulting from conflicts of interest and its application in the Poľana Biosphere Reserve. The approach is grounded in the concept of the landscape as a geosystem. It examines natural and socio-economic phenomena, classifying them as either threatened or threatening. By intersecting these phenomena, spatial delineation of the conflicts of interest has been achieved. Within the Poľana Biosphere Reserve, three groups of problems resulting from spatial conflicts of interest were identified: threats to biodiversity and ecological stability; threats to natural resources; and threats to the environment of human society. A total of 121 specific threats were identified in the area. This approach is applicable to other biosphere reserves for identifying areas with conflicts of interest as the identification of spatial conflicts is crucial for the effective and targeted design of measures aimed at their mitigation or elimination, aligning with the overarching objective of biosphere reserves—sustainable development. An indispensable condition is to bridge the sectoral approach in landscape management and ensure effective communication and cooperation between individual stakeholder groups in the territory.
ŠVOŇAVOVÁ, Katarína – FALŤAN, Vladimír – PISCOVÁ, Veronika – ŠAGÁT, Vladimír – PETROVIČ, František. A detailed assessment of the land cover development in a territory with dispersed settlement area (case study Hriňová – Snohy, Slovakia) [Detailné hodnotenie vývoja krajinnej pokrývky v území s rozptýleným osídlením (prípadová štúdia Hriňová – Snohy, Slovensko)]. In Nature Conservation-Bulgaria, 2024, vol. 55, p. 41-65. (2023: 2.1 – IF, Q2 – JCR, 0.501 – SJR, Q2 – SJR). ISSN 1314-6947. Dostupné na: https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.55.111246.
This study focuses on the development of the landscape during a period of significant social changes in Central Europe from the middle of the 20th century, and evaluates the impact of the selected natural factors on landscape dynamics in the Snohy dispersed settlement area (cadaster of Hriňová, Slovakia). During the periods of feudalism and the democratic Czechoslovak Republic after 1918, private ownership of land prevailed on the territory of Slovakia. After 1948, in the period of the socialist establishment, the municipality was one of the few localities without collectivisation. We focused on the state and changes to the landscape structure based on remote sensing data analysis (1949, 2003, and 2018), as well as field research and archive photographs inspection. The study area is a part of the proposed Special Area of Conservation SKUEV4026 Meadows of Poľana and is situated near the border between the transition and buffer zones of the Poľana Biosphere Reserve. The state of land cover and its changes have been evaluated using a CORINE Land Cover modification at the 5th level. Results showed that the influence of the slope on agricultural extensification, deforestation, and afforestation, was the most pronounced. Since 1949, more than half of the land cover has changed across the study area. The most extensive changes were recorded in the spatial structure and composition of forest communities.