Slovenia has a centuries-old tradition of managing common land, yet the state of agrarian communities at the national level remains poorly researched. This article highlights the historical development, current challenges, and status of agrarian communities in Northern and Central Upper Carniola in 2025. The analysis shows that 52 agrarian communities (48.1%) are active in the area, whereas for 56 communities (51.9%) it remains unclear whether they still operate. This draws attention to the scarcity of available data on the status of agrarian communities. Spatial analysis within Triglav National Park reveals that common land accounts for 23% of the park’s area, 23% of the Natura 2000 sites within the park, 25% of quiet zones, and 32% of the park’s protective forests, and it includes a significant proportion of valuable natural features and nature reserves. The management of common land plays an important role in preserving biodiversity and the Alpine cultural landscape. This should be taken into account when developing appropriate financial mechanisms and compensation schemes to ensure fairer management of the benefits that agrarian communities provide to the wider society through common land. Deset let po novem Zakonu o agrarnih skupnostih – stanje agrarnih skupnosti na Gorenjskem Slovenija ima večstoletno tradicijo upravljanja s skupnimi zemljišči, vendar je stanje agrarnih skupnosti na nacionalni ravni slabo raziskano. Prispevek osvetljuje zgodovinski razvoj, sodobne izzive in stanje agrarnih skupnosti na Zgornji in Osrednji Gorenjski leta 2025. Analiza kaže, da tam deluje 52 agrarnih skupnosti (48,1 %), medtem ko za 56 skupnosti (51,9 %) ni znano, ali in če še delujejo v praksi. Ugotovitev opozarja na omejenost razpoložljivih podatkov o dejanskem stanju agrarnih skupnosti. Prostorska analiza v Triglavskem narodnem parku kaže, da skupna zemljišča obsegajo 23 % celotnega parkovnega območja, 23% območij Natura 2000 znotraj parka, 25% mirnih območij in 32% varovalnih gozdov v parku ter vključujejo znaten delež naravnih vrednot in rezervatov. Upravljanje teh zemljišč pomembno prispeva k ohranjanju biodiverzitete in alpske kulturne pokrajine, kar bo treba upoštevati pri oblikovanju ustreznih finančnih mehanizmov in nadomestil za pravičnejše upravljanje koristi, ki jih agrarne skupnosti prek skupnih zemljišč prispevajo širši družbi.

Good surface water quality is one of the most important goals of sustainable water management, along with sufficient quantity. This paper presents an analysis of water quality in the Medija, Trboveljščica and Boben watercourses in Zasavje (central Slovenia), which are not included in regular water quality monitoring. Water quality was assessed on the basis of own field and laboratory analysis of selected physico-chemical parameters. In the period 2020-2021, 9 cyclical samplings were carried out at 16 locations at different times of the year. It was found that the rivers Trboveljščica and Boben are significantly polluted, while the river Medija is in a much better condition. In the headwaters, water pollution is relatively low and mainly due to agricultural activities, which is also reflected in better water quality. In the lower reaches, the Boben and Trboveljščica rivers in particular are subject to significant pollution from industry and households, which are also the main sources of pollution. Kakovost vode izbranih vodotokov v Zasavju Dobra kakovost površinskih voda je poleg njihovega ustreznega količinskega stanja eden ključnih ciljev trajnostnega upravljanja z vodami. V prispevku je predstavljena analiza kakovosti vode na zasavskih vodotokih Medija, Trboveljščica in Boben, ki niso vključeni v redni monitoring spremljanja kakovosti voda. Kakovost vode smo ocenjevali na podlagi lastnih terenskih in laboratorijskih analiz izbranih fizikalnokemijskih parametrov. V obdobju 2020–2021 smo v različnih letnih časih izvedli 9 cikličnih vzorčenj na 16 lokacijah. Izkazalo se je, da sta Trboveljščica in Boben onesnažena, medtem ko je Medija v bistveno boljšem stanju. V povirjih so obremenitve voda razmeroma majhne in večinoma pogojene s kmetijsko dejavnostjo, kar se odraža tudi na njihovem boljšem kakovostnem stanju. V spodnjem toku sta zlasti Boben in Trboveljščica izpostavljena znatnim pritiskom industrije in gospodinjstev, ki so tudi glavni razlogi za onesnaženost.

V članku predstavljamo podatke o meritvah dviganja morske gladine, od globalne ravni, prek Sredozemskega in Jadranskega morja do Tržaškega zaliva. Svetovno morje se je v 20. stoletju dvignilo za 0,2 m. V Sredozemskem morju je dviganje regionalno zelo različno, v Jadranskem morju se gladina dviga s hitrostjo približno 1,7mm/leto, v Egejskem morju pa kar 5mm/leto. V Tržaškem zalivu je dviganje gladine dokumentirano že od rimske dobe, v zadnjih desetletjih je povprečno 1,7mm/leto. Obravnavamo dejavnike, ki vplivajo na višino morske gladine, kot so dvig temperature in posledično raztezanje oceanov, taljenje ledu, tektonika in ciklični pojavi, kot je severnoatlantska oscilacija, zaradi katerih je stopnja dviga morske gladine regionalno različna. Poplave morja so v zadnjem času 1,5-krat pogostejše kot pred desetletji, zato bo za obalna mesta bolj kot prilagajanje na višjo morsko gladino pomembno prilagajanje na večjo pogostost visokih plim, nevihtnih valov in morskih poplav. Regional sea level rise: data, drivers and effects In this article we present data on measurements of sea level rise, from the global level across the Mediterranean and Adriatic Sea to the Gulf of Trieste. Global sea level has risen by 0.2 m in the 20th century. In the Mediterranean, the rise varies from region to region, with the Adriatic Sea rising at a rate of around 1.7mm/year and the Aegean even at 5mm/year. In the Gulf of Trieste, sea level rise has been documented since Roman times and has averaged 1.7mm/year in recent decades. We consider the factors that influence sea level rise, such as temperature rise, the resulting expansion of the ocean, ice melt, tectonics and cyclical phenomena such as the North Atlantic Oscillation, which cause the rate of sea level rise to vary regionally. Sea flooding has recently become 1.5 times more frequent than decades ago. Adapting to the increasing frequency of high tides, storm surges and flooding will therefore be more important for coastal cities than adapting to higher sea levels.

Prispevek se osredinja na uvajanje koncepta participativnega upravljanja zavarovanega območja na primeru Krajinskega parka Sečoveljske soline. Temelji na procesu oblikovanja prostovoljnega sporazuma oziroma memoranduma o ohranjanju mokrišča. S pomočjo raznovrstnih pristopov, smo preučili, vključili in spodbudili različne deležnike v prostoru, k prepoznavanju izzivov in rešitev na področjih naravovarstva, kmetijstva in turizma. Na delavnicah z deležniki smo oblikovali različne scenarije, ki so privedli do oblikovanja memoranduma o ohranjanju mokrišča. Tako smo med šestnajstimi ključnimi deležniki vzpostavili temeljno prostovoljno zavezo za trajnostno upravljanje območja Krajinskega parka Sečoveljske soline. Active involvement of stakeholders in the management of protected areas: the example of the wetlands of the Sečovlje Salina Nature Park This article focuses on introducing the concept of participatory management of protected areas using the example of the Sečovlje Salina Nature Park. It is based on the process of creating a voluntary agreement or memorandum to protect a wetland. Using a variety of approaches, we studied, engaged, and encouraged diverse stakeholders in the area to identify conservation, agricultural, and tourism challenges and solutions. Based on territorial workshops with stakeholders, various scenarios were developed, resulting in a wetland conservation memorandum of understanding. This established a core set of voluntary commitments among sixteen key stakeholders for sustainable management of the Sečovlje Salina Nature Park.

The paper examines two Austrian border areas with Slovenia – the Bad Radkersburg corner in the Austrian federal province of Styria and the southernmost part of the Austrian federal province of Burgenland. It is dedicated to the search for indigenous speakers of the organic idioms of the Slovenian language. The aim of the research is to record local speech that was not researched when collecting dialect material for the Slovenian Linguistic Atlas. The paper sheds light on some of the lesser-known geographical and historical reasons for the disappearance of Slovene in the area and highlights the difficulties in finding speakers and outlines the attitudes towards Slovene in the area. Iskanje avtohtonih govorcev slovenskega jezika v Avstriji: Radgonski kot in Gradiščanska Prispevek preučuje dve avstrijski obmejni območji s Slovenijo – Radgonski kot v avstrijski zvezni deželi Štajerski ter najjužnejši del avstrijske zvezne dežele Gradiščanske. Posveča se iskanju avtohtonih govorcev organskih idiomov slovenskega jezika. Cilj raziskave je zapisati krajevne govore, ki so bili med zbiranjem narečnega gradiva za Slovenski lingvistični atlas neraziskani. Prispevek osvetli nekatere manj znane geografske in zgodovinske razloge za izginjanje slovenščine na tem območju ter izpostavlja težave pri iskanju govorcev in oriše odnos do slovenščine na obravnavanem območju.

The article examines selected methodological challenges in research on second homes, putting into perspective the transnational, national and local levels, with the cases of the Alpine region, Slovenia and the Municipality of Kranjska Gora. The heterogeneity of residential patterns, the dynamic of housing development and the disparities in the terminology limit comparisons at international level. National data on second homes in Slovenia are put in focus of a critical evaluation, as they surprisingly show a decreasing trend in the last two decades, and were recently abolished as a statistical category. The article also discusses the differences of official databases of second homes in the Municipality of Kranjska Gora and addresses potential suggestions for improvement of their quality. Metodološki izzivi pri preučevanju sekundarnih počitniških bivališč: izkušnje iz alpske regije, Slovenije in Občine Kranjska Gora V članku smo preučili izbrane metodološke izzive pri preučevanju sekundarnih počitniških bivališč, pri čemer smo se na primerih alpskega prostora, Slovenije in Občine Kranjska Gora osredinili na problematiko z mednarodne, državne in lokalne ravni. Raznoterost bivalnih vzorcev, dinamika stanovanjskega razvoja in razlike v terminologiji omejujejo natančne primerjave pojava na mednarodni ravni. Kritično so ovrednoteni državni podatki o sekundarnih počitniških bivališčih v Sloveniji, saj v zadnjih dveh desetletjih presenetljivo izkazujejo trend zmanjševanja, pred kratkim pa so bili ukinjeni kot statistična kategorija. Članek obravnava tudi razlike med uradnima zbirkama podatkov o počitniških bivališčih na območju Občine Kranjska Gora in razpravlja o možnih predlogih za izboljšanje njihove kakovosti.

Kakovost tal lahko definiramo kot kontinuirano sposobnost tal za zagotavljanje ekosistemskih storitev (ES). Znanost o tleh prepoznava pet glavnih funkcij tal, ki zagotavljajo ES: (i) primarna produkcija, (ii) čiščenje in uravnavanje vode, (iii) skladiščenje ogljika in uravnavanje podnebja, (iv) biotska pestrost in zagotavljanje habitatov ter (v) zagotavljanje in kroženje hranil. ES ocenjujemo po naslednjih pristopih: (i) na podlagi kazalnikov, pri katerih ocene ES tal temeljijo na poenostavljenih približkih izbranih lastnosti tal; (ii) na empiričnih povezavah med lastnostmi tal in funkcijami tal (statični pristop) in (iii) na podlagi modeliranja talnih procesov v času (dinamični pristop). Število modelov in orodij za ocenjevanje ES tal narašča, vendar pa je vprašljivo, v kolikšni meri se ocene približajo realni porazdelitvi in zastopanosti posamezne ES v prostoru. Nujni so kakovostni vhodni podatki o tleh, izbor robustnih kazalnikov kakovosti tal za ocenjevanje ES in nadaljnji razvoj modelov ter orodij za ocenjevanje funkcij tal in ES v smeri zmanjševanja negotovosti. Slovenija šele postavlja koncept ES tal, zato je namen prispevka na osnovi pregleda literature osvetliti razvoj konceptov in pristopov njihovega ocenjevanja v mednarodnem prostoru. // From soil quality to soil ecosystem services Soil quality is defined as the continued capacity of soils to provide ecosystem services (ES). Soil science identifies five main soil functions that provide ES: (i) primary production, (ii) water purification and regulation, (iii) carbon sequestration and climate regulation, (iv) biodiversity and habitat provision, and (v) provisioning and nutrient cycling. Three categories of ES assessments can be distinguished: (i) indicator approaches that use simplified approximations based on key soil properties as indicators, (ii) static approaches that apply empirical relationships to link soil properties to soil functions, and (iii) dynamic approaches that apply biophysical methods to integrate soil, climate, and environmental factors to model soil processes over time. Many decision-support tools have emerged, but the extent to which estimates of ES approximate the actual distribution and representation of each ES in space is questionable. High-quality soil input data, selection of robust soil quality indicators for ES assessment, and further development of models and tools for assessing soil functions and ES to reduce uncertainty are essential. Slovenia is in the process of establishing the concept of soil ES. Therefore, based on a literature review, this paper aims to show the development of concepts and approaches for ES assessment at the international level.

Ecosystem services (ES) are the benefits people receive from ecosystems and a key tool for assessing the sustainability of natural resource use. Natural resource management requires consistent data on the state of ES; despite this, no such research has been carried out at the national level in Slovenia. The purpose of the article is to create an overview of past ES studies in Slovenia. The method of systematic mapping was used. We identified, compared, and described data on ES studies that have been published in Slovenia. The key findings are: 1) the number of ES studies in Slovenia is increasing, however the share of studies focused solely on ES has been decreasing since 2015; 2) the most represented field is forestry and the forest is the most commonly examined ecosystem; 3) the prevailing ES groups are regulating ES, while the most commonly explored individual ES are cultural ES, namely recreation and ecotourism, and 4) the most commonly implemented methodological approach is narrative analysis. Ekosistemske storitve (ES) so koristi, ki jih ljudje prejemajo od ekosistemov, in so eno ključnih orodij za presojo trajnosti rabe naravnih virov. Za upravljanje z naravnimi viri so nujni konsistentni podatki o stanju ES, a takšne raziskave na nacionalni ravni v Sloveniji še ni. Namen članka je pregledati pretekle raziskave ES v Sloveniji. Uporabili smo metodo sistematičnega kartiranja. Identificirali, primerjali in opisali smo podatke o objavljenih raziskavah o ES v Sloveniji. Ključne ugotovitve so: 1) število raziskav ES v Sloveniji raste, a se od 2015 zmanjšuje delež osredotočenih zgolj na ES; 2) najbolj zastopano področje je gozdarstvo, gozd pa največkrat preučevan ekosistem; 3) med skupinami ES prednjačijo uravnalne, najpogosteje obravnavana posamezna ES je kulturna ES, in sicer rekreacija in ekoturizem; 4) najpogosteje uporabljen metodološki pristop je narativna analiza.

Članek analizira vložke javnih sredstev v preventivo, raziskave ter pomoč in zavarovanja na področju naravnih nesreč v Sloveniji. Predstavlja javna sredstva za preventivo, odziv in obnovo. Vlaganja v sistem zaščite in reševanja ter sredstva za zmanjšanje posledic nesreč za obdobje med 1999 (2002) in 2019 smo analizirali po podatkih proračunov. Za obdobje 1997–2011 smo ocenili vlaganja v znanost. Analizirali smo strukturo javnih sredstev za pomoč po nesrečah ter neenotnost meril med občinami. Javna sredstva smo primerjali z vlaganji zasebnikov v zavarovanja ter škodnimi izgubami in BDP-jem. Temeljna ugotovitev so obratna sorazmerja med prostorskimi enotami, kar velja za vse velikostne ravni: manjši kot je deléžnik, relativno več finančno prispeva za preventivo pred naravnimi nesrečami. In this article we analyze the contribution of public funds for prevention, scientific research, financial aid for disaster events, and insurance in the field of natural disasters in Slovenia. It presents the public funds for prevention, response and recovery. We have analyzed the investments in the protection and rescue system and the budget for disaster mitigation for the period between 1999 (2002) and 2019. For the period 1997–2011, we estimated investments in science. We also analyzed the structure of public funds for disaster relief and the inconsistency of criteria and approaches in Slovenian municipalities. We compared public funds with private investments in insurance, with claimed losses and with GDP. The basic finding is that there is an inverse relationship between the investments of the mentioned spatial units: the smaller the actor, the greater its relative financial role in disaster management.

Acta geographica Slovenica je znanstvena revija za vsa področja geografije in sorodnih ved. Izdaja jo Geografski inštitut Antona Melika ZRC SAZU, zalaga Založba ZRC in sozalaga Slovenska akademija znanosti in umetnosti. Med letoma 1952 in 1976 je revija izhajala občasno, nato enkrat letno, od leta 2003 dvakrat letno, od leta 2019 pa izhaja trikrat letno. Od leta 1995 revija izhaja tudi na spletu. Od leta 1981 je revija vključena v Scopus, od leta 2003 pa v Web of Science. Je med najbolj citiranimi slovenskimi znanstvenimi revijami v tujini. Leta 2020 je izšel njen šestdeseti letnik in tej obletnici je posvečen ta prispevek. // Acta geographica Slovenica is a scientific journal for papers covering all fields of geography and related disciplines. It is issued by the ZRC SAZU Anton Melik Geographical Institute, published by Založba ZRC, and co-published by the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts. From 1952 to 1976, the journal was published periodically, then once a year, twice a year from 2003, and three times a year since 2019. The online version of the journal has been available since 1995. The journal has been included in Scopus since 1981 and in Web of Science since 2003. It is one of the Slovenian scholarly journals most cited abroad. The 60th volume was published in 2020 and this article is dedicated to the milestone anniversary.