Ecological Engineering 90 (2016) 294–306 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Ecological Engineering journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ecoleng Possibilities of optimal land use as a consequence of lessons learned from land consolidation projects (Slovakia) Zlatica Muchová a , Mária Leitmanová a,∗ , Frantiˇ sek Petroviˇ c b a Department of Landscape Planning and Ground Design, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Hospodárska 7, 949 01 Nitra, Slovakia b Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Tr. A. Hlinku 1, 949 74 Nitra, Slovakia article info Article history: Received 2 January 2015 Received in revised form 30 October 2015 Accepted 26 January 2016 Available online 16 February 2016 Keywords: Erosion Ecological stability Landscape structure Land fragmentation Thematic maps ˇ Zitava River basin abstract This paper acquaints readers with outputs produced from thematic maps and analytical testing in a land consolidation project which is being conducted in Slovakia at the ˇ Zitava River basin (1.628-square- kilometres total watershed). New options and strategies are presented for the use of a land consolidation database for projects in any planning, optimizing and development activity to be performed by any expert who enters the model area with her/his own opinions. We highlight problems currently limiting rural development (the area’s low ecological stability, frequent floods, ever greater soil erosion, etc.) and also describe measures which could protect the area against natural disasters (e.g. ongoing water erosion, silt accumulating and choking streams and water expanses). The paper introduces methodical procedures that enable a functional organization of the area to be designed (calculating ecological stability, deter- mining critical points and a methodology for determining the degree of erosion in endangered areas, etc.). It also analyses conditions in relation to protecting and developing the rural region, highlighting the chief problems in water management, access to roads and environmental protection, while graphi- cally presenting basic thematic layers crucial for assessment. Based on this data set, a broad portfolio of combinations can be utilized for evaluating the quality of the proposed measures. We suggest a new com- bination of methods to let system users determine what measures should be recommended for cadastral plots. Examples are presented of changes affecting the structure of the landscape, the threat of erosion, elimination of flood conditions and the quality of life in the model area. © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Nowadays, many researchers in Slovakia (e.g. Vanek, 2006; Hudecová, 2010; Muchová and Petroviˇ c, 2010), in the Czech Republic where history has developed similarly (e.g. Dumbrovsk ´ y et al., 2014; Skleniˇ cka et al., 2014) and from outside these countries (e.g. Hartvigsen, 2014; Paˇ sakarnis et al., 2013; Vitikainen, 2004; Lisec et al., 2014; Van Dijk, 2007) believe land consolidation (LC) projects have had the most positive influence in agricul- tural countries on how landscapes are arranged and protected. Land consolidation (LC) is among the key tools many countries in the European Union (EU) are using for rural development. This has spurred the EU to approve measures in the 2014–20 Agricul- tural and Rural Development Operational Programme titled “Land Consolidation” (http://enrd.ec.europa.eu/). LC activities are closely related to fulfilment of the Village Restoration Programme, which ∗ Corresponding author. E-mail address: maria.leitmanova@gmail.com (M. Leitmanová). encourages residents to harmoniously develop an environmentally friendly community, conserve municipalities’ natural and cultural values and develop a green economy either through their own efforts or with their municipal governments. Authors such as Lisec et al. (2014), Korthals and Bong (2011), Praˇ zan and Dumbrovsk ´ y (2010) agree that the importance of LC can be specified from different perspectives. The Land Consolida- tion Project brings plot owners and stakeholders different benefits. In some cases, LC projects are negatively perceived because they simplify the land property market, opening it up to foreign investors interested in buying up soil (Kokolová, 2013). This negative view of LC can likewise be seen in disgruntled owners more inclined towards the “old socialist order” (Vaˇ sek, 2014) because about half a million hectares of land in Slovakia are still registered under the name of unknown owners. Thomas (2006), Vitikainen (2004) and Jürgenson et al. (2010) see LC as important to landowners because it offers them the opportunity of consolidating their scattered plots to improve business and farming. Owners expect land prices to increase in the market, but also to see opportunities arise to start using their land or signing new http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2016.01.018 0925-8574/© 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.