Вілчек Й.

Purpose. To differentiate rural land of Slovakia with aspect to the possibility of effective spring barley growing. Methods. Soil investigation oriented to soil reaction study took place in two agricultural enterprises in 2010 and it was repeated after four years again. Results. At soil categorization, correlation relationships between the site properties (soil and climatic conditions) and crop biological and agrotechnical requirements were considered. Spring barley requirements were included into yield databases using the software filters in the way that the given site property excluded or limited barley growing, what was reflected in predicted production. The prediction was subsequently interpolated into four suitability categories: soils not suitable for spring barley growing, less suitable soils, suitable soils and very suitable soils. The database formed and each of the Bonited Pedo-Ecological Unit (BPEU) was added in it as well as particular category of suitability for barley growing. By mediation of the Geographic Information System on BPEU distribution in Slovakia, the map of categories of soil suitability for spring barley growing was also generated. Conclusions. In Slovakia, there is 20 % of farmland very suitable for spring barley growing, 24 % suitable, 24 % less suitable and 32 % non suitable soils for spring barley growing according to our calculation. In the paper, these categories are characterized in details and specified from the view of geographic, soil, climatic, productivity, economic and energetic parameters.

The landfill of waste from nickel production is situated to the south of Sereď in Slovak Republic. The landfill area covers around 50 ha. Volume is in present day 5.5 - 6.5 mil. [t] and in 1993 it was about 9 mil.[t]. The land-fill was formed during 30 years of manufacturing process, which was stopped due to the economic and ecologi-cal reasons in 1993. The pollution of base rocks, underground waters, soils and air pollution was noticed during production in the Nickel smelting plant and continues up to the present days. In this paper we focused on the current structure on the landfill of waste from nickel production and its impact on the environment. Physical and chemical properties of the waste are responsible for the creation of a specific ecosystem, not peculiar to the natural landscape, which negatively affects the quality of the environment. It is proposed to reduce waste using microwave vitrification method, although it is very expensive, but the most effective, because procedure in converting waste glass provides high chemical stability and water resistance.

Water and soil belong to basic natural resources that are essential for the existence and development of human civilization. These resources represent part of natural capital which provides or can provide ecosystem services - goods and services. Definition of significant ecosystem services related to agricultural land and inland waters is basic precondition to evaluate these systems. While in the case of freshwater ecosystems (rivers, lakes and also groundwater) we are at the start, in the case of ecosystem services of agricultural land (cropland, permanent grasslands) there are already available spatial results of bio-physical and economic evaluation of soil functions in GIS format. Suitability for water use for a specific purpose (that in fact represents ecosystem service) in Slovak conditions is assessed according to a particular set of water quality parameters and corresponding limit values. Evaluation of freshwater ecosystem services can serve as support for the selection of cost-effective measures, and for the mapping and assessment of ecosystems services as part of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020. Ecosystem service approach is considered as extension of soil function approach that can be perceived as core of ecosystem services evaluation that integrates soil and biotic aspects. The bio-physical evaluation of soil functions or services serves as basic precondition for it local use with regard to mitigate the anthropogenic pressures and its consequences. At present, the real possible utilisation of soil ecosystem services/functions can be seen at improvement of soil protection especially via modification of soil price at its permanent sealing.