Review article
Agricultural exploitation and afforestation of Sands of Đurđevac (Summary)
Vladimir Miholek
orcid.org/0000-0002-5950-2430
Abstract
The Sands of Đurđevac, a unique natural phenomenon of sand deposits in Croatia, are spread along the middle Podravina region, mostly in the vicinity of the town of Đurđevac, after which they got their name. The sands were once covered with vegetation and cultivated, only to become bare in the early Middle Ages due to unsustainable management and climate changes. Today, they are completely covered by pine forest and acacia, and to a lesser extent by arable land. Although the sand is extremely inadequate for agricultural exploitation, this paper offers a series of facts which tell us about the cultivation of various agricultural crops on the sand, both on private and state lands and on homesteads, for example vines, grains, vegetables, fruit and tobacco. The largest area was occupied by vineland owned by the Municipality of Đurđevac cadastral office, in the period from the 1880s to 1933. The arrangement of vineland encouraged the foresters of the Municipality of Đurđevac cadastral office to calm the Sands, which was achieved by intensive afforestation with pine and acacia from the end of the 19th century until the 1950s. Private owners reforested the remaining areas with acacia. Based on archival material, cartographic material, various literature and measures, this paper examines the area of Sands in the Cadastral Municipality of Đurđevac.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
310160
URI
Publication date:
19.12.2022.
Visits: 218 *