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Austria, but only 2 pp in the interior; the differences in the growing shares of forest
being similar. Another significant difference was a slower growth of built up areas in
the regions adjoining Austria and especially West Germany when compared to the
interior.
The second time period (1990-2000) represented a comeback for the market
economy. In land use, the only significant trend was a loss of arable land to the detri-
ment of grasslands, especially meadows. This change, inverse to the previous period
to some extent, was a consequence of a sharp decline of agricultural production, and
also of new state policies focused on grassing over of arable land, especially in less
favourable and other environmentally sensitive areas. Not surprisingly, this change
was much faster in both border regions. As can be seen from the figures, only about
1.5% of the total area of interior was over grassed during this period; but it was 4%
of the area of the subset West Germany, and 3% in the case of subset Austria.
Therefore, these two border regions, when compared to the interior, are typical
of a lower anthropogenic pressure on landscape, and of a steeper decline of this
pressure - afforestation of grasslands during socialism, and grassing over of arable
land later. Land use in subset West Germany is relatively homogenous, whereas the
subset Austria consists of an intensively used eastern part and hilly western part,
exposed to strong extensification.
All these differences can be attributed to several factors - both local (“proxi-
mate”) and national (“underlying”) (Mather, 2002). The most important local factors
are probably worse natural conditions, subsequent lower levels of socio-economic
activity/attractiveness, and expulsion of Czech Germans after 1945, followed by
a non-perfect re-settlement (especially in highlands and mountains). These factors
combined with growing intensity of agriculture and (sub)urbanisation in better con-
ditions, and with underlying forces like increasing interconnectivity and regional
specialisation within the whole system. All these forces resulted into marginalisa-
tion, land abandonment and extensification in the studied border regions - trends
common to all less favoured areas in Europe (e.g. Kabrda, 2008 for Czechia;
Sporrong, Ekstam, & Samuelsson, 1996 for Sweden; Krausmann et al., 2003 for
Austria or Petek, 2002 for Slovenia).
The existence of the Iron Curtain as a barrier had definitely strengthened these
trends in the socialist period - especially in its direct vicinity. But its influence
should not be overestimated. The same changes, although weaker, would have taken
place even if it had not been established, as can be seen by similar conditions along
the borders with former East Germany, Poland and Slovakia (Bicík & Kabrda 2008).
6.4 Land-Cover Changes Along the Iron Curtain Using
CORINE Data (1990-2000)
In the following, we will concentrate on land-cover changes along the former Iron
Curtain between the years 1990 and 2000. As was described in previous text, land-
cover information from the CORINE database was analysed in a belt 30 km wide,
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