<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">This article is focused on the analysis and evaluation of the changes of the bottom of the Bakomi reservoir, the total volume of the reservoir, ecosystems, as well as changes in the riparian zone of the Bakomi reservoir (situated in the central Slovakia). Changes of the water component of the reservoir were subject to the deposition by erosion-sedimentation processes, and were identifed on the basis of a comparison of the present relief of the bottom of reservoir obtained from feld measurements (in 2011) with the relief measurements of the bottom obtained from the 1971 historical maps, (i.e. over a period of 40 years). Changes of landscape structures of the riparian zone have been mapped for the time period of 1949–2013; these changes have been identifed with the analysis of ortophotomaps and the feld survey. There has been a signifcant rise of disturbed shores with low herb grassland. Over a period of 40 years, there has been a deposition of 667 m3 of sediments. The results showed that there were no signifcant changes in the local ecosystems of the Bakomi reservoir in comparison to the other reservoirs in the vicinity of Banská Štiavnica.</abstract>

Matej Bel University, Banská Bystrica, Slovak Republic

Institute of Geography, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Slovak Republic

Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Slovak Republic

Changes to the Bakomi Reservoir

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Creative garden architecture currently afects regional development in two ways. Firstly, it results in landscape architecture outputs, horticulture arrangements, and garden projects. Secondly, it constitutes an environment for the development of certain business activities, namely tourism and horticulture. Garden architecture is able to secure the development of land-based economy, replacing the decreased production of agricultural commodities, and thus contributing to regional development. Garden architecture businesses in the Nitra region are currently limited by the lack of their potential clients’ fnancial resources as well as the barriers to entrepreneurship created in the Slovak Republic. The number of the businesses in the region enables them to develop mutual cooperation without the need for strong competition. on the contrary, it encourages the diversifcation of business activities, various levels of their specialization and potential development of partnerships in a region.</abstract>

Contribution of Garden Architecture to the Regional Development

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Criminality is not a problem in the urban areas only; it has become one of the main problems in the rural areas as well. The countryside is not considered as a crime free area anymore. The rural criminality research helps to fnd and adopt the right preventive measures. Cooperation of all the sectors, state, businessmen, self-government and non-governmental organisations is important. In order to look for some suitable preventive measures, it is necessary to fnd the causes of the rural criminality. There are many criminality factors. However, we can expect that in dependence on the character and activities of a region, these causes will be specifc for each rural area. The aim of this paper is frstly to notice that the rural criminality is a blind place in the research activities in Slovakia and secondly to try to identify some factors which are impulses to commit crimes in the rural areas.</abstract>

Criminality in the Rural Areas

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">The significance of the communication of the public sector at the level of the local government has recently increased essentially. Today‘s information society brings an advanced and fast communication which must be adapted by the representatives of the municipalities. This fact is related not only to ensuring greater objective transparency but also in ensuring the possibility for citizens to actively participate in public affairs in the environment where they live, as well as to evaluate the events and actions of local governments. The paper evaluates the current utilization of direct and indirect methods of communication and also points out the statistically significant preference evaluation of selected changes of the Act on free access to information by the representatives of municipalities in terms of increased use of information and transparency towards the citizens (towards the general public).</abstract>

Methods of Public Communication and Related Perception of Transparency from the Slovak Municipalities' Point of View

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Agriculture is an important element of rural economy development, currently facing many problems. The unfinished process of economic transformation, division of land use and land ownership, disintegrated social networks, under-developed institutions – these are the problems hindering the knowledge economy enforcement. Among the agricultural enterprises there is a high level of distrust resulting into low cooperation, reluctance against partnerships and networks which represent the main instrument for knowledge economy enforcement. Moreover, the current EU agricultural policy which is adjusted for agricultural conditions in the old member states hampers innovation activities of agricultural enterprises and conserves inefficient structures in them.</abstract>

The Problems of Knowledge Economy and Innovation Processes in Agriculture Case Study of the Nitra Region

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Recently, much attention has been paid to the topic of employment in Slovakia and regional disparities. The aim of this paper is, on the basis of available data from regional databases and through the use of appropriate methodological apparatus, to draw attention to the development of Slovak regions’ structural employment proportion on the total employment according to the sectors of agriculture, industry, construction and services in the time period from 2004 to 2012. The article examined the similarity of regions in terms of structural employment through cluster analysis at NUTS 2 level. Counties are grouped into four mutually similar clusters.</abstract>

Regional Disparities in the Slovak Republic from the Point of View of Structural Employment

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Visegrad Cooperation is the regional organization of four states known as the Visegrad Group or the Visegrad Four (the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia). The purpose of cooperation is joint representation of economic, diplomatic and political interests of these Central and Eastern European countries and coordination of their possible measures. In the framework of this study, the major trends regarding the average area and farm number of agricultural holdings in the Visegrad Group are examined and evaluated. We attempted to elucidate structural differences between the farm structures of these countries, their different and unusual development and its reasons. Despite these differences, we have uncovered a number of identical trends and joint points as well. The average farm size in Slovakia and the Czech Republic was 28 or 135 hectares in 2007, while in 2010, this figure changed to 75 or 152 hectares in the circle of the observed agricultural holdings. For both countries, therefore, a significant increase in farm size was observed in the period under survey. While in Hungary the average size of 6 hectares in 2007 increased to 8 hectares in three years, then in Poland, the average farm was 12 or 10 hectares in size in the years under survey. In the circle of these countries, therefore, only a slight shift, mainly stagnation was observed, albeit on different bases: while the number of holdings under survey increased in Poland, it decreased in Hungary (similarly to Slovakia and the Czech Republic). Investigating the details regarding farm structure in these countries, it can be stated that most holdings carried out their activities on an area of under 20 hectares, in respect of distribution of agricultural land in the countries of the Visegrad Four. However, the survey results also revealed that in the vast majority of cases, the number of farms decreased, but there was an increase in their average size, that is, the process of concentration that has been experienced in the Western part of the European Union for the last two decades can be observed in these four countries as well.</abstract>

Analysis of Agricultural Holdings of the Visegrad Four in the Post-Accession Period

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Acta Regionalia et Environmentalica

Journal "Acta regionalia et environmentalica" is a scientific journal of the Faculty of European Studies and Regional Development of the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra.The journal consists of original scientific papers and it is published twice a year.  Why subscribe and read  The journal Acta regionalia et environmentalica is an excellent source of research papers related to the area of regional, rural and environmental studies.  Why submit  The journal Acta regionalia et environmentalica offers unique opportunity for authors to place their papers in a scientific journal of high quality and by this way it provides a platform for knowledge exchange.  Rejection Rate   25%   Archiving  Sciendo archives the contents of this journal in Portico - digital long-term preservation service of scholarly books, journals and collections.  Plagiarism Policy  The editorial board is participating in a growing community of Similarity Check System's users in order to ensure that the content published is original and trustworthy. Similarity Check is a medium that allows for comprehensive manuscripts screening, aimed to eliminate plagiarism and provide a high standard and quality peer-review process. 