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The aim of the research was a spatial and functional analysis of the accessibility of retail food environments in relation to the inhabitants of dispersed settlements who are socially and geographically disadvantaged in purchasing g food. The consumer behavior and food shopping habits of the inhabitants of these areas largely depend on the spatial and functional characteristics of the dispersed settlement and the surrounding area. In terms of food consumption, an important determinant is the availability of convenience stores, defined by the economic and physical ability to access food sources. The ability to access stores is strongly influenced by transport options and transport infrastructure. The investigated area belongs to a group of specific areas with dispersed settlements. This type of settlement, typical in the mountains of Slovakia and on the border with the Czech Republic, can also be found around the town of Nová Baňa, located in the west of central Slovakia. This area consists of two towns and 12 municipalities and is referred to as the “Novobanská štálová oblasť ”. These specific territories are characterized by a lack of access to fresh and affordable food, which can contribute to social disparities in diet and endanger people's health with various serious diseases. Spatial identification of areas with difficult access to food stores in the Novobanská štálová area has been a pioneering attempt to visualize areas with the highest demand for improvement in food access, and this process may be helpful in identifying other areas with similar characteristics. The methods utilized represent an accessible, transparent and reproducible process for assessing the accessibility of grocery stores. These methods can be used for cost-effective, periodic surveillance and meaningful engagement with communities, retailers and policy makers. The conclusions and results of our research should positively contribute to the growing debate on the inequality of living conditions and marginalization of rural municipalities.

In the report we concentrate on the influences of water-induced morphodynamic processes and surface flow on the development of tarns in alpine environment conditions of selected valleys in the High Tatras. Model areas are represented by higher basins parts in the Malá Studená valley and the Veľká Studená valley, where we confirmed that slope-gravitational processes in the form of rockfall, water-gravitational processes in the form of debris flows, but also fluvial-proluvial processes as the accumulation of the soft fractions from the area of debris cones take part in the material deposition in the tarns. In this context we focused on the creation of the model of spatial distribution of the water-induced potential of material deposition in drainage tarn basins. The model includes three basic factors: slope and curvature of the relief and land cover character. Map processing with GIS technologies was done on the basis of a 3-D relief model, which allowed the locating of the local erosion bases areas, where the material could be accumulated. The achieved results confirmed the hypothesis that tarn basin development of the alpine environment is subordinated to permanent backfilling as a consequence of the cumulative influence of the several processes connected with rainfall and the runoff regime of the drainage basins.

During the years 2010-2012, we observed the spatial activity of long-eared owls by the radio telemetry in an agricultural land. The average home range size of tracked long-eared owls for 100 and 95% minimum convex polygon (MCP) was 415.93 and 350 ha, respectively. Between the breeding and the non-breeding season, we did not record significant differences in the size of home ranges. Open land units (meadows and arable lands) belonged to the most abundant land units in the home ranges of tracked owls (mean for 100 and 95% MCP was 24.6 and 24.3%, respectively). Forest edges with their ecotone character also represented the abundant land unit (mean for 100 and 95% MCP was 11.4 and 10.6%, respectively). An amount of built-inhabited areas in home ranges (mean for 100 and 95% MCP was 8.2 and 10.1%, respectively) correlated positively with their size (Spearman rank correlation: for 100% MCP: rs = 0.83, p

The methods of geospatial data processing are being continually innovated, and universities that are focused on educating experts in Environmental Science should reflect this reality with an elaborate and purpose-built modernization of the education process, education content, as well as learning conditions. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have the dominant role in geospatial data processing. GIS education of students in Environmental Science (ES) in master´s degree can be divided into two main approaches - to teach about GIS and to teach with GIS. Approach "to teach with GIS" is mainly focused on teaching of Landscape Spatial Analysis with use of concrete GIS analytical tools. Students use the tools for solving of concrete problems. They work with real data and methods. The spatial analysis learned can help to manage conflicts of interest within the country, and to assess the impact of human activity on the environment. On the other hand students learn about GIS via tools and methods in concrete GIS software. To achieve higher efficiency in teaching Landscape Spatial Analysis we have created a model of GIS education based on the idea of inquiry-based learning (IBL). In an effort to get closer to the approach used for real problematic task solving, it is essential to include several interconnected systems into the education. While the Global Positioning System (GPS) Web Map Service (WMS) and Database management systems (DBMS) present the work with geospatial data similarly as GIS, Learning Management System (LMS) represents a valuable information source for students as well as an instrument for communication between teacher and students and among the students themselves during work on student projects. The proposed model can offer support of student´s motivation to learn, increased efficiency of education process and improvement preparation of students for their profession.

The impact of two different environments (climax forest and glade) on spatial density of Yellow-Necked Mouse and Bank Vole was studied during the years 2011–2013. Species range (95% Kernel) of both species was calculated based on data obtained from live traps placed in trap grids. Eight levels of density probability that surround regions of constant probability density were used to define (i) activity centres of observed species and (ii) areas that tended to be of rather peripheral interest. Results suggest that glade with rich herbal- -ground cover represented significantly more suitable habitat, as well as habitat richer in resources for Bank Vole in comparison to climax forest. In contrary, Yellow-necked Mouse had provably the highest spatial density in climax forest habitat where was lack of herbal-grounded cover typical for the glade. In particular, we suggest that different diet specialization may be one of elements in explaining the different spatial density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the years 2010-2012, we observed the spatial activity of long-eared owls by the radio telemetry in an agricultural land. The average home range size of tracked long-eared owls for 100 and 95% minimum convex polygon (MCP) was 415.93 and 350 ha, respectively. Between the breeding and the non-breeding season, we did not record significant differences in the size of home ranges. Open land units (meadows and arable lands) belonged to the most abundant land units in the home ranges of tracked owls (mean for 100 and 95% MCP was 24.6 and 24.3%, respectively). Forest edges with their ecotone character also represented the abundant land unit (mean for 100 and 95% MCP was 11.4 and 10.6%, respectively). An amount of built-inhabited areas in home ranges (mean for 100 and 95% MCP was 8.2 and 10.1%, respectively) correlated positively with their size (Spearman rank correlation: for 100% MCP: rs = 0.83, p <0.05; for 95% MCP: rs = 0.91, p <0.05) that indicates long-eared owls to be avoiding built-inhabited areas as an area of the food getting. Two individuals of long-eared owl changed the winter roosts during one non-breeding season, which were at a distance of 650 m from each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]