History

Mining, forest exploitation, shepherding

It is evident from the history that exploiting of the mountainous parts was minimal until the 12th century. The entire area of Nízke Tatry Mts. was covered by forests. More severe interventions to this area began with the so-called big or German colonization during the 13th and the 14th century. Some of these coloniz- ers were also engaged in mining. The principal mining centers were the villages of Magurka, Nižná Boca and Vyšná Boca (gold, silver and copper were exploited here) in the region of Liptov. At the end of the 18th century when the resources were exhausted the mining in this region has declined.

At the beginning, the establishment of colonies in submountain and mountain positions didn’t have a severe influence on forests because it caused only minimal deforestation and timber was used mainly for construction. The 15th century was the start of the Wallachian colonization and these people started to ex- ploit the untouched mountain positions. The most intense impact was the burning of forests and mugo pine.

In the 16th century the Wallachian sheep and goat breeding in forests of Horehronie was so extended that it started to be dangerous for the preservation of forests.

Up to the 16th century forestry itself did not have a sophisticated system of forest management. All log- ging was due to mining and ironworks. Forests were only a source of material for mines and of wood-coal for numerous smelteries.