The main resources come from mountainous areas which make millions of tons of sediment available for erosion and transport annually. In addition, two basic findings are derived: first, the highest level of human impact on soil is in rural settlements at the lowest elevation zones, where erosion intensity shows the least amount of decrease and, second, the most intensive depopulation process, recorded in higher elevation zones, indicates a rapid decrease of erosion intensity. The results show an overall decrease of erosion intensity in the study area. The changes related to population and arable land in rural settlements are analyzed according to proportional spatial changes. The erosion potential model is used to calculate gross annual erosion. The standard of living increased after the industrialization process in the 1960s within these municipalities.
This study investigates two municipalities within Serbia, their change in population and its impact on land use changes and soil erosion. This directly impacted soil erosion (and thereby sustainability of the land), but the degree and direction are not well known. Consequently, the population in rural areas with small-scale farming decreased due to the availability of employment elsewhere.
In many Eastern European countries, the standard of living increased as a result of the process of industrialization in the second half of the 20th Century.
