Cultural landscapes and ecosystem services

We study cultural landscapes as the result of the long-term interaction of natural conditions, historical processes, and human activity. We are interested in their identity-related aspects, the branding of places and regions, changes in landscape elements, and issues of governance and protection. We also devote special attention to common resources in the landscape, social capital in urban and rural settings, ecosystem services, and land use analysis.
 

Projects 

• SELINA – Znanost za na dokazih temelječe in trajnostne odločitve o naravnem kapitalu (raziskovalni projekt • 01. julij 2022 - 30. junij 2027)
• SHARED GREEN DEAL - Družbene in humanistične vede za doseganje odgovornega, pravičnega in želenega Zelenega dogovora (raziskovalni projekt • 01. februar 2022 - 28. februar 2027)
• NatGuidES - Identifikacija, ovrednotenje in kartiranje ekosistemskih storitev naravovarstveno pomembnejših območij v Sloveniji (ciljni raziskovalni projekt • 01. oktober 2021 - 30. september 2023)
• ECOVINEGOALS - Upravljanje in dejavnosti v ekoloških vinogradih kot podlaga za pripravo pokrajinskih strategij (INTERREG • 01. marec 2020 - 31. avgust 2022)
• LABELSCAPE - Vključevanje trajnostnega certificiranja v turistične politike Sredozemlja (INTERREG • 01. november 2019 - 30. junij 2022)
• Sustainable landscape management: From science to action (postdoctoral research project • July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2021)
   

 Publications

• Šmid Hribar, M. 2025: Deset let po novem Zakonu o agrarnih skupnostih – stanje agrarnih skupnosti na Gorenjskem. Geografski vestnik 97-1.
• Urbanc, M., Ledinek Lozej, Š., Šmid Hribar, M. 2026: Mountain pastures in the Slovenian Alps : their role in shaping and sustaining the cultural landscape. V: Zorn, M. Pelcer-Vujačić, O., Mikša, P. (ur.): Discourses on mountains of Montenegro and Slovenia.
  Springer.
• Šmid Hribar, M., Ribeiro, D., Viloslada, M. 2025: The contribution of common lands to carbon sequestration: A case study from Triglav National Park in Slovenia. Acta Geographica Slovenica, 65-3. https://doi.org/10.3986/AGS.14491
• Pagot, G., Šmid Hribar, M., Rail, L. F., Walters, G., Hymas, O., Liechti, K., Haller, T., Urbanc, M., Dalla Torre, C., Joye, J.-F., Lorenzini, S., Bogataj, N., Penker, M., Bender, O., Manzoni, A. 2025: Territories of commons: A review of common land organizations and institutions in the European Alps. Environmental Research Letters 20-6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/add1f4
• Šmid Hribar, M., Japelj, A., Rac, I., Vurunić, S., Ribeiro, D. 2025: Challenges related to stakeholder involvement in the assessment of ecosystem services in protected areas in Slovenia. One Ecosystem, vol. 10.
• Šmid Hribar, M., Urbanc, M., Zorn, M. 2023: Commons and their contribution to sustaining Slovenian cultural landscapes. Acta geographica Slovenica 63–3.
• Tucker, C., Šmid Hribar, M., Urbanc, M., Bogataj, N., Gunya, A., Rodela, R., Sigura, M., Piani, L. 2023: Governance of interdependent ecosystem services and common-pool resources. Land Use Policy. 106575, vol. 127.
• Pipan, P., Šmid Hribar, M., Urbanc, M. 2023: Motivation, robustness and benefits of water commons: insights from small drinking water supply systems. Acta geographica Slovenica 63–3.
• Šmid Hribar, M., Hori, K., Urbanc, M., Saito, O., Zorn, M. 2023: Evolution and new potentials of landscape commons: insights from Japan and Slovenia. Ecosystem Services 59:101-499.
• Seguin, J., Ribeiro, D., Šmid Hribar, M., et al. (2026). Towards integrated ecosystem assessments: a literature review on linking ecosystem condition indicators to ecosystem services. One Ecosystem, 11.
• Gomes, P., Ribeiro, D., Lopes, D. (2025). Assessing the contribution of communal lands to ecosystem services: a quantification of carbon sequestration in a case study from Portugal. Acta geographica Slovenica, 65(3).
• Ribeiro, D., Šmid Hribar, M., Kretsch, C. (2025). Common lands, shared futures : the importance of ecosystem services, justice, and sustainability through community land management. Acta geographica Slovenica, 65(3).
• Ribeiro, D., Gabrovec, M. (2025). Transformations of cultural landscapes: case studies from Slovenia. V: Bański, J. (ur.). Agricultural land use: structural transformations, environment challenges, planning and policy. Routledge, pp. 153-164.
• Walther, F. E., Ribeiro, D., Šmid Hribar, M., et al. (2025). Uncertainties in ecosystem services assessments and their implications for decision support – a semi-systematic literature review.Ecosystem services, 73.
• Ribeiro, D., Simčič, M. (2024). Examples of human disturbances in the Dinaric karst landscape since the early twentieth century: a case study of Bela krajina. V: Fuerst-Bjeliš, B. (ur.), et al. Environmental histories of the Dinaric Karst. Springer, pp. 401-415.