geosciences Article Human Footprints in the Karst Landscape: The Influence of Lime Production on the Landscape of the Northern Dalmatian Islands (Croatia) Josip Fariˇci´c 1,* and Kristijan Juran 2 1 Department of Geography, University of Zadar, 23000 Zadar, Croatia 2 Department of History, University of Zadar, 23000 Zadar, Croatia;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected] Abstract: Throughout history, the production of lime on the Croatian islands, which are mostly made of limestone and dolomite, has been an important economic activity. In the northern Dalmatian islands, which are centrally positioned on the northeastern Adriatic coast, lime was produced for local needs, but also for the purposes of construction in the nearby cities of Zadar and Šibenik. On the basis of research into various written and cartographic archival sources relating to spatial data, in addition to the results of field research, various traces of lime production have been found in the landscape of the northern Dalmatian islands. Indications of this activity in the insular karst are visible in anthropogenic forms of insular relief (lime kilns, small quarries, stone deposits) and in degraded forms of Mediterranean vegetation. This activity has also left its mark on the linguistic landscape in the form of toponyms, indicating that lime kilns were an important part of the cultural landscape. Keywords: lime kiln; karst; insular landscape; environmental changes; northern Dalmatia; Croatia Citation: Fariˇci´c,J.; Juran, K. Human Footprints in the Karst Landscape: The Influence of Lime Production on the Landscape of the Northern 1. Introduction Dalmatian Islands (Croatia). The object of the research that preceded this article is the impact of lime production on Geosciences 2021, 11, 303.