Student Research Reports

View Research Report

Based on geological composition, Istria is divided into three relief units: the hilly northern margin (White Istria), the lower flysch foothills (Grey Istria), and the low limestone plateaus (Red Istria). The Labin area is largely located within Red Istria, named after its characteristic red soil (terra rossa). According to the pedological map, six types of red soil occur in region. Our research aimed to confirm this by addressing the following questions: 1.Where in the Labin area can red soil be found, and do these locations correspond to the pedological map? 2.What type of land cover exists at these sites? 3.What are the physical and chemical properties of the red soil at the selected locations? The research consisted of two parts: fieldwork, where coordinates were recorded, land cover was classified, and soil samples were collected and examined for basic properties; and laboratory work, where the physical and chemical properties were analyzed. We collected samples from six locations corresponding to the red soil types on the pedological map. Vegetation cover was mostly deciduous forest and macchia. Only one site was bare karst terrain. Analysis showed that all samples displayed properties typical of red soil, confirming its presence in the Labin region. We conclude that the Labin area partly belongs to Red Istria and has the potential for viticulture, olive cultivation, and fruit production on red soils.