Experiences in the study of land cover transformation on Mediterranean Islands caused by change in land tenure

The land cover of today is transforming at an accelerating rate. There are several reasons for it in the general Mediterranean region. The principle reason on the Mediterranean islands is a change in land use. The dominant directions of land use change are urban sprawl and land abandonment. The latter often finds its reason in the first one. Tourism is the driving force. The more tourism, the more urban sprawl, which also often leads to a loss in rural population because the job prospects in tourism are much better. So, tourism can often be called the economic backbone of islands. Natural and agricultural areas suffer from this development. This paper shows the development on the islands of Elba and Malta, and addresses the effects and consequences of the land cover transformation that are not as obvious as urban sprawl, but are certainly just as meaningful.