MULTI-FACETED TRANSFORMATION OF POST-MINING AREAS IN HOLY CROSS MTS. REGION (POLISH UPLANDS)

Abstract

Since Middle Age Holy Cross Mts. region in Central Poland was very important mining and industrial district called Old Polish Industrial District. Therefore, a very large number of post-mining areas occurred here. The problem of their transformation has so far been poorly understood. Therefore, the aim of the study was to identify the changes taking place in selected post-mining areas of this region and to determine the role of natural and anthropogenic factors in their transformation. The application aim was to set directions for the revitalization of these areas, as they have great scientific, educational, landscape, recreation and geoturistic values. The results of the interdisciplinary research indicate that changes are a result of natural factors (e.g., present-day morphogenetic processes, especially mass movements; secondary plant succession) and anthropogenic, both planned (reclamation, development, access, adaptation and revitalization of post-mining areas) and unplanned (uncontrolled effects of tourist traffic, wild dumps). In undeveloped post-mining areas, natural factors and littering of facilities play the main role in their transformation, while in developed areas anthropogenic factors dominate. The best opportunities for multi-faceted use the post-mining sites are education, landscape, tourism and recreation, and economic fields. The directions of development of these areas proposed in the work may complement each other, and the decision to select the leading one should take into account, i.e., target functions they are to perform in the future. On the example of the revitalization of the Szewce quarry, a model of geotouristic management and access was developed and implemented, which can be used for other similar post-mining facilities in Poland.

Keywords

• geomorphology
• geotourism
• historical mining
• poland