Antropogeniczne przemiany w środowisku przyrodniczym Podhala w latach 1931-1988

Abstract

Nature of Podhale was characterized by complete ecological balance at the beginning of the thirties. All its elements were of natural character. Deforestation and strong agricultural pression which are the main anthropopressional processes, did not exceed boundaries of natural tolerance. During the analyzed period the structure of economic life in Podhale was significantly changed. Rapid development of housing construction was observed in towns and villages. Agricultural pression on forested areas decreased. Structure of land use was changed, chemization, mechanization and live-stock breeding increased. Industry with its technical infrastructure was introduced. Rapid development of tourism and car transportation took place. Water consumption increased, coal and coke were used for heating purposes (fig. 1.). Those economic changes interfered with natural environment causing its degradation. The state of water cleaness got worse. The most polluted is the Biały Dunajec and 27% of total rivers length belong to III class of water cleaness or they are beyond any class (tab. 1, 2). Local and seasonal underground water resources decay. Air is polluted with gas, dust and soot (tab. 3, 4, 5), concentration of pollution is out of permissible quota even on especially protected areas (Rabka, Krościenko, Szczawnica). Favourable changes concern agricultural-forest boundary on slopes as it became stable. Slow increase of forested areas can be also observed though the sanitary state of forests is getting worse. Greater cover of sod on slopes caused that dynamics of denudative slope and river-bed processes decreased. Degradation of Podhale natural environment took place quickly.