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Geographia Polonica Vol. 91 No. 2 (2018), Land Use Changes and Their

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Geographia Polonica Vol. 91 No. 2 (2018), Land Use Changes and Their Geographia Polonica 2018, Volume 91, Issue 2, pp. 171-196 https://doi.org/10.7163/GPol.0116 INSTITUTE OF GEOGRAPHY AND SPATIAL ORGANIZATION POLISH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES www.igipz.pan.pl www.geographiapolonica.pl LAND USE CHANGES AND THEIR CATCHMENT-SCALE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT IN THE POLISH WESTERN CARPATHIANS DURING TRANSITION FROM CENTRALLY PLANNED TO FREE-MARKET ECONOMICS Anna Bucała-Hrabia Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences Św. Jana 22, 31-018, Kraków: Poland e-mail: [email protected] Abstract Land use and land cover changes (LULC) and their impact on potential soil erosion, road density as transfer routes of material and water to channels as well as channel level changes were studied in three catchments (~20 km2 each) in the central part of the Polish Western Carpathians in 1975-2015. It was hypothesised that short-term LULC changes during transition from a centrally planned to a free-market economy are sufficient to modify selected elements of the environment and that these changes can be identified in a measurable way. The analysis of aerial photographs and socio-economic data indicates that during the investigated period, the forest area increased by 20-27%, with a continuous decrease of cultivated land by 89-93% in the three catch- ments. LULC changes were accompanied by continuous population density growth by 29-50% and a decrease of the population dependent only on agriculture to less than 5%. Analyses confirmed the hypothesis that the environment was significantly modified due to the LULC changes. Abandonment of cultivated land, forest succession and a decrease in used road density, have resulted in lower efficiency of slope wash and sediment transport within the 4th-order catchments. This has led to an interruption of aggradation and initiated channel deepening by approximately 1 cm∙year-1 after the introduction of a free-market economy in 1989. Key words LULC • human impact • socio-economic transformation • catchment • Carpathians Introduction with socio-economic transformation of rural areas (MacDonald et al. 2000; Bender et al. Over recent decades, many mountain regions 2005; Rudel et al. 2005; Meyfroidt & Lam- of Europe have been subjected to land use bin 2011). Several reasons for this phenom- and land cover (LULC) changes associated ena are indicated, such as relatively low GP_2018_2.indb 171 2018-06-20 09:31:18 172 Anna Bucała-Hrabia agricultural production profitability (Gell- channels (Kondolf et al. 2002; Liébault & rich et al. 2007; Müller et al. 2013; Pazúr Piégay 2002). et al. 2014) related to high cultivation cost The spatial pattern of LULC changes dif- due to small size of individual farms and fers markedly between mountain regions and agricultural land fragmentation (Pointereau within administrative units as a consequence et al. 2008; Keenleyside & Tucker 2010). of diverse historic, geographic, political and Agricultural land abandonment has become socio-economic factors (Pointereau et al. a serious socio-economic problem that 2008). After the collapse of the communist is accelerated by the retirement of the old- system in Central and Eastern Europe, coun- er generation of farmers, who are not able tries carried out land reforms to restructure to cultivate the fields in a difficult mountain the farming sector, individualise land use and environment, as well as the significant migra- privatise farmland (Kuemmerle et al. 2009; tion of young people to lowlands and urban Baumann et al. 2011; Griffiths et al. 2013). centers (Griffiths et al. 2013; Pašakarnis Such transition from the centrally planned et al. 2013; Munteanu et al. 2014). Low soil to a free-market economy after 1989 caused fertility and unfavourable climatic condi- the decreased profitability of agriculture tions are also important factors which have (Kozak 2010; Munteanu et al. 2014; Bucała- caused abandonment cultivation on steeper Hrabia 2017a, b) and led to the bankruptcy slopes and higher elevations (Gellrich et al. of many agricultural enterprises (Banski 2011; 2007; Pointereau et al. 2008; Baumann et al. Müller et al. 2013). In effect, dense vegeta- 2011). The European Union tries, to some tion succession on abandoned agricultural extent, to mitigate land abandonment with land was observed in Czechia (Bičík et al. use of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), 2001; Kupková & Bičík 2016), Slovakia (Bezak the aim of which is to support environmen- & Mitchley 2014; Šebo & Nováček 2014), tally beneficial farming practices and rural Romania (Munteanu et al. 2014) and East communities in less productive farming are- Germany (Baessler & Klotz 2006). as (Keenleyside & Tucker 2010). In contrast to other Central and Eastern LULC changes associated with agricul- European countries, land fragmentation and tural land abandonment also have a variety individual farming still dominated in the own- of environmental consequences. Succession ership system following World War II (WW II) of vegetation can change landscape frag- in the Polish Western Carpathians (Kuem- mentation (Bennett & Saunders 2010) and merle et al. 2008; Soja 2008; Munteanu et al. reduce soil erosion on slopes (Asselman 2014; Bański 2017). Most of this area also et al. 2003; Zorn & Komac 2009; Latocha experienced a gradual decline in agricultural et al. 2016). Both processes increase forest land use during that time which accelerated stands as well as biomass and the carbon after the collapse of the centrally planned sequestration in soils (Guo & Gifford 2002; economy in 1989 (Kuemmerle et al. 2008; Lasanta-Martínez et al. 2005; Gellrich Ostafin 2009; Kozak 2010; Bucała-Hrabia et al. 2007). Abandonment of agricultural 2017a). Such LULC dynamics can be charac- fields usually reduces their connection with terised as a period of relative stability followed unpaved roads. This limits the potential sed- by rapid changes with potentially long-lasting iment sources, transfer routes, flow veloci- effects in the society and environment (Dear- ties, storage and consequently flow con- ing et al. 2010; Lambin & Meyfroidt 2010; nectivity and concentration times of water Hostert et al. 2011; Price et al. 2017). Several and material within catchments (Wemple studies have shown spatio-temporal variabili- et al. 2001; Tarolli et al. 2013; Latocha ty of this phenomenon during the transforma- 2014). Complex changes in slope-channel tion period at scales of the entire Polish Car- transport frequently facilitate conversion pathians (Kozak 2005, 2010; Ciołkosz et al. of braided rivers to incised, single-thread 2011; Kolecka et al. 2017), their subregions Geographia Polonica 2018, 91, 2, pp. 171-196 GP_2018_2.indb 172 2018-06-20 09:31:18 Land use changes and their catchment-scale environmental impact in the Polish… 173 (Kozak 2003; Kaim 2009; Ostafin 2009) and Union membership. It was hypothesised that administrative units (Dec et al. 2009; Kolecka short-term LULC changes after 1989 are suf- et al. 2015, 2016). However, environmental ficient to modify selected elements of the consequences of recent LULC changes are environment and that these changes can still not sufficiently understood, particularly be identified in a measurable way. at the catchment scale (Bucała 2014; Bucała- -Hrabia 2017a, b). Study area The objective of this study was an analy- sis of LULC changes and their environmental The Polish Western Carpathians (16,700 km2) effects at the catchment scale in the central cover, besides the small region of the high part of the Polish Western Carpathians dur- Tatra Mountains, areas of mid- and low- ing transformation from a centrally planned mountains (the Beskid Mountains), as well to a free-market economy between 1975 and as foothills and valley bottoms (Starkel 1972; 2015. More specifically, the study aimed Fig. 1). The foothills are traditionally the culti- to understand trends and dynamics of LULC vation areas, with a small proportion of forest and their impact on potential soil erosion, (20-30%) and 10-30% of steep slopes above material and water transfer to channels 15°. The structure of cropland is dominated as well as channel bed changes. The inves- by cereals and root crops, such as potatoes tigated period covers three broad stages and beetroots. The Beskid Mountains region of socio-economic development: (1) 1975(77)- with cultivation and animal husbandry pri- 1986(87) – a period of centrally planned marily comprise forest (30-70%) and 50-80% economics in the late phase of the commu- steep slopes above 15° (Starkel 1990). nist system; (2) 1986(87)-2003(04) – an early Detailed investigations were performed phase of transformation to free-market eco- in three catchments of the central part nomics; and (3) 2003(04)-2015 – a late phase of the Polish Western Carpathians: the upper of free-market economics and European Uszwica (22.7 km2) in the Wiśnickie Foothills Figure 1. Study area on the background of the Polish Carpathians Source: Authors’ elaboration based on Starkel 1972. Geographia Polonica 2018, 91, 2, pp. 171-196 GP_2018_2.indb 173 2018-06-20 09:31:18 174 Anna Bucała-Hrabia as well as in the Homerka (19.3 km2) and the annual temperature from 8 to 6°C up to 600- Jaszcze-Jamne (20.3 km2) located in the mid- 650 m a.s.l. (Hess 1965). The mean annual mountains region of the Beskid Sądecki and precipitation reaches about 751 mm (Gnojnik the Gorce Mountains, respectively. The Jasz- Institute of Meteorology and Water Man- cze-Jamne comprises two subcatchments agement station – Instytut Meteorologii and forms one catchment with a similar total i Gospodarki Wodnej – IMGW at 310 m a.s.l. area to the remaining Uszwica and Homerka approximately 10 km east of the Uszwica catchments. The catchments are representa- catchment). The Homerka catchment covers tive in terms of geology, relief, soils, land use a temperate warm zone as well as a temper- structure and history of human occupation ate cool zone (4 to 6°C) above 650 m a.s.l. for the central part of foothill and mid-moun- The catchment receives about 950 mm of tain areas of the Polish Western Carpathians precipitation annually (Frycowa Institute (Gerlach & Niemirowski 1968; Starkel 1972; of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Niedziałkowska 1981; Skiba et al.
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