Geomorphologic effects of human impact across the Svydovets Massif in the Eastern Carpathians in Ukraine

Contemporary changes in the natural environment in many mountain areas, especially those occurring above the upper tree line, are related to tourism. The Svydovets Massif, located in the Eastern Carpathians in Ukraine, is a good example of an area that is currently experiencing intense degradation. The highest, NE part of this area is crisscrossed with numerous paths, tourist routes, and ski trails. The strong human impact the area experiences is occurring simultaneously with the activity of natural geomorphologic processes. The processes occur with the greatest intensity above the upper tree line. The development of the discussed area has been occurring gradually since the early 20th century. It started when the region belonged to Austria-Hungary, then Czechoslovakia, and subsequently the USSR. Now that it belongs to independent Ukraine the level of tourism-related development has sharply increased. Comparing it to other mountain areas, such as the Tatras, the Alps, or the Monts Dore Massif in France, the Svydovets Massif is being reshaped much more rapidly due to the damage caused by human impact.

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Opracowanie rekordu ze środków MNiSW, umowa Nr 461252 w ramach programu "Społeczna odpowiedzialność nauki" - moduł: Popularyzacja nauki i promocja sportu (2021).