MONITORING OF THE CULTURAL EARTH SURFACE FORMATION OF CULTURAL LANDSCAPES SINCE THE MOST ANCIENT TIMES

Regional Monitoring of Natural Environment 2003, No 4, 117-133

MONITORING OF THE CULTURAL EARTH SURFACE FORMATION OF CULTURAL LANDSCAPES SINCE THE MOST ANCIENT TIMES

 

Henryk Stawicki

 

 

Summary

In Poland the basic tasks of the State Environmental Monitoring include the research on the dynamics of each element of the environment. However, in this system there was not included the monitoring of chosen land areas which hold signs of cultural changes. Such monitoring should be carried out in areas of different activities of the man. It is difficult to discuss the strategy of sustainable development which does not include all environmental elements. Especially, that according to Brower (1975) no more than 1/10 of the Earth areas remains univaded by the man.

Discussing the problem of the cultivation (cultivare) and the recultivation the author did not avoid the historic aspect of this problem. This was the reason why in the publication numerous examples of development of the human environment concept from the time of the Neolithic and of the Palaeolith until the present day were discussed (Strzemiński, 1958). In addition, examples of reclamation and formations of exploitation areas of mineral deposits were presented (Stawicki, 2002).

In the paper the author discuss this problem presenting new examples of the protection of the biologically active surface of the Earth eg.:

  • The all-Polish competition on the management of palaeontological excavations areas (year 2002); one of the participants projected an original route along various geological sightseeing sites called „The Time Path”,
  • Problems of exploitation and reclamation of sulphurs deposits in the Kielce region,
  • Reclamation and formation of mountainous areas – Jamaica ,
  • Problems of mining and reclamation of lignite deposits in Bełchatów – the Łódź region.

 

The author turned also the attention to the World Conservation Union (IUCN) which became interested in these issues and to resolutions adopted by the Union (Resolution No. 19.40). Additionally, possibility of participation of our country in described problem solving was presented.