Abstract
Gully erosion is one of the greatest natural hazards in the loess areas of E. (Eastern) Poland. At the same time, permanent gullies are a major tourist attraction and can provide a basis for the development of geotourism. The study objective was to assess the possibilities of using the loess gullies for educational purposes. Detailed studies were conducted within the municipality of Kazimierz Dolny, an area with an extremely high concentration of permanent gullies. The questionnaire survey of students and tourists (nearly 300 surveys were completed) showed that the respondents’ knowledge of geomorphology was limited, despite their familiarity with gullies. In most cases, they were unable to accurately identify the determinants of gully erosion, its negative effects and methods for preventing it. An assessment of the tourism and geotourism potential of the municipality made it possible to identify the sites (gullies) that can perform an educational function, with regard to gully erosion. The establishment of the Małopolska Vistula Gap Geopark, whose highlights will include numerous loess gullies, can pave the way for the development of geotourism.
Highlights
Land degradation caused by gully erosion is a serious problem in many areas around the world (Poesen et al 2006)
The problem of using loess landscape for tourism purposes has already been described in literature (Dong et al 2014; Solarska et al 2013)
The main issue discussed has been the role of loess as an archive of changes in the environment and loess landscape characteristics
Summary
Land degradation caused by gully erosion is a serious problem in many areas around the world (Poesen et al 2006). Nat Hazards (2015) 79:S159–S181 silt, and intensive terrain and road network fragmentation (Poesen et al 2003; Valentin et al 2005). Poland) is typified by the occurrence of a very dense network of gullies, whose density exceeds 20 km/km in some places (Gawrysiak and Harasimiuk 2012). It is an area where gully erosion has been well researched, over the course of many years. The research has focused on: (1) historical gully erosion (Dotterweich et al 2012); (2) the dynamics of contemporary gully erosion processes (Rodzik et al 2009); and (3) the role of gully erosion in land use changes and landscape evolution (Zglobicki and Baran-Zglobicka 2011, 2012)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
