27. Landslide Landscape of the Moravskoslezské Beskydy Mountains and Their Surroundings

Moravskoslezské Beskydy Mts represent the highest part of the Western Carpathians in the Czech Republic and could serve as an archetype of elevated flysch landscape that originated within the Alpine thrust-and-fold belt. Major landforms of the area originated as a consequence of Miocene thrusting, rock control (alternation of sandstone and shale layers of different rock strength), fluvial processes and mass movements. Of major importance are ancient and active landslides that play a crucial role in increasing geodiversity of the mountain slopes. The Moravskoslezské Beskydy Mts together with surrounding flysch highlands host the most frequent and developed crevice-type caves in the Czech Republic, which makes this area unique in Central European context. However, increasing tourism together with intensive forest management and other human activities pose a major threat to the landscape underlain by fragile flysch rocks.