The development, temporal evolution and environmental influence of an unpaved road network on mountain terrain: an example from the Carpathian Mts. (Poland)

Roads affect the geomorphological changes of gradients, the sedimentary budget and the hydrological response of a catchment. This study deals with the development and temporary evolution of an unpaved road network in the Polish Carpathians. The analysis focuses on the mid-nineteenth and the beginning of the twenty-first century, and was conducted in six catchments located in three main sub-regions of the Carpathians. Results revealed that road network density calculated using 1:10,000 topographic maps is usually comparable to the real values. The contemporary real road network density reached 7.4–8.4 km km⁻² (foothills); 6.6–6.7 km km⁻² (medium–high-mountain); 2.3–2.9 km km⁻² (high-mountain) catchments, and these are one of the highest values recorded in mountain areas anywhere in the world. The “land famine” of the nineteenth century was discovered to be the main factor that influenced the high road network density in the foothills and medium–high-mountain catchments, whereas the excavation of natural resources, sheep grazing and the establishment of the national park, were considered to be such factors in the high-mountain of the Tatra Mts. Results revealed that the road network, usually considered as a permanent element of the environment, significantly evolves over time. These changes were mainly determined by the changes in the economy and the development of settlements and affected 45–90 % of the road network. The study emphasized that changes in the road network have a significant long-term impact on the mountain environment.