Long-term landscape dynamics in the depopulated Carpathian Foothills: A Wiar River basin case study

A study of the depopulated Wiar River basin in the Carpathian Foothills reveals that landscapes once dominated by open farmland have shifted to extensive forestation since World War II, challenging the assumption that all European regions experience accelerating land-cover change. Researchers analyzed eight decades of topographic data (1780–2017), combined with archival sources and literature reviews, to identify patterns and drivers of landscape transformation across four historical periods: pre-industrial, industrial, socialist, and free-market. This long-term perspective demonstrates how economic marginalization and depopulation have reshaped the region's cultural and natural heritage, offering insights into the resilience and vulnerability of such landscapes.

Affek, A. N., Zachwatowicz, M., & Solon, J. (2020). Long-term landscape dynamics in the depopulated Carpathian Foothills: A Wiar River basin case study. Geographia Polonica, 93(1), 5–23. https://doi.org/10.7163/gpol.0160