Department of Geoenvironmental Research
About Department
The Department of Geoenvironmental Research was established on 15th November 1953, initially as a Laboratory of Geomorphology and Hydrology. Prof. Mieczysław Klimaszewski was appointed its organizer and first head. The basic task of the Department was to carry out a detailed hydrological and geomorphological mapping for areas of south Poland – among the first research fellows cooperating in that field were Leszek Starkel, Krystyna Wit-Jóźwik, Sylwia Gilewska and others. In 1955 Tadeusz Gerlach initiated the first studies on the contemporary slope processes. In 1968 Leszek Starkel became the head of the Department. In the 70s of the 20th century physico-geographical research studies (with site investigation) were carried out in Mongolia under the leadership of Kazimierz Klimek, and later since 1984 that type of research studies have been conducted in India. In the 80s of the last century the Department was in charge of the central research programme “Transformations in geographical environment of Poland”. From 2001 to 2008 the head of the Department was Prof. Adam Kotarba, and from 2008 to 2022 Prof. Zofia Rączkowska. Since 2023, the head of the Department is Prof. Łukasz Wiejaczka. The Department of Geoenvironmental Research has its field research stations located at: Szymbark near Gorlice, Frycowa near Nowy Sącz and Hala Gąsienicowa in the Tatras.
Research profile
The following are the research topics pursued by the Department of Geoenvironmental Research:
- degradation of the natural environment of the mountains of the temperate and monsoon zones (Witold Bochenek, Anna Bucała-Hrabia, Maksymilian Fukś, Małgorzata Kijowska-Strugała, Paweł Prokop, Katarzyna Wasak-Sęk, Joanna Wąs, Łukasz Wiejaczka, Karol Witkowski, Agnieszka Wojtaszowicz)
- fluvial processes in seminatural and regulated river valleys (Witold Bochenek, Anna Bucała-Hrabia, Maksymilian Fukś, Małgorzata Kijowska-Strugała, Joanna Wąs, Łukasz Wiejaczka, Karol Witkowski)
- interaction of hydrogeomorphological processes in the slope-channel system (Witold Bochenek, Anna Bucała-Hrabia, Jarosław Cebulski, Małgorzata Kijowska-Strugała, Karol Witkowski, Sabina Wójcik)
- stationary studies of energy and matter circulation in small Carpathian catchments (Witold Bochenek, Stanisław Kędzia, Małgorzata Kijowska-Strugała, Tomasz Szydłowski, Sabina Wójcik)
- contemporary dynamics of alpine relief under conditions of climate change (Stanisław Kędzia, Zofia Rączkowska)
- social perception of extreme environmental events in mountain areas (Łukasz Wiejaczka, Agnieszka Wojtaszowicz)
- land use changes and their impact on the natural environment (Witold Bochenek, Anna Bucała-Hrabia, Jarosław Cebulski, Małgorzata Kijowska-Strugała, Katarzyna Wasak-Sęk)
- influence of forest on water chemistry and soil properties in small mountain catchments (Tomasz Szydłowski, Katarzyna Wasak-Sęk)
- dam reservoirs in the geographical environment of mountain areas (Maksymilian Fukś, Łukasz Wiejaczka, Agnieszka Wojtaszowicz)
Application research studies deal with the following issues: assessment of land relief and water resources with a view to rational farming, impact of agricultural activity in the mountains on natural environment, keeping records of geomorphological and economic effects of extreme hydro-meteorological events, drawing up maps of earthslides and hazardous areas, assessment of mass wasting hazard, hydro-morphological evaluation of streams by means of RHS (River Habitat Survey).