The regional network of geosites in the Polish Carpathians

Abstract

Polish part of the Carpathians represents a region with valuable, diversified geological structures and a wide spectrum of landforms. Nature protection in the Carpathians is regulated by the successive nature conservation acts of 1934, 1949 and 1991. The legal framework of geoconservation of the Inner and Outer Carpathians comprises: 6 national parks, 11 landscape parks, 15 geological reserves, 77 monuments and 14 documentary sites. About 90 individual sites and site-sets of a regional importance are proposed for protection. At present, inventory and documentary work focuses on protection of stratotypes of the flysch sequences and their reference sections, classic sites with fossils, sedimentary and tectonic structures, landforms as well as important sites of Quaternary deposits and evidences of morphological processes. Among the localities that are already protected or proposed to be protected the 25 most valuable sites/objects have been selected for the European List of GEOSITES compiled by IUGS in collaboration with ProGEO Association.