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Abstract:

The analysis covered mollusc communities found in Late Holocene river sediments and calcareous tufa in Podhale Basin and Pieniny Mts. The presence of rich malacofauna was revealed in 44 sites studied. Based on the analysis of the composition and structure of fauna, it was possible to separate two types of communities. The first type is dominated by shade-loving species and the second – by open-country taxa. The progression of these communities in the profiles allowed defining three types of succession. The results of malacological research, radiocarbon dating and historical data allowed us to distinguish two stages of intensive colonization (13th – 15th centuries and from the mid-19th century to modern times) separated by a depopulation period from the 16th to the mid-19th centuries. During periods of intense colonization, there was extensive deforestation and a significant increase in anthropopressure in Podhale and Pieniny. Human activity was particularly intense within flat valleys in the northern part of Podhale and in the wide valleys of larger rivers in the Pieniny. Anthropopressure was much less intense within the hill ranges in the southern part of Podhale and Pieniny. This was undoubtedly associated with more difficult terrain conditions that did not favour farming.