Landscape structure of the KieLce and chęciny Landscape park
ewa nowak, ph.d.
The aim of this paper is to present research findings on the landscape structure in the region of Chęciny, with a particular emphasis on landscape units elements, i.e.
landscape facets (ecotopes) and terrain types (ecochores). Landscape structure shall denote the spatial arrangement of physical and geographical units and their functional relationships.
The research was conducted using the landscape mapping method, and was based on foreign publications by: Neff (1976), Haase (1976), and Polish ones, by Bartkowski (1986), Richling (1994) and Sołowiej (1992). Of the publications dealing with the landscape components of the investigated area, the works of Mityk (1981, 1983, 1993, 1995) should be mentioned.
We shall use the notion of landscape in the meaning of a geo-complex viewed in the typological perspective as the external appearance of the Earth from a given location (Richling 1983). Landscape evolved as a result of the overlapping of both exogenous and endogenous processes. We shall trace its evolution in this region, starting from the most ancient times in the Earth history.
The mapped area lies in the Kielce and Chęciny Landscape Park, the Polish first geological landscape park established in 1996. The mapped area belongs to the mezzo-region of the Mountains (Świętokrzyskie), the boundaries of which were delimited by Prof. Kondracki.
The most attractive spots can be encountered West of the Bobrza river, in the vicinity of Chęciny. Even though they reach altitudes of barely 400 metres, the hills have a distinctly chainy, mountainous structure. The Czerwona Góra chain with Czerwona Góra, formerly known as Jarzmowiec, is the one reaching farthest north, followed by the Zelejowa chain, deriving its name from Zelejowa Góra (Góra – Mount). The third and the longest is the Chęciny chain, with Zamkowa Góra (Castle Mount), Góra Rzepka and Miedzianka. All three chains are built from Devonian limestone, while the chains south of the Chęciny Mountains are built from Jurassic limestone. The gap of the Hutka river divides them into two: the eastern part, along the village of Korzecko, called Korzeczkowskie Grzywy, and the western part, called Grzędy Bolmińskie.
While the origin of the development of landscape is linked with the evolution of surface formations, its beginnings are dated on the basis of the evolution of substratum rocks. The essential characteristics of the area relief originated during the Hercynian orogeny. In the process, the main, WNW-ESE tectonic units were formed.
They are reflected in actual directions of mountain chains and longitudinal depressions.
Additionally, the land-forming stage of the Tertiary period played an important role in the evolution of the Chęciny landscape. The relief patterns which evolved at that time were modelled by denudation and erosion factors, as well as sedimentation processes of the Pleistocene. The variety of factors influencing development of landscape in this area accounts for low relative altitudes, between 200 and 400 m.
Trying to describe the landscape of the region, we must go back to the most ancient period and retrace its evolution up to the present.
In the Precambrian period, the area of the Świętokrzyskie Mountains lay probably in the central part of the sedimentary basin that had formed between the rigid masses of the East-European platform and the rigid masses stretching from the south and south-west (Żak, 1968a). On its bottom, sandstone, mudstone and clay deposits were formed. In the Cambrian period, for nearly six hundred million years the region was a sea. It was a deep sea – on its bottom mainly clay deposits were formed, which later produced slate interbedded with thin sandstone strata. These forms can contemporarily be found in the Chęciny anticline (Żak, 1968a).
Towards the end of the Upper Cambrian, the area was influenced by the Caledonian orogeny, which resulted in faulting and folding of the Cambrian sediments.
Traces of the process can be found in the Dymin Range (Tomczyk, 1974). When the orogenic movements had ceased, a new transgression of the sea took place at the beginning of the Ordovician.
We cannot be sure whether Ordovician or Silurian rocks have been formed, since the Cambrian formations are covered with marine Devonian formations, which serve as a record of the changing sedimentation conditions in this basin. In the Middle Devonian, dolomite and limestone sediments of coral-reef origin developed in the Chęciny region, whereas the beds of layered limestone originated at the beginning of the Upper Devonian period (Książkiewicz et al., 1965).
As the building rocks of the Chęciny and Zelejowa Ranges, Devonian sediments play a major part in the morphology of the researched area.
The sea basin that covered the Świętokrzyskie Mountains until the end of the Devonian period recessed towards the end of the Lower Carboniferous, which was connected with the lifting movements of the Hercynian orogeny. During this process, the rigid and thick series of Cambrian rocks formed the axes of anticlines, and the mountains became land. Mountain ranges appeared, subject to destruction due to external factors in the dry and hot climate of the Permian. Weathering and denudation resulted in exposing Devonian limestone rocks.
In the Upper Permian, the sea transgressed from the west, and its bays embraced the shores of the Hercynian basin. The sea, with its numerous bays, penetrated deep into the Świętokrzyskie region. The most characteristic Zechstein sediment are red limestone rocks – limestone conglomerates called „Zygmunt limestone”. The red and grey limestones of the Chęciny area formed in the shallow bays of the sea. When the Zechstein sea had recessed, at the beginning of the Triassic, the Świętokrzyskie region became land.
Towards the end of the tertiary period, the landscape of the Świętokrzyskie Mountains much resembled the contemporary one, only its relief was more varied (Kotański, 1959).
In the quaternary, intense relief-fashioning processes occurred in the area under research. In the earliest Pleistocene, the area was covered by the periglacial climatic zone connected with the Podlasie glaciation. In such conditions, sloping processes developed in the Chęciny area, producing waste clay with local rock crumbs. On the basis of the distribution of local boulder clays in the vicinity of Kielce and Bodzentyn, Czarnocki (1934) came to the conclusion that during the Podlasie glaciation a local mountain-type glaciation occurred in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains.
It is assumed that the Mindel glaciation consisted of at least two stages, which is evidenced by boulder clay interbedded with series of sand and gravel deposits. The peaks and elevations devoid of ice mass at the time, which – in the periglacial climate – were situated in front of the ice wall, as well as protruding peaks surrounded by ice mass were subject to intense frosting processes. During the second interglacial phase, with a predominance of riverine and lacustrine deposition, sand, gravel and loam accumulated – they can be found in the Nida valley (Łyczewska, 1971). In the periglacial climate, large stone rubble and clay covers formed.
At the turn of the Pleistocene and the Holocene, erosion processes accelerated and resulted in the dissection of alluvial deposits of the Ems age and the Würm glaciation, and a development of a contemporaneous drainage pattern. In early Holocene, gravels and sands deposited in the valleys, and – during the climatic optimum in the Atlantic phase – additionally loams and organogenic formations. In older Holocene, deposition of sediments in river valleys took place. At present, erosion of these forms is in progress, due to anthropogenic factors such as deforestation.
Contemporarily, diluvial deposits and peats are formed in river valleys.
The concave forms in the researched area are related to outcrops of rocks less resistant to destruction (Chęciny Valley). As a result of denudation processes other forms, such as planation surfaces, developed. Planation surfaces are plain or slightly undulating surfaces that unevenly cut the strata at almost identical altitudes, regardless of their resistance and tectonic structure. With respect to relief, they form long and flat summit planes on the slopes – Lencewicz (1936). In the researched area, there occurs a Miocene planation surface, elevated to 330 m. It occupies the largest area in the ranges near Kielce. The Lower Pliocene planation surface is marked at an altitude of 300 m above sea level, and appears in the Czerwona Góra, Zelejowa and Chęciny ranges, as well as in the Chęciny valley. River valleys are also important components of landscape. Lencewicz (1936) and Łyczewska (1971) share an opinion that they originated in the quaternary (the Biebrza valley within the Park’s boundaries).
Moreover, dry flat-bottomed valleys occur in the area; they differ from river valleys as they lack terraces and permanent water courses. According to Klatka (1955), those forms originated as a result of the conditions of the periglacial climate.
An interesting landscape component of the area in question are karst landforms, which occur both on the surface (e.g. sinks, karrens) and subterraneously (the biggest caves – Raj [Paradise], Piekło [Hell]).
Activity of man contributed many forms in the shape of banks, dumps, working hollows creation. Most of such forms can be encountered in the protecting zone of the National Park.
The developed landscape map of the area is preceded with a landscape cross- section, which comprises the massifs of Góra Zelejowa and Góra Zamkowa, the Chęciny Valley and the Zelejowa Valley. Góra Zelejowa is situated north-west of Góra Zamkowa, about 2.5 km from Chęciny. Góra Zamkowa lies in the Chęciny Range, and its continuation westwards is Góra Rzepka. In the Chęciny Valley lies the town Chęciny. Chęciny Valley serves as an example of inverted relief. The valley came into being as a result of the destruction of anticlinal structure. In its middle, we can observe oily shales and grey limestones of the Cambrian period. The shales and the limestones formed the axis of the anticline, while its limestone limbs were Góra Zamkowa and Góra Zelejowa.
In order to clarify the scope of basic typological units, that is ranges and terrain types, their variability was shown on the landscape profile of Góra Zelejowa- Chęciny Valley-Góra Zamkowa. This profile marks variability of features of the natural environment in the spheres of: relief, lithology, soils, types of habitat and ground water distribution. At the base of the profile, the scopes of the ranges (U1, U2, ...U13) and terrain types (T1, T2, T3 ) were placed. The range is a form characterised by common physiographic processes, while a terrain type is a uniform surface in terms of the genetic type of soil and land use (Bartkowski, 1970). Relief complex, lithology, waters, climate, habitat, anthropogenic changes are all treated as identification and isolation criteria. The inner horizontal landscape structure denotes the number of inferior units occurring on the surface of superior units. This, in the case of terrain types, means the number of ranges.
In order to manifest the differences in the meaning of the aforementioned landscape units, physiographic characteristics of the ranges were compiled.
Type: ridges and carbonate hummocks
1. Range type of carbonate crest ridges occurs on a carbonate ridge cut with a longitudinal fault on one slope of Góra Zelejowa. The material substratum of the geo-complex is made up of carbonate rocks directly exposed to the operation of denudation processes driven by rainwater, resulting in the development of chemical denudation. Ground waters are deep, outside the range of vegetation cover. Such a type of complex structure is influenced by abiotic elements and external factors.
2. Range type of carbonate ridge hilltops evolved on upper ridge flats, pertaining to the old planation surfaces, built from limestone rocks (coral and amphiporous limestone). The hilltop surfaces are normally flat and level, changing into slopes with no distinct bends. The level of fissure-type ground waters is deep.
Rainwater, easily flowing down the surface, helps to wash down the waste material. For this reason, soils of the first development phase are predominant, i.e. protorendzinas with xerothermic grass vegetation and occasional clumps of shrubbery (hawthorn, hip rose). The hilltops are characterised by a relatively high level of warming and lighting as well as ventilation and high vaporisation.
3. Range type of carbonate ridge slopes developed under the influence of sloping and karstic processes. The gradient of Góra Zelejowa and Góra Zamkowa slopes approximates 40 – 45 degrees. The slope surfaces are interspersed with small sink holes. Distribution of soils and vegetation on the slopes is catenoid: from protorendzinas with xerothermic grass vegetation on the sun-exposed slope of Góra Zelejowa, shrub vegetation (junipers, cherries, roses), to brown rendzinas.
On Góra Zelejowa, brown rendzinas in its surface horizons contain Tertiary waste of the terra rossa type. On such northern-slope soils leafy and mixed forest occurs.
4. Range type of diluvial declivities occurs in the northern part of Góra Zelejowa.
The range of declivities developed on limestone, marl or dolomite outcrops, taking the form of rather steep hillsides descending towards the river valley on the one hand, ones changing into a plain covered by Pleistocene deposits and on the other. Declivity hillsides reach an altitude of up to almost 20 m, with 30°
gradients. Ground waters occur at the depth of up to 20 m, and their level rises towards the declivity base. Brown soils and rendzinas with shrubs and grasses are noted in the area. Topoclimate of the range depends on hillside gradient and exposure. Hillsides with southern exposure are warmer than the ones with northern exposure. These differences affect the duration of snow cover, degree of soil moisture, and the variety of plant communities (xerothermic grasses on sun-exposed slopes and shrubs on shady ones). Góra Zelejowa hillsides are ploughed for potato growing; there are also hay-growing meadows.
5. Range type of carbonate plains comprises denudation plains built from carbonate rocks from which, as a result of denudation processes, the Pleistocene cover has been removed. Plain surface is predominantly levelled, with height differences reaching up to 5 m, and a deeper waste stratum consisting of rubble, clay and silt, which represents the parent material for rendzinas and brown rendzinas.
Ground waters occur at a depth of 7 to 12 m.
6. Range type of sink holes comprises small karstic concave forms later transformed by denudation processes and diluvium sedimentation. The sides of those sinks are rugged, with solid rock outcrops and diluvial covers, their bottoms covered by stone rubble filled with clay and silt material. They are dry sinks, with rendzinas and shrubby vegetation. The topoclimate is determined by the depth of the form, sun exposure and warming of bottom sides.
In the spatial pattern of the ranges, certain regularities can be observed in the terrain type of carbonate ridges and hummocks, viz. in the middle of carbonate areas, carbonate ridges can be found, surrounded by carbonate plains. These areas are subject to strong influence of anthropogenic factors.
Terrain type of sandy and clayey plains on plateaux; it consists ranges developed on the Cambrian silica substratum: Chęciny Valley and Zelejowa Valley.
7. Range type of mudstone plains evolved on denudation plains built from less resistant sandstone and mudstone series interbedded with Lower Cambrian and Devonian silts. These complexes produce sandy and clayey waste with stone
rubble that provide the substratum for podsolic and leached brown soils. On the plains, infiltration regime of rainwater prevails, the level of ground waters remaining stable at a depth of 4 to 8 m. Plains constitute ranges occasionally used as farmland.
8. Range type of clayey plains comprises denudation plains built on the substratum of Cambrian silt deposits, covered with residual soil on the surface. As a result of weathering processes, clay waste is formed which constitutes the subsoil for heavier podsolic, brown acid podsolic and brown acid gleyed soils.
Ground waters lie shallow causing excessive moistening of the soil covern the wet season. Climate is slightly colder and wetter as compared to that of the surrounding sandy plains. The plains are under cultivation.
9. Range type of sandy plains developed in areas built from various older substratum formations, covered by Pleistocene deposits, primarily glaciofluvial.
The weathering sandstones produce sandy and rubbly waste, on which shallow, trophically poor podsolic and brown acid soils evolve. On the plains, surface washes are quite common. The topoclimate of those ranges is characterised by good insolation and medium moisture. The sandy plain ranges are predominantly farmland, partially transformed by man due to their agricultural use. Less frequently such areas are covered with mixed forest or are regarded as wasteland.
Terrain types of river valley and dry valley hillsides
10. Range type of dry flat-bottomed valleys evolved in shallow periglacial valleys with flat bottoms and gentle, slightly convex hillsides. On the hillsides, leached brown and diluvial soils occur, and on the bottoms – degraded, gley, peat and mud chernozem. The valley hillsides are ploughed, while on the bottoms – dry- ground and marshy meadows are seen.
11. Range type of dry basin-shaped valleys comprises shallow periglacial valleys on the slopes of ridges and hummocks, as well as on denudation plains. The slopes are covered with diluvial deposits representing parent material for podsolic, brown leached, diluvial and gley soils. The slopes are often ploughed, while the bottoms support dry-ground and – less frequently – marshy meadow vegetation. The topoclimate is determined by the depth of the valleys, exposure and gradient of the slopes.
12. Range type of sandy terraces occurs on bottoms filled with glaciofluvial deposits, with a prevalence of layered sands and gravels of up to 30-metre thickness (Hakemberg, 1974). These are permeable deposits, vertically washed by rainwater, with unstructured roofs. Primarily alluvial, podsolic and brown soils developed on the sandy subsoil. The plain relief is flat and rolling, with height differences reaching up to 6 m. The ground water table permanently remains at a level of 4 to 8 m.
13. The peaty plain range comprises depressions filled with mineral and organogenic
deposits of lowmoor peats. Ground water lewel stays at a depth of 0.5 m throughout the year.
River valley terrain type hillsides developed on river valley hillsides of varying lengths and gradients. The soil cover is varied, ranging from brown leached and podsolic soils, through diluvial brown soils, to gley soils and degraded alluvial chernozem.
In the analysed area, 13 individual units were identified, categorised under 3 landscape types, the prevalent surface one being the sandy and clayey plain range, whereas the most recurrent one is the carbonate ridge range. The boundaries of these units are tortuous, which can testify to increased exogenous processes in landscape formation. The ranges developing in this area as a result of anthropogenic activity have straight boundaries (urban development of Chęciny). Research has proved that the Park area has interesting scenic attractions, expressed in a diversity of forms. Those assets validate the adopted formula for the protection of the region, i.e. the establishment of Kielce and Chęciny Landscape Park.
Analysed part of the Kielce and Chęciny Landscape Park is characterised by diversity of landscape. A dominant category is that of highland landscape, comprising two types: carbonate rock landscape and silica rock landscape.
Lowland landscape comprises ranges of the sandy terrace, river bottom, as well as valley, dry flat-bottomed and basin-shaped valley types.
An examination of the ranges and their typology may have both cognitive and practical significance. Cognitively, it provides an insight into the structure of landscape, as well as into the direction and dynamics of its development. In practical aspects, it provides the ground for rationalising land use. Due to a high level of uniformity of ranges structure as fundamental physical-geographic units, they can represent a basic link in physical and geographic regionalisation of the area and can play a role of basic fields in the assessment of natural environment.
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Landscape map of Chęciny region
