Impacts of tourism on geomorphological processes in the Bucegi Mountains in Romania
The Bucegi Mountains are situated in the Curvature Carpathians close to the metropolitan area of Bucharest. Tourism has been promoted on the Bucegi Plateau since the 1930s with the establishment then of several hotels and chalets. During the communist period after World War II, the area targeted mas...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | deu |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
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| Series: | Geographica Helvetica |
| Online Access: | http://www.geogr-helv.net/64/134/2009/gh-64-134-2009.pdf |
| Summary: | The Bucegi Mountains are situated in the Curvature
Carpathians close to the metropolitan area of Bucharest.
Tourism has been promoted on the Bucegi Plateau
since the 1930s with the establishment then of several
hotels and chalets. During the communist period after
World War II, the area targeted mass tourism with the
creation of a large network of hiking paths. Increased
heating needs led to the almost complete removal of
dwarf pine cover. The current situation is characterised
by intense vegetation and soil degradation and by
active gullying along the hiking trails and around the
main tourist infrastructures. This study proposes a strategy
for sustainable tourism development on the plateau
based on an analysis of both local tourist infrastructure
development during the 20<sup>th</sup> century and impacts of
tourism on vegetation and soil erosion during the last
decade. It is argued that erosion can be counterbalanced
by redesigning the tourist path network, rehabilitating
the degraded slopes and raising the awareness of
tourists concerning geomorphological processes. |
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| ISSN: | 0016-7312 2194-8798 |