摘要：The area of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin is the most important underground mining district in Poland. Coalmines, operating in the area since the eighteenth century, have contributed to massive transformationsof the landscape structure. River valleys within range of intensive exploitation activities have been undergoingvast changes. The Slepiotka River drainage basin constitutes an interesting regional example of transformationsin the river's watercourse as well as in its adjacent area. It is a left-hand tributary of the Klodnica River witha length of about 8.6 km.Changes in the landscape structure that occurred between 1824-1993 have been analyzed. The startingmaterial consisted of topographical maps that were digitized and calibrated and served as a basis to createcolorful compositions. The areas occupied by the different land cover types have been calculated, which allowedto determine their participation in the drainage basin.In about 169 years, significant changes took place in the area of research considering the share of differenttypes of cover and land use. During this time, the river changed its course, both naturally and by humanactivities. Increasing urbanization and technological development contributed to the diametrical transformationof the landscape structure in the discussed area.
关键词：land use; structure of the landscape; the Slepiotka River drainage basin; Katowice; GIS; topographic;map
