Abstract
Ski tourism’s popularity is driving a rise in the number of ski resorts.
This study aims to present the impact of ski infrastructure on soil
erosion processes on the example from a small catchment in the
Gubałowskie Foothills in southern Poland, where landscape changes before
(since 1879) and after the construction of the ski station (2007) were
presented. The analyses of changes in flow accumulation, slope
morphometry, and drainage ditches were conducted in the test area.
Quantitative analyses were performed using repeated DEMs derived from
LiDAR survey and detailed geodetic measurements, complemented by
geomorphological mapping done in the field. The study has revealed that
the ski infrastructure has not only directly transformed the hillslope
by flattening and constructing escarpments (up to 3 m high) but has also
created alternating patterns of erosion and accumulation. In the test
area, the drainage ditch was poorly designed. It was filled by materials
(0.1–0.5 m), and two new outlets formed. The escarpment of the analyzed
ski run has been diminished by 0.5 m. An alluvial fan (0.1 to 0.22 m
thick) has developed on the flattened surface below the escarpment with
drainage ditch outlets. This fan is eroded by subsurface flow that
creates a piping system. The gully below the alluvial fan has retreated
upslope, accelerated by subsurface erosion. This study enables the
presentation of hillslope adjustments and processes in response to the
new conditions caused by ski infrastructure. Such results may support
more effective land management in regions changed by ski infrastructure.