Within Lubelskie province (SE Poland) are several regions notable for groups of landforms unique in Poland. In this paper, tourists' assessments of the geomorphological heritage of the region have been analysed. The most interesting sites, from both the scientific and touristic points of view and also proposed for the national list of geomorphosites, were chosen for the study. The evaluation by tourists was carried out by means of an Internet survey with 693 answers collected over 6 weeks. The sites visited most frequently by the respondents are loess gullies and river valleys with small waterfalls. The sites were mostly visited during car trips and as part of walking excursions during a long-term stay. The main motivation for visiting the surveyed sites was the aesthetic value of the landscape. The respondents sought information, mainly on the Web, about nature, culture and tourist attractions. The results of the survey indicate a need for further promotion of the geotouristic values of lesser-known sites in Lubelskie province and this will also enable tourism to be better managed.

Agricultural areas of SE Poland are characterised by small, family-owned agricultural holdings. Poland's accession to the EU has resulted in an increased availability of funds needed to change traditional agriculture practices. A question thus arises: should we preserve the economically unfavourable land use mosaic occurring here (more than 30 patches per square kilometre)? The study analyses the structure of the land cover using three test areas covering 100 km 2 . The main objective is to propose solutions that should be part of the model procedure within the system of agricultural use of loess areas in the future. The authors also attempts to determine whether traditional agroforestry can be a method for the agricultural use of these areas. Based on an analysis of maps for landforms, geology and land cover and landscape structure, the authors also propose guidelines to be considered in spatial agricultural management. The main output of the paper is a set of several maps together with quantitative descriptions and statistical analysis. The improvement of the area's landscape structure and the reduction of erosion risk, necessitate afforestation encompassing between 4.9 and 6.5% of the test areas. The implementation of land consolidation programmes should preserve the existing land use mosaic (traditional agroforestry) in areas threatened by erosion (9.0-15.4% of the area).

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Land cover changes result mainly from anthropogenic determinants (historical and socio-economic processes), but natural factors may also play an important role. The processes of deforestation and reforestation are important elements of present-day landscape changes in Central Europe. In this study, the relation of forest cover changes to environmental variables (topography and soils) within an important agricultural region of Poland, the Lubelskie province (25,000 km 2 ), over the last 180 years was assessed. Three topographical maps (from 1830, 1930 and 2006) and other cartographic data were used to detect forest cover changes and their driving forces. Simple spatial index and supplementary statistical methods were applied to evaluate the relations. The first period (1830-1930) saw intensive deforestation as a result of increasing agricultural land use; forest cover decreased from 30 to 19 %. The second period was characterised by an increase in forest area that now accounts for 23 % of the province. Although changes in forest cover are related to human activity, spatial patterns of deforested and reforested areas during the last 180 years corresponded to the diversity of environmental variables. Flat areas covered by fertile soils were deforested, while new forests appear mainly within sandy soils and steeper slopes. The study also showed that environmental variables had an impact on the structure of forest cover.

Geoparks currently form the basis for the development of geotourism and, therefore, proposals of new geoparks are developed in many countries, including Poland, where over 20 locations for geoparks have been proposed so far. Two national geoparks have been established thus far, while another two have received the status of UNESCO Global Geoparks None of them are located in the Carpathian Mountains. Simultaneously south-eastern Poland—the Podkarpackie Province—boasts valuable geoheritage, biotic and cultural assets. In the past, having regard for the geological heritage, several research teams proposed the creation of three geoparks encompassing the existing landscape parks in that area. However, these were proposals based solely on scientific values. The objective of the study was to comprehensively assess their tourism potential, with a particular focus on geoheritage assets. The assessment has made it possible to determine to what extent these assets meet the conditions necessary for the functioning of this type of areas, i.e., the occurrence of diverse tourist assets, well-developed infrastructure and appropriate development potential. The assessment method used is based on 25 indices forming six groups. The analyses have been carried out for districts lying within the proposed geoparks. It has been found that the analysed area has a sufficiently high geoheritage potential that can be the basis for the functioning of two geoparks. The tourist infrastructure—particularly accommodation and catering facilities and geotourist trails—needs to be expanded and improved. It is particularly important to encourage local communities to become involved and engage in business activity within the geopark.