Changes in Forest Area of Coastal Communes of Baltic Sea as a Result of the Impact of Tourist and Recreational Loads

Abstract

The seaside area is one of the most forested in the country. At the same time, the forests in the coastal zone are exposed to a strong anthropogenic pressure due to a high concentration of tourism development and tourism. The aim of the study was to analyze the changes in the forest area availability of the coastal tourist municipalities of the Baltic Sea Coast in connection with the changes in the area of tourism development and tourism in this area. The analysis was conducted in dynamic terms, taking into account the years 2000-2016. In this study, all the communes that directly border the Baltic Sea were taken into account as seaside communes. The statistical data of the Local Data Bank of the Central Statistical Office were used as the source material for the implementation of the research problem addressing: the changes in the area of total forests in all coastal communes of the Baltic Sea Coast in 2000-2016, the changes in the area and population of communes, and selected data on the tourist function of the coastal communes including the data on the number of facilities and beds as well as the number of tourists visiting the coastal communes of the Baltic Sea Coast between 2000-2016. In the coastal communes, in the years 2000-2016, the forest cover index increased from 23.3 to 24.1%. Since 2000, the forest area per 1 inhabitant increased from 1741 m 2 to 2149 m 2. The increase in the forest area and average forest area per capita occurred mainly in the rural communes, large communes with the highest forest cover indicators, in the urban communes while in the communes with a strongly developed tourism function, there was an opposite tendency. The increase in the tourism load on the forest areas and decrease in the availability of forests for tourists in the municipalities and communes with the largest tourist investment (Kołobrzeg, Międzyzdroje, Władysławowo) is observed. The anthropogenic pressure and the availability of forest decreases in communes with lower population and the marginal role of tourism in their socioeconomic development (Choczewo, Trzebiatów, Smołdzino, Kamień Pomorski).