The typology of the nature values in the mining towns on the examples from the region of the Rybnik Coal Area

Nature’s resources having a usability attribute are nature values – if they are able to provide for human demands that are being exploited. This article relates to the environmental potential of mining and post – mining areas as well as possibilities of its use in the development of tourisms and recreation. An original typology of the nature value and the assessment of the tourist usability of environment of chosen mining towns of the Rybnik Coal Area – Wodzisław Śląski, Radlin, Rydułtowy, and Pszów are presented in this work. The Rybnik Coal Area is situated in the southern Poland, in a south-west part of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin. A geological substratum consists of Carboniferous rocks with a hard coal layer exploited from the end of 18th century, but more intensively in the last half-century. In all of the researched towns, hard coal mining is still running and anthropogenic processes changing the environment are taking place. An inventory of natural resources was performed during the direct field work in the years 2010-2011. The nature values were catalogued in a typological way according to the elements of the environment from which they result, focusing on the mining character of the research areas. Therefore, geologic, geomorphologic, hydrologic and biotic (of flora and fauna) have been highlighted, while climatic values have been omitted intentionally due to the vast issue of the assessment of the bioclimatic zone potential. Additionally, natural and anthropogenic elements were distinguished in each group of the values. Due to a significant degree of anthropogenic transformations of the environment, the analysed area is characterised by low environmental attractiveness; tourism and recreation play a marginal role there. Among the nature values of the analysed towns, the geologic qualities are the most significant ones. Therefore, geotourism is the form of tourist activity suggested to revive the region. The greatest potential for the development of geotourism is shown by Pszów, Radlin, Rydułtowy. The development and popularisation of geoturism should be included in the planning documents of the towns mentioned above. In order to increase tourist movement, it is suggested to mark up so-called academic-didactic paths and to mark geotourist object with appropriate information signs and more importantly with the development of infrastructure serving tourism and recreation.