High Tatra—The Challenges of Natural Disaster Recovery and Complex Changes - Impact of Global Changes on Mountains: Responses and Adaptation - page 369

1954 on the Polish side. The area of the National Park on the Slovak side
covers 738 sq km (182,360 acres) and, in addition, the buffer zone area is
307.03 sq km (75,867 acres). National Nature Reserves with the highest
level of protection cover 51% of the territory. UNESCO has acknowledged
the uniqueness of the Tatras and accepted them as a part of international
biosphere reserves in 1993. The Tatras National Parks, being a model of
international cooperation in the fi eld of environmental protection were
identifi ed as the core area of European importance of the Pan-European
Ecological Network under the Council of Europe's Pan-European Biological
and Landscape Diversity Strategy. The territory of Natura 2000 network
covers 86% of the National Park (Crofts et al. 2005).
The territorry of High Tatras has served people by fulfi lling a variety
of functions, starting with forestry and agriculture, and continuing with
silver and gold mining, fi shing and hunting. An important role played
High Tatra at the start of XX century as an alpine respiratory health resort,
later an attractive platform for recreation and sports often expanding into
the core zone of natural ecosystems. The years of human interaction with
the nature in High Tatras have left visible footprints on original natural
ecosystems transforming them to socio-ecosystems with high natural and
cultural values on one side, but increasing its vulnerability on the other
side. A unique combination of natural values with outstanding cultural
heritage in High Tatras is attracting more than three million visitors a year
(before destruction in the windstorm in 2004) offering the possibilities for
sports, health, education, etc.
On November 19, 2004, the HighTatras Mountains were hit by the storm
with the winds reaching a speed of up to 173 km/hour, unprecedented in
Central Europe. The storm completely destroyed 13,000 hectares of forest
—a third of the total area of the High Tatras National Park. Approximately
three million cubic metres of soft wood were damaged (Toma 2009).
The increased number of visitors has put pressure on development
and expansion of tourist infrastructure, including open-air sport facilities.
Although the main reason for visiting the High Tatras has been, for years,
hiking, skiing and other open-air recreational activities, more and more
activities such as horseback riding, river rafting, golf and thermal pools
have been included. In this context the contstruction of buildings and
other infrastructure is considered to be the most signifi cant pressure,
and a threat to natural and cultural values of the High Tatras. They have
brought many negative impacts on the whole national park environment,
although at the start concentrated mostly on the mountain settlements
along the main transport axis connecting tourist centres Strbske Pleso and
Tatranska Lomnica, including the road and tram line. The high number of
visitors and rising spatial demand of their activities causes the radiation
of the disturbance to the broader surrounding natural environment, such