Zmiany w użytkowaniu ziemi zachodzące w ostatnich dwóch dekadach są konsekwencją przemian społeczno-gospodarczych. Wyrazem tego jest wycofywanie się rolnictwa z gór oraz zahamowanie niektórych procesów geomorfologicznych, a wzrost natężenia innych. Tym drugim sprzyja wzrost i częstotliwość zdarzeń ekstremalnych, które stwarzają zagrożenia powodziowe i osuwiskowe. Natomiast we wschodniej części polskich Karpat w wyniku przesiedlenia ludności nastąpiła po II wojnie światowej gwałtowna recesja gospodarki rolnej.

After Second World War in the Polish Carpathians followed various socio-economical changes which are expressed in change of land use and spatial pattern of settlements and roads, both reflected in circulation of water, degradation of soils and fluvial processes. There are two distinct types of transformations regionally differentiated. The first one is characteristic for eastern part (fig. 1). It was a rapid collapse of agricultural activity caused by transfer of Ukrainian population just after war. It has been reflected in the renovation of forest communities and expansion of meadows. Only in part of former villages some samples in the reconstruction of agricultural activity were undertaken. The second type covering the western and central parts of the Polish Carpathians is characterized by gradual mostly spontaneous retreat of agriculture and also partly husbandry accelerated in last two decades under the pressure of economic changes and social ones following them. The Carpathian regions follow now the trend which has been registered even since one century in west European mountains. In higher elevations it follows reforestation partly natural and gradual transformation to the tourist-recreation and forest economy earlier suggested by scientific community. In the foothills follows the decline of arable land and distinct specializations of agriculture. Changes in land use are reflected in the water circulation and geomorphic processes. It dropped slope wash, eolian activity and sediment load in the streams. The opposite trend show other processes: linear erosion, mass movements and flash floods.