MINING LANDFORMS IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC AND THEIR POTENTIAL FOR USE IN TEACHING.

The natural environment of the Czech Republic is altered by many influences. The most important involve direct human interventions in the geological environment, mainly by the mining of mineral resources. The results of mining activities are the mining landforms that are of different sizes, shapes and rock structures. Their appearance is conditioned by the character of the raw material, the technological methods used for mining, and, in the case of sites that are currently close to termination, also by landscape management after the conclusion of mining activities. These specific conditions are taken into account in land reclamation projects, which depend on the economic and social needs of the region affected by mining. This paper evaluates changes in reclamation projects in mining areas, with a particular focus on the period of the 1990s, which is associated with a more comprehensive approach to the landscape and the environment. The paper offers an overview of interesting projects in the Czech Republic which are used at schools and for the popularisation of scientific disciplines. At the end, we offer a list of interdisciplinary topics that can be implemented in various mining shapes areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]