PRESERVATION OF RIVER VALLEYS IN WIELKOPOLSKA IN THE LANDSCAPE PERCEPTION TERMS – THE CASE OF THE VALLEY OF SAMICA KIERSKA RIVER

River valleys, apart from their natural values, have unique visual features. The perception of landscape is mainly determined by its spatial structure. Contemporary scientific research confirms significant compliance in the terms of ecological and aesthetic evaluations. The paper presents the results of the research carried out by the authors in the Valley of Samica Kierska River in Wielkopolska which is an area protected as a part of Natura 2000 network. There were three main objectives of the research: 1) an analysis of the relations between spatial structure and visual perception of landscape in the Valley of Samica Kierska River, 2) a comparison of the expert evaluation of the visual values with public aesthetic preferences towards landscape, 3) an assessment of the potential effectiveness of the existing conservation methods in Natura 2000 network for the preservation of landscape visual features.