The aim of the research project was to test the hypothesis that the white birch as hyperaccumulator of selected trace elements can be used in soil remedia-tion, that it acts as bioindicator in environmental studies and can be a useful spe-cies for planting to restrict migration of trace elements to the forest ecosystem with no adverse impact on its development and proper functioning. The research presented in this paper relied on a comparison of the mor-phometric parameters of assimilation apparatus in white birch (Betula pendula Roth.) growing in an isolated geomembranes soil, which has received two doses of trace elements in easily digestible forms. The results showed that the different levels of trace elements have the same impact on the state of assimilation apparatus birch. Given the prevalence of birch in Polish conditions, its good adoption to an environment with a strong human impact and low environmental requirements, this species may be suitable for planting in the form of biogeochemical barriers screening sources emitting trace elements (routes, dumps, landfills, industrial plants, sewage treatment plant).
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Increasing road traffic may destabilise the functioning of these animal populations that require large spaces. Animals that periodically dwell in the vicin-ity of roads may also be unfavourably impacted by the chemical contamination generated by vehicular traffic. Soils, ground cover and water in watering places are particularly susceptible to contamination. In order to enable free migration of wild animals, it is necessary to construct walkways above or under transport routes. To date there have been no attempts to develop appropriate guidelines for the optimisation of engineering parameters of aboveground walkways and ade-quate methods of managing ecoducts.The detailed scope of camera monitoring of the walkway included the fol-lowing:- analysis of the species and age structure of wild boars using the walkway,- analysis of the annual and daily seasonality of migration,- assessment of the impact of physical factors (noise and light) generated by vehicular traffic on the behaviour of wild animals on the walkway,Analyses of the registered film sequences have proven that a correctly de-signed, developed and managed aboveground walkway is accepted by animals and ensures continuity of the migration corridor bisected by a transport route with a considerable intensity of traffic. The walkway was used by both big game and small ...
The results of field research at 230 river sections located throughout Poland were used to examine the possibility of predicting values of macrophyte metrics of ecological status. Artificial intelligence methods such as artificial neural networks were used in the modelling. The physicochemical parameters of water (alkalinity, conductivity, nitrate and ammonium nitrogen, reactive and total phosphorus, and biochemical oxygen demand) were used as the explanatory (modelling) variables. The explained (modelled) parameters were the Polish MIR (Macrophyte Index for Rivers), the British MTR (Mean Trophic Rank) and the French IBMR (River Macrophytes Biological Index). The quality of the constructed models was assessed using the normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) and the r-Pearson's linear correlation coefficient between variables modelled by the networks and calculated on the basis of the botanical research. These analyses demonstrated that the network modelling MIR values had the highest accuracy. The lowest prediction accuracy was obtained for MTR and IBMR indices. The differences between particular models are likely to result from better adjustment of the Polish method to local rivers (particularly in terms of indicator species used). ...
Outliers are a common problem occurring in a set of environmental va-riables and such the observations often disturb significantly the final classification of the quality of aquatic ecosystems. Identification of outliers can reduce various sources of error in environmental monitoring, which can be caused by a person, equipment or method as well as other random factor. This paper examines how to detect outliers by using some statistical tests. Four tests were analysed: Q-Dixon, Grubbs, Hampel and quartiled. All of them were evaluated in terms of detection sensitivity of typical outliers. The analytical dataset consisted of a monthly analysis of the various forms of nitrogen and phosphorus in the water. The study was conducted Turing the single year (2010) in two rivers in Wielkopolska region (Głomia and Mogielnica) representing different degrees of degradation. ...
The aim of the research described in this paper is to classify groundwaterlevel patterns in pine stands of forest fresh sites. The approach has been employedwith the view to facilitate explaining interactions between physiographic characteristicsand groundwater dynamics in prospective research. The methods whichhave been employed so far for explanation of groundwater level dynamics interactionswith local physiographic conditions do not let to draw firm conclusions. Theclassification of groundwater dynamics patterns requires employing more sophisticatedmethods, because of a relatively extensive range of groundwater dynamicssite-to-site variability expressed, e.g., by amplitude and cycle period. The methodsof groundwater patterns classification proposed in the literature focused either onhydrogeological criteria or, if related to forest ecosystems, focused on water balanceelements in forest habitats.The area selected for investigation represented typical features for theNorthern European Lowland forests defined by soil and form of terrain patternshaped by the last glacial period (Vistulian glaciation) and dominant share of ScotsPine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in stand species composition. The research period coveredthe 2002-2007 hydrological years. The measurement used in analysis covered35 sites equipped with measurement wells. ...
Road transportation causes chemical pollution which may affect health of forest stands. The assimilative organs of Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) are usu-ally considered as a sensitive indicator of the environment quality, since quality of pine needles is a factor strongly determining tree stand health as a whole. Accu-mulation and biosorption of toxic metal compounds e.g. chromium compounds concentration can often result in deformation of needle or shortening of needle length. Length and weight of needles were assigned as the benchmark factor of re-action to pollution cased by road transportation. Experimental plots were placed in sapling stands growing along state road no. 5 crossing the National Park of Wielkopolska (located in the western part of the Polish Lowland). The needles (one- and two-year specimen) were extracted from transects set in range of 20, 40 and 60 m distance from the road. Morphometric measurements were performed on scanned needles with application of digShape software. Two-factor variance analysis was employed (factor A age of needle and factor B distance from the road). The needles extracted from trees growing on transect located 60 m away from the road returned significantly higher mass and length values than the nee-dles extracted from the transects spreading ...
Noise is one of the most popular environmental pollution. Long-standing residence in noisy areas can cause discomfort, problems with sleeping, neurosis, etc. Because of moving sources and increasing the number of routs, communicative noise is drudging on the huge areas. The level of noise emitted depends on the number of vehicles, as well as their types, speed and technical condition and also the type of routs pavement. Propagation of acoustic waves in the roadside area is stipulated by sound's source energy as well as characteristics of the emitter. Forest ecotone zones and roadside afforestation constitute a certain ecological filter buffering contaminations generated by traffic. Trees and shrubs growing in the vicinity of routs are able to reflect as well as absorb noise. They can form natural acoustic screen. The paper presents an assessment of the propagation of communicative noise on the forestry areas by analysis of variance. Researchers were carried out in the forest area, urban and park forests. Evaluation of noise propagation was conducted in January and July 2006. The measurements’ intensity of noise was interpreted according to model three-factor linear model as well as two-factor linear model. Measuring points were located in different distances away from the crown ...
Noise is one of the most popular environmental pollution. Long-standing residence in noisy areas can cause discomfort, problems with sleeping, neurosis, etc. Because of moving sources and increasing the number of routs, communicative noise is drudging on the huge areas. The level of noise emitted depends on the number of vehicles, as well as their types, speed and technical condition and also the type of routs pavement. Propagation of acoustic waves in the roadside area is stipulated by sound's source energy as well as characteristics of the emitter. Forest ecotone zones and roadside afforestation constitute a certain ecological filter buffering contaminations generated by traffic. Trees and shrubs growing in the vicinity of routs are able to reflect as well as absorb noise. They can form natural acoustic screen. The paper presents an assessment of the propagation of communicative noise on the forestry areas by analysis of variance. Researchers were carried out in the forest area, urban and park forests. Evaluation of noise propagation was conducted in January and July 2006. The measurements’ intensity of noise was interpreted according to model three-factor linear model as well as two-factor linear model. Measuring points were located in different distances away from the crown ...
Construction of forest roads on swampy terrains poses many problems and is expensive, therefore the Authors compared the method so far used to achieve road passability owing to the application of rubble with a modern method, where the main element is a geotextile with a track reinforcement of additional fibres. In the presented experiment the geotextile was embedded into the surface structure as a flat layer or as a semi mattress and covered with variously grained sand or crushed granite. Four variants of the surface construction obtained in this way with additionally established reference stretch of the rubble surface were tested using a light weight dynamic deflectometer (LWD) before and after rainfall. The obtained results demonstrated an approximate bearing capacity of the road surface in the tested technologies, clearly exceeding bearing capacity of the reference stretch of road. The rainfall caused a decrease in bearing capacity on all tested sections, however, the greatest decrease of bearing capacity was observed on the reference stretch. The tested technologies do not allow to achieve road surface bearing capacity suitable for the heavy vehicles carrying timber, but they may provide the base layer for this type of roads or form an independent surface on ...
