Skip to main menu
Skip to search engine
Skip to content
Skip to footer
en
pl
en
pl
Contrast
Login
en
pl
en
pl
Login
Contrast
Back
About project
About project
Mission
Partners and organization
Projects
Technical informations
FAQ
Copyrights
Regulations
Archive policy
Privacy policy
Declaration of availability
Contact
Collections
Collections
Publications of IGiPZ PAN and employees
Library
Books
Series/Journals/Periodics
Maps and atlases
Selected collections
Polish Geographical Society Collection
Prof. Józef Staszewski Collection
CeBaDoM - Central Database of Mills in Poland
millPOLstone - Central Millstones Database
Indexes
Indexes
Title
Subtitle
Creator
Contributor
Publisher
Place of publishing
Date issued/created
Date on-line publ.
Date copyrighted
Date available
Description
Thesis degree information
Degree name
Level of degree
Degree discipline
Degree grantor
Unified name
Other names
ID number
Type of object
Location
Location- administrative unit (former)
See the map
Hydrographic network
Century
Period (time interval)
Functioning confirmed in year
Object type
Installed capacity
Assignment
Ownership
Usage
Owner
Tenant
Miller
State of preservation- mill building
State of preservation- water/wind wheel
State of preservation- miller's settlement
State of preservation- hydraulic structures
State of preservation- dike
State of preservation- pond mill
State of preservation- mill stream
Object description
Research Manager/ Creator of Collection
Author (of drawing, photo, record)
Documentation
Subject and Keywords
Abstract
References
Relation
Citation
Volume
Issue
Start page
End page
Resource type
Format
Resource Identifier
Source
Language
Language of abstract
Coverage
Spatial coverage
Temporal coverage
Rights
Terms of use
Copyright holder
Digitizing institution
Original in
Projects co-financed by
Tags
Recently viewed
Recently viewed
Objects
Collections
RCIN Repositories
RCIN Repositories
INSTYTUT ARCHEOLOGII I ETNOLOGII POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK
INSTYTUT BADAŃ LITERACKICH POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK
INSTYTUT BADAWCZY LEŚNICTWA
INSTYTUT BIOLOGII DOŚWIADCZALNEJ IM. MARCELEGO NENCKIEGO POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK
INSTYTUT BIOLOGII SSAKÓW POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK
INSTYTUT CHEMII FIZYCZNEJ PAN
INSTYTUT CHEMII ORGANICZNEJ PAN
INSTYTUT FILOZOFII I SOCJOLOGII PAN
INSTYTUT GEOGRAFII I PRZESTRZENNEGO ZAGOSPODAROWANIA PAN
INSTYTUT HISTORII im. TADEUSZA MANTEUFFLA POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK
INSTYTUT JĘZYKA POLSKIEGO POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK
INSTYTUT MATEMATYCZNY PAN
INSTYTUT MEDYCYNY DOŚWIADCZALNEJ I KLINICZNEJ IM.MIROSŁAWA MOSSAKOWSKIEGO POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK
INSTYTUT PODSTAWOWYCH PROBLEMÓW TECHNIKI PAN
INSTYTUT SLAWISTYKI PAN
SIEĆ BADAWCZA ŁUKASIEWICZ - INSTYTUT TECHNOLOGII MATERIAŁÓW ELEKTRONICZNYCH
MUZEUM I INSTYTUT ZOOLOGII POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK
INSTYTUT BADAŃ SYSTEMOWYCH PAN
INSTYTUT BOTANIKI IM. WŁADYSŁAWA SZAFERA POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK
Search field
How to search...
Advanced search
MAIN PAGE
|
Indexes
Index:
Abstract
Results:
966
Abstract
Choose first letter
all
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
Z
Search in field Abstract
Prev
of
17
Next
The article is a continuation of research published by the author elsewhere (Śleszyński, 2020). The elaboration presents the regularity of spatial distribution of infections during the first six months after the detection of SARS-CoV-2 coronovirus in Poland under strong lockdown conditions. The main aim is to try to determine the basic temporal-spatial patterns and to answer the questions: to what extent the phenomenon was ordered and to what extent it was chaotic, whether there are any particular features of spread, whether the infection is concentrated or dispersed and whether the spreading factors in Poland are similar to those observed in other countries. Day by day data were used according to the counties collected in Rogalski’s team (2020). The data were aggregated to weekly periods (7 days) and then the regularity of spatial distribution was searched for using the cartogram method, time series shifts, rope correlation between the intensity of infections in different periods, Herfindahl-Hirschman concentration index (HHI) and cluster analysis. A spatial typology of infection development in the population was also performed. Among other things, it was shown that during the first period (about 100 days after the first case), the infections became more and more spatially concentrated and then dispersed. Differences were also shown in relation to the spread of the infection compared to observations from other countries, i.e. no relation to population density and level of urbanization.
The article is a result of a study on needs and plans concerning youth of the Mazowieckie Voivodship, with a particular emphasis on rural residents. The survey was attended by secondary school students across the examined region. Questions asked in the survey focused on young people's perception of their place of residence, their anticipation for further education, career, and chances on the labor market. The study also allowed to examine factors that affect decisions of young people on their future in terms of family and professional life, as well as future place of residence. Research findings allowed to observe processes referring to theoretical concepts, such as the central place theory of Walter Christaller and growth poles theory of Francois Perroux. In the Mazowieckie Voivodship, Warsaw is the strongest growth pole that attracts young people in terms of career and place of residence. The most important factors determining young people’s decisions on their career path and place of residence are the possibilities of further education and feelings in terms to their labor market opportunities. The study results showed that students consider higher education as providing most advantage on the labor market. However, nowadays acquiring higher education does not ensure employment as much as several years before. Statistics of unemployment in Poland show that the growth in the number of unemployed is the greatest among people with higher education. Expansion of education opportunities and its accessibility have contributed to the increase in education level of rural population. The same circumstances resulted in the enhancement of their aspirations and expectations concerning employment. This is also the reason for the increasing scale of migrations, especially among young women. The reasons for migration of youth to regional growth poles, mostly to Warsaw and its metropolitan area, are: low attractiveness of rural and peripheral areas reflecting in limited opportunities for personal growth, low availability of various services and low transport accessibility.
The article is focused on the introduction and categorization of various approaches to rurality, and the identification and delimitation of rural areas in Visegrad countries. Three substantively different groups of conceptualizations and definitions of rural and rurality are described as follows: functional definitions, rural as locality (political-economic approaches), and social representation. Latter, basic sorts of methods and approaches to the delimitation of rural areas in V4 countries are introduced emphasizing its historical development, differences in spatial level and criteria of delimitation in current research. Due to different nature of rural areas and even local administrative units (the basic units usually used for delimitation of rural areas), it is not possible to reach sufficient and reliable identification of rural areas for whole V4 area using any of criteria or definitions applied in the research at national levels. Therefore, the average population density of entire V4 area was used as a main criterion for distinguishing between urban and rural LAU 2 at the whole Visegrad area level. Such approach is also affected by generalization but it captures various conditions in each country relatively well and moreover, it is comparable with the OECD and European Union methods to some extent.
The article is to complement data on territorially diversified social and human capital in rural areas. The study concentrated on rural areas of Pomorskie Province, broken down by suburban and other rural communes, and broken down by historical regions. The subject of the study is human and social capital. The term ‘human capital’ is understood as a collection of knowledge, skills and competencies of given persons, used for the purpose of economic activity. Social capital, on the other hand, is the ability of cooperative interrelations between people in a group or organisation to achieve common benefits. Both types of capital are significant, intangible resources necessary for the local development. The article focuses on selected aspects of both types of capital which are neglected in most studies relying on secondary data, due to measurement difficulties. Therefore, primary data was used from polls conducted on a group of 7,100 individuals (including 2,300 rural residents). The analysis covered the following issues: the value of life, trusting people and institutions, identification and relation with the work place, attitude towards work. The results consisted in three categories of conclusions. Firstly, as indicated by the most common indicators of social activity and entrepreneurship, the analysed characteristics do not differ between the city inhabitants and those in rural areas. Data on entrepreneurship and social activeness are easily accessible at every level of spatial integration and are commonly applied. Nevertheless, they should be interpreted with greater caution as the value of these indicators results directly from defined features of particular individuals and their community constituting human and social capital. The individuals’ and communities’ environment has a considerable impact on their functioning in society. On the other hand, polls indicate that they also cannot be interpreted directly. Smaller differences in issues meaningful for the development of social and human capital result partially from the way in which they are formulated in the social context. The reference framework is rather the situation of people in the closer and further environment than abstract indicators. This leads to flattening the spectrum of formulated assessments. Secondly, a lower level of studied features was generally not observed in rural suburbs with the exception of its components which are directly dependent on the agglomeration economies. Thirdly, in terms of historical regions, responses formulated by the respondents of the western part of the Province showed certain distinctive features. However, it seems that this might be attributed to the transition crises rather than long-term conditions.
The article offers a survey of basic conceptions where the spatial and functional structures of large cities are concerned, in the light of work carried out by Polish geographers and city planners. An attempt is made to systematise the notions employed in this field of research. The primary focus is on the way in which the urban agglomeration and the metropolitan area have been conceived, with special attention being paid to the relations between these conceptions, considered in respect of the morphological and functional aspects to the structure of the large city. An assessment is also made of cognitive and planning achievements when it comes to the delimitation of urban agglomerations and metropolitan areas in Poland. It is the view presented here that the metropolis and its metropolitan area, serving in the concentration of higher-order socio-economic functions and international-scale links, represents a settlement organised to a higher level in functional terms than the urban agglomeration. The basis adopted in characterising the functional properties of metropolitan areas in Poland is the division of urban functions by precedence relations into those that are regional, national or supra-national (international) in scope. Within this division, the term ‘urban agglomeration’ is used to denote a regional or national centre, while the terms ‘metropolitan area’ and ‘metropolis’ are only employed with reference to a large city with well-developed international functions. Under this classification of the large cities of Poland, Warsaw is a metropolitan area, whereas Katowice, Cracow, Poznań, Wrocław, Łódź, and Gdańsk are all urban agglomerations. It is suggested that the cognitive studies of metropolises being carried out in Poland should move on from the examination of socio-economic functions to consider the network of links offering connections with other metropolises, as well as to the testing of a hypothesis regarding the weakening of ties between the metropolis and the region surrounding it.
The article portrays the Rogóźno area which is located in the Zgierz district, to the north east of Łódź, as an area with potential towards economic success based on local environmental resources. These resources located in the northern part of the Zgierz district might serve as a developmental boost for both the Rogóźno area and the entire region. A multitude of resources, however, poses a threat of the emergence of conflicts. The use of the resources of the salt dome and waters: mineral, thermal and therapeutic is in opposition to the exploitation of lignite deposits. Low awareness of public opinion is reflected in the NIMBY syndrome in relations to planned investments.
The article presents a comparison of the results of calculations of wind energy resources based on measurements at meteorological stations and on the basis of the results of the COSMO meteorological model in three basic resolutions in the period of 2011-2019. The aim of the study was to compare the results of calculations of wind energy resources obtained on the basis of measurements at meteorological stations and on the basis of analyzes resulting from the work of meteorological numerical models, operating at various spatial scales. It was found that the use of archived results of analyzes of meteorological models, especially those in high resolution, allows for such an assessment in a climatological sense in the same way as the results of measurements at meteorological stations used for this purpose. For investment purposes, calculations of wind energy resources at higher altitudes were also carried out, so that the results could also be applied to high wind turbines – those of higher power.
The article presents a map, which was compiled in 2009 in cooperation with Prof. Roman Kulikowski for the National Spatial Development Concept 2030. It concerns the inclusion of agricultural commodities in connection with natural conditions for the development of this sector of economy. For the typology, a division into the following classes was proposed: in terms of the quality of agricultural production space: A – up to 45 points, B – 45.1 to 60 points, C – above 60 points and in terms of commodity quality per 1 ha of agricultural land: 1 – up to 1,000 PLN, 2 – 1,000 up to 2,000 PLN, 3 – above 2,000 PLN. It has been shown that in Poland there is no stronger interdependence between natural conditions and agricultural commercialization. The resulting typology was further used to show changes within particular 9 distinguished types in terms of total population and post-productive age in agglomeration (suburban) and non-agglomeration areas. A disturbing phenomenon of relatively fast depopulation and ageing of the population in areas with good natural conditions for the development of agricultural function was detected. If this is not related to agrarian overpopulation, it is a serious obstacle to the desired transformations in Polish agriculture. Typology of communes, due to natural conditions and agricultural commodities may be useful for research on the processes taking place in rural areas presenting diverse development level.
The article presents a part of a study modified for publishing purposes, elaborated at the Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization of PAS for the Ministry of Infrastructure and Construction (Śleszyński et al. 2017). The topic was the analysis of spatial planning documents with particular emphasis on the problems of buildings’ dispersion, demographic absorption and location of buildings within areas covered and uncovered by local plans. The research covered 21 communes (gminas) located west of the Warsaw Agglomeration. On the basis of WFS services or directly from commune offices, digital vector data on the boundaries and structure of land use in studies of spatial development conditions and directions and local plans, as well as geographic coordinates and type of decisions on building conditions were collected. A strong oversupply of building plots has been detected, resulting in the dispersion of buildings and its mismatch, among others to the existing investment, including the basic services network.
The article presents a review of research into the thermal structure and ice cover characterising lakes in Poland’s Tatra Mountains, on the basis of two centuries of scientific publications appearing up to 2015. The literature review allowed for the identification of five periods in which research was of differing intensities and quality. The first research carried out in the 19th century is seen to be of limited scientific value, mostly being limited to one-off measurements of morphometry and thermal conditions in the Tatra Mountain lakes. Only the research done by L. Birkenmayer can be regarded as well-planned, detailed and continuous in nature. By contrast, measurements made in the 20th century (mainly on the basis of the better measuring devices making their appearance) have yielded many interesting studies on the thermal conditions present in Tatra Mountain lakes. The measurements made by Lityński were especially important, due to his new and extended classification of Tatra lakes based on changes in water temperature in the summer season and the thermal stratification present through the year. In turn, in the inter-War period, studies became more systematic on both slopes of the Tatra Mountains, and were primarily concerned with winter oxygen content in relation to water temperature. This work bore fruit in the thermal classification of Tatra lakes developed by Szaflarski, who took account of the time at which lakes iced over, as well as maximum temperatures of surface water. After World War II, study of the vertical distribution of temperature in the Tatra lakes was continued with at different times of the year. Here, the result was a distinction drawn in winter between two main types of thermal system. An important event influencing research on lakes in the Tatra Mountains was the ongoing observation of ice-cover thicknesses on the Morskie Oko tarn beginning in 1951 and being engaged in by the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management. Device development in following years brought the extension of the field study and an increase in the accuracy of measurement of thermal conditions in lakes. The first work on the influence of contemporary climate changes on surface water and the development of ice cover on high-altitude lakes was also carried out and then published. In the second half of the 20th century, the study of maximum ice thicknesses and durations of ice-related events on Morskie Oko confirmed the disappearance of ice phenomena on this lake. Measurement allowed for a better understanding of the relationship between the thickness of the ice cover and lake depth; the dynamics and direction of light and temperature transformations, and the conditioning of stability where the summer stratification of Tatra lakes is concerned. In recent years, the use of thermal imaging cameras to record the dynamics of water temperatures of the surface layer has allowed changes in water temperature at any time interval to be encapsulated. In the context of the literature review of the subject matter, the author poses several questions concerning the extension of modern research to other lakes and further directions of research into the thermal and ice-cover conditions characterising the Tatra lakes. Research on the waters and ice cover of these lakes over 200 years has not given rise to a comprehensive and up-to-date study. This work is therefore an attempt to trace the development of research on the variation and formation of thermal conditions in Tatra Mountain lakes.
The article presents analysis concerning the general condition (for 2010) as well as trends and rate of changes in agricultural mechanisation in Poland (2002–2010), with individual treatment of tractors and seventeen other machines categorized in five groups, i.e. for: harvest of cereals and green fodder, general purpose, root crops, cultivation of fruit trees and bushes, and animal production. The research accounts for differences across voivodships and districts (powiaty), on the basis of two indices characterizing the changes in the number of machines in a given group in the period 2002–2010 (number as of 2002 = 100 points) and their numbers in 2010 per 100 ha of agricultural acreage. The spatial layout study demonstrates differences in agricultural holding sizes and external factors conditioning the Polish agriculture: natural, historical and urban. It has been shown that the analysed issues are characterized by a large territorial differentiation and that with the support in form of the Common Agricultural Policy resources, agricultural holdings are markedly better – technically equipped (nationwide, a downward trend was noted only in relation to the group of machines for root crops). This phenomenon was most pronounced in the agriculture of the south-east Poland, which has the highest agrarian fragmentation.
The article presents analysis of development potential of agriculture in Poland in regional dimension in the context of smart specializations concept. The paper assumed to characterize all smart specializations related to agriculture. The analysis of all 16 voivodships in the context of agriculture potential was conducted. Three potentials: economic, natural and scientific were examined. In addition, the research has been extended to identify production specialization in each region. Numerous statistical methods were used in the studies and classification of development potential was conducted in the context of implementing regional smart specializations. The objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy extend regional policy to develop Regional Innovation Strategies, where regions are obligated to identify their strengths. This is important in the context of the new funding program of 2014-2020, as the initiatives supported by the RIS are to implement in all voivodships an innovative model of economic development. However, the choice of smart specialization does not always reflect the real potential of the region in a given sector. The agricultural sector is also specific due to many constraints, therefore the total output potential is incomparable between regions.
The article presents classification of resources, values and factors for local development. Seven key factors (assets and resources) to examine the local development were considered: natural, cultural, socio-demographic, economic, technological, planning and organizational and self-governmental. On the basis of detailed analysis of location, functional structure and the leading function of the environment 13 rural and urban-rural municipalities of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship were selected for further analysis. The basis for the analysis and evaluation of individual seven local development factors was planning documentation (from the years 2004 to 2015) in the form of: ‘Study of Conditions and Directions for Spatial Planning’ and ‘Development Strategy’ in 13 municipalities. The ‘Development Strategy’ of individual municipalities mainly covers the years 2013-2020. On the basis of the SWOT method the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats were rated in the further strategic development of the studied area to the year 2020 or 2020+.
The article presents exemplary research on the availability and quality of public services. Moreover, it discusses the categories of public services and various examples of services, referring them especially to the local level (particularly in rural areas). The focus is put mainly on the public services of social, administrative and technical character. The article discusses the effects of public services’ low level and the importance of enhancing their quality in rural areas. Presented considerations are conducted primarily based on the analysis of qualitative and quantitative data collected in rural areas located in the Opolskie Voivodship.
The article presents linguistic image of a villager in the contemporary Polish language. The study was conducted basing on definitions in general and specialized dictionaries of the Polish language as well as questionnaires. The analysis allowed to describe the stereotype of a villager in the consciousness of Poles, which is based upon a combination of grammatical and metaphorical meanings. Even in lexicographical studies there was a disturbing lack of separation of the colloquial understanding of the term – wieśniak (a villager, a peasant) – an ill-mannered, badly behaved man. In most lexicographical studies the grammatical component "man from the village" was built in the definitions and metaphorical understanding of the lexeme. The questionnaires conducted confirm this thesis. For respondents a villager is a resident of the village, characterized by: a lack of sophistication, cultural ignorance, use of dialect, vulgarity, lack of intelligence. The results are surprising, considering that half of the respondents live in the countryside and 99% have at least weekly contact with someone living in rural areas.
The article presents results of research concerning changes in the youth inhabiting rural areas. The empirical data being the foundation for comparative analysis was collected in 2001 among 463 respondents. The second measurement was conducted in 2015 among 371 secondary school leavers by means of a survey with the use of the auditorium questionnaire technique. The results of the analyses indicate presence of intergenerational differences. The second research conducted on the same local denotes the emergence of a post-transformational generation. Hedonistic and entrepreneurial orientations are observed among modern youth. A significant decrease has been noticed in the level of educational aspirations and valuation of being employed in the private sector. This generation is optimistic and focused on satisfying own needs. The whole generation has access to the Internet and spends their free time in active way. Existential angst suppressed the fear of unemployment and rejection. Post-transformational society is individualized and optimistically looks to the future.
The article presents results of research devoted to the role of the shopping centre as a traffic-generating factor in individual-car transport. The research procedure was conducted in relation to Port Łódź, one of thirteen shopping centres within the boundaries of the Polish city of Łódź. The main aim has been to determine the share of car traffic generated by Port Łódź in the totality of traffic flows in the network of roads leading to the shopping centre. The analysis was based on data from the urban traffic control system or, to be precise, one of its subsystems which has access to information on spatial and time accessibility of the number of vehicles, transmitted from induction loops situated in the network of urban crossroads. The research focuses on defining potential and real traffic generation for weekdays and weekends, as well as during public holidays and festival days. The research allowed for verification of one of the model approaches to the correlation between selected characteristics of shopping centres and the volume of traffic they generate. Results show that shopping centres located along exit roads on the city outskirts affect the road transport system, particularly by exciting car traffic (also during rush hours), retaining it during afternoon rush hours (thus contributing to an alleviation and extension in time) and, to a lesser extent, serving as an informal element of the Park&Ride system (in the case of centres characterised by good accessibility to public transport and a free car park).
The article presents results of the undertaken evaluation of planning flexibility in terms of the possibility of building up areas in the commune of Stęszew, being part of the Poznań Metropolitan Area. The scope of the work included review of legal acts and planning documents and a point evaluation of 10 criteria restricting the possibility of development, resulting from legal, natural, physiographic, cultural and technical conditions. Planning flexibility in the examined commune was rated as mediocre. Areas with limited possibilities for development and banned investments account for 53.17%, while areas without or with minor planning restrictions occupy slightly more than 1/3 of commune’s area.
The article presents selected aspects of identification and valorization of rural forms in Poland as a part of the local resources and differentiator of cultural landscape used in the planning and implementation of village renewal programs. The paper presents some theoretical observations and reflections as well as methodical issues relating to specified stages of the research procedure, which precedes practical action. The article shows the need for interdisciplinary research, taking into account achievements of numerous scientific disciplines. The author presented problems associated with the diagnosis concerning preservation degree of original features related to spatial layout in the context of historical and contemporary morphological changes. Other aspects regarding valorization of rural forms were discussed, taking into account various criteria such as antiquity, genetic homogeneity, preservation of original spatial layout, unique features, but also the criterion of spatial and functional order as well as aesthetic and emotional values. Furthermore, the paper includes recommendations for the necessity related to extending monuments’ register in terms of valuable rural forms in Poland and taking actions in the field of protection and conservation.
The article presents sources of financing cluster structures in the context of the proposed distribution of European funds in Poland for the period of 2014-2020. Possibilities, conditions and limitations for supporting cluster initiatives related to the new EU cohesion policy objectives were also indicated. The article aims to assess potential directions for supporting clusters operating in rural areas and identifies possible effects of the new mode of cluster financing for structures operating in the countryside.
The article presents the evolution of water temperature changes in the Wisłok river (the upper Vistula basin) as an effect of Besko reservoir, existing since 1978, with a capacity of 15 million m3 . The thermal effect of this small Carpathian reservoir is compared to that of larger reservoirs located in the region. As has been found in the analysis, the direction (increase or decrease) of the annual water temperature variations in the Wisłok as a consequence of the thermal conditions in the reservoir is the same as in other Carpathian rivers downstream of larger reservoirs. On the other hand, the scale of that effect is much smaller and it is observable in a shorter section of the river compared to other rivers with reservoirs. Therefore, the thermal effects of Besko reservoir may be considered of little significance for the natural environment.
The article presents the main topics and evolution of scholars' views on the impact of demographic phenomena and processes on broadly understood local development in Poland. The seventy-year post-war period (1946-2016) was examined. First, three categories of demographic changes were identified and analysed: (1) demographic development and population concentration (2) depopulation processes and (3) population ageing. Next, the impact of these changes on socio-economic development, mainly on a local scale, was established. The following topics were taken into account: social insurance system, labour markets, consumer demand, demand for public services, impact of population change on local spatial development and planning, and local government public finance.
The article presents the original methodological tools for analysing and valuing the landscape of the rural community designed for the purposes of spatial planning. The research covered the rural commune of Ostróda, with an area of 401 km2 . Under the analysis, the area of the study was classified into landscape units (landscape types and subtypes). The following features were analysed in the studied area: composition links, landscape interiors, distinguishing elements and exposition. 20 localities with population over 300 people were selected for detailed landscape analyses. Two landscape charts were developed for each locality. For localities covered by the analysis, a simplified valuation in a table form was performed. The evaluation included the following factors: landform features, surface waters, fauna and flora, architecture, spatial arrangement, characteristic buildings and spatial arrangements, technical infrastructure, tourism infrastructure, environmental protection, protection of historical monuments, exposure, distinguishing elements and landscape harmony. The results of the landscape valuation revealed relatively high discrepancies between landscape protection areas and areas of the highest landscape values.
The article presents the possibilities and perspectives of using a computer model to predict changes in forest landscapes, taking into account each tree with simultaneous analysis of large areas of forest compartments and airborne laser scanning data. The model is based on the combination of cellular automata approach with patch process models. The innovative nature of the work associated with the combination of modern techniques of remote sensing gives the possibility of statistical analysis and computer programming. Using the developed model after its verification on the data from the Świdnik forest district the prognosis of forest dynamics was carried out within the entire forest compartments.
The article presents the preliminary results of spatial research on the reform of the EU sugar market carried out in 2006. The issue concerning decline of area planted with sugar beet in Poland in the years 2002–2010 has been analyzed. In the examined years a positive effect of growth yields of sugar beet can be observed. The reform of the sugar market apart from restricting sugar production limits, assumed introduction of sugar payment, which had the effect of limiting the production of raw material. The consequence of this phenomenon was the liquidation of sugar factories, which in many areas acted as a significant employer. As a result of the reform farmers’ production profile was forced to change but also population in the labour market had to be re-trained. The existing sugar factories managed by both Polish and German companies have a tendency of accumulating capital. Poland belongs to the so called “Beet-belt” of the EU, namely a group of countries with the greatest potential for sugar production. However, it is not clear how the common market as well as the effects of the subsequent reform to be conducted in 2017 will affect the level of competitiveness of the Polish sugar industry.
The article presents the results of population mobility research at the territory of Bavaria. Different types of migration flows (resettlements, commuting, educational migration, etc.) within municipalities and through their borders, as well as between Bavaria and other parts of the country are analyzed. Spacetime features of population mobility are revealed. Main methods of analysis include delimitation of migration systems and calculation of human activity density. The study found that scale of population mobility within Bavaria is larger than migratory exchange with other parts of Germany. Commuting and other types of return population mobility take more important positions in the regional migration process.
The article presents the results of research conducted among two diverse social categories, which play a very important role in depopulation analyses: young people - who are at the risk of migration, and people at an advanced age – who are less mobile and stay in the increasingly depopulated city. The study concerned expectations of high school students (about 18 years of age) and elderly people – in this case, students of the Third Age University, regarding recreation space. The study was conducted using the questionnaire method, including mental maps – hand-made sketches of spatial perceptions. Based on the analyses, common features and differences in perceiving leisure areas by both categories of respondents were identified. Expected and desired elements of this space were specified and the directions of changes in developing the space of a shrinking city (in this case – Łódź) were indicated.
The article presents the results of research devoted to differentiation of spatial accessibility of Łódź with the assumption that travelers from the Łódź province relocate using public transport. The analysis was conducted on the basis of a full inventory of bus, minibus, tram and railway connections reaching Łódź and 410 stops located within one-hour access isochrone to the region’s centre. The research accounts also for the distribution and the number of population of 2,419 towns and localities of the Łódź province. The calculations were based on the two-step floating catchment area method modified for the purposes of research into public transport effectiveness.
The article provides evidence for the opening of Polish culture in the last four decades, focusing on incoming translation flows, i.e., the books translated from foreign languages to Polish. It answers the question of whether the circulation of cultural goods has followed the same pattern as the economy, i.e., a shift towards Western European influences. It shows, with quantitative data completed with qualitative data, that the Polish culture has opened up to Western culture but also to an increasingly global culture. The article explains the differences between both databases used for the research. The evidence further demonstrates that the sociology of translation influences the geography of translation flows. <br>
The article reports on work reviewing research into cross-border tourism space as this relates to sea areas. In essence, the review made it clear that the matter in question only appears in the literature rather rarely, even as its underpinning concepts involving tourism space, borders, cross-border cooperation and international integration have been the subject of many studies. The Baltic Sea is no longer an area of separation, having become – more than ever – a meeting point of numerous political, economic and ecological interests. Within its basin (including adjacent areas of land and waters), cross-border tourism space is developing mainly as connections are formed between already-existing tourism space within given states – primarily coastal cities or regions. Connections via the sea confer physical shape upon maritime tourism space, by way of a banded pattern. In turn, cooperation between entities located on two (or more) sides of the maritime border plays a significant role in delimiting the boundaries of cross-border tourism space associated with sea areas, while also serving in the integration process relating to that space, which is actually more extensive than just the interconnected cross-border sea and the coastal spaces, given that cooperating entities may be located even beyond. The author argues that space in which the authorities, institutions and residents of two or more neighbouring countries make contact with each other by way of tourism as conceived broadly can be designated cross-border tourism space. If it is countries separated by a maritime border that are connected, then it is possible to speak of a cross-border tourism space linked to marine areas. The physical flow of tourists by ship that characterises the space in question (as tourist flows occur) provides further strengthening of the idea that such space is capable of being designated. This research forms part of work on aspects of border management and the development of cross-border management (by which a common, cross-border space, in this case for tourism, is developed). The author also posits the existence of cognitive tourism in relation to coastal areas: in cities (urban systems in coastal districts, ports, historic parts of cities, spas), and along the natural shoreline (visits made to coast, shore, dunes and cliffs). The work is then brought to a close with suggestions for further research on the topic, as based on an integrated approach embracing attractiveness, infrastructure and tourism flows, accessibility, the analysis of strategic and planning documents related to the development of tourism, tourism management, territorial marketing, regional identity, the creation of regional tourist products, cross-border cooperation relating to the development of tourism and the relevant impact of cooperation of this kind.
The article reports the results of fieldwork carried out on the peak of Babia Gora to verify a hypothesis regarding the existence of permafrost at this location. The climate and geomorphological evolution of this area suggest that both past and current frost processes play an important role here. Furthermore, not far from this massif – in the Tatra Mts – permafrost was detected at an altitude of ca. 2000 m a.s.l., in an area where mean annual air temperature (MAAT) drops to minus 0.8°C. The MAAT at the summit of Babia Gora is likewise below 0°C. Given that long-term freezing of the massif in the glacial period reached down to considerable depths, the climatic evolution of the massif indicates that permafrost could have lasted through to the present time. In the study area three resistivity profiles were made using the resistivity imaging method. Two of these were 300 m long and one 400 m. The depth of interpretation extends to approx. 90 m below the ground surface in the last case. While the results of the geophysical surveys do not confirm the presence of permafrost in the study area unambiguously, its presence may not be precluded in certain places in the shallow subsurface layer. The permafrost originating in older geological periods and located at greater depth was probably exposed to relatively rapid degradation, given the geological structure of Babia Góra allowing for deep water drainage. Resistivity models shows the geological structure of the research area close to the summit of Babia Góra, but do not resolve the issue of the existence of modern or fossil permafrost. The temperature of the water in springs located close to the summit is almost constant, though, and does not exceed 1°C. This shows that water circulation is a relatively deep one, and the temperature within the massif cannot therefore be higher than this. The existence of permafrost is not therefore precluded, and this might be possible in the form of the cryotic state. The measurements made present only the first approach to the hypothesis regarding the possible existence of permafrost on Babia Góra, and further research applying other, complementary methods may still change views on this subject.
The article reviews geographical research into the ethnic structure in Poland carried out between the nineteenth century and the beginning of the second decade of the twenty-first century, on this basis identifying and citing the main research trends to ethnic studies engaged in by both historians and sociologists. The author presents what he considers the most important research topics to be addressed in further studies on the ethnic and ethno-regional minorities living in today’s Poland. Varied research methods are discussed, along with their benefits and limitations, and the paper concludes with a presentation of the main conditions influencing dynamic transformations of the ethnic structure in Poland, as well as the most important characteristics of the relationship between the Polish state and ethnic minorities
Article shows the evaluation of rural areas of the Opolskie Voivodeship in the context of access to public services and its impact in determining rural functional areas. Functional areas should have similar social, economic and spatial characteristics to be considered as a subject of public policy interventions. In this article, the starting point was the national and regional strategic documents, statistical material, expert evaluations and results of questionnaires conducted within local governments of municipalities and districts of the Opolskie Voivodeship. The article presents the extent to which accessibility to public services in technical, social and administrative characteristics could determine the potential zone and areas of intervention in this regard. The results have been presented in form of descriptive and graphical maps.
Artificial beach nourishment is one of key methods preventing coastal erosion and flooding, acting in support of the maintenance of much-disturbed coastal environments and their much-desired recreational functions. Beach fills have been implemented since the 1930s, though relevant conceptual studies in Poland were elaborated in the 1960s and 1970s. Recommendations at that time included a maximisation of the use made of sand dredged from navigation channels and canals, with a view to this being used to nourish abraded beaches near ports. In 1978, sand by-passing was implemented successfully at the Dźwirzyno and Rowy fishing harbors, with regular dredging of the approach channels and harbour canals being combined with the pumping of a water-sand mixture on the lee (eastern) side of breakwaters. These systems have remained operational through to the present day. Between 1980 and 2014, 32.2 M m3 of sand were deposited along the Polish coast and lagoon shores. This offered partial compensation of the reduced nearshore sand deficit, and served to increase resilience of beaches and the backshore in the face of erosion and inundation, while also helping with the contamination of beaches due to uncontrolled emissions in the course of events of the latter type. More than half of the total fill volume was deposited along the offshore coast of the Hel Peninsula, where a comprehensive scheme for coastal protection was implemented between 1989 and 1995. Following Poland’s adoption of the Coastal Protection Act 2003, fills became the most popular coastal-protection measure. Between 2004 and 2014 this measure was resorted to predominantly along offshore stretches of the Hel Peninsula, and at beaches adjacent to open sea ports on their lee (eastern) sides (including harbours from Łeba along to Dziwnów). Fills were also performed along the shores of the Gulf of Gdańsk, where erosion processes have accelerated in recent decades; and at the open-sea beaches near Jarosławiec, Ustronie Morskie and Niechorze. The latter installations operated in support of existing protection schemes. Comprehensive protection of the soft cliff between Rewal and Trzęsacz was also inaugurated, the background erosion tendencies ongoing their having coincided with anthropogenic activities causing disruption to local geodynamic processes. Since the time of adoption of the Coastal Protection Act, a total fill volume of 10.5 M m3 has been deployed, see Table 1. This represents about one-third of all the filling done from 1980 until 2014. Many positive changes are to be identified along the open-sea coast of the Hel Peninsula, on which more than 17.5M m3 of sand were deposited in the years from 1989 through to 2014, cf. Table 1, Figs. 3, 4 and 5. The large fill volumes achieved during the first 5 years of implementation of the protection scheme along the Peninsula resulted in rehabilitation of the nearshore seabed to such an extent that follow-up re-nourishment only needed to assume a lesser intensity. Morphometric parameters along the nourished beaches allow for them to be classified as very highly resilient in the face of hydrodynamic forces.Since erosion tendencies prevail in Poland’s coastal zones, any cessation of beach fills may result in a gradual loss depletion of the level of safety achieved. Thus, annual deposition of several hundred thousand m3 of sand along the offshore beaches of the Hel Peninsula continues to represent an absolute necessity if the current level of resilience is to be maintained. Reduction of nearshore sand deficits by way of beach filling represents the only method of preventing negative beach responses. Re-nourishments are determined by hydrological and morphodynamic factors, and should gain incorporation into the protection actions being planned by coastal authorities.
As global communities respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increasing emphasis on public health strategies, like implementation of ‘lockdowns’, closure of educational institutions and offices, cancellation of events, and enforcement of social distancing measures to slow the rate of transmission. The main objective of this article is to find out how the public health interventions and national lockdown affected people’s perception and attitudes to limited mobility and how people reacted by their spatial mobility behaviours in new reality of the first weeks of COVID-19 pandemic in Poland. The study is based on the on-line survey research conducted among Polish residents supplemented by the analysis of data on changes in the spatial mobility based on Google dataset. The obtained results highlight high level of self-discipline in the population in response to restrictions and social distancing obligations, and as a result significantly lower spatial mobility level, before the restrictions began to be lifted. The size of the respondents’ place of residence had the greatest impact on changes in spatial mobility.
As suggested by its etymology, regeneration usually carries positive connotations while its negative aspects tend to be belittled. However, any renewal results in major morphological, physiognomic, functional or social changes, which imply changes in the meanings encoded in space. These transformations are not always welcome and they may lead to public discussions and conflicts. Skopje 2014 is a project within which such controversial transformations have been taking place. The area surrounding the Vardar River and its banks plays a major role here. On the river banks monumental buildings were erected, bridges over the river were modernised and new ones, decorated with monuments, were built for pedestrians. Bridges can be considered a valuable component of any urban infrastructure as they link different parts of a settlement unit (in the case of Skopje – left (northern) bank and the right (southern) bank; Albanian and Macedonian), improve transport, facilitate trade and cultural exchange. In this context, referring to Lotman’s semiosphere theory, they may become borders of semiotic space, which acts as a filter that facilitates the penetration of codes and cultural texts. Yet, in multicultural Skopje meanings attached to bridges seem to lead to social inequalities as they glorify what is Macedonian and degrade the Albanian element. To validate this assumption we carried out semiotic analysis of bridges over the Vardar River which were renewed or built within the Skopje 2014 project to identify their role in shaping the semiosphere of the Macedonian capital.
As well as serving economic functions, forests in Poland are places of rest and recreation. However, a particular form of the latter, not necessarily coming to mind as a first association, is illegal motorised tourism, which entails entries into forests in or on off-road cars, quads, and cross and enduro motorcycles. With a view to achieving fuller insight into these activities, and the problems they pose, the present article offers the results of analyses as regards the spatial distribution, intensity and characteristics of the phenomenon. The effectiveness of existing tools to combat the practice is then assessed, prior to a presentation of solutions foresters propose, to ensure that infringements of the law are counteracted, even as compromises are arrived at so that the needs of various groups of user of forests are met. Data supporting such an approach to analysis derive from questionnaire-surveying targeted at Poland’s Forest Districts. Some 332 of Poland’s 430 Districts elected to participate in the survey, with the vast majority (as many as 86.45%) recording illegal entries, most often featuring motorcycles or quads, and slightly less often involving off-road cars. This denotes a phenomenon affecting at least 66.74% of Poland’s Forest Districts. Indeed, the phenomenon of illegal motorised tourism in forests is seen to be spread rather evenly across the country, even as certain Forest Districts see this as being among the most important problems faced. Among the 287 affected FDs, 90.59% assess this as a problem that is either growing or maintained at the same level. Manifestations are of both an individual or collective nature (through with the former dominant) and with local people by far the most involved. 42.86% of respondents regarded legal provisions relevant to illegal entry into the forest as ineffective (though 36.24% were of the opposite opinion). Those not satisfied pointed to penalties that are too low, and powers of the Forest Guard that are too limited. While the problem of illegal motorised tourism affects forest areas across the country, FDs’ conviction that locals are the main culprits ensures that preventative measures will mainly be local in scope. That would denote an increased involvement for local authorities in the combating of the practice, as well as educational activity in the direction of the stigmatisation of specific activities, the elimination of tacit public consent for the breaking of the law, and the provisioning of legal alternatives to illegal motorised tourism. While effective combating of a negative phenomenon is sought by foresters, who therefore demand comprehensive amendment of the law, those involved are nevertheless willing to countenance the development of specially-organised routes for off-road driving.
The assessment of climatic as well as bioclimatic conditions should consist of the analysis of a set of meteorological elements which provides information on current weather conditions. Such an analysis of weather conditions allows for determination of the influence of the whole set of meteorological elements on the human body, in particular when the bioclimatic indices are calculated on the basis of the human heat balance. The paper concerns the assessment of weather conditions in central-western Poland in terms of tourism and recreation, made with the use of biothermal-meteorological weather classification including weather types, subtypes and classes. The calculations were made on the basis of meteorological data of second measurement date (12 UTC) in the period 1971-2006. In the analysed period, there were from 112 (Gorzów Wlkp.) to 130 (Słubice, Koło) types of weather recorded. Among all determined weather types, the 20 which were most commonly observed determined the weather conditions on more than 80% of days in a year. On the basis of the adopted bio-thermal-and-meterorological classification, a seasonal regularity of weather conditions occurrence was shown. The conducted analyses have shown that the highest variety of weather conditions was observed in summer, followed closely by spring and autumn, and the least in winter. The periods of different suitability for the selected forms of recreations, as identified with the use of WEI index, can be useful for planning and optimal spending of one’s leisure time outdoors on the area of central-western Poland. Two periods most favourable for sunbathing were identified i.e., from the second decade of April to the first decade of June, and from the first decade of August to the end of the fi rst decade of October. The most favourable conditions for air bathing occurred in Poznań, and the worst in Zielona Góra and Leszno, where the favourable conditions were found only in the first and second decade of May. The analysis of weather conditions showed that in the case of air bathing (AR), the favourable conditions were found from the beginning of the third decade of April to the first decade of October on most of the analysed area, and in Poznań and Słubice till the second decade of October. As for moderate recreation, favourable weather conditions were identified on 74% of days in a year with the maximum in April and October. In the case of active reaction, conditions identified on the basis of the index as favourable or very favourable occurred throughout the year.
The assessment of thermal stress stimuli in Poland was based on the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI). Daily values of UTCI at 24 stations selected to represent the whole area of Poland at 12:00 UTC were calculated over the period 1951-2018. Various UTCI characteristics, i.e., spatial averages of daily, monthly and annual values, daily spatial contrasts (i.e., the difference between daily highest and lowest UTCI values) were defined in each of 8 bioclimatic regions of Poland. Ten-year trends for UTCI and spatial contrast values were counted and their statistical significance was analysed. A statistically significant increase in UTCI values was found in all the regions of Poland. However, contrasts in thermal stress both for Poland as a whole and in most of the regions decreased significantly, especially in the north-east of Poland, the country’s coldest region. This indicates a reduction in the stimuli of thermal environment in Poland and in most of the individual regions.
At the end of 2019, a disease was identified as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 or COVID-19. The expected modes of transmission are direct or indirect contact, droplets, and aerosol. The spread of an infection can be also caused by interaction between regions and the proximity to a central transmission area. This article elucidates the connectivity between regions in West Kalimantan in relation to the spread of COVID-19 using network analysis, which shall be superimposed with the data pertaining to the spread of COVID-19. From the findings, Kubu Raya and Pontianak have a high number of COVID-19 cases, especially confirmed ones. Considering their centrality and block measurements, Kubu Raya is featured as region with the highest score (degree: 60.3; closeness: 71.4; betweenness: 75.6; and eigenvector: 82.4), close to Pontianak city as the capital city. When regarded from the context of regional connectivity, both areas serve as the main ‘gateways’ and ‘hubs’. Additionally, the role of each region in urban hierarchy, the number of residents and their proximity to one another also tend to affect the spread of COVID-19.
At the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, the debate surrounding postmodernism transformed the intellectual “scene” of many scientific disciplines, also exerting an impact on human geography, especially in the Anglo-Saxon countries. If the links between geography and postmodernism are to be presented in a wider context, the three questions in need of an answer are as follows. What is postmodernism? Can we talk about postmodern geography? What impulses have postmodernism ideas brought to contemporary human geography? The first part is devoted to the presentation of postmodernism as a broad intellectual movement at the turn of the century. Evoking a number of conflicting reactions over the years, it has its enthusiastic supporters and fierce opponents. The controversies surrounding the concept and assumptions of postmodernism arise in two ways. Firstly, the term has three meanings: (1) as the phase of development of culture following the period of modernism, (2) as the name of the post-modern cultural-civilizational era following modernism, (3) as a kind of postmodern condition, which is formed by the social, economic and mental characteristics of the West’s post-industrial civilisation. Secondly, postmodern thought emerged from a number of sources and was shaped by representatives of different fields of science, culture and politics. As a result, postmodernism encompasses various positions and options, and its programme is pluralistic. The postmodern debate appeared in human geography in the mid-1980s. The trend was portrayed by some researchers as a manifestation of a new postmodern geography, while others wrote about a postmodern turning point in geography. Postmodernism in geography boasts its supporters and fierce adversaries. On the one hand, it has been greeted by renowned geographers as a basis for the reconstruction of the geography concept, and as a source of many inspiring innovations; while on the other it has encountered considerable resistance on the part of many geographers who have regarded its ideas as a threat to the discipline’s identity. In fact, the formulation of the thesis regarding the identity of postmodern geography is questionable, and it seems better to talk about the aforesaid postmodern turn that the discipline has taken. The latter term includes two interacting motifs: (1) criticism of the current status and assumptions of human geography and (2) a postulate that modernist thought and methodology in geography be broken with. The postmodern turning point in geography has introduced many “fertilising” impulses and innovations, such as: (1) the revitalisation of the debate regarding the discipline’s tradition and mission, (2) a postulate to the effect that human geography should be approximated to the mainstream of contemporary sociology and social theory, (3) stimulation of a discussion regarding the language of science and its representation in “harsh reality”. Postmodernist ideas are in turn deemed to denote most strongly the areas of: (1) the study of contemporary urbanism, (2) the conceptualisation of space and the relationship between space, time and society, (3) the so-called new cultural geography that grew up on the basis of post-structuralism and postmodernism. Any cumulative assessment of the impact of postmodernism on geography is made difficult for at least two reasons: firstly, the controversies surrounding the consequences of the postmodern turn taken by contemporary geography have not ceased, and secondly, postmodernism has not created a positive programme for how our discipline in any postmodern phase might be pursued and “cultivated”.
The Atlas of the Tatra Mountains is published by the Tatra National Park. This excellent work was elaborated by a team of 130 scientists from Poland and Slovakia. Abiotic nature in these mountains is depicted on 82 maps and 165 accompanying illustrations. The maps illustrate both the Polish and Slovak parts of the Tatras, and contain explanations in three languages: Polish, Slovak and English.
Atmospheric deposition is regarded as an element determining the circulation of matter in forest ecosystems. As a result of contact with the surfaces of plants, rainwater is subject to transformations whose magnitudes depend on both species composition (above all coniferous v broadleaved) and levels of air pollution. Such pollution acts directly to modify atmospheric precipitation, while also operating indirectly at the surface of trees, by way of the deposition of substances. As a result of the washing of elements depositing on the surface, rainwater changes its physical and chemical properties, as well as its chemical composition. The aim of the work described here was thus to analyse the conditions underpinning transformations of atmospheric precipitations in selected forest ecosystems of Poland’s Świętokrzyskie Mountains, on the basis of studies conducted there in the years 2011-2015. Field research was conducted in research areas located in the central and south-western parts of the above Mountains, and was concerned with rainwater in vertical section: bulk precipitation – through fall – stem flow. The data collected were processed statistically using Statistica 10.0 software. The results of measurements made in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains reflect overlapping continental, regional and local emissions, as well as changes taking place as regards emissions of primary pollutants and their products transformed photochemically and chemically under particular meteorological conditions in the course of transport with masses of air over shorter or longer distances. Emissions from natural and anthropogenic sources were found to act on component elements of ecosystems directly from atmospheric air and indirectly through products of their transformation in the form of direct deposition and deposition via crowns. Forest ecosystems have numerous spatially determined paths and areas of flow of substances originating from tree-crown deposition. Along these paths, the delivery of substances from emissions in wet, moist and especially dry deposition is significant ecologically, as are paths for their offtake in throughfall and stem fall. Immissions flowing through the hylosphere have featured changed actively, while at the same time being subject to movement and various biogenic transformations due to the washing out of crowns and washing, as well as crown intake. Quantitative and qualitative features of crown deposition determine the quality and intensity of processes of transformation of rainwater in the areas of the forest stand and during the flow through a layer of plants of the forest floor and to the surface of the soil.
Australia’s rural regions typically have fragile and narrow economic bases specializing in agriculture, mining, or leisure and recreation. We canvass the major sources of economic fragility, which is growing fast through global competition, massive technological progress, and many other pressures for change. These severely diminish the capacity of governments to deliver effective top-down and one-size-fits-all regional development strategies. The antidote to fragility resides instead in local self-help strategies designed to increase communities’ entrepreneurial, technological, future-oriented, and innovative capacities. Knowledge about optimal delivery of such outcomes in Australia’s sparsely settled regions is, however, limited. This suggests an agenda of action research to promote and document local experiences – both successes and failures – in promoting the cultural change necessary to deliver stable adaptation.
The availability of light is one of the most important factors that determine the photosynthesis process. Wave bands of solar radiation from 400 to 700 nm are called photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) because of their ability to stimulate the process of photosynthesis. The limited data availability and the regional and local PAR dependence cause the need for independent research, specially in areas of high natural value.T he main goal of the work is to characterize the incoming photosynthetically active radiation in the Middle Biebrza Basin on the basis of a 9-year measurement series (2013-2021) from the Kopytkowo site (53°35'30.8”N, 22°53'32.4""E). The analysis was carried out for both instantaneous values and daily totals. In addition to the basic statistical characteristics, attention was paid to radiation on clear days and to the relationship between the PAR values on the Earth's surface and at the top of the atmosphere. Due to the limited availability of empirical data, simple parameterizations of PAR radiation were proposed for use in environmental studies. The research was carried out in the north-eastern part of Poland on the outskirts of Biebrza National Park in the Middle Biebrza Basin (Fig. 1). The area can be characterised as natural, almost unchanged, and uninhabited wetlands overgrown by swamp vegetation. The measurement site is located around 350 m north of the small village Kopytkowo with only a handful of permanent residents. The PQS1 PAR Quantum Sensor by Kipp & Zonen mounted at height 2.7 m a.g.l. was used to collect data (Fig. 2). The sensor is part of the eddy-covariance system that measures the exchange of greenhouse gases between the ecosystem and the atmosphere. Data were sampled every 10 seconds and then stored in datalogger (CR500) as 5-minute averages. The results are shown as photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) with micromole per square metre per second (µmol∙m⁻²∙s⁻¹) as unit and were collected in Central European Time (CET). <br>
Avalanches are one of the most important abiotic factors influencing the timberline on a worldwide scale. In the case of Babia Góra, avalanches are found to affect more than ¹⁄³ of the length of the timberline, locally lowering it by as much as 350 m in distance. The timberline under the influence of avalanche processes is associatedwith steep slopes (>30°), with 90% of this being located on the massif’s northern slope. In the long run (1964-2009), around the whole massif the timberline shows a high degree of stability along 79% of itslength. It proved possible to reconstruct avalanche events along the largest avalanche path in the examined massif, the Szeroki Żleb gully. Nine such events are seen to have occurred over the past 120 years, with sevenof these characterising the last 50 years. The avalanche(s) occurring in winter 1975/1976 had the greatest impact on the timberline in the Szeroki Żleb gully over the examined period.
The avalanches represent a significant and very dynamic process within the Tatra high-mountain landscape. Undoubtedly avalanche run-out distances play a key role in land use planning within avalanche prone areas. The Žiarska valley and Predné Meďodoly valley are considered as one of the most avalanche prone valleys in Tatra Mts. This environment represents an excellent opportunity for studying and modelling extreme avalanche run-outs. Primarily avalanche release zones were estimated by using an existing model proposed by Hreško (1998). This model was modified and calibrated for both valleys. The alpha-beta regression model developed in Norway has been used to estimate avalanche run-outs. Data processing and model calibration have been elaborated in GIS environment. Avenue script for ArcGIS was written to perform automated runout estimation based on alpha-beta regression model. Model managed to estimate run-outs on some slopes while it failed to model run-ups. Finally the results were visualized by creating the fly-through simulations and 3D views. Comparison between model calculation and avalanche cadastre showed correlation.
Average global temperatures have been rising extremely rapidly over recent decades, with all the side-effects that may denote, including increased risks of both drought and flood, prolongation of the growing season, intensification of other extreme weather events, potentially enhanced erosion and sediment transport through river basins, and even invasions of pests and diseases. Against that factual background, this paper presents a review, and in essence a summary, of existing scientific literature as it pertains to the functioning of the riparian ecosystems present within agricultural landscapes, as well as the former’s potential role in mitigating climate change. Riparian ecosystems of course constitute areas of transition between the aquatic and terrestrial environments, and are in a position to serve as buffers, as they filter and neutralise nutrients and pesticides descending from areas at higher elevations, provide shade (that may limit the spread of light-demanding alien species), moderate stream temperatures, and work to sequester atmospheric CO2 in both plant biomass and soil. They also support water retention in river valleys, and protect banks against erosion. Zoned buffer strips consisting of one strip of trees and one of grassy or herbaceous vegetation are shown to be among the most-effective measures deployable in the mitigation of diffuse pollution. A search through 2 bibliographical databases (the Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus) was undertaken in respect of the terms: ” riparian buffer” OR” riparian corridor” OR” riparian zone” OR” riparian strip” AND” agricultural” AND” climate change”. Such a procedure allowed for the identification of 76 separate scientific papers, albeit with 12 of these warranting exclusion from further analyses on account of their actual irrelevance. The largest body of literature on this topic is seen to concentrate on highly-developed countries of North America and Europe, notably the USA, Canada and France. Deeper analysis of the papers found points to a growing interest in mathematical modelling of the effects of agricultural best-mangement practices (BMPs), in regard to future streamflow, supply of water, the transport of sediment through a basin, rates of export of nitrogen and phosphorus, etc. – with both current climatic conditions and various future scenarios for climate being taken account of. The results of all this modelling tend to show how riparian buffers may serve in a basin-based strategy for climate adaptation, by which change may actually be mitigated more effectively than it can through other BMPs, even as no full offsetting of impacts is likely to prove achievable. Many of the authors in publications selected also choose to underline the multifunctional nature of riparian ecosystems, and the specific nature of the services they have to offer. 69% of the publications analysed address implications for practice, e.g. by offering guidelines as regards conservation strategies, and/or recommendations for managers of basins or other key decision-makers when it comes to restoring or improving both the ecological health of rivers, and levels of human well-being in general.
Aviano (Italy; region)
Basic criteria that determine satisfaction and dissatisfaction among inhabitants of rural areas concerning their places of residence compared to living in cities include features of technical, functional and social infrastructure. Poland’s membership in the European Union offers great opportunities to improve such infrastructure in rural areas. The aim of this paper is to present the causes for satisfaction and dissatisfaction of living conditions among inhabitants of rural areas. For comparative purposes, assumed evaluation encompassed the period of 2005–2013. The findings of the study demonstrated that Poland’s membership in the European Union results in increasingly poor social, technical and functional infrastructure. However, regardless of many deficiencies of both types of infrastructure, inhabitants of rural areas show high level of satisfaction concerning their place of residence. The basis for compiling this paper was analysis of subject-related literature and secondary source materials containing results of nationwide Polish empirical studies presented in research reports. Analysis of other source materials was also employed.
Because of the scale and speed of species extinctions conservationists require methods that facilitate decision making. Therefore, a wide range of habitat and population viability analysis (PVA) software has been developed. Given the diversity of available programs it is currently challenging to decide which program is the most appropriate for a particular problem and what has to be considered when interpreting and comparing results from different approaches. Previous comparisons of PVA software addressed more generic questions such as data requirements, assumptions and predictive accuracy. In contract, we focus on a more applied problem that is still unresolved: how do simple habitat models and PVA software packages affect the ranking of alternative management scenarios? We addressed this problem by comparing different packages (LARCH, META-X, VORTEX and RAMAS GIS). As a test case, we studied the impact of alternative landscape development scenarios (river regulation, grassland restoration, reforestation and renaturalisation) for the Vistula valley, Poland, on the natterjack toad (Bufo calamita). In this context we also aimed to assess whether the use of at least two different PVA packages can enable users to better understand the differences in model predictions, which would imply a greater awareness and critical use of the packages. Our model selection represents different approaches to population viability analysis, including habitat, local population and stochastic patch occupancy models. The models can be evaluated in regard to the complexity of parameters and to the way the landscape is handled. We used RAMAS GIS to create a habitat model (RAMASh) and a detailed spatially explicit stochastic metapopulation model (RAMASp) which combined served as a complete “virtual” dataset for parameterisation of other programs. As an example of a stochastic patch occupancy model, we selected the META-X software. For a more independent comparison we added VORTEX – another package that includes explicit population dynamics, similar to RAMAS. Additionally, we included the habitat model LARCH because this type of model is often used by policy makers. We compared the metapopulation structure produced by RAMASh and LARCH. Scenario ranking according to the predicted carrying capacity in both programs was exactly the same, because the quantitative results for each scenario were almost identical in both programs. However, the metapopulation structure showed big differences between the programs, especially in the number of small populations. The analyses of results of different PVA programs (RAMASp, VORTEX and META-X) showed that absolute values of viability measures partly differed among these programs. Slight differences in population growth rate in RAMASp and VORTEX were amplified by stochasticity and resulted in visibly lower values of final abundance in VORTEX than in RAMASp. Also the absolute values of intrinsic mean time to extinction showed some discrepancies in VORTEX and META-X. These results are in agreement with findings of previous PVA comparisons, which emphasizes that absolute values of viability measures produced by any single model should be treated with caution. Nevertheless, despite these differences the rankings of the scenarios were the same in all three programs. However the order of the scenarios was different than in habitat models. In addition, these rankings were robust to the choice of viability measure. Taken together, these results emphasize that scenario ranking delivered by PVA software is robust and thus very useful for conservation management. Furthermore, we recommend using at least two PVA software packages in parallel, as this forces user to scrutinize the simplifying assumptions of the underlying models and of the viability metrics used.
Before the widespread use of computers, landscape studies required much more work and time. They were characterized by a tendency to formalize and standardize the procedures. During this period, in Poland, solutions accepted and used by most researchers have been developed, also a number of basic textbooks has been published.
Beginning in the mid-1980s Japanese manufacturing companies began to invest heavily in U.S. production capacity. This was partly a response to a weakening U.S. dollar and trade protectionist measures imposed by the U.S. government. Japanese investment in U.S. production capacity continues unabated today. As more and more Japanese manufacturers started manufacturing their products in the United States there was an interest among geographers to understand the spatial dynamics of this investment. Much of this investment was directed towards the automotive sector. Given the large amount of investment that flowed into the automotive sector the purpose of this is to summarize three decades of scholarly research on Japanese direct investment in this sector.
Belarus was long a country to which visits by foreign tourists were highly restricted. However,recent years have brought a marked improvement in conditions and possibilities regarding crossings of the border and onward travel into the country. Of key significance to the introduction of the new facilitations are changes of the border regime and an easing of the regulations concerning arrivals that have been achieved by action at central level. Since 2015 in particular, it has been possible to note an unprecedented new scale and rate of change where the border regime is concerned. By virtue of Decisions of the President of the Republic of Belarus, a number of signed Decrees have appeared to bring zones of visa-free travel into existence, with a view to it being easier for visitors to cross over the state border into the country. Presidential Decrees have in fact both established visa-free zones and brought in other regulations making it easier for foreigners to visit. While on the one hand these changes are analogous to those found in other parts of the world at various different times, they on the other hand have certain unique features, especially given the specific nature of Belarus’s isolation in the international arena over more recent decades. Thus, the last few years have seen three types of visa-free zone system come into existence, i.e.: • border zones – on the Poland-Belarus border, and partly also that between Belarus and Lithuania; • zones at airports – especially the capital-city (national) airport known as Minsk-2, but also the airports (and the railway stations) in Brest and Hrodna; • visa-free regimes associated with special occasions, notably sporting events. In terms of main reasons for establishment, the zones that have appeared are: • along the western border (with a view to tourism developing in the Brest and Hrodna regions); • by airports (for the sake of the development of the airports as such, but also the adjacent industrial and capital-city areas, as well as the furthering of regional tourism); • linked closely with sporting events (to help ensure that the image of the country as a whole is promoted). The entry into force of the Decrees in question, and the subsequent taking effect of visa-free regimes at all border crossings, has done much to increase the intensity of the traffic involving Polish people. Since 2015, there has been a steady rise in both absolute numbers of Poles travelling into Belarus, and the share of all visits they account for. This can be closely associated with the commencement of the visa-free regimes. Consecutive years after the years of introduction did not necessarily bring major further increases in numbers travelling; or even witnessed certain decreases. There is also a marked seasonality to numbers of Poles travelling to Belarus, with the peak obviously tending to coincide with the summer months.
Border regions are commonly perceived as peripheral in terms of transport accessibility and socio-economic development. The peripherality has meant that they have been and continue to be beneficiaries of a traditionally understood – i.e. compensatory – paradigm of regional development. To a large extent, this has been the character of the European Union Cohesion Policy to date. However, a new paradigm of regional development, manifested by the Territorial Agenda 2030, is becoming more and more popular. The article debates possible actions to be taken in regions along national borders to achieve their strategic objectives using the multi-level governance and territorial capital concepts and referring to the six priorities of the Territorial Agenda 2030.
By the appearance of the new innovations of information and communication technologies a transformation process has got started, which have changed our opinion on spatiality. Geographical features and inequality processes as well as the role of information fl ow and ICT infrastructure were altered modern spatial differences. This paper evaluates the spatial characteristics of the information economy and society, and emphasises new elements by the application of the terms of spatial sciences (e.g. space, place, distance etc.). It is also important to describe traditional and new features within the role that information economy and society or ICTs play in regional differences.
Camping tourism has become very popular since the beginning of COVID-19 as tourists started to look for socially distanced and yet experiential activities. However, the academic scholarship is relatively thin, particularly in the context of Eastern Europe – a geographical location with rich traditions in outdoor camping and tourism. Drawing on a quantitative methodology based on ARIMA and SARIMA, this study addresses this gap by forecasting the changes in camping tourism development in the short term in Bulgaria. The results indicate a decline of inbound tourism and international visittors but also suggest a positive trend of development for the domestic market. <br>
The changing role of small towns is a noticeable topic of contemporary research on urban and regional development in Poland. Unlike those situated within the zone of daily commuting around large cities, small urban localities in what are peripheral localities from the point of view of Poland as a whole are strongly exposed to metropolitan development backwash effects, which manifest themselves in migration outflow and population ageing, together with the loss of certain specialised functions that tend to cluster in centres at higher levels in the urban hierarchy. Going against these general trends, some of the towns in question are in a position to maintain existing activities in manufacturing or service branches of international or national market range, and/or to attract new ones. At the same time, those small urban localities that witness a curtailment of more-specialised functions experience a growing reliance on the public sector, in addition to commercial activities of local range, performing a stabilising role with regard to urban-rural functional relations at the local level of the settlement system. This article focuses on factors that underpin such polarisation trends by referring to the concepts of territorial competitiveness and territorial capital (Camagni, 2002, 2008). It illustrates their applicability using materials derived from an empirical study covering a subset of 19 small towns, of populations between 3000 and 10,000, situated in environmentally rich North-Eastern regions of Poland. Aiming to acquire primary data, the study has involved a series of extended, open-ended interviews with local stakeholders (5 to 7 per town), together with a questionnaire-based survey of 55 enterprises, in manufacturing and services of supra-local market range. As the results show (in line with the assumptions of Camagni), successful development of specialised functions, including niche-type activities in the small towns under study, can in several cases at least be linked to synergic effects between such components of territorial capital as creativity, local entrepreneurship and proactive policy on the part of local government. By focusing on the (EU Structural Fund-supported) extension and modernisation, of technical as well as social infrastructure, the latter have contributed to a general improvement in living conditions locally over the last fifteen years. This has in turn created some potential for attracting new residents, first of all from the surrounding rural areas; and – as a more distant prospect – also returning migrants from both abroad and other localities (typically Poland’s large urban centres). Thus, even in the face of prevailing depopulation trends, the small towns presented here (including local service centres) may enjoy certain opportunities to expand their place-of residence functions of both local and supra-local scope.
The channels of multi-threaded (braided) rivers occur commonly in areas that fulfill certain conditions such as substantial influx of bed material and gradients large enough to create significant energy of flowing water. Natural conditions favoring the formation of multithreaded channels are present in the Carpathians in Poland in Podhale – a large basin located in the piedmont area of the high-mountain Tatra massif. The area had experienced glaciation in the Pleistocene. Yet the 20th century – and especially its second half – was a period of rapid and irreversible elimination of braided channels across the region. The Białka is considered to be the last braided river in the Carpathians in Poland. Many parameters like: structure (morphologic reach sequence), degree of braiding (BI index, W/D) and also a number of hydrodynamic ones (unit stream power, critical stress, shear stress, others) were investigated in order to assess a current stage of development of the Białka river channel. The Białka river channel appears to be a complex system with a differentiated structure. Its channel system is a mosaic of different types described by the following sequence: straight-sinuous-braided. It represents an intermediate type that is somewhere between a single- and a multi-threaded channel. Future evolution of the Białka river channel appears to include further degradation and transformation into a poorer channel ecosystem.
The character and main natural and anthropogenic factors driving the timberline on the Babia Góra Mt. was discussed. The model of Holtmeier (2009) was modified to describe the functioning of the local timberline.Originating in a geological structure, the asymmetric shape of the ridge of the Babia Góra Mt. created consequences for most of the components of the environment of the timberline. This main stationary factor influenceall the others including the differences of local climate, soil development and human activity. The long history of direct impact of land use, grazing and logging and recent indirect influences (air pollution and climatewarming) control the present character of the timberline.
Prev
1
...
3
4
5
of
17
Next
This page uses 'cookies'.
More information
I understand