The geodiversity of the Gostynin-Włocławek Landscape Park (Poland) and its buffer zone – an attempt to quantify geotourism potential

The publication presents an evaluation of the ecological role of abandoned agricultural lands which exist around the seven landscape parks in the Łodź Voivodeship. In thirty-nine land abandonment study plots, arranged into thirteen groups, agrophysical and agrochemical analyses were conducted as well as phytosociological and mycological inventorying, in order to determine the relationships between the vegetation and macromycetes fungi and the abiotic features of the natural environment. The role of geocomplex potential, the influence of adjacent urbanised areas and the development of touristic functions in rural areas were demonstrated in the spatial pattern of abandoned lands. The research revealed a high diversity of vegetation, flora and macromycetes fungi, vulnerability to the impact from the neighbouring habitats and the importance of abandoned lands as refugia of species which enrich the biodiversity. At the same time, attention was drawn to invasive plant species of non-native origin, which may pose a threat to the natural phytocoenoses of protected areas.

Changes in forest landscapes have been connected with human activity for centuries and can be considered one of the main driving forces of change from a global perspective. The spatial distribution of forests changes along with the geopolitical situation, demographic changes, intensification of agriculture, urbanization, or changes in land use policy. However, due to the limited availability of historical data, the driving forces of changes in forest landscapes are most often considered in relation to recent decades, without taking long-term analyses into account. The aim of this paper is to determine the level and types of landscape changes and make preliminary study on natural and socio-economic factors on changes in forest landscapes within the protected area, Ślęża Landscape Park, and its buffer zone using long-term analyses covering a period of 140 years (1883–2013). A comparison of historical and current maps and demographic data related to three consecutive periods of time as well as natural and location factors by using the ArcGIS software allows the selected driving forces of forest landscape transformations to be analyzed. We took into account natural factors such as the elevation, slope, and exposure of the hillside and socio-economic drivers like population changes, distances to centers of municipalities, main roads, and built-up areas.

Aquatic vegetation greatly impacts lake functions. Forest ecosystems surrounding lakes are effective protection zone of lakes and their associated flora and fauna. The presence of aquatic plants depends on many factors, including the chemical composition and acidity of water, the shape of the lake catchment, the angle of slope along shorelines and the management of surrounding lands. Natural ecosystems throughout Eastern Europe are threatened by anthropogenic activities. Aquatic systems and bogs are particularly sensitive to disturbances. The aim of the study was to determine the influence of land management, forest type and stand age on aquatic plant colonisation within lakes as well as to quantify and qualify the structure of macrophyte communities within two lakes, Płotycze Sobiborskie and Orchowe, located in the Sobibór Landscape Park in western Poland. Even though there were few bogs within the catchment areas and lake buffer zones, where they did occur they had the greatest effect on macrophyte presence. The results of this research indicate that in the absence of anthropogenic disturbances midforest water-bog complexes are relatively stable systems and preserve their natural character. The applied multi-criteria evaluation of macrophytes in the studied lakes and their surrounding buffer zones and catchment areas allowed the lakes to be characterised as lakes with a good ecological status.

Landscape parks are one of the most important tools for nature conservation in Europe. Cultural landscape protection, coupled in particular with rural tradition of land use plays a very important role. A common feature of these popular protected areas is the fact that they are established legally, in accordance with the principle of sustainable development. Activities carried out in the landscape parks are not entirely subservient to nature conservation. This makes them different from national parks and natural reserves. In Poland, landscape parks together with their buffer zones cover more than 13% of the country’s territory, which frequently causes conflicts among mining entrepreneurs and limits their activities. Mining in landscape parks in Poland is not forbidden by domestic law; however, detailed guidelines in this respect are determined by the assembly of a given province. Additionally, the process of applying for an extraction licence could be burdened with the threat of social protests, which may result in extending it by many years, and because of which a project may fail to be completed. Optimal solutions to these obstacles are already proposed by “Czatkowice” Limestone Mine (Małopolska Province). This case study presents an efficient practice of a smooth and effective decision-making process of obtaining a new mining licence in a landscape park. It also outlines certain aspects of the social licence to operate (SLO) as well as some appropriate methods of acting in complicated environments and spatial conditions.

Due to the high toxicity of the element itself and its compounds, mercury poses a significant threat to the human natural environment, in particular to the soil and water environment. An additional risk is the possibility of mercury accumulation in various elements of the environment. Soil is one of the most important elements of the natural environment and is the main link in the mercury cycle. The cycle of this element is related to both the natural processes taking place in the environment and human activity. The presence of mercury in the natural environment poses a particularly high risk of its re-accumulation as a result of its re-emission. The aim of the research was to determine the mercury content in the upper layers of soils collected from the area and buffer zone of the Mazowiecki Landscape Park as a potential source of this element’s re-emission to the environment. The paper presents the results of research on mercury content in the upper soil layer from the areas adjacent to the communication routes running through the area of the Mazowiecki Landscape Park and its buffer zone. The mercury content in the analyzed soil samples collected from the area of the Mazowiecki Landscape Park ranged from 0.082 mgHg·kg−1 dm to 0.183 mgHg·kg−1 dm, and in the soils from the cover, these values were slightly higher and ranged from 0.125 mgHg·kg−1 dm up to 0.362 mgHg·kg−1 dm. In order to avoid uncontrolled re-emission and, consequently, possible accumulation of this element in the environment, it is necessary to continue monitoring the level of mercury contamination, among others, in soil.

This paper points out possibilities for limiting anthropic pressure in the Puszcza Zielonka Landscape Park in Poland. Based on the identification and evaluation of the most precious fragments of the environment, it determines the attractiveness of the park perceived as a complex multi- -ecosystem. It also identifies the main spatial problems and symptoms of anthropic pressure. The evaluation was conducted through establishing zones with similar environmental value and the determination of hemeroby indicators. The following basic problems were identified: recreational buildings and the development of settlements, cessation of agricultural production, further division of arable land into smaller plots in the buffer zone, combined with a change of land use. The final result of this research is a map of the functional and spatial division of the park, allowing for its protective, biocenotic and scientific functions and possible use for recreation in line with the principles of sustainable development. We ascertained that the strategic objectives and criteria for shaping spatial structures of protected areas should be included in the local spatial policy.

The paper introduces the principles of the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting-Ecosystem Accounting. The aim of the work is to present the application of the conceptual framework of linking ecosystem services, benefits and economic sectors. The analysis relates to years 2012 and 2018. The case study area represents five municipalities that cross borders with the Ślężański Landscape Park and its buffer zone in the Lower Silesia region in Poland. Results show that cropland-related ecosystem services contribute to 17% and 14 % percent of all companies operating in the case study area. The direct link between agricultural benefits and five economic sectors was established. The ecosystem extent account is created, and the land cover flows analysed. The applicability of ecosystem accounting to local governance is discussed.

Living on the edge – The predicted impact of renewed hunting on moose in national parks in Poland

The present state and characteristics of the segetal flora of the Mazowiecki Landscape Park and its buffer zone are described. Flora of the agrocenoses of the Park and its buffer zone is rich and includes 221 species. A _large differentiation of habitats, A wide contact zone with natural communities and traditional methods of cultivation affect its biodiversity. Rare species constitute more than half of the total species recorded in the agrocenoses of the Park and its buffer zone. In total, 25 of them are included in various categories of threat (Zarzycki, Wojewoda, Heinrich 1992). Among the most endangered are such plants, as, Helichrisum arenarium, Aphanes arvensis, Melandrium noctiflorum, Bromus secalinus, Agrostemma githago, Lathytus tuberosus, Kickxia elatine, Centunculus minimus, Hypericum humifusum, Peplis portula, Centaurium pulchellum, Radiola linoides and Myosurus minimus. Apophytes (142 species) prevail over anthropophytes (76 species) in the studied flora. Species of meadow and waterside communities (93 species) predominate among apophytes, whereas in the group of anthropophytes, archaeophytes (59 species) are the most numerous. Analysis of persistence and biological types showed domination of short-lived species over perennials and therophytes over other life forms...

Висвітлено актуальність і місце колористики у сучасному ландшафтному дизайні, проаналізовано наукові роботи у цьому напрямі та у сфері психології кольору, проведено розподіл кольорів за впливом на діяльність людини, визначено функціональне призначення та зонування шести парків Києва. На основі посезонного аналізу колориту парків Києва виявлено низку особливостей, які впливають на колорит паркового середовища, зокрема: дендрологічний склад насаджень, наявність запозичених ландшафтів, водойм, складність паркового рельєфу. За результатами розроблених методик оцінювання та поліпшення колориту парків відповідно до їх функціональних особливостей, виділено напрями поліпшення наявного колориту різних функціональних зон (підібрано відповідні кольорові гами та носії кольору), що сприятиме формуванню психологічно комфортного паркового середовища.

Geotourism as a modern trend in the tourism industry is gaining more and more popularity worldwide. It is the development of knowledge about the geological history of our planet, the course of processes of the formation of various rocks and minerals. The territory of Dnipropetrovs’k region is rich in unique, rare objects of the geological environment, including and world importance. These objects have been preserved on the earth's surface in the form of rock outcrops, which most clearly characterize the geological structure and history of the development of our planet, and are of great scientific and educational importance. The most unique objects of the natural heritage of Dnipropetrovs’k region, worthy of international attention, are geological monuments. Today, about 38 geological monuments of nature can be classified as geological monuments within the Dnipropetrovs’k region, among which 13 are included in the nature reserve fund of Ukraine and approved by the relevant decisions of state institutions. In order to determine the geotourism potential of the regions of the region, a comprehensive, point-based, monitoring assessment of geological monuments was carried out according to the following indicators: informational uniqueness, physical condition, state of improvement, transport accessibility, demand, seasonality of visits, ecological condition, recreational attractiveness, safety of inspection, density of accommodation, nature conservation status. The total number of points demonstrates the tourist attractiveness of the object. According to the specified criteria, the number of points for evaluating the tourist attractiveness of geological monuments varies from 15 to 28 points. Geological monuments assigned to the nature reserve fund received the highest points. The assessment of the spatial differentiation of indicators of tourist attractiveness of the geological monuments of the region was performed using the inverse distance weighting (IDW) interpolation method in the QGIS program. As a result, a map of the geotourism potential of the regions of the Dnipropetrovs’k region was built. Four types of zones are distinguished: with high (western part of the region, most of Kryvyi Rih region), medium (southern part of the region), low geotourism potential (the central part and a separate zone in the south of the region), and the territory where there are no geological monuments (north and east region). The analysis of the map makes it possible to come to the conclusion that, at present, geological monuments located in the Kryvyi Rih district are of interest for the formation of geotours. Other geological objects of Dnipropetrovs’k region should be considered as a supplement to tours of another direction, for example, based on a combination of natural, archaeological and cultural objects. This is facilitated by the fact that the majority of geological monuments are territorially connected with historical and cultural monuments, recreational locations, religious routes. In order to popularize geotourism sites in the region, an interactive map "Geological sights of the Dnipropetrovs’k region, classified as a nature reserve" was created on the Google Maps platform. An excursion route "Geological monuments of Kryvorizhye" has also been created. The excursion consists of 9 objects that reveal the entire range of the geological history of Kryvorizhye and covers the age range from the Paleoarchean to the Neoproterozoic, which is about 2 billion years, imprinted in numerous outcrops along the banks of the Ingulets and Saksagan rivers and the slopes of the streams. The tour is designed as a GPS mobile multimedia guide on the Izi.travel platform. Keywords: geological reminder, geotourism potential, geological tourism, Dnipropetrovsk region.

One of the criteria of agriculture’s peripherality is a level of recessive processes, which are related to the individual categories of farms in terms of their production potential. The research has focused on the scale of deagrarianisation and deanimalisation, in conservation areas, which were at the same time peripheral areas in a grographical sense, located in southeastern Poland. Such scale was closely related to the condition and perspectives for farms development. The analyses of the expected development perspectives for farms in selected municipalities, showed a very high intensity of abandonment of agricultural use in the municipalities of Solina and Cisna, where 80% of farms show declining trends. This may constitute to a significant problem in relation to the protection of landscape in both landscape parks. The spatial abandoning of land use was visible in all municipalities of the buffer zone of the BNP. This was particularly intensified in those of them, which are located in the western part of the studied area, for example in Komańcza (0,733 DPP). What is more, the proces of deanimalisation was similarly to the deagrarianisation the most advanced in Komańcza municipalities. However, this kind of recessive processes were also very strong in other municipalities of analysed subregion.

The mitigation effects of park green space on Urban Heat Island (UHI) have been extensively documented. However, the relative effects of the configuration of park components on land surface temperature (LST) inside the park and indicators (i.e., park cooling intensity and distance) surrounding the park is largely unknown. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to explore the quantitative impacts of configuration and morphology features under different urban park scales on the cooling effect. In this study, based on Landsat-8 OLI/TIRS images on 3 August 2015 and 16 August 2020 during summer daytime, the LSTs of Shanghai City were retrieved by atmospheric correction method. Then, the relationships of park landscape features with LSTs in the park and typical indicators representing cooling efficiency of 24 parks on different grades were analyzed. The results showed that the average temperature in urban parks was, respectively, 1.46 °C and 1.66 °C lower than that in the main city of Shanghai in 2015 and 2020, suggesting that urban parks form cold islands in the city. The landscape metrics of park area (PA), park perimeter (PP), green area (GA) and water area (WA), were key characteristics that strong negatively affect the internal park LSTs. However, the park perimeter-to-area ratio (PPAR) had a significant positive power correlation with the park LSTs. Buffer zone analysis showed that LST cools down by about 0.67 °C when the distance from the park increases by 100 m. The Maximum Cooling Distance (MCD) for 2015 and 2020 had a significant correlation with PA, PC, PPAR, GA and WA, and increased sharply within the park area of 20 ha. However, the medium park group had the largest Maximum Cooling Intensity (MCI) in both periods, followed by the small park group. There could be a trade-off relationship between the MCD and MCI in urban parks, which is worth pondering to research. This study could be of great significance for planning and constructing park landscapes, alleviating Urban Heat Island effect and improving urban livability.

The Wdzydzki Landscape Park lies in the Tuchola Forests which are among the areas of key importance for conservation of dragonflies in Poland. In the years 2002–2009, 55 dragonfly species were recorded in the park and its buffer zone. Lakes and Sphagnum bogs housed the highest species richness. Among the recorded species, one is included in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, two in the European Red List, two in the Polish Red List, ten species legally protected in Poland and ten “umbrella species”. Peatbog lakes and Sphagnum bogs were most important for conservational issues. Dragonfly fauna of the studied area is among the species-richest in Poland. Its conservation value is high due to occurrence of stenotopic species, its importance for the conservation of rare and endangered species as well as for maintenance of odonatocoenoses typical of a range of natural waters. It results mostly from the forest coverage and high richness, variety and good ecological state of the surface waters. Interesting from the zoogeographical point of view was development of some thermophilic species in the lake littoral. It may be an indication of changes in thermal regime of surface waters, related to climate warming.

The Wdzydzki Landscape Park lies in the Tuchola Forests which are among the areas of key importance for conservation of dragonflies in Poland. In the years 2002–2009, 55 dragonfly species were recorded in the park and its buffer zone. Lakes and Sphagnum bogs housed the highest species richness. Among the recorded species, one is included in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, two in the European Red List, two in the Polish Red List, ten species legally protected in Poland and ten “umbrella species”. Peatbog lakes and Sphagnum bogs were most important for conservational issues. Dragonfly fauna of the studied area is among the species-richest in Poland. Its conservation value is high due to occurrence of stenotopic species, its importance for the conservation of rare and endangered species as well as for maintenance of odonatocoenoses typical of a range of natural waters. It results mostly from the forest coverage and high richness, variety and good ecological state of the surface waters. Interesting from the zoogeographical point of view was development of some thermophilic species in the lake littoral. It may be an indication of changes in thermal regime of surface waters, related to climate warming.