Mountains In Poland Research Articles

Chemical weathering indices in contrasting fluvial systems: a comparative study from the Lublin Upland and the Sudetes Mountains in Poland

Chemical weathering indices in contrasting fluvial systems: a comparative study from the Lublin Upland and the Sudetes Mountains in Poland

New deposit of chocolate flint in Załęże gully (Kraków-Częstochowa Upland, Poland) – Raw material characterization and its availability for prehistoric communities

One of the valued chert raw materials used by prehistoric communities in Central and Eastern Europe was chocolate flint. Despite finding artefacts made of it over a wide area, for many years, it was thought to occur only in one location - in the Holy Cross Mountains in Poland. However, the discoveries of recent years have shown that deposits of this raw material also occur in another region of Poland, in the northern part of the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland (KCU). The result of intensive field surveys conducted in this area is the finding of a new outcrop of chocolate flint in Załęże gully (Lesser Poland voivodeship) described in this paper. Based on the results obtained from the radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence dating of sediments co-occurring with the flint deposit, a history of the paleogeographic development of this gully has been proposed. Access to the deposit in its present form is limited to modern times, but it was likely accessible elsewhere in this area. Macroscopic and microscopic (using optical and cathodoluminescence microscopy) examinations showed a high similarity with the material of other KCU provenance from the prehistoric mine in Poręba Dzierżna, site 24. In the vicinity of Załęże gully there are many archaeological sites where chocolate flint artefacts were found. Preliminary research suggests that they could have been made from the raw material from the newly discovered outcrop. The new location of chocolate flint occurrence in the KCU region described here is another premise to re-think the existing interpretations related to the extraction, use and distribution of this important chert raw material in prehistoric times in Central and Eastern Europe.

Genetic diversity and population structure of the endangered Rubus chamaemorus populations in Poland

Rubus chamaemorus in Europe is currently only found in scattered sites in Central Europe, mainly in mountainous areas but also in lowlands, probably reflecting its relict nature. Unfortunately, so far, there is little information on the genetic diversity of R. chamaemorus populations in Central Europe. Therefore, in this study, we used genetic markers to investigate variation in 21 of its European populations. Using a Bayesian approach, STRUCTURE software analysis was applied to the six clusters that best represented the genetic structure of the cloudberry populations. The results indicated the presence of low genetic diversity between populations in geographical groups, but high diversity between geographical regions. These results were somewhat predictable because the vast lowlands that separate the mountains in Poland from the population of R. chamaemorus in the north are a significant geographical barrier to gene flow over long geographical distances. Isolation by distance may also explain the genetic distinctness between populations found in the various regions in Poland and populations found in Scandinavia. It is likely that there is a genetic melting pot for R. chamaemorus in the region of northern Poland. This is often the case in small areas where populations from different geographic regions meet. It is often difficult to indicate the migration routes of species and to confirm where individual populations come from, but their occurrence is favored by isolation in mountain valleys and in forests, which are a barrier to the spread of pollen.

Microplastic on Mountain Trails—a Case Study from the Carpathian and Sudetes Mountains in Poland

Microplastics are becoming an increasingly common pollutant that can pose a threat to living organisms. The aim of this research was to determine the amount, type, and diversity of microplastics along mountain trails. The study includes three mountain trails, differing in terms of length, difficulty, and number of visitors. The trails were located in the massif of Babia Góra, in the Kościeliska Valley, and Izerska Meadow. During the research, microplastics were determined in snow during the winter period. The research shows high microplastic contamination along the trails. The study area was characterized by the highest content of polyurethane, polyethylene terephthalate, polyethylene, and polypropylene. The tiniest plastic below 0.5 mm dominated in all the sampling points, with a small share of sizes within the range of 3.1–4.0 mm and 4.1–5.0 mm. The isolated microplastics varied in color and shape. The conducted analyses confirm that easier, more frequented trails are characterized by a higher content of microplastics. Trails to Babia Góra, which are more demanding, are characterized by a different composition of microplastics as well as a variety of microplastics in terms of size, shape, and color. In addition, the lower-lying fragments of the examined trails were the most heavily contaminated with microplastics. The results indicate the need for further research on microplastic contamination of the soil environment along mountain trails.

Biomonitoring of atmospheric PAHs using fir and spruce needles in forests in the vicinity of mountain villages

The aim of the study was to use chemical analyses of spruce and fir needles to determine environmental exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in forests surrounding small mountain towns, including popular tourist destinations. The Beskid Mountains in Poland were chosen as the study area because they are very popular with tourists. The 6- and 12 month old needles were collected in two consecutive years from permanent study plots. Two vintages of needles were used to determine the differences between seasons in the profile of deposited pollutants. Some of plots were located away from roads and buildings, while others were located near tourist destinations. The comparison plots were located in the centre of a tourist resort, near a highway, and in a forest localised in the industrial city characterised by a high degree of urbanization. The analyses of 15 PAHs content showed that the amount and type of compounds retained by the needles were influenced not only by the proximity and amount of the surface emitters, but also by the location of the research sites above sea level. The results obtained can be explained, among other things, by the phenomenon of smog, which is not uncommon in the study region in autumn and winter.

New faunistic records of Limoniidae and Pediciidae crane-flies (Diptera) from the Bieszczady Mountains in Poland.

New data on the occurrence of 122 Limoniidae and 17 Pediciidae species in the Polish part of the Western Bieszczady Mountains is presented. Four species: Idiocera (I.) punctata (Edwards, 1938), Rhabdomastix (Rh.) laetoidea Starý, 2004, Lipsothrix ecucullata Edwards, 1938 (Limoniidae), and Dicranota (Paradicranota) subflammatra Starý, 1998 (Pediciidae), are reported from Poland for the first time. A general comparison of the species composition across the different protected areas of the Bieszczady Mts is also discussed.

Frightened or familiarised? Permanent residents' and second‐home owners' risk perceptions of extreme weather events

AbstractThe number and severity of extreme weather events have been increasing globally. Given the vulnerabilities of second homes to natural disasters, it is important to learn how their owners consider the related risks. This paper investigates the extreme weather‐event risk perceptions and their preconditions between second‐home owners and local people in the Little Beskid mountains in Poland. The results show that, despite significant differences in social, demographic and presence–absence terms, the two populations were very similar with respect to risk perception. It then lays the ground for community preparedness and successful recovery from extreme weather hazards.

Recent Transformation of Marginal Rural Areas in the Sudetes Mountains in Poland—Drivers and Effects of Changes in Perception of their Inhabitants☆

AbstractThe study aims to analyze inhabitants' perceptions vis‐a‐vis the actual demographic, economic, functional, and land use transformation taking place in the peripheral area of Kłodzko County in the Sudetes Mountains in southwestern Poland. Recently, new socio‐economic processes can be observed in the region, suggesting a revival after a period of stagnation. It employs qualitative data from semi‐structured interviews and observation, and quantitative data from an online survey. Findings on inhabitants' perception are discussed against evidence from diverse statistical databases based on the literature. Results show that changes to physical built environment are most perceived, but tourism is seen as the main positive driver. The most acute negative change is depopulation, which is also considered to have a damaging effect on the transformation. The results show some disparities in perceptions across different socio‐demographic and spatially defined categories of inhabitants, as well as ambiguity of assessment of rural transformations that are interpreted in relation to the socio‐economic context of interviewees. The study contributes to discussion on perceived and actual change in rural areas by pointing to patterns of perception. It provides social feedback on changes and depicts collective attitudes towards rural revival—knowledge that is necessary to formulate policies tailored to site‐specific preconditions.

Environmental and Anthropogenic Factors Shape the Snow Microbiome and Antibiotic Resistome

Winter tourism can generate environmental pollution and affect microbial ecology in mountain ecosystems. This could stimulate the development of antibiotic resistance in snow and its dissemination through the atmosphere and through snow melting. Despite these potential impacts, the effect of winter tourism on the snow antibiotic resistome remains to be elucidated. In this study, snow samples subjected to different levels of anthropogenic activities and surrounding forest were obtained from the Sudety Mountains in Poland to evaluate the impact of winter tourism on snow bacteria using a metagenomic approach. Bacterial community composition was determined by the sequencing of the V3-V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene and the composition of the antibiotic resistome was explored by metagenomic sequencing. Whereas environmental factors were the main drivers of bacterial community and antibiotic resistome composition in snow, winter tourism affected resistome composition in sites with similar environmental conditions. Several antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) showed a higher abundance in sites subjected to human activities. This is the first study to show that anthropogenic activities may influence the antibiotic resistome in alpine snow. Our results highlight the need to survey antibiotic resistance development in anthropogenically polluted sites.

Smart Initiatives in a Suburban Community: An Example From the Holy Cross Mountains in Poland

This article considers the smart village concept as a new instrument for creating European Union (EU) policies on a territorial microscale. The goal was to identify the key resources that determine successful implementation of smart strategies at the lowest territorial level, using the example of a suburban area in the Holy Cross Mountains (Świętokrzyskie Mountains) in Poland. The study examined how the local community implements the smart village concept and the extent to which this concept is useful in mountain and foothill areas, where problems caused by natural conditions particularly affect local communities. The intervention took place in Świętokrzyskie province, in the suburban village of Piaseczna Górka. It was assessed through a case study during which 15 individual in-depth interviews were conducted, focusing on several smart initiatives conducted in 2015–2020. The respondents represented 3 groups of stakeholders: initiators, beneficiaries, and local government. The study enabled the key resources of smart villages—human, financial, material, and information—to be identified. Human resources were the most important for the success of the initiatives under consideration, being the driving force for the other 3 resources. Uncovering the mechanisms involved in implementing smart initiatives on a microscale is becoming especially important as a tool in solving local problems, which in mountain areas are often determined by specific natural conditions. The smart village concept is set to be a major instrument of the EU's future financial framework for 2021–2027 and is reflected in a growing number of EU and national documents, including those concerning mountain and foothill areas with varied geographic locations and diverse socioeconomic characteristics.

Unraveling the hidden paleobiodiversity of the Middle Devonian (Emsian) crinoids (Crinoidea, Echinodermata) from Poland.

Most previous publications on Devonian crinoids from the Holy Cross Mountains in Poland have concentrated on crinoid columns, and until now, little has been published about crinoid cups and calyxes. Herein, five crinoid taxa are described from an abundant occurrence of aboral cups and partial crowns from the Bukowa Góra Member (Emsian) in the Holy Cross Mountains of southern Poland. The following taxa are described: Bactrocrinites sp., Codiacrinus sevastopuloi sp. nov., Halocrinites geminatus (Bohatý, 2005), Halocrinites schlotheimii Steininger, 1831, and a single brachial plate from a flexible crinoid placed in Flexibilia incertae sedis. Simple discoid holdfasts are also present encrusted to cylindrical stromatoporoids. These taxa are the first crinoids described from the remains of partial crowns from Emsian strata of Poland.

Crowning, rotating, and emanating hierophanies with elevatio aspect in wayside shrines

Abstract My aim in this paper is to investigate the variants of directionality implied in visual hieratic texts as religious markers in the sacrosphere, which are substantially expressed in the form of a wayside shrine/cross. The methodological underpinnings for this project rely on the proposed semiotactics (cf. Haładewicz-Grzelak): the investigative perspective modeled after phonotactics – a branch of phonology investigating the restrictions on and the possibilities of phoneme combinations in languages (cf. Dziubalska-Kołaczyk 2011). The study draws on digital documentation of wayside shrines, crosses, and sacrality markers on houses collected by the author in various European countries (2009–2021), focusing in particular on the material collected in the area of present Slovakia, Ukraine, Austria, Slovenia, and the region of the Beskid Mountains in Poland. It shows how bodily hexis is inscribed into the phenomenology of a wayside shrine through particular types of hierophanic dynamics. The study also focuses on the aspect of headedness and markedness in the nano-structure of a sign, surfacing as directionality in the conceptualization of the religious sphere by particular communities.

Fungi associated with disease symptoms on Pinus mugo needles in the Polish Tatra Mountains

Dwarf mountain pine, Pinus mugo, is an important component of the subalpine and alpine zone in Europe. For several years, in one of the natural areas of the occurrence of this species in the Polish Tatras, an intensified decline of the assimilation apparatus has been observed. The studies conducted in 2016–2020 were aimed at determining the types of disease symptoms occurring on P. mugo needles and at identifying the species composition of fungi within symptomless and diseased needles. We isolated 57 taxa from 6 types of disease symptoms and from needles without disease symptoms, identified on the basis of morphological features and molecular analyses. Absolute parasites were represented by only one species of Coleosporium senecionis, which was identified by the aecium stage. The genus Lophodermium was represented by three species: L. conigenum, L. corconticum and L. pini-mugonis. So far, L. corconticum was known only from the Karkonosze Mountains in Poland, and L. pini-mugonis from the German Alps. In addition, the more frequently isolated species included: Sydowia polyspora, Hendersonia sp., Nemania serpens, Leptomelanconium allescheri, Cladosporium spp., Biscogniauxia nummularia and Alternaria spp. Some taxa were associated with only one type of disease symptom, while some species of fungi were found to be associated with different symptoms. Twelve species of fungi were isolated from living symptomless needles, some of which were subsequently found in association with nectrotic areas on needles, e.g., Lophodermium corconticum, L. conigenum and Leptomelanconium allescheri. L. pinastri has not been found in the present studies. In the discussion, an attempt was made to assess the role of some of the identified species of fungi in causing the disease process of P. mugo needles.

From lagoons to mud mounds: palaeoecology of the Givetian to Frasnian stromatoporoids from the Holy Cross Mountains, Poland

Stromatoporoids are an extinct group of Palaeozoic sponges that dominated the Devonian carbonate buildups. Although their general environmental requirements are known, their palaeoecological preferences at genus level are less studied. Seven stromatoporoid associations are distinguished within the Givetian (Middle Devonian; associations 1–3) and Frasnian (Upper Devonian; associations 4–7) of the Holy Cross Mountains in Poland, namely: (1) Arctostroma–Pseudoactinodictyon; (2) Actinostroma–Clathrocoilona; (3) Atelodictyon–Stachyodes; (4) Amphipora–Pseudoactinodictyon; (5) stromatoporoid–microbialite bafflestone and bindstone; (6) Stictostroma–tabulate corals; and (7) Hermatoporella–Stictostroma. Stromatoporoid associations 1–3 are late Givetian to earliest Frasnian in age, while associations 4–7 are from the early to middle Frasnian. Associations 1 and 4 occupied calm and shallow parts of the carbonate platform, associations 2 and 7 thrived in more agitated waters, whereas other associations inhabited the deeper, low-energy environments and mud mounds of the platform slope. General stromatoporoid diversity at genus level is high, but individual associations consist of 4–10 genera. Stromatoporoids of associations 1–2 and 7 are overturned and/or broken/redeposited, and hydrodynamically unstable, sediment-laden facies dominate the stromatoporoid-bearing Devonian carbonate platform facies of the Holy Cross Mountains. Lagoonal and biohermal environments were inhabited by dendroid, laminar and domical stromatoporoids, whereas digitate shapes are common within the associations that formed in more agitated water. Most representatives of the order Clathrodictyida were prone to physical destruction and inhabited low-energy settings. Genera having skeleton supported by thick pillars or network of oblique elements, less affected by physical skeletal breakage, thrived in agitated waters.

Hydrochemical differentiation of selected reservoirs in Carpathian Mts. and Eastern European Lowland

The aim of the analysis was to compare physicochemical parameters and chemical composition of two groups of artificial reservoirs, mountain and lowland ones, characterised by different parameters and functions. Three mountain artificial reservoirs (Klimkówka, Dobczyce, Czorsztyn) located in the Upper Vistula basin (Carpathian Mountains in Poland) and three lowland reservoirs (Ivankovo, Verhnevolzhskoye, Vyshnevolotzkoye) located in the Upper Volga basin (Eastern European Lowland in Russia) were selected for the study. Data for the summer season in 2009-2013 were used in the analysis. Mountain reservoirs display high water concentrations of sulphates, chlorides and biogenic nitrates, and lower concentrations of ammonium and oxygen indicator in relation to lowland reservoirs. Similar concentrations of phosphates were noticed in both the mountain and the lowland reservoirs. The hydrochemical differentiation between the individual mountain reservoirs was small, and statistically significant differences only occurred for SEC. Greater differentiation of the hydrochemical parameters was found among the lowland reservoirs. Statistically significant differences were demonstrated with regard to SEC, Cl- and NO3-.

Spatial diversity of tourist facilities in the Silesian Beskid mountains in Poland

This article proposes a method of the assessment of distribution of tourist facilities. The main aim of presented study is to assess a spatial density of tourist elements. The evaluation of the distribution of tourist facilities in the landscape allows to indicate overloaded areas. The second purpose is the proposition of an indicator measuring the landscape saturation of tourist facilities, i.e. density index developed by the authors. The index, referred to river basin, is based on the ratio of the area of the tourist facilities to the total area of the unit. For the purposes of calculation, the authors developed a framework for the classification of tourist facilities based on its spatial character. The method was examined in the Silesian Beskid mountain range and can be applied in similar mountain areas.

Postglacial talus slope development imaged by the ERT method: comparison of slopes from SW Spitsbergen, Norway and Tatra Mountains, Poland

Abstract Talus slopes are a common sedimentary formation both in polar and high-mountain areas, but their development is still not sufficiently understood. This article discusses the environmental factors that have been influencing development of talus slopes since the deglaciation and their impact on the internal structure of slopes. Case studies of the slopes from SW Spitsbergen and the Tatra Mountains in Poland were compared in order to explore different evolution stages. Slopes’ structure was analysed using geophysical surveys based on two-dimensional electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) with a Wenner-Schlumberger array and an electrode spacing of 5 m, combined with geomorphological observations. The investigated talus slopes represent the paraglacial, periglacial and talus-alluvial environments. New data on the internal structure of talus slopes developing in the present or past glaciated areas adds to understanding talus slope evolution. There are many different views concerning the development of slopes during the paraglacial period, whose analysis seems to be crucial in the background of climate change and their record in slope structures. In addition, the study provided valuable information on the development and degradation of permafrost in slope materials.

New marine reptile fossils from the Late Jurassic of Poland with implications for vertebrate faunas palaeobiogeography

A new marine vertebrate assemblage from the Late Jurassic (late Kimmeridgian) at Krzyżanowice near Iłża in the NE margin of the Holy Cross Mountains in Poland is described. This new locality is rich in fossils of coastal and pelagic reptiles. The most frequent fossils are plesiochelyid turtle shell fragments and pliosaurid skull bones and teeth. The Krzyżanowice vertebrate assemblage is similar to the Late Jurassic Boreal/Sub-Boreal localities of the Kimmeridge Clay in Great Britain and Svalbard Archipelago in the Arctic, in the presence of pliosaurids and long-necked plesiosaurids. However, plesiochelyid turtles and crocodylomorphs are similar to those from the Mediterranean/Sub-Mediterranean sites of the northern border of the Tethys Ocean, as, for example, in the Swiss Jura Mountains and Southern Germany. This unique composition of the Krzyżanowice vertebrate fauna demonstrates that, during the Late Jurassic this new locality was located in the transitional palaeobiogeographic line referred to in this paper as the “Matyja-Wierzbowski Line”. The new palaeobiogeographical reconstructions of Late Jurassic of Europe are based on the composition of the Krzyżanowice locality and other sites with similar turtle-pliosaurid faunas which formed a long-term, stable ecological sympatry in marine ecosystems of the European Archipelago.

Long‐Term Variability of Aerosol Optical Depth in the Tatra Mountain Region of Central Europe

AbstractThis paper presents the results of long‐term observations (1964–2010) of direct solar flux at two stations in the Tatra Mountains in Poland (Central Europe). The measurements obtained from a Linke‐Feussner actinometers are used to estimate broadband (0.29–2.9 μm) and wideband (0.53–0.63 μm) aerosol optical depth (BAOD and WAOD, respectively). Both BAOD and WAOD at Mount Kasprowy Wierch (1,991 m a.s.l.) and in Zakopane (851 m a.s.l.) show similar annual cycles with peaks during spring and summer. Coincidence of actinometer observation at the top of the Tatra Mountains and in Zakopane valley allows determination of AOD in the column between 851 and 1,991 m a.s.l. Annual variabilities of both BAOD and WAOD for this layer are similar to PM10 concentration measurements in Zakopane. Conversely, BAOD and WAOD obtained at both stations show opposing annual variability, which is consistent with the Aerosol Robotic Network and model results in Central Europe. Long‐term data show significant reduction of both BAOD and WAOD in Zakopane (−0.018 ± 0.003 and −0.023 ± 0.003, respectively, per decade) and lower reductions at Mt. Kasprowy Wierch (−0.005 ± 0.002 and −0.009 ± 0.002, respectively, per decade). Trends for BAOD and WAOD defined between 851 and 1,991 m a.s.l. are the same (−0.013 ± 0.004 per decade), which corresponds to the reduction of WAOD and BAOD by about 60% between 1964 and 2010. Conversely, emission data for the Zakopane region obtained from Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research inventories shows reduction of SO2 by a factor of 3 and of NOx and PM10 by about 40% between 1988 and 2010.

Genetic differentiation and asymmetric gene flow among Carpathian brown bear (Ursus arctos) populations-Implications for conservation of transboundary populations.

The abundance and distribution of large carnivores in Europe have been historically reduced. Their recovery requires multilevel coordination, especially regarding transboundary populations. Here, we apply nuclear and mitochondrial genetic markers to test for admixture level and its impact on population genetic structure of contemporary brown bears (Ursus arctos) from the Eastern, Southern, and Western Carpathians. Carpathian Mountains (Europe). Nearly 400 noninvasive brown bear DNA samples from the Western (Poland) and Eastern Carpathians (Bieszczady Mountains in Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine) were collected. Together with DNA isolates from Slovakia and Romania, they were analyzed using the set of eight microsatellite loci and two mtDNA regions (control region and cytochrome b). A set of 113 individuals with complete genotypes was used to investigate genetic differentiation across national boundaries, genetic structuring within and between populations, and movement between populations. Transboundary brown bear subpopulations (Slovakia and Poland) did not show significant internal genetic structure, and thus were treated as cohesive units. All brown bears from the Western Carpathians carried mitochondrial haplotypes from the Eastern lineage, while the Western lineage prevailed in the brown bears from the Bieszczady Mountains. Despite similar levels of microsatellite variability, we documented significant differentiation among the studied populations for nuclear markers and mtDNA. We also detected male‐biased and asymmetrical movement into the Bieszczady Mountains population from the Western Carpathians. Our findings suggest initial colonization of the Western Carpathians by brown bears possessing mtDNA from the Eastern lineage. Genetic structuring among populations at microsatellite loci could be a result of human‐mediated alterations. Detected asymmetric gene flow suggests ongoing expansion from more abundant populations into the Bieszczady Mountains and thus supports a metapopulation model. The knowledge concerning this complex pattern can be implemented in a joint Carpathian brown bear management plan that should allow population mixing by dispersing males.