North European Plain Research Articles

Environmental changes in the Fleuve Manche paleoriver drainage system (Western Europe) linked to North Atlantic sub-millennial climate variability across Heinrich Stadial 1: Palynological evidence from the Bay of Biscay

Marine microfossils (dinoflagellate cysts and planktonic foraminifera) and geochemical (XRF-Ti/Ca)-based climatic records from a core (MD13–3438) located off the Fleuve Manche (FM) paleo-mouth have revealed that sustained warm summer sea surface temperatures (SSTs) during sub-millennial climate changes within HS1 (∼18–14.7 ka) may have played a key role in the FM regime related to the European Ice Sheet (EIS) melting rate. In this study, we have analyzed the MD13–3438 pollen content over the HS1 at a mean resolution of ∼50 years to test whether vegetation-based air temperatures were coupled to SSTs face to this rapid climate variability. First, our results highlight two major phases of pollen sources at site MD13–3438, preventing the pollen record to be interpreted as a continuous record of the evolution of vegetation and climate occupying a single watershed across HS1. The first phase, i.e. the HS1-a interval (∼18–16.8 ka), is marked by strong occurrences of boreal pollen taxa (especially Picea-Abies). Considering their spatial distribution and the coalescence of the British and Scandinavian ice sheets into the North Sea during the Last Glacial Maximum, these taxa probably originated from the North European Plain, i.e., eastern FM tributaries (east of the Rhine River), where cool-humid conditions generally prevailed. Then, the second phase, i.e. the HS1-b interval (∼16.8–14.7 ka BP), is characterized by a deceleration of the EIS retreat and the drop of boreal pollen values at site MD13–3438 further signing a less influence of the upstream FM drainage system and thus a better characterization of pollen sources related with western FM tributaries. Superimposed to these two HS1 main phases, pollen fluctuations are concomitant with sub-millennial variability in the EIS deglaciation intensity. During the early HS1 (HS1-a), we discuss two short-term increases in the ratio between deciduous trees (Quercus-Corylus-Alnus) and herbaceous plants (Plantago-Amaranthaceae-Artemisia). These events are coeval with phases of increasing dinocyst-based SST seasonality (i.e. through summer SST amplification). We associate these events with lower contribution of the upstream FM catchment as well as, possibly, atmospheric warming and regional sea-level positive oscillations. The HS1-b is composed of three main phases that appear more influenced by the downstream FM drainage system. HS1-b1 (16.8–16.3 ka BP) corresponds to the driest and coldest conditions west of the Rhine River. HS1-b2 (16.3–15.5 ka BP) is coeval with large arrivals of iceberg from the Hudson strait in the Bay of Biscay and thus likely to a major sea-level positive oscillation associated with a phase of FM valley reworking. HS1-b3 (15.5–14.7 ka BP) corresponds to persistent arid conditions that preceded the subsequent more humid conditions recorded from 14.7 ka BP at the start of the Bölling-Alleröd.

Geographical variations, prevalence, and molecular dynamics of fastidious phloem-limited pathogens infecting sugar beet across Central Europe.

In Europe, two fastidious phloem-limited pathogens, 'Candidatus Phytoplasma solani' (16SrXII-A) and 'Candidatus Arsenophonus phytopathogenicus', are associated with rubbery taproot disease (RTD) and syndrome basses richesses (SBR) of sugar beet, respectively. Both diseases can significantly reduce yield, especially when accompanied by root rot fungi. This study investigates the presence, geographic distribution and genetic traits of fastidious pathogens and the accompanying fungus, Macrophomina phaseolina, found on sugar beet across four geographically separated plains spanning seven countries in Central Europe. The survey revealed variable incidences of symptoms linked to these fastidious pathogens in the Pannonian and Wallachian Plains, sporadic occurrence in the North European Plain, and no symptomatic sugar beet in the Bohemian Plain. Molecular analyses unveiled the occurrence of both 'Ca. P. solani' and 'Ca. A. phytopathogenicus' throughout Central Europe, with a predominance of the phytoplasma. These fastidious pathogens were detected in all six countries surveyed within the Pannonian and Wallachian Plains, with only a limited presence of various phytoplasmas was found in the North European Plain, while no fastidious pathogens were detected in Bohemia, aligning with observed symptoms. While 16S rDNA sequences of 'Ca. P. solani' remained highly conserved, multi-locus characterization of two more variable loci (tuf and stamp) unveiled distinct variability patterns across the plains. Notably, the surprising lack of variability of tuf and stamp loci within Central Europe, particularly the Pannonian Plain, contrasted their high variability in Eastern and Western Europe, corresponding to epidemic and sporadic occurrence, respectively. The current study provides valuable insights into the genetic dynamics of 'Ca. P. solani' in Central Europe, and novel findings of the presence of 'Ca. A. phytopathogenicus' in five countries (Slovakia, Czech Republic, Austria, Serbia, and Romania) and M. phaseolina in sugar beet in Slovakia. These findings emphasize the need for further investigation of vector-pathogen(s)-plant host interactions and ecological drivers of disease outbreaks.

Permanent areas and changes in forests, grasslands, and wetlands in the North European Plain since the eighteenth century—a case study of the Kościan Plain in Poland

This study investigates the intricate and enduring interplay of historical events, human activities, and natural processes shaping the landscape of North European Plain in western Poland over 230 years. Topographic maps serve as reliable historical data sources to quantify changes in forest, grassland, and wetland areas, scrutinizing their fragmentation and persistence. The primary objectives are to identify the permanent areas of the landscape and propose a universal cartographic visualization method for effectively mapping these changes. Using topographic maps and historical data, this research quantifies land cover changes, especially in forest, grassland, and wetland areas. With the help of retrogressive method we process raster historical data into vector-based information. Over time, wetlands experienced a substantial reduction, particularly in 1960–1982, attributed to both land reclamation and environmental factors. Grassland areas fluctuated, influenced by wetland and drier habitat dynamics. Fragmentation in grassland areas poses biodiversity and ecosystem health concerns, whereas forested areas showed limited fluctuations, with wetland forests nearly disappearing. These findings highlight wetland ecosystems’ sensitivity to human impacts and emphasize the need to balance conservation and sustainable development to preserve ecological integrity. This study advances landscape dynamics understanding, providing insights into historical, demographic, economic, and environmental transformations. It underscores the imperative for sustainable land management and conservation efforts to mitigate human impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity in the North European Plain.

Widespread evidence for elephant exploitation by Last Interglacial Neanderthals on the North European plain.

Neanderthals hunted and butchered straight-tusked elephants, the largest terrestrial mammals of the Pleistocene, in a lake landscape on the North European plain, 125,000 years ago, as recently shown by a study of the Last Interglacial elephant assemblage from Neumark-Nord (Germany). With evidence for a remarkable focus on adult males and on their extended utilization, the data from this location are thus far without parallel in the archaeological record. Given their relevance for our knowledge of the Neanderthal niche, we investigated whether the Neumark-Nord subsistence practices were more than a local phenomenon, possibly determined by local characteristics. Analyzing elephant remains from two other Last Interglacial archaeological sites on the North European plain, Gröbern and Taubach, we identified in both assemblages similar butchering patterns as at Neumark-Nord, demonstrating that extended elephant exploitation was a widespread Neanderthal practice during the (early part of the) Last Interglacial. The substantial efforts needed to process these animals, weighing up to 13 metric tons, and the large amounts of food generated suggest that Neanderthals either had ways of storing vast amounts of meat and fat and/or temporarily aggregated in larger groups than commonly acknowledged. The data do not allow us to rule out one of the two explanations, and furthermore both factors, short-term larger group sizes as well as some form of food preservation, may have played a role. What the data do show is that exploitation of large straight-tusked elephants was a widespread and recurring phenomenon amongst Last Interglacial Neanderthals on the North European plain.

Studia porównawcze kultur łowiecko-zbierackich Europy i Północnej Ameryki

This paper presents the results of a Polish-American research project lasting ten years comparing the widely separated hunting gathering societies that experienced similar changing environments in the Old and New World during the final Pleistocene and the early Holocene times. The study intended to compare the technological and economic histories of this societies living in the same time on the North European plain and the North Central United States. Over the period of time in question, they experienced the same changes of climate and environment. The results of the project permit us to say that the hunter gatherers adaptation process was often only slightly, and over time hardly at all dependent on environmental changes.

A roadmap to estimating agricultural ammonia volatilization over Europe using satellite observations and simulation data

Abstract. Ammonia (NH3) is one of the most important gases emitted from agricultural practices. It affects air quality and the overall climate and is in turn influenced by long-term climate trends as well as by short-term fluctuations in local and regional meteorology. Previous studies have established the capability of the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) series of instruments, aboard the Metop satellites, to measure ammonia from space since 2007. In this study, we explore the interactions between atmospheric ammonia, land and meteorological variability, and long-term climate trends in Europe. We investigate the emission potential (Γsoil) of ammonia from the soil, which describes the soil–atmosphere ammonia exchange. Γsoil is generally calculated in-field or in laboratory experiments; here, and for the first time, we investigate a method which assesses it remotely using satellite data, reanalysis data products, and model simulations. We focus on ammonia emission potential in March 2011, which marks the start of growing season in Europe. Our results show that Γsoil ranges from 2 × 103 to 9.5 × 104 (dimensionless) in fertilized cropland, such as in the North European Plain, and is of the order of 10–102 in a non-fertilized soil (e.g., forest and grassland). These results agree with in-field measurements from the literature, suggesting that our method can be used in other seasons and regions in the world. However, some improvements are needed in the determination of mass transfer coefficient k (m s−1), which is a crucial parameter to derive Γsoil. Using a climate model, we estimate the expected increase in ammonia columns by the end of the century based on the increase in skin temperature (Tskin), under two different climate scenarios. Ammonia columns are projected to increase by up to 50 %, particularly in eastern Europe, under the SSP2-4.5 scenario and might even double (increase of 100 %) under the SSP5-8.5 scenario. The increase in skin temperature is responsible for a formation of new hotspots of ammonia in Belarus, Ukraine, Hungary, Moldova, parts of Romania, and Switzerland.

Hunte 4: Re-validation of a Bell Beaker domestic site in the Dümmer region in northwestern Germany

Abstract One of the few areas of the central North European Plain with settlement structures of the Single Grave groups (SG) as well as the Bell Beaker (BB) phenomenon is the Dümmer region in northwestern Germany. This region is characterised by extensive wetlands on the southern border of the Northern Lowland and has been subject of several research projects on Mesolithic and Neolithic sites since the last century. Archaeological prospections in the 1940s led to the detection of a domestic site of the BB groups at the Hunte 4 site. In 2020, new research was carried out at this site, which, through the integration of archaeology, geophysics and palynology, identified a Late SG and BB site and reconstructed the surrounding landscape. In contrast to the Hunte 1 settlement with building structures 2.5 km to the south, which also shows SG and BB activities, the results of the investigations at Hunte 4 point to a temporary use of the site. Consequently, a settlement system can be reconstructed in the region of the Dümmer for the second half of the third millennium and at the beginning of the second millennium BCE, which consisted of at least one permanent settlement and at the minimum one temporarily used sites – several more could be presumed but have to yet be localised. At the same time, the Dümmer region marks the southern border of a settlement system in the central Northern European Plain which is characterised by less domestic site, less permanent settlement sites and buildings structures. This contrasts with the increasing number of known settlement sites in the surrounding regions of the central Northern European Plain and suggests a higher translocality of individuals and groups in this area.

Climate changes during the Late Glacial in southern Europe: new insights based on pollen and brGDGTs of Lake Matese in Italy

Abstract. The Late Glacial (14 700–11 700 cal BP) is a key climate period marked by rapid but contrasted changes in the Northern Hemisphere. Indeed, regional climate differences have been evidenced during the Late Glacial in Europe and the northern Mediterranean. However, past climate patterns are still debated since temperature and precipitation changes are poorly investigated towards the lower European latitudes. Lake Matese in southern Italy is a key site in the central Mediterranean to investigate climate patterns during the Late Glacial. This study aims to reconstruct climate changes and their impacts at Matese using a multi-proxy approach including magnetic susceptibility, geochemistry (XRF core scanning), pollen data and molecular biomarkers like branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (brGDGTs). Paleotemperatures and paleo-precipitation patterns are quantitatively inferred from pollen assemblages (multi-method approach: modern analogue technique, weighted averaging partial least-squares regression, random forest and boosted regression trees) and brGDGT calibrations. The results are compared to a latitudinal selection of regional climate reconstructions in Italy to better understand climate processes in Europe and in the circum-Mediterranean region. A warm Bølling–Allerød and a marked cold Younger Dryas are revealed in all climate reconstructions inferred from various proxies (chironomids, ostracods, speleothems, pollen, brGDGTs), showing no latitudinal differences in terms of temperatures across Italy. During the Bølling–Allerød, no significant changes in terms of precipitation are recorded; however, a contrasted pattern is visible during the Younger Dryas. Slightly wetter conditions are recorded south of 42∘ N, whereas dry conditions are recorded north of 42∘ N. During the Younger Dryas, cold conditions can be attributed to the southward position of North Atlantic sea ice and of the polar frontal jet stream, whereas the increase in precipitation in southern Italy seems to be linked to relocation of Atlantic storm tracks into the Mediterranean, induced by the Fennoscandian ice sheet and the North European Plain. By contrast, warm conditions during the Bølling–Allerød can be linked to the northward position of North Atlantic sea ice and of the polar frontal jet stream.

Funkcja i rola wysp jeziornych wedle przekazów pisanych dotyczących środkowoeuropejskich Słowian i Bałtów we wczesnym średniowieczu

The text revolves around the use of lake isles by Western Slavs and Western Balts in the North European Plain in the early Middle Ages. The main goal of this article is to collect, discuss and analyse early medieval written sources that provide information about the locations’ forms and functions among old communities. This process has resulted in a picture of the various uses of isles by Slavs (and, to a small extent, by the Balts) which may serve as the starting point for an analysis of archaeological sources.

The Elbe Palaeovalley: Evolution from an ice-marginal valley to a sedimentary trap (SE North Sea)

The southeastern North Sea was a sub-aerially exposed periglacial environment during the late Weichselian. At that time, the approximately 210 km long and 40 km wide SE–NW trending Elbe Palaeovalley (EPV) was the main conduit for meltwater from the southern margin of the Scandinavian ice sheet and rivers draining the North European plain. Only few studies investigated the environmental organization of the Northwest European shelves during deglacial sea level rise resulting in vague reconstructions of the drainage systems. Here, a detailed analysis of sediment echo-sounder data and core samples are presented to study the EPV morphology and stratigraphic infill. The valley base is about 65 m below the present sea-level. This SE-NW palaeo-drainage with its braided system developed during the MIS 2 sea level fall and lowstand in a periglacial environment. During deglacial sea-level rise, the EPV evolved into an estuary with tributaries, intertidal and subtidal flats. After the early Holocene (∼10 cal ka BP), ongoing sea-level rise drowned the EPV system which became the major sedimentary trap in the southern North Sea. Successive sea level rise and associated changes in the hydrodynamic regime led to three stages of shelf organization that were recorded in the valley infill successions: (1) shallow basin with restricted connections to Atlantic water; (2) the southwestern connection with the Dover Strait; (3) the open marine environment at 5.8 cal ka BP after the drowning of Dogger Bank.

Glacial outburst flood in the marginal zone of the Wartanian Glaciation: An example from Adamów, central Poland

In this study, a glacial lake-outburst flood was documented in the immediate foreland of the maximum phase of the Wartanian (Warthian, Late Saalian, MIS 6) Glaciation at Adamów in south central Poland. The structural and textural analyses of the sediments, as well as palaeohydraulic analysis, were carried out in the proximal part of the outwash plain where a fragment of the floodwater drainage system comprising buried erosional channels have been documented. Their fill reached a thickness of up to 11 m and was composed of poorly sorted, massive gravels with boulders, as well as horizontally, sub-horizontally, low-angle, and cross-stratified gravels. The coarse sediments were found to be inversely and normally graded. These sediments constituted the records of two subsequent flooding episodes. In the channel fill, the lenticular accumulations of gravel were identified and interpreted as buried large gravel dunes, while exhibiting a thickness of up to 2.5 m. Traces of sediment diapirism at the contact of channel fill and underlying sediments were also documented. Deformation was observed to originate from liquefaction caused by the rapid depositional loading of flood deposits. The example used in this study exhibited that the impact of glacial lake-outburst floods in shaping the marginal zones and foreland of ice sheets in the North European Plain was higher than that considered earlier. This example also showed a different case of glacial outburst flood in the foreland of the Middle Pleistocene ice sheets of Europe than that already known, which includes the discharge of sub- or englacial meltwater reservoirs emanated from a large proglacial ice-dammed lake.

Seasonal Aggregation Site in Late Paleolithic – Intrasite Analysis of Large Hamburgian Encampment in Myszęcin, Western Poland

ABSTRACT The pioneering colonization of the North European Plain by the communities of the Hamburgian culture was considered a cultural phenomenon related archaeologically to episodic short-term occupations. The camps resulting from this mobility were to be characterized by little differentiation. The presented article shows the results of a spatial analysis of the Hamburgian culture site in Myszęcin, in western Poland. The use of the refitting method to analyze the flint inventory made it possible to determine the relative chronology of concentrations and to reconstruct the spatial organization of the camp. The results of the analysis indicate the existence of large encampments in the settlement system of the Hamburgian societies. The presence of such structures suggests that the Hamburgian groups functioned within a dualistic settlement model with seasonal aggregation, which was a permanent element of the post-Magdalenian traditions of the Late Paleolithic communities.

BIOSOCIAL DIVERSITY OF SCOTS PINE (PINUS SYLVESTRIS L.) IN A TREE STAND IN RELATION TO CHOSEN HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY INDICATORS OF THE STEM

The research focused in determining the lignification indicator of fresh needled springs and the mass of fresh needles in reference to the lignin content in tracheid walls of peripheral area of the stem (MFT/LC and MFN/LC) of Scots pine differentiated as far as its biosocial position within the community expressed by Kraft’s classification. The material for the analysis came from mature pine stands growing on North European Plain, on the territory of Poland. Chemical and structural analyses of wood encompassed the area of mature sapwood, i.e. thickness of the last 10 annual rings located at 1.3 m (DBH). It seems that the noticed differences values of both indicators (MFT/LC and MFN/LC) in pines belonging to the first three Kraft’s biological classes are connected with physiological, physical and structural conditionings of water transport with minerals in xylem and are closely connected with competition for sunlight, water, nutrients and living space.

The role of bracket fungi in creating alpha diversity of invertebrates in the Białowieża National Park, Poland.

Bracket fungi are seen mainly as the cause of economic losses in forestry, and their role as creators of biodiversity is relatively poorly understood. The aim of the study was defining the manner in which the degree of decay (DD) of the fruiting bodies determines the character of the invertebrate assemblages colonising them. The effect of this group of fungi on the modification of biodiversity of invertebrates (Aranae, Opiliones, Pseudoscorpionida, two groups of mites—Mesostigmata and Oribatida, and Collembola and Insecta) was investigated by analyzing 100 fruiting bodies of 10 species of bracket fungi divided into four DD classes. The material was collected at Białowieża National Park, which is considered to be the largest area of natural forests in the North European Plain. 16 068 invertebrate individuals classified into 224 species were obtained. Oribatid mites (12 543 individuals) constituted the largest group of individuals, which were classified into 115 species with the most numerous Carabodes femoralis (8,811 individuals). Representatives of this group of mites have been reported previously in the publications on bracket fungi; however, the contributions of Oribatida and other groups of invertebrates were not broadly compared. Moreover, the species such as Hoploseius mariae and H. oblongus, which were predominantly found in fruiting bodies of bracket fungi, have also been discerned. The invertebrate fauna differs depending on DD of the samples: In the more decayed samples, a higher number of both individuals and species were recorded compared to the samples with lower DDs; however, this trend proved to be nonlinear. The DCA and cluster analysis revealed a similarity of the invertebrate assemblages from the 2 DD and 4 DD samples. They also indicated that the group 3 DD differed the most from all the other samples. The indicator species analysis identified species characteristic to individual DDs: For group 1 DD, it was, for example, Hoploseius oblongus; for 2 DD—Orchesella bifasciata; and for 3 DD—Chernes cimicoides, while for 4 DD—Dinychus perforatus.

How to find a fireplace in a burnt forest? Approaching the structure of Late Palaeolithic camps

Post-depositional fire events significantly affecting flint concentrations obstruct the location of hearths in Late Palaeolithic open air camps. Lacking the location of fireplaces in the settlement structure, an analysis meets difficulties in approaching activities and daily life at open-air camps. The proposed research procedure concerns the quantitative characteristics of the domestic units and integral parts of workshops, which included hearths, enabling the interpretation of flint concentrations, even if they have been affected by natural fire. The procedure was tested through its application to several Swiderian sites on the North European Plain.

Probabilistic Quantification in the Analysis of Flood Risks in Cross-Border Areas of Poland and Germany

Measuring the probability of flood risk is a key issue in the economics of natural disasters. This discipline studies actual and potential effects of natural disasters on the functioning of economic systems. In traditional economic understanding, it is assumed that both the decision making processes and market processes operate within a certain level of access to information. It is also assumed that the effects of certain phenomena are predictable. However, a natural disaster is difficult to predict. It is hard to predict the time of its occurrence, its impact, direct exposure to its effects and finally, its social and economic results. Exposure to a random hazard, combined with the amount of damage resulting from its potential materialization, is called risk. In this study, the authors focus on presenting a method for quantification of the random element of flood risk. We are using measurement data for cross-border areas between Poland and Germany who witnessed a flood of the century in the 1990s. The empirical data illustrate the usefulness and universality of probabilistic quantification methods for flood risk analysis. The analysis of water level is interesting in a much broader context than the hydrological-economic one. In Central Europe, river water level is immediately connected with two other disaster-like phenomena: drought and heavy rainfall. Also, the course of the Oder river is typical for North European Plain. Therefore, the conclusions presented by the authors are universal by nature and describe certain broader phenomena. Employment of methods of probabilistic quantification using extreme values yields very interesting results: flood risk changes dynamically. Five-year period measurements themselves indicate that there are periods of relatively low exposure of the areas to the disaster (with negligible probability 0.02) and periods of disproportionately high risk increase. The risk of exceeding alarm levels and warning levels changes rapidly, reaching as much as 30% in some locations.

Approaching daily life at Late Palaeolithic camps: The case of Lubrza 10, Western Poland

Abstract The aim of this paper is to develop a systematic approach to understanding daily life at Late Palaeolithic camps and identifying its impact on broader site formation processes. Late Palaeolithic contexts are often poorly preserved, especially those found in the sandy sediments of the North European Plain. However, taphonomic obstacles may be overcome through the introduction of spatial statistics into research procedures. We illustrate our approach using a case study of Federmesser and Swiderian campsites at the site of Lubrza 10, Western Poland. The locational analysis of hearths, features that constitute the most important integrative social foci of Palaeolithic camps, provides information on activity areas, seasonality and occupational duration. Additionally, we examine the function of spatially distinct artefact concentrations and their methods of aggregation. The presented research procedure enables us to trace the contribution of individuals to group behaviour, as well as specific individual activities at both camps.

Decadal Variability in the Impact of Atmospheric Circulation Patterns on the Winter Climate of Northern Russia

AbstractThe Arctic continues to warm at a much faster rate than the global average. One process contributing to “Arctic amplification” involves changes in low-frequency macroscale atmospheric circulation patterns and their consequent influence on regional climate. Here, using ERA5 data, we examine decadal changes in the impact of seven such patterns on winter near-surface temperature (SAT) and precipitation (PPN) in northern Russia and calculate the temporal consistency of any statistically significant relationships. We demonstrate that the 40-yr climatology hides considerable decadal variability in the spatial extent of such circulation pattern–climate relationships across the region, with few areas where their temporal consistency exceeds 60%. This is primarily a response to the pronounced decadal expansion/contraction and/or mobility of the circulation patterns’ centers of action. The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is the dominant pattern (having the highest temporal consistency) affecting SAT west of the Urals. Farther east, the Scandinavian (SCA), Polar/Eurasian (POL), and West Pacific patterns are successively the dominant pattern influencing SAT across the West Siberian Plains, Central Siberian Plateau, and mountains of Far East Siberia, respectively. From west to east, the SCA, POL, and Pacific–North American patterns exert the most consistent decadal influence on PPN. The only temporally invariant significant decadal relationships occur between the NAO and SAT and the SCA and PPN in small areas of the North European Plain.

Effect of Diverse Abiotic Conditions on the Structure and Biodiversity of Ichthyofauna in Small, Natural Water Bodies Located on Agricultural Lands

Mid-field natural ponds promote regional biodiversity, providing alternative habitats for many valuable animal species. The study’s objective was to determine the most important abiotic factors, including hydrochemical and morphometric parameters, affecting fish occurrence in natural, small water bodies on agricultural lands. The studies were conducted in nine randomly selected water bodies located in Poland (the North European Plain). Eleven species of fish were recorded in the waterbodies, with the most abundant being cyprinids (mainly crucian carp). Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that an increase in oxygenation, temperature, amount of macrophytes, and K concentration and a decrease in the concentration of phosphates, electrical conductivity (EC), Mg, and Cl is associated with the most beneficial living conditions for the most frequently occurring species in the studied water bodies—crucian carp and tench. Aside from the hydrochemical parameters of water in the natural ponds, the number of fish correlates with the basin area and the pond area, maximum depth, area of the buffer zone surrounding the water bodies, and the number of macrophytes. This last factor also has a significant influence on the species’ abundance in the water bodies. Fish occurrences in mid-field ponds and common knowledge on their important role in the environment require taking steps to provide fish protection.

A biographical study of Neolithic hoarding

The tradition of hoarding axeheads is a well-known phenomenon within the first agrarian societies on the North European Plain. Unfortunately, the majority of known hoards have been found as stray finds or under circumstances with poor or no documentation, leading to considerable source critical issues. However, in this paper we analyze four hoards that have either been professionally excavated or have had their find circumstances recorded and are all found within the same geographical area along the southern Limfjord region of Denmark. The detailed contextual information of these hoards is used as a foundation for interpreting these hoards and question the oft-repeated dualistic categorization of hoards as wetland or dryland phenomena. The analytical method employed in this study uses micro- and macroscopic observations to create biographies for the axeheads and to so shed new light on hoarding practices. This approach challenges the previous macro-scale approaches. The results in the study provide a detailed insight on production, use-life, exchange and deposition of axeheads in hoards within the TRB. The aim of the paper is to forward this analytical approach and to offer a fresh perspective on the TRB hoards. In concluding, avenues for future research and debate are sketched out.