Warta River Research Articles

Influence of deposition of fine plant debris in river floodplain shrubs on flood flow conditions – The Warta River case study

This paper presents problems caused by organic material transported by flowing water. This material is usually referred to as plant debris or organic debris. Its composition depends on the characteristic of the watercourse. For lowland rivers, the share of the so-called small organic matter in plant debris is considerable. This includes both various parts of water plants and floodplain vegetation (leaves, stems, blades of grass, twigs, etc.). During floods, larger woody debris poses a significant risk to bridges or other water engineering structures. It may cause river jams and may lead to damming of the flowing water. This, in turn, affects flood safety and increases flood risk in river valleys, both directly and indirectly. The importance of fine plant debris for the phenomenon being studied comes down to the hydrodynamic aspect (plant elements carried by water end up on trees and shrubs, increase hydraulic flow resistance and contribute to the nature of flow through vegetated areas changed from micro-to macro-structural). The key part of the research problem under analysis was to determine qualitative and quantitative debris parameters and to establish the relationship between the type of debris and the type of land use of river valleys (crop fields, meadows and forested river sections). Another problem was to identify parameters of plant debris for various flow conditions (e.g. for low, medium and flood flows). The research also included an analysis of the materials deposited on the structure of shrubs under flood flow conditions during the 2010 flood on the Warta River.

Long-term air temperature and precipitation variability in the Warta River catchment area

Abstract The variability of the mean annual air temperature and precipitation totals in three periods: 1848–2010, 1951–2010 and 1981–2010 was investigated in the large Warta River basin, being the area with lowest rainfall in Poland. For the purposes of research, nine meteorological stations with the longest measurement series were selected. Air temperature increase in this river basin was similar than in neighbouring countries. In the last 30 years this trend kept increasing. The precipitation in the whole studied period was slightly increasing in the northern part of the Warta River basin, but decreasing in the southern part. The mean annual precipitation totals in the catchment area did not change visible. In the period 1981–2010, the precipitation totals show a small increase in the winter and spring and a decrease in summer. A negative influence of this climate change was not visible in the Warta River discharge. The main objectives of this study were the collection long-term records of air temperature and precipitation in the Warta River basin, and the statistical analysis of climate variability.

Analysis of Prognosis of Lowland River Bed Erosion Based on Geotechnical Parameters

Abstract The river erosion is a complex process, the dynamics of which is very difficult to predict. Its intensity largely depends on hydraulic conditions of the river channel. However, it is also thought that natural resistance of the subsoil has a great influence on the scale of the erosion process. Predicting the effects of this process is extremely important in the case of constructing a piling structure (for example, artificial reservoirs). The partition of the river channel causes significant lowering of the river channel bed downstream the dam which threatens the stability of hydro technical and engineering (bridges) buildings. To stop this unwanted phenomenon, stabilizing thresholds are built. However, random location of thresholds significantly reduces their effectiveness. Therefore, taking under consideration natural geotechnical conditions of the subsoil appears to be extremely important. In the light of the current development of in-situ tests in geotechnics, an attempt to use results from these tests to predict the bed erosion rate was made. The analysis includes results from CPTU and DPL tests, which were carried out in the Warta River valley downstream the Jeziorsko reservoir. In the paper, the general diagrams for the procedure of obtaining and processing the data are shown. As a result, the author presents two multidimensional bed erosion rate models built based on hydraulic data and results from CPTU or DPL tests. These models allow taking more effective actions, leading to the neutralization of the effects of the intensive bed erosion process.

Assessment of the Impact of New Investments on Flood Hazard-Study Case: The Bridge on the Warta River near Wronki

The main concern of the study was the evaluation of the impact of new investment in road infrastructure on the flood hazard. The flood hazard is considered here on the basis of maps according to requirements of EU Flood Directive. The analyses presented were made for the Warta river, near the town of Wronki. The procedure included data collection and processing, model configuration, hydraulic simulation, generation of water surface profiles, and flood hazard maps. The ArcGIS tools, as well as HEC-RAS package, were used in this research. The model recalibration described in the paper provided excellent results according to independent criteria. Hence, the results obtained may be considered as valid. Finally the results reconstructing the conditions with and without the bridge are compared. The assessed impact of the bridge seems to be moderate, but the procedure proposed in the presented paper may be of wider application. In view of the EU Flood Directive and plans for investments in road infrastructure, the methodology presented seems very attractive.

The vegetation of floodplain in „Majątek Rogalin” (Central Wielkopolska) on the background of the applied management way

Nearly 200 hectares of grasslands in Majątek (the Estate) are situated on the Warta River floodplain, about 17 miles south of Poznan. Six positions of protected species have been found here. There are 10 regionally endangered species, while in the whole country - eight. Eighty-three plant communities belonging to 15 classes in phyto-sociological terms have been identified. Due to habitat con - ditions and manner of use, rushes of Phragmitetea rushes (18), Molinio-Arrhenatheretea grasslands (18), and Artemisietea vulgaris herbaceous species (12) are the most abundantly represented. Natural arrangements predominate (nearly 68%), but semi-natural ones (19%) are also numerous. A total of 30 phytocenons (over 37%) are endangered. Following items are directly threatened with extinction (E): poplar riparian forest Populetum albae, herbaceous plants Veronico longifoliae-Euphorbietum lucidae, and cnidion meadow Violo stagninae-Molinietum caeruleae. Poplar riparian forest is very rare, and 15 associations are counted to rare ones. There have been 33 communities representative for 10 protected habitat types, including three - the priority ones. Considering the surface, following meadows dominate: Stellario palustris-Deschampsietum cespi- tosae and Rumici-Alopecuretum pratensis, in which 20-23 species have been reported. Cnidion meadows are much more abundant (from 29 to 42 species). Natural and cultural values of the area were noticed a long time ago, which was reflected in numerous publications and proposals for protection: Landscape Park, nature and landscape area Rogalin Łegi, Natura 2000 - Warta River Valley, and together with the Wielkopolski National Park The Special Protection Area - Refuge. Majątek implements the environmental programs, which means that farming is subordinated to nature conservation. Active protection and maintaining the traditional way of management contribute to the preservation of existing natural values .

Environmental Isolate of Rahnella aquatilis Harbors Class 1 Integron.

The paper presents first description of class 1 integron in an environmental strain of Rahnella aquatilis, a rarely isolated Gram-negative bacterium of the family Enterobacteriaceae. The strain was isolated from the Warta river water, Poland. Class 1 integrase gene was detected by a PCR assay. Sequencing of the integron’s variable region showed the presence of a dfrA1-aadA1 gene cassette array. The integron was located in a 54-kbp plasmid that was transferable to Escherichia coli J-53 recipient strain in a conjugation assay. The integron-bearing R. aquatilis strain was resistant to aminoglycosides, penicillins, trimethoprim, sulfamethoxazole, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. This paper confirms that water environment play a major role in the spread of integrons and, consequently, antimicrobial resistance, among bacteria of various genera.

Miocene colored waters: A new significant source of thallium in the environment

Thallium is a toxic non-essential element which is subject to some dispersion in the environment due to industrial activity and natural processes. There is a need for this dispersion to be monitored. Colored Miocene water seems to be a newly discovered significant source of such dispersion.The presence of colored water within the brown coal Miocene formation is related to the formation of organic sediments in that period which changed into layers of brown coal.The aim of this study was to investigate the concentration of Tl in colored waters, both in soluble form and entrapped in suspended solid matter (SS). Tl was determined by flow-injection differential-pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (FI-DP-ASV).It was found that Miocene colored waters from the Wielkopolska region contain very high Tl concentrations, and are thus a newly discovered significant source of Tl pollution in the environment. The concentrations are higher than the results for surface water by 2–3 orders of magnitude, and are a serious cause for concern. The majority of the total Tl in the colored waters is entrapped in suspended solids (more than 95% in the majority of samples). Even a low percentage of soluble Tl, however, creates a high concentration of the element in water (median 0.11μgL−1), which is approximately 10 times higher than in surface water from the River Warta. Tl concentration in SS is very high (median 15μgg−1) and exceeds by one order of magnitude the concentration of the element in crude Zn–Pb ores.

Variability of the Warta River water discharge in the city of Poznań as influenced by the Jeziorsko reservoir / Zmienność przepływów rzeki Warty w Poznaniu w aspekcie eksploatacji zbiornika Jeziorsko

Abstract The data set of the Warta discharges in Poznań (Poland) is one of the largest in the world as the daily observations of river stages have been conducted without interruptions since January, 1st, 1822. The Poznań measurement profile is situated in the 243.6 km and closes the catchment area of approximately 25 thousand square kilometers. The data used as the input in the paper were daily values of the Warta discharges in Poznań in the years 1822-2012. The climate in Poznań, a city situated in the centre of the Wielkopolska (Greater Poland) region, is relatively stable (Miler et al. 2005). Also the Warta River runoff shows considerable stability, especially in terms of mean annual values. Short-term trends are random in character. It was found that the Jeziorsko reservoir (total storage volume of 203 000 000 m3, officially put to use on September, 9th, 1987) significantly reduced daily variability of the flows and reduced peak discharge of the flood wave in the summer of 1997 on the Warta River at Poznań. The calculated periodogram for mean annual discharges of the Warta River in Poznań shows that there are main periodicities of ca. 10 year lengths. The research of the Provincial Inspectorate for Environmental Protection (WIOŚ) in Poznań shows a gradual improvement of water quality in the Warta River in Poznań.

Wykorzystanie modelu matematycznego SSIIM do analizy rozkładów prędkości : zbiornik Jeziorsko na rzece Warcie

Wykorzystanie modelu matematycznego SSIIM do analizy rozkładów prędkości : zbiornik Jeziorsko na rzece Warcie

Birdwatching as a Potential Factor in the Development of Tourism and Recreation in the Region

Ornithological tourism, also known as birdwatching, is a form of cognitive tourism. Poland has enormous natural potential and ornithological tourism is developing more and more dynamically, so it is important to understand and organise it well. The aim of this study is to review information about ornithological tourism as one of the branches of tourism. It is also to prove that birdwatching may be the basis for tourism and economic development both in its local and regional aspects. The article also attempts to indicate the needs of tourist infrastructure for the development of ornithological tourism on the basis of a survey of 356 respondents, including 87 women. Most of the respondents were young people, aged under 35 (66,4%). 78% of them were urban inhabitants. Most had higher (64,4%) or secondary education (27,8%). The respondents indicated Biebrza National Park (18,3%), Warta River Mouth National Park (16,5%), the Gulf of Gdańsk (8,7%), Milicz Ponds (7,2%), Lake Jeziorsko (7,1%) as the most popular places of ornithological tourism. 34% of the respondents were of the opinion that birdwatching sites in Poland were poorly prepared for the activity.

Application of numerical model simulations for estimation of morphodynamics and vegetation impact on transport of dissolved substances in the Warta river reach

Application of numerical model simulations for estimation of morphodynamics and vegetation impact on transport of dissolved substances in the Warta river reach

Voltammetric and corrosion studies of the fungicide fludioxonil

A new, simple, rapid, and inexpensive voltammetric method for the determination of a novel fungicide, fludioxonil (Flu), was firstly developed using square wave voltammetry (SWV). This was based on its electrochemical cathodic reduction at about -1.1V vs. an Ag/AgCl/KCl reference electrode in citrate–phosphate (C–P) buffer (pH 3.7) on a renewable silver amalgam film electrode (Hg(Ag)FE). To select the optimum experimental conditions, the effect of the supporting electrolyte, pH, conditioning potential and conditioning time, frequency, amplitude, step potential, and equilibration time were studied. Under optimized conditions, the proposed method exhibited acceptable analytical performances in terms of linearity (over a concentration range from 2.00×10−6 to 2.25×10−5molL−1), the detection limit (LOD=5.81×10−7molL−1) and the quantification limit (LOQ=1.94×10−6molL−1) for a solution containing Flu. The validation of the method was carried out. The developed procedure was successfully applied to determine Flu in the spiked Warta River water samples. To understand the Flu electrode mechanism, the cyclic voltammetry (CV) technique was applied. The reduction mechanism was also confirmed using mass spectrometry with the electrospray ionization (ESI–MS) technique. The influence of Flu on the corrosion properties of stainless steels used to produce agricultural tools were investigated using electrochemical techniques.

Spatial and temporal (1963-2012) variability of ichthyofauna in the large lowland Warta River, Poland

Spatial and temporal (1963-2012) variability of ichthyofauna in the large lowland Warta River, Poland

WATER RESERVOIRS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AS A RESULT OF THE ACTIVITIES OF “KONIN” AND “ADAMÓW” BROWN COAL MINES

Post-exploitation opencast pits constitute a final stage of mining activities and turning them into public utility facilities is taking place now by their water reclamation. They constitute basins without outflows with the depth of 15 to 69 m and areas ranging from 2.5 to 692 ha. The bottoms of these basins are situated in pyrite-containing Miocene formations. Products of Fe 2 S weathering comprise sulphuric acid and iron compounds – sulphate II and sulphate III. This study presents the basic parameters of the reservoirs constructed in the final opencast pits of the “Konin” and “Adamow” brown coal mine,s as well as the properties of the formations making up the bottoms of two water reservoirs under construction: Lubstow and Wladyslawow. It is evident from the performed investigations that these formations are characterised by very acid reaction and very high exchangeable acidity. The total sulphur content ranges from 446 to 962 mg·kg -1 of the ground and that of sulphate sulphur – from 71 to 187 mg·kg -1 of the ground. The chemism of these grounds will exert influence on the quality of water accumulating in the opencast pits during the initial period of their spontaneous flooding. Together with the increase of the capacity of these reservoirs, the contact of waters with boulder clays of the Warta River glaciation abounding in calcium compounds will increase and concentrations of calcium ions in the waters of the reservoirs will also grow.

Przebieg zjawisk lodowych na warcie w rejonie Uniejowa

The article synthesises the results from observations of ice phenomena on Warta River in Uniejów in years 1947−2012. From beginning of 1980s average time, in yearly perspective, in which the river was frozen was over two months, with ice cover appearing almost annualy. The years in which the river was frozen the longest are were 1947, 1954−1955, 1962−1964 and 1979, which coincides with the occurrences of coldest and longest winters in this region of Poland. The research shows however, that the ice phenomena on Warta River in vicinity of Uniejów, are determined not only by climate factors, but also, in a great extent, by Jeziorsko Reservoir, from the very beginning of its utilization. Construction of this reservoir, completed in 1986, resulted in a decrease of the duration of ice occurrences by nearly three times, and the complete freezing of the river became a rare phenomenon.

Charakterystyka geobotaniczna rzeki Pichna Szadkowicka na odcinku od źródła w Zimnej Wodzie do ujścia z terenu uroczyska Wojsławice

The paper presents the river valley physiography and the selected hydraulic, physics and chemical parameters of the upper section of small lowland river - Pichna Szadkowicka (the Warta river catchment, Central Poland). The strong relationship between the river and river valley habitat's characteristics and the plant species and vegetation diver­sity was noted. Around one hundred (93) of vascular plant species was noted in total, including Listera ovata strictly protected in Poland, and partially protected: Hedera helix, Viburnum opulus, Frangula alnus and Hepatica nobilis. The high natural (botanical) and landscape values of the researched section of the Pichna Szadkowicka river with adjacent parts of Wojsławice forest complex justify additionally their protection in the network of forests reference plots and of the High Conservation Value Forests (HCFV).

“The rich get richer” concept in riparian woody species – A case study of the Warta River Valley (Poznań, Poland)

Riparian ecosystems are one of the most invasible habitats due to frequent disturbances and high resource availability, creating conditions for pioneer species. In urban areas, richer in alien species than other areas, the risk of invasion is higher than elsewhere. The richness of both alien and native woody plants in urban riparian areas allows examination of the relationship between native and alien species richness, which has not been previously done for woody species as a separate guild. The aims of study were to compare current flora of woody species to that from the 1980s and to test whether the hypothesis of biotic acceptance can explain richness of alien woody species. The study was conducted in the Warta River Valley in Poznań city (Poland). During field work we compiled lists of woody species in 31 grid squares (1km×1km). Regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between number of native and alien woody plant species. From the 1980s to 2013, the number of woody species increased from 76 to 116. The share of alien species also increased from 29.3% to 45.7%. We found a positive relationship between richness of alien and native woody species, which explains 46% of variance. The abundance of the most successful invaders is connected with high initial propagule pressure from the high number of alien ornamental species in urban green areas. The positive relationship between number of native and alien woody species shows the wider base of “the rich get richer” concept, so treated separately, woody species may be determinants of dynamic processes in vegetation. Due to recent manifestations of invasive potential of some species, their invasion probability may be underestimated. Therefore, alien species should be avoided in urban green areas near natural and semi-natural urban forests, especially riparian forests, which are vulnerable to biological invasion.

Toxic elements in free-living freshwater fish, water and sediments in Poland

Abstract Samples for analysis were collected from 10 areas, including the major Polish rivers and lakes, with different sources of environmental pollution (industrial, municipal, and farming). The materials was taken from the lakes of Mazury, located in a non-industrialised region, from the Brda River, an area impacted by pig farms, from the lakes of Lipczyno Wielkie/Pomerania, from the Wkra River, an area impacted by poultry farms, from the Dunajec River at the Roznowski Reservoir, from the Vistula River at Cracow and Warsaw, from the Odra River at Wroclaw and the Warta River estuary, and also from Rybnik Power Station Reservoir. Concentrations of Pb, Cd, Hg, and As were analysed in 397 fish muscle and 128 sediment samples using an atomic absorption spectrometry technique. The analytical procedures were covered by a quality assurance programme. It was demonstrated that the average concentrations of lead, cadmium, and arsenic in fish were in the low hundredths and thousandths of a mg/kg and never exceeded permitted limits established for food. Higher values of these elements were found in fish from bodies of water located in the zone of influence of large urban agglomerations, especially the Cracow region. High concentrations of lead and cadmium were also found in Vistula River sediments near Cracow, where the maximum values were 134.10 mg/kg and 21.24 mg/kg dry weight for lead and cadmium respectively. The average concentration of mercury in a predatory fish muscle (0.179 mg/kg) was almost twice as high as in the omnivorous fish (0.103 mg/kg). Only a single fish sample exceeded the maximum limit for this metal (0.50 mg/kg) and did not present a risk to consumers’ health.

Ultra trace level determination of fenoxanil by highly sensitive square wave adsorptive stripping voltammetry in real samples with a renewable silver amalgam film electrode

A new, simple, and highly sensitive voltammetric method for the determination of low concentrations of a novel fungicide, fenoxanil (Fen), was developed using square wave voltammetry (SWV) and square wave adsorptive stripping voltammetry (SWAdSV) on a renewable silver amalgam film electrode (Hg(Ag)FE). The electrochemical reduction of Fen at the Hg(Ag)FE in Britton-Robinson (B-R) buffer at pH 6.8 was studied for the first time. The effect of the supporting electrolyte, pH, conditioning potential and conditioning time, frequency, amplitude, step potential, and accumulation potential and accumulation time were studied to select the optimum experimental conditions. The developed method can determine Fen in the concentration range of 5×10−7–4×10−6molL−1 for SWV and 1×10−10–9×10−10molL−1 for SWAdSV. Validation of the method was carried out. The method was successfully applied for trace level determination of Fen in spiked Warta River water and spiked rice samples by the standard addition method. The interference of common agents and metal ions was also examined. Fen adsorption at the mercury electrode was studied.

Coexistence of Fish Species in a Large Lowland River: Food Niche Partitioning between Small-Sized Percids, Cyprinids and Sticklebacks in Submersed Macrophytes

In the spring and summer of each year, large patches of submersed aquatic macrophytes overgrow the bottom of the alluvial Warta River downstream of a large dam reservoir owing to water management practices. Environmental variables, macroinvertebrates (zoobenthos and epiphytic fauna, zooplankton) and fish abundance and biomass were assessed at this biologically productive habitat to learn intraseasonal dynamics of food types, and their occurrence in the gut contents of small-sized roach, dace, perch, ruffe and three-spined stickleback. Gut fullness coefficient, niche breadth and niche overlap indicated how the fishes coexist in the macrophytes. Chironomidae dominated in the diet of the percids. However, ruffe consumed mostly benthic chironomids, while perch epiphytic chironomids and zooplankton. The diet of dace resembled that in fast flowing water although this rheophilic species occurred at unusual density there. The generalist roach displayed the lowest gut fullness coefficient values and widest niche breadth; consequently, intraspecific rather than interspecific competition decided the fate of roach. Three-spined stickleback differed from the other fishes by consuming epiphytic simuliids and fish eggs. The diet overlap between fishes reaching higher gut fullness coefficient values was rather low when the food associated with the submersed aquatic macrophytes was most abundant; this is congruent with the niche overlap hypothesis that maximal tolerable niche overlap can be higher in less intensely competitive conditions.