How a river course influences the species richness and ecological requirements on two opposite riverbanks in a forest area

The goal of the present research was to find correlations between the topographic attributes of a river valley and local ground-floor vegetation and its habitat requirements expressed by ecological indicator values (EIV), using the geographical information systems (GIS), digital elevation model (DEM), and multivariate statistical analysis. We paid special attention to the river course, which determines the differentiation in slope aspects and the amount of solar radiation reaching the ground surface. The model object was an almost latitudinal, ca. 4-km-long break section of the Sopot river, crossing the escarpment zone of the Central Roztocze Highlands, southeastern Poland. The main material comprised species lists (with estimated abundance) for each ca. 200-m-long section, according to the river valley course, separately for the left and right riverbanks, 40 sections altogether, ca. 15 000 vegetation records, and physical and chemical soil measurements. A 3-meter resolution DEM was derived from a 1:10 000 topographic map. We calculated the correlations between the topographic attributes of the valley, species richness, and the EIVs for all the species recognized in each section of the valley. We found 241 herb plant species in the ground-floor vegetation of the study area. We did not find significant differences between the two riversides (61 ±13 species per one section for the left and 63 ±17 for the right side). Thus, the parallel course of the river valley does not change the species richness on a more “sunny” and more “shiny” riverbank. However, this factor “cooperating” with other topographic attributes of the valley significantly differentiates the shape of species showing various requirements for basic habitat resources: light, moisture, soil trophy, reaction, dispersion, and organic-matter content

Physico-geographical mesoregions of Poland : verification and adjustment of boundaries on the basis of contemporary spatial data

The programme of identification, cataloguing and evaluation of Polish landscapes, part of the implementation of the European Landscape Convention, has caused an increase in interest in physico-geographical regionalisation over recent years. The commonly accepted regionalisation of Poland developed by J. Kondracki (Kondracki & Richling 1994) is sufficient for work at an overview scale (e.g. 1:500,000), whereas its spatial accuracy is too low to make use of it for the purpose of Polish landscape cataloguing. The aim of this article is to present a more up-to-date and detailed division of Poland into mesoregions, adjusted to the 1:50,000 scale. In comparison with older work, the number of mesoregions has increased from 316 to 344. In many cases, some far-reaching changes in meso- and macroregions were made. Nevertheless, in most cases the previous system of units was maintained, with more detailed adjustment of boundaries based on the latest geological and geomorphological data and the use of GIS tools for the DEM analysis. The division presented here is a creatively developing new work aligning the proposals of the majority of Polish researchers. At the same time, it is a regionalisation maintaining the idea of the work developed by J. Kondracki as well as his theoretical assumptions and the criteria used to distinguish units, which makes it a logical continuation of his regional division

Changes in spring discharge in Wierzchowiska in the years 1970–2012 (Western Roztocze)

W opracowaniu przedstawiono zmiany wydajności dwu zespołów źródeł w Wierzchowiskach, położonych na obszarze Roztocza Zachodniego, dających początek górnej Sannie. Podstawą opracowania były własne pomiary wydajności wykonywane od 1970 r., uzupełnione danymi publikowanymi. Średnia wydajność, obliczona z ponad 190 pomiarów wykonanych w latach 1959–2012, wynosiła w źródłach Dworskich 48,0 dm3• s–1, a w Stokach 128,7 dm3• s–1. Zmiany wydajności obu źródeł były zbliżone, z dominacją rytmu wieloletniego. Reakcja źródeł na zasilanie, podobnie jak i stanów wód podziemnych poziomu roztoczańskiego, następuje po dłuższym okresie występowania wysokich lub niskich opadów atmosferycznych. W ujęciu miesięcznym, nie stwierdzono bezpośrednich relacji między zasilaniem i wydajnością źródeł. Jest to efekt powolnego przepływu wody opadowej przez grubą strefę aeracji, w której część stropową tworzą osady lessu eolicznego.The paper presents changes in the discharge rate of two spring complexes in Wierzchowiska, Western Roztocze, which give rise to the upper Sanna River. The study was based on own measurements of discharge carried out since 1970 and complemented with published data. The mean discharge rate calculated for over 190 measurements performed in 1959–2012 was 48.0 dm3• s–1 in the Dworskie springs and 128.7 dm3• s–1 in the Stoki spring. The changes in the discharge rate of both types of springs were comparable, with the dominance of a long-term rhythm. The reaction of the springs to recharge, likewise in the case of groundwater table in Roztocze, occurs after a long-term period of high or low atmospheric precipitation levels. On a monthly basis, no direct correlations were found between recharge and discharge of the springs. This was related to the slow rate of precipitation water flow through the thick aeration zone, the top part of which is represented by aeolian loess sediments

Spatial relationships between the distribution of springs with the highest discharge and the neotectonics of the Biała Łada catchment in the Goraj Roztocze region (central-east Poland)

Considerations of the relationships between the groundwater systems and neotectonics in the Roztocze region have been first undertaken by J. Malinowski in the 1970s. Until now, no research results have supported or challenged the hypothesis proposed by this author. Therefore, this paper is an attempt to present the results of a detailed analysis of the relationships between the distribution of springs characterised by the highest discharge rates and neotectonics. The study area covered the Roztocze part of the Biała Łada catchment, which has been subjected to detailed hydrogeological and hydrological investigations since the 1960s. The study was based on spatial data concerning the distribution of springs and information about the discharge rates of the largest springs. The data were juxtaposed with the relatively active tectonic zones distinguished in the catchment based on the relative tectonic activity index (Iat). The index was calculated using ArcGIS software, based on DEM, and with the use of the ArcNEO tool. The investigations indicated that springs with the highest discharge rates are located in the intersection zone of the main Biała Łada dislocation with accompanying faults. Additionally, the springs are located in the mouth sections of dry, asymmetric valleys and at the foot of their steep slopes following isostatically elevated hanging walls. The results support the hypothesis put forward by J. Malinowski (1993), who suggested that the distribution of springs with the highest discharge rates is determined by tectonics of the rock massif, in particular the distribution of the main dislocations and the accompanying subordinate discontinuous tectonic structures

Dynamics of the groundwater levels in the border zone of Western Roztocze and the Lublin Upland in 2014

The paper presents the dynamics of the groundwater levels characterised in 2014 for 12 dug wells located in the border zone of Western Roztocze and the Lublin Upland. Data showing groundwater level fluctuations were obtained using automated pressure water level recorders installed in wells dug in 2013. Data used for characterisation of the meteorological conditions were provided by the weather station in Janów Lubelski; they comprised daily precipitation values, mean daily values of air temperature at a height of 2.0 m above the ground level, and mean daily values of soil temperature at a 0 m level. The analysis was based on the characteristics of each well in terms of their location and groundwater level fluctuations. The collected material was used in an attempt at verification and completion of assumptions presented by Malinowski (1974) and Janiec (1984) concerning the types of dynamics of groundwater levels characteristic for this region

Neotectonic mobility of the Roztocze region, Ukrainian part, Central Europe: insights from morphometric studies

The results of geological, geomorphic and hydrogeological research indicate spatially variable neotectonic activity of the Ukrainian part of the Roztocze region. This activity is confirmed by analysis of some geometric and morphometric coefficients (especially drainage basin elongation ratio, drainage basin circulatory ratio, drainage basin shape and lemniscate coefficient), which were calculated for 1646 drainage areas of the 3rd to 6th order, and morphometric linear coefficients (mountain-front sinuosity index and valley floor width-valley height ratio coefficient), which characterise the fault scarps. The south-western margin of the Rava Roztocze and Yaniv Roztocze regions, following NW-SE-trending faults, belongs to structures of the 1st or 2nd class of relative tectonic activity. On the other hand, in the north-eastern marginal zone in the Ukrainian part of the Roztocze region, a relatively active segment comprised between Maheriv and Zhashkiv shows a characteristic NW-SE orientation of valleys, controlled by a network of secondary sub-parallel faults. In the southern part of the analysed area, the Stavchanka River drainage basin related to the NW-striking fault zone, and the sub-parallel edge of the zone of the Vereshytsia-upper Mlynivka transverse depression are relatively active. Some relatively inactive areas are those of smaller drainage basins of the 3rd to 6th order, located within the zone of the main watershed between the Rata and Lubaczówka rivers in the Rava Roztocze region and the Zubra and Poltva rivers in the Lviv Roztocze region

How a river course influences the species richness and ecological requirements on two opposite riverbanks in a forest area

The goal of the present research was to find correlations between the topographic attributes of a river valley and local ground-floor vegetation and its habitat requirements expressed by ecological indicator values (EIV), using the geographical information systems (GIS), digital elevation model (DEM), and multivariate statistical analysis. We paid special attention to the river course, which determines the differentiation in slope aspects and the amount of solar radiation reaching the ground surface. The model object was an almost latitudinal, ca. 4-km-long break section of the Sopot river, crossing the escarpment zone of the Central Roztocze Highlands, southeastern Poland. The main material comprised species lists (with estimated abundance) for each ca. 200-m-long section, according to the river valley course, separately for the left and right riverbanks, 40 sections altogether, ca. 15 000 vegetation records, and physical and chemical soil measurements. A 3-meter resolution DEM was derived from a 1:10 000 topographic map. We calculated the correlations between the topographic attributes of the valley, species richness, and the EIVs for all the species recognized in each section of the valley. We found 241 herb plant species in the ground-floor vegetation of the study area. We did not find significant differences between the two riversides (61 ±13 species per one section for the left and 63 ±17 for the right side). Thus, the parallel course of the river valley does not change the species richness on a more “sunny” and more “shiny” riverbank. However, this factor “cooperating” with other topographic attributes of the valley significantly differentiates the shape of species showing various requirements for basic habitat resources: light, moisture, soil trophy, reaction, dispersion, and organic-matter content

Application of ArcNEO for assessment of neotectonic activity illustrated by the upper Wieprz catchment (Roztocze, south-eastern Poland)

W opracowaniu zaprezentowano schemat działania narzędzia ArcNEO, zwiększającego funkcjonalność programu ArcGIS 10.1 i pozwalającego na typowanie obszarów względnie mobilnych tektonicznie. Narzędzie ArcNEO działa w oparciu o dane wektorowe (granice zlewni poszczególnych rzędów, wybrane profile poprzeczne zlewni, dla których wyznacza się wartości wskaźnika Vf, szerokość dna doliny) oraz cyfrowy model wysokościowy (CMW). Generuje ono parametry zlewni oraz trzy grupy wskaźników: dwie (wysokościowe i powierzchniowe) opisujące parametry zlewni oraz jedną (liniową) – opisującą cechy form rzeźby w zlewniach. Wielkości wskaźników są podstawą do oszacowania młodej mobilności tektonicznej. Działanie narzędzia ArcNEO przedstawiono na przykładzie zlewni górnego Wieprza, położonej na lubelskim obszarze wyżynnym. Opracowana aplikacja może być stosowana do wskazywania obszarów względnie aktywnych/nieaktywnych tektonicznie w innych regionach o stosunkowo jednorodnej budowie geologicznej, a także do określania charakterystyk fizjograficznych zlewni.The current study presents the function of the ArcNEO tool, which increases the functionality of the ArcGIS 10.1 software and facilitates identification of relatively mobile tectonic areas. The ArcNEO tool works on vector layers (boundaries between catchments of different orders, selected transverse catchment profiles with their calculated Vf index values, the width of the valley floor) and the digital elevation model (DEM). The tool generates catchment parameters and three groups of indices: two (elevation and surface) describe catchment parameters and one (linear) describes the characteristics of catchment relief. The values of the indices are used in estimation of new tectonic mobility. The function of the ArcNEO tool is presented on the example of the upper Wieprz catchment located in the Lublin Upland area. The application developed can be used to identify relatively active/inactive tectonic areas in other regions characterised by a relatively homogeneous geological structure and to provide physiographic features of catchments