Determining the range of influence of tourist trails users on naturally valuable areas : a proposal of a method and a practical example

Purpose: The aim of the article is to present the proprietary methodology for determining the area range of anthropopressure to areas of natural value located along tourist trails and to the entire area where those trails are located. Design/Methodology/Approach: A method of critical analysis of information obtained from various dispersed sources was used to determine the widths of the buffers of the impact of tourists using various types of tourist trails on the environment. Current geodetic and cartographic studies as well as geoportals and thematic websites available on the Internet were used to properly define the course of tourist routes. Spatial analyzes were performed using the ArcGIS software environment. Findings: The results of the research confirm that the proposed simple, cheap and effective methodology allows to take into account many elements of nature and to consider the range of pressure on valuable natural areas as a whole or only on their selected element. It also allows to choose the form of tourist activities in the analyzed area. Practical Implications: The proposed method can be helpful in the management of protected areas, including, for example, the assessment of the tourist capacity of the area and the development of opinions on the creation of new and updating or correction of the existing tourist trails. Originality/Value: Authors presented an algorithm of the most important activities and types of spatial analyzes necessary to identify the extent of the impact of people using various types of tourist trails on naturally valuable areaspeer-reviewe

Aleje przydrożne gminy Dywity – przegląd i potrzeby uzupełnienia drzewostanów

Zadrzewienia przydrożne są ważnym i charakterystycznym elementem krajobrazu gmin województwa warmińsko-mazurskiego. Brakuje jednak dokładnych danych na temat aktualnego stanu zachowania poszczególnych alej oraz propozycji ich ochrony. W artykule przedstawiono wyniki badań terenowych dotyczących inwentaryzacji i syntetycznej charakterystyki alej występujących w gminie Dywity oraz rodzaju i liczby drzew potrzebnych do uzupełnienia poszczególnych zadrzewień przydrożnych. Zauważono, że na badanym terenie, pomimo zaawansowanego wieku drzew oraz niewłaściwie prowadzonych zabiegów pielęgnacyjnych, zachowała się do dzisiaj stosunkowo liczna i zwarta sieć zadrzewień liniowych z dużym bogactwem dendroflory, ze zdecydowaną przewagą gatunków rodzimych. Dodatkowo wyznaczono aleje, w których występowały tak zwane „miejsca konfliktowe” oraz aleje wykazujące dodatkową wartość kulturową. Prezentowane wyniki zaowocowały stworzeniem „Lokalnego programu kształtowania zadrzewień przydrożnych na terenie gminy Dywity”, przekazanego gminie do realizacji. Otrzymane wyniki ułatwią również monitorowanie zmian zachodzących w obrębie poszczególnych alej i podejmowanie odpowiednich działań

Aleje przydrożne gminy Reszel – przegląd i potrzeby uzupełnienia drzewostanów

W artykule przedstawiono wyniki badań terenowych dotyczących inwentaryzacji i syntetycznej charakterystyki alej występujących w gminie Reszel. Zinwentaryzowano 21 obiektów o charakterze zadrzewień liniowych o łącznej długości 67 013 m. W przypadku każdego obiektu wykonano charakterystykę alei i drzew ją tworzących. Dodatkowo wskazano aleje, w których występowały tzw. miejsca konfliktowe, oraz aleje wykazujące dodatkową wartość kulturową. Oszacowano rodzaj i liczbę drzew potrzebnych do uzupełnienia poszczególnych zadrzewień przydrożnych. Prezentowane wyniki zaowocowały stworzeniem „Lokalnego programu kształtowania zadrzewień przydrożnych na terenie gminy Reszel” przekazanego gminie do realizacji. W przyszłości, otrzymane wyniki ułatwią również monitorowanie zmian zachodzących w obrębie poszczególnych alej i podejmowanie odpowiednich działań

The Morphological Features and Biology of a Relict and Endangered Woody Plant Species: <i>Chamaedaphne calyculata</i> (L.) Moench (Ericaceae)

Chamaedaphne calyculata (L.) Moench is a rare post-glacial relic, which reaches the south-western boundary of its European range in Poland. However, little is known about the morphology and biology of this species. In this study a biometric analysis of assimilating leaves and general morphological appearance was carried out; flowering, fruiting, and seed production in a natural site were described and the ability of seed germination was determined after varied seed storage time at 0&#8211;2, 2&#8211;4, 6&#8211;8, and 21&#8211;23 &#176;C. A quite large intrapopulation variability was found as regards the features under analysis. The most varied features included the length of the petiole, followed by the leaf blade area, while the length to the width of the leaf blade was the least varied feature. C. calyculata flowered abundantly and about 50% developed flowers turned into fruits. On average there were 56 seeds per fruit with a predominance of mature seeds. The length of the seed storage time had a significant effect on all parameters of the germination process. The temperature at which the seeds were stored, apart from the time to maximum germination parameter, had a significant effect on other parameters of the germination process. Interactions between the seeds storage time and temperature factors were observed only for germination percentage, germination index, and germination index rate parameters. The ability of seeds to germinate, non-creation of the seed bank and other results of the research provide new information necessary for planning and carrying out conservation procedures (including active conservation in ex situ conditions)

The Impact of Recreational Activities on Aquatic Vegetation in Alpine Lakes

Tourism pressure on protected areas with attractive landscapes leads to environmental modifications. Eutrophication poses the main threat to the quality of water in alpine lakes. Even small inflows of biogenic elements can disrupt the ecological balance of these ecosystems. The aim of this study was to verify the hypothesis that recreational activities and easy access to alpine lakes contribute to changes in their ecological status. This hypothesis was verified by analyzing the presence of hydromacrophytes in two lakes of the Tatra National Park (Poland). The analysis was carried out along segments of hiking trails which were evaluated for accessibility to the studied lakes. Underwater surveys were carried out during scuba diving expeditions in 2012–2016. Submerged vegetation was evaluated in both lakes. This is the first study in Poland and one of the few projects in the world to have relied on such extensive support from scuba divers to generate highly accurate measurements. The study demonstrated that lake bottoms were extensively covered by Potamogeton friesii in the vicinity of trail segments with easy access to lakes. Our results show that tourism pressure contributes to the growth of aquatic vegetation in some areas of alpine lakes. We relied on our findings to propose several modifications to the routes of the evaluated tourist trails to minimize the impact of anthropogenic pressure on the studied lakes

Conservation status of the Natura 2000 habitat 3110 in Poland: Monitoring, classification and trends

Soft water lakes, or so-called lobelia lakes, which are inhabited by a specific vegetation composed of isoetids, have been subjected to intense research aimed at evaluating their condition and conservation status for many years in Poland. At the time of Poland’s accession to the European Union and the implementation of the EU Habitats Directive, these lakes were classified as natural habitat 3110. In accordance with the provision of the Habitat Directive a comprehensive methodology for monitoring and classification of the state of this habitat has been developed. Using this methodology, two monitoring trials (in 2009–2010 and again in 2016–2017) were carried out at 45 and 43 sites of the 3110 natural habitat, respectively. These studies confirm the high sensitivity of these poorly buffered aquatic ecosystems to all external influences, both natural and anthropogenic. The overall conservation status of the 3110 habitat in Poland showed a relatively high stability, with similar proportions of sites classified as favourable (FV), unfavourable inadequate (U1) and unfavourable bad (U2) between 2009–2010 (35%, 49% and 16%, respectively) and 2016–2017 (33%, 56% and 11%, respectively). Out of 43 sites examined in 2016–2017, 29 remained unchanged compared with the results of the previous survey concerning their overall status. Results of the monitoring research also allow for the observation and evaluation of mechanisms and directions of changes in the functioning of these ecosystems. Based on the experiences from two series of monitoring conducted so far, the methodology has been assessed as appropriate for the assessment of the conservation status of the 3110 natural habitat, however, some modifications and additions have been suggested

An Evaluation of the Impact of Hiking Tourism on the Ecological Status of Alpine Lakes—A Case Study of the Valley of Dolina Pięciu Stawów Polskich in the Tatra Mountains

Eutrophication is one of the major threats to the quality of water in high mountain lakes. The inflow of elements having biological origin may significantly aggravate the ecological status of those ecosystems. For this reason, the aim of this study was to map and assess the impact of anthropogenic pressure on alpine lakes in the valley of Dolina Pięciu Staw&oacute;w Polskich (known in English as the Valley of Five Polish Lakes) in the Tatra National Park in Poland. The effects of tourism and easy access to alpine lakes on changes in their ecological status were determined. Tourist trails were evaluated based on the difficulty of access to the water surface of analyzed alpine lakes, with a method developed for assessing anthropogenic pressure on aquatic ecosystems. The method, deployed for the first time in 2019, was modified and adapted to the local environmental conditions in the research area. The results of this study indicate that tourism pressure contributes to the growth of submerged vegetation in alpine lakes. The presence of aquatic plants (including vascular plants) shows ecosystem response to water enrichment with biogenic substances. The present findings were used to formulate practical recommendations and propose modifications to the evaluated hiking trails. The research method developed in the study can support analysis and control of tourist traffic, thus reducing anthropogenic pressure on alpine lakes in national parks located in mountain areas

Quality of Water in the Road Drainage Systems in the Warsaw Agglomeration, Poland

Water from road drainage systems shed into ditches and infiltration reservoirs may pose a hazard to the natural environment due to the possibility of being introduced into groundwater and surface water. The paper presents the results of chemical analyses of samples collected from selected points of the Warsaw agglomeration road drainage system. The samples were tested for the content of the following parameters: pH, EC (multimeter-electrode), Cl− (Mohr method), SO42−, PO43−, NH4+, NO3−, TOC, COD (UV-VIS), Cu, Zn, Ni, and Pb (ASA). The analysed points differed significantly in the variability of the tested parameters in the measurement period. The highest values of EC and Cl− were noted in three tested points, in which the EC content exceeded the permissible values for the second class of water quality. The contents of sulphates in all but one point were within the range for water of very good quality. Water pH was slightly alkaline. Low concentrations of nitrogen forms, nitrate and ammonium ions were observed. The concentrations of Ni, Pb and Zn did not exceed the boundary values for industrial sewage shed into the water or ground. The concentration of Cu exceeded the permissible concentrations determined in the Regulation of the Minister of the Environment almost three times

Additive Manufacturing in Underwater Applications

Additive manufacturing (AM), commonly named 3D printing, is a promising technology for many applications. It is the most viable option for widespread use in automated construction processes, especially for harsh environments such as underwater. Some contemporary applications of this technology have been tested in underwater environments, but there are still a number of problems to be solved. This study focuses on the current development of 3D printing technology for underwater applications, including the required improvements in the technology itself, as well as new materials. Information about underwater applications involving part fabrication via AM is also provided. The article is based on a literature review that is supplemented by case studies of practical applications. The main findings show that the usage of additive manufacturing in underwater applications can bring a number of advantages—for instance, increasing work safety, limiting the environmental burden, and high efficiency. Currently, only a few prototype applications for this technology have been developed. However, underwater additive manufacturing is a promising tool to develop new, effective applications on a larger scale. The technology itself, as well as the materials used, still require development and optimization