Chapter Urban and Industrial Habitats: How Important They Are for Ecosystem Services

The sustainable management of natural resources can make human survival possible. Sustainable management is based on a deep understanding of the complex mechanisms of the Earth’s natural ecosystems and of how those resources can be managed without compromising future benefits and availability. The sustainable management of natural resources becomes much more complicated when there is severe and constant anthropogenic impact, and therefore, an interdisciplinary approach has to be undertaken to improve the understanding, assessment, and maintenance of the natural capital, and the related ecosystem services, in urban-industrial areas. In ecological restoration, the biggest challenge is to find a general consensus of suitable biodiversity indicators and economically viable measures, which will produce multiple socially and ecologically guided environmental benefits. There is difficulty in reaching such consensus because of the complexity, and differing understanding, of the biodiversity concept. In an effort to restore sites disturbed by industrial (mining) activities, restoration projects should involve ecologically based methods and approaches, which will be able to fulfill many stakeholders’ expectations for sustainable development and human well-being. The integrated natural and human models for sustainable management can used to understand the dynamics of ecosystems, including biodiversity and trophic levels (including mid-trophic consumer influences), in order to simulate and evaluate different management scenarios in relation to biodiversity and ecosystem services. There is still a need for the increasing understanding of the role of biodiversity and ecosystem service identification as important factors influencing the dynamics of ecosystem and sustainable management scenarios

Urban and Industrial Habitats: How Important They Are for Ecosystem Services

The sustainable management of natural resources can make human survival possible. Sustainable management is based on a deep understanding of the complex mechanisms of the Earth’s natural ecosystems and of how those resources can be managed without compromising future benefits and availability. The sustainable management of natural resources becomes much more complicated when there is severe and constant anthropogenic impact, and therefore, an interdisciplinary approach has to be undertaken to improve the understanding, assessment, and maintenance of the natural capital, and the related ecosystem services, in urban-industrial areas. In ecological restoration, the biggest challenge is to find a general consensus of suitable biodiversity indicators and economically viable measures, which will produce multiple socially and ecologically guided environmental benefits. There is difficulty in reaching such consensus because of the complexity, and differing understanding, of the biodiversity concept. In an effort to restore sites disturbed by industrial (mining) activities, restoration projects should involve ecologically based methods and approaches, which will be able to fulfill many stakeholders’ expectations for sustainable development and human well-being. The integrated natural and human models for sustainable management can used to understand the dynamics of ecosystems, including biodiversity and trophic levels (including mid-trophic consumer influences), in order to simulate and evaluate different management scenarios in relation to biodiversity and ecosystem services. There is still a need for the increasing understanding of the role of biodiversity and ecosystem service identification as important factors influencing the dynamics of ecosystem and sustainable management scenarios

Participation of Calamagrostis epigejos (L.) Roth in plant communities of the River Bytomka valley in terms of its biomass use in the power industry

Abandonment of human management is often followed by a decrease in species richness in semi-natural grasslands, mainly due to the increased dominance of clonal grasses such as Calamagrostis epigejos which were formerly repressed by management. The biomass resource of this, and its accompanying, species, i.e. species of the Solidago genus and others e.g. Cirsium rivulare, Deschampsia caespitosa, Molinia coerulea and Filipendula ulmaria, was evaluated in the green wastelands of the River Bytomka valley (Upper Silesia, Poland). It was found that approx. 1.2 t.ha-1 of dry matter can be obtained from approx. 30% of the average share of Calamagrostis epigejos in plant communities of unmown meadows. This is 10 times less than in the case of Miscanthus giganteus, a non-native cultivated grass. An increase in the biomass component of Calamagrostis epigejos reduced that of Solidago sp. (-0.522176, p< 0.05) and other species (-0.465806, p< 0.05). The calorific value of Calamagrostis epigejos biomass is approx. 15.91 MJ.kg-1, which is comparable to the calorific value of coal and close to, inter alia, that of Miscanthus sacchariflorus (19 MJ.kg-1) as an energy crop. The presented research is in its preliminary stages and therefore, it is necessary to investigate the reaction of Calamagrostis epigejos to regular mowing and to removal of the biomass from the studied areas

Macrophytes in the assessment of river ecological condition on the example of Pszczynka River (Silesian Upland)

The Water Framework Directive introduced an ecological approach to the assessment and classification of waters. The part of the assessmentare macrophyte – based methods used in the evaluation of the ecologicalcondition of rivers in respect of biodiversity. The Macrophyte Method for River Assessment has been used in Poland since 2007 and provides us with an information about ecological state of the rivers. Presented analyses were aimed to describe macrophyte development in the sandylowland type of river in the Silesian Upland. The assessment was made for lowland Pszczynka River (45.8 km total length, total catchment area 368.3 km2), which is a left-bank tributary of Vistula River. At the selected 10 research sections of the river (100 m each) the composition of macrophytes and abiotic conditions of the river were described. The paper presents the results of preliminary assessment of ecological condition of Pszczynka River on the background sources of substances discharged to the riveralongits course. Macrophyte Index for Rivers (MIR) was calculated based on the results of the research – river bed surface coverage by the particular plant species. The MIR limit values were used to determine the class of water quality in the examined river. Overall, the ecological status of Pszczynka River was rated as moderate and its water classified as Class III of water quality

Impact of the salinity gradient on the mollusc fauna in flooded mine subsidences (Karvina, Czech Republic)

This paper presents the impact of salinisation on the aquatic mollusc fauna in fl ooded mine subsidences in the Karvina region (Czech Republic). The results of the previous research on salinity in fl ooded mine subsidences show that some of them contain a high content of dissolved inorganic substances (above 1000 mg·l-1). These substances can affect the vegetation and animals occurring in the water and the surrounding area. The phylum of Mollusca was selected as a model group for the fi eldwork as it includes species with the proven bioindication potential. The occurrence of aquatic mollusc species was studied at 10 sites. The sites were selected based on the content of dissolved substances (the salinity gradient from 1000 mg·l-1. A total of 12 aquatic mollusc species were found, including one species identifi ed as a potential bioindicator of the negative effect of salinisation on aquatic biota. The analysis showed statistically signifi cant positive correlations between the content of dissolved inorganic substances and the presence of alien species Potamopyrgus antipodarum (J.E. Gray, 1843). The gradient of salinity signifi cantly affects the species composition of the mollusc fauna in fl ooded mine subsidences and may affect the biodiversity of this group.Web of Science401898

A rememberance of our Master, Professor Tadeusz Kimsa (1947-1999)

Prof. T. Kimsa urodził się 6 stycznia 1947 r. w Koszelówce na Podlasiu. Studia wyższe ukończył z wyróżnieniem w 1970 r. na Wydziale Biologii i Nauk o Ziemi Uniwersytetu Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej w Lublinie. W latach 1970-1980 pracował w Zakładzie Ekologii UMCS, gdzie w 1977 r. uzyskał tytuł dokto­ra nauk przyrodniczych. Rozprawę doktorską pt. Dy­namika sezonowa i produkcja runa wybranych zbio­rowisk borowych na Roztoczu Środkowym wykonał pod kierunkiem prof. dr hab. Krystyna Izdebskiego[...

Preface

Tekst w języku polskim i angielskimPrzedmowa do: "Aktualne Problemy Ochrony Środowiska. Ocena Stanu, Zagrożenia Zasobów i Stosowane Technologie"

Biominerals and waxes of Calamagrostis epigejos and Phragmites australis leaves from post-industrial habitats

Vascular plants are able to conduct biomineralization processes and collect synthesized compounds in their internal tissues or to deposit them on their epidermal surfaces. This mechanism protects the plant from fluctuations of nutrient levels caused by different levels of supply and demand for them. The biominerals reflect both the metabolic characteristics of a vascular plant species and the environmental conditions of the plant habitat. The SEM/EDX method was used to examine the surface and cross-sections of the Calamagrostis epigejos and Phragmites australis leaves from post-industrial habitats (coal and zinc spoil heaps). The results from this study have showed the presence of mineral objects on the surfaces of leaves of both grass species. The calcium oxalate crystals, amorphous calcium carbonate spheres, and different silica forms were also found in the inner tissues. The high variety of mineral forms in the individual plants of both species was shown. The waxes observed on the leaves of the studied plants might be the initializing factor for the crystalline forms and structures that are present. For the first time, wide range of crystal forms is presented for C. epigejos. The leaf samples of P. australis from the post-industrial areas showed an increased amount of mineral forms with the presence of sulfur

Geoproduct potential analysis based on the example of the GEOsfera Ecological and Geological Education Center in Jaworzno

At the time of discovering and exposing the scientific and educational potential of areas where mineral resources were exploited in the past, they have become a significant element in tourism elements. In the presented paper, the potential of the GEOsfera Ecological and Geological Education Centre in Jaworzno as a geoproduct was analysed. In the first part of the study, based on the published works and consultations with experts, the “geoproduct” was defined. Then the area, where the GEOsphere is located, was characterized. Its geology, the natural world, the way of land development and the promotion of geo-attractions located in this area are described. In the next stage, an analysis of the opinions of users regarding their perception of the GEOsphere was carried out. For this purpose, evaluations posted on social media and the collected survey results were used. As shown by the results, the majority of users of the GEOsfera are residents of Jaworzno – 63% of the respondents. The importance of the GEOsphere as an educational centre was indicated by 22% of visitors. About 5% of the respondents mentioned learning and obtaining information from the descriptions placed next to the exhibits in the centre. 93% of respondents recognised the graduation tower as the greatest attraction of the GEOsphere. Over 92% of people noticed the recreational role of the GEOsphere. 81% of users declared that they were satisfied with their visit to the GEOsphere. More than half of the respondents (56%) visited the GEOsfera with their family. A significant part of respondents (42%), pointed to the role of environmental protection, which is extremely important from the point of view of geoproducts’ design. The respondents also indicated that the GEOsphere has numerous geological, natural and educational functions and protects and promotes the geological heritage of the region

Changes in species composition of meadow vegetation patches dominated by Calamagrostis epigejos in response to mowing and biomass removal : [poster]

In recent decades, a lot of species-rich meadows becameabandoned. The long-term lack of frequent mowing caused changes in species composition and habitat conditions of meadow habitats. It is often observed that the abandoned meadow habitats become dominated by Calamagrostis epigejos (Fragment tekstu)