Evolution Of Vegetation, Relief And Geology In Central Poland Under Anthropopressure

Published in: Origin of Relief of Central Poland and Its Anthropogenic Transformation in Łódź University Geographical Research, edited by. E.Kobojek, T.MarszałThe review of the localities with biogenic, slope, fluvial and aeolian deposits in which the indirect impact of human activity on their ori gin is recorded, shows that evidence of changes of the vegetation pat tern and evolution of the relief and geological structure are in Central Poland particularly numerous. The exact correlation of the sites is beyond the scope of this chapter, due to the strictly local nature of prehistoric anthropopressure and a variety of environmental condi tions. Nevertheless it is possible to draw some general remarks. 1. More significant changes in the relief and geology of Central Poland that occurred under human pressure date back to the Neo holocene (the Early Subboreal Period and Subatlantic Period). More pronounced transformation of the slopes, river valley bottoms and aeolian landforms occurred since the Middle Bronze Age, around 3500 years ago. 2. The punctuated changes, in both vegetation and abiotic com ponents of the environment, were marked at the earliest in the large river valleys (e.g. Warta, Ner, Bzura rivers) and minor valleys within the Warsaw-Berlin pradolina. In higher lying parts of Central Po land, these changes on a similar scale emerged much later, only after ca. 2000–2500 years. It was connected with much worse conditions for the settlements in areas of more diversified relief configuration, with poorer soils and limited access to water. 3. The transformation of the vegetation, relief and geological structure took place gradually, along with the expansion of prehis toric settlement of the Trzciniec Culture , the Lusatian Culture and the Przeworsk Culture, whereas in the historical period – along with Early Medieval settlement. Less important for these changes were the impact of people of the Neolithic cultures, and short-stay of peo ple of the Pomeranian Culture in the Central Poland area. 4. The studied transformations were driven by both natural factors, particularly climate, which has changed during the Holo cene repeatedly (but on a relatively moderate scale), and by anthro pogenic factors, the importance of which was growing rapidly in the expansion phases of prehistoric cultures. These influences are rela tively easy to distinguish in the palynological profiles by a well-de fined group of plants accompanying the settlement and economy, whereas their distinguishing in the relief and geology transforma tions is much more difficult. However, it should be stressed that the development of the slopes and aeolian geosystems, and superim posing increased fluvial activity, in many cases were synchronous. This synchronous response, noting at the same time in different sed imentary environments, rather indicates the dominance of anthro pogenic factor, because the humid climate, favourable to stimulate fluvial and slope processes is less favourable for the simultaneous development of aeolian relief. Favourable natural conditions un doubtedly facilitated breaking the balance of the geosystem and the initiation of processes and their more efficient course under anthro pogenic changes of the environment. 5. The trends of the Neoholocene relief transformations were very different. Both processes, leading to local increases of relief and diversified terrain morphology (e.g. gully erosion, so-called wheel erosion, formation of agricultural terraces, accumulation of series overlaying of Late Glacial dunes) and the processes of op posite trends (e.g. aggradation of valley bottoms, tillage erosion, dismant ling of old dunes). Most Neoholocene morphogenetic pro cesses resulted in the increased lithological differentiation, soil for mation and increasing geodiversity of the environment. 6. A number of processes that affected the nature of the vegeta tion, relief and geology was a targeted, intentional and direct inter ference (e.g. land clearance in order to obtain arable fields, energy raw materials and building materials, construction of embankments in river valleys, exploitation of till, sand and other aggregates). How ever, most of the changes should be regarded as unintended and negative, so to speak, a side effect of centuries of settlement and economy. There may be mentioned here: planation of slopes used for agriculture, gully erosion, wheel erosion, the spread of poor aeo lian areas or the increase in the frequency and scale of floods in the Central Poland rivers as a result of an accelerated water circulation on the vegetation-free slopes. 7. Obviously, the Holocene morphogenetic cycle occurred in the past (and is still occurring) under human impact, which proves the J. Dylik’s thesis quoted in the Introduction. This cycle, superim posed on the periglacial morphogenesis, partially obliterates its ef fects and partially only modifies them. Taking into account the short duration of the Holocene cycle, it is characterised by a large dynam ics of the processes being accelerated and intensified by man

Distribution of young denudation landforms at the edge of the Łódź Upland

Notatki naukow

RECORDS ON ANTHROPOGENIC ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES IN SMALL RIVER VALLEYS IN THE VICINITY OF ŁOWICZ (CENTRAL POLAND): THEIR SIGNIFICANCE FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF LATE HOLOCENE SETTLEMENT TENDENCIES

Based on palaeobotanical analyses of organic deposits, as well as geomorphological and geological studies at four sites in various geomorphological locations in relation to tributaries of the Bzura River, the presence of traces of human activity, its intensiveness, and classification to cultural levels were analysed. A pattern of later and later settlement in areas remote from the axis of the Warsaw–Berlin streamway was observed along with the gradual introduction of settlement from river valley bottoms to watershed zones

Optical dating and sedimentary record from the terrace depositional profile of the Warta River (Central Poland)

Results of OSL dating and sedimentary studies from the profile of the low alluvial terrace of the middle Warta River are presented. The samples were dated using the single-aliquot regenera-tive method. Dating was used to establish a timing of the Weichselian Late Glacial events in the river valley environment. Stable conditions on the floodplain are expressed by the deposition of organic-rich series radiocarbon dated at 12 900–12 600 cal BP and 11 600–10 770 cal BP. Samples for OSL dating were collected from the mineral material deposited during the intensification of flood events during the Weichselian decline. The results obtained for the alluvia range from 12.78 ± 0.62 ka b2k to 14.33 ± 0.74 ka b2k. Sedimentological criteria allowed to distinguish between particular flood events. Overestimation of OSL ages is probably a result of rapidity of environmental changes in that time.Grant from the National Science Centre, No N N306 788240 “Pal-aeogeographical conditions of existence and destruction of the Late Weichselian forest in the Warta River Valley (the Koło Basin)”

Multiproxy study of anthropogenic and climatic changes in the last two millennia from a small mire in central Poland

The Żabieniec kettle hole is the first peatland in central Poland analyzed quantitatively with four biotic proxies (plant macrofossils, pollen, testate amoebae and chironomids) to reconstruct the past environmental change. Palaeoecological data were supported by historical and archaeological records. We focused on autogenic vegetation change and human impact in relation to climatic effects. The aims of our study were (a) to describe the development history of the mire during the last 2,000years, (b) to date and reconstruct the anthropogenic land-use changes and (c) to discuss a possible climatic signal in the peat archive. The combination of proxies revealed dramatic shifts that took place in the peatland since the Roman Period. Żabieniec was a very wet telmatic habitat until ca. AD 600. Then, the water table declined, and the site transformed into a Sphagnum-dominated mire. This dry shift took place mainly during the Early Medieval Period. Human impact was gradually increasing, and it was particularly emphasized by deforestation since AD 1250 (beginning of the Late Medieval Period). Consequently, surface run-off and aeolian transport from the exposed soils caused the eutrophication of the mire. Furthermore, chironomids and testate amoebae reveal the beginning of a wet shift ca. AD 1350. Openness considerably increased in the Late Medieval and the Modern Periods. The highest water table during the last 1,000years was recorded between AD 1500 and 1800. This wet event is connected with deforestation, but it could be also associated with the Little Ice Age. Our study shows plant succession in the Żabieniec peatland, which can be explained with the recent landscape transformation. However, such changes are also possibly linked with the major climatic episodes during the last two millennia, such as the Medieval Warm Period and the Little Ice Ag

Lithological characteristics of deposits of the site Koźmin Las and their palaeogeographical interpretation

W artykule omówiono cechy osadów odsłoniętych w stanowisku Koźmin Las i w stropie odkrywek kopalnianych KWB Adamów położonych w dolinie Warty w pobliżu centrum Kotliny Kolskiej. Osady podzielono na trzy ogniwa wydzielając w ten sposób: utwory rzeki roztokowej (ogniwo dolne – „a”), organiczne i mineralno-organiczne osady facji pozakorytowej rzeki jednokorytowej, najprawdopodobniej meandrującej (ogniwo środkowe – „b”) oraz aluwia wielokorytowej rzeki ana-branching typu 2 (ogniwo górne – „c”). Ponadto omówiono litologiczną charakterystykę utworów poszczególnych ogniw, na którą składała się analiza strukturalna i teksturalna oraz wyniki badań koncentracji węgla organicznego, zawartości CaCO3, odczynu oraz udziału krzemionki bio- i terygenicznej w materii mineralnej. Osady poszczególnych ogniw przyporządkowano facjom utworów rzecznych. Na podstawie datowań 14C oraz OSL określono czas ich powstawania. Szczególną uwagę zwró-cono na organiczne i mineralno-organiczne osady ogniwa środkowego („c”), zawierające świadectwa funkcjonowania for-macji leśnej na dnie doliny Warty w późnym vistulianie. Osady zinterpretowano w kontekście przemian typu rozwinięcia koryta Warty w górnym plenivistulianie i późnym vistulianie po początki holocenu.The article presents the location, history of research and methods used to study the deposits of the Kożmin Las profile from the Warta River valley, Koło Basin. The depositional sequence at the site was grouped into three lithological units, and thus were distinguished: a braided river alluvium (lower unit – „a”), organic and mineral-organic deposits of a meandering river (middle unit – „b”) and alluvia of a multichannel river (upper unit – „c”). Lithological characteristics of the units comprises structural and textural description and geochemical analysis, i.e. organic matter concentration, content of calcium carbonate, content of terigenic and biogenic silica in the deposit. Deposits forming the individual units have been assigned to different alluvial environments. Chronological framework was established on the basis of radiocarbon and OSL dating. Particular attention was paid to the organic and mineral-organic material of the middle unit („b”), with remains of the trees which evidence the existence of riparian forest in the Late Vistulian. These deposits were interpreted in relations to the changes of the Warta River channel pattern in the Upper Plenivistulian and Late Vistulian time until the Holocene beginning

Transformation of selected relief landforms of the Łódź Voivodeship in the last century

W pracy zajęto się zagadnieniem zmian ukształtowania terenu województwa łódzkiego w okresie minionych 100 lat. Wobec szczupłości materiałów zaprezentowano jedynie szereg przykładów zmian eolicznych form rzeźby oraz wybranych form występujących na stokach – parowów i innych młodych rozcięć erozyjnych. Przekształcanie rzeźby eolicznej w ostatnim 100-leciu wiązało się zarówno z powstawaniem małych, inicjalnych pagórków eolicznych, jak i przeobrażaniem przez wiatr starszych wydm późnoglacjalnych. Zmiany parowów polegały na szybkiej transformacji kształtów ich zboczy pod wpływem uprawy ziemi i objęły od 2,18 do 51,4% stoków parowów. Podobnie jak w przypadku wydm następowała zarówno transformacja rzeźby wcześniej powstałych parowów neoholoceńskich, jak i tworzyły się na stokach młode i niewielkie, lecz już trwałe formy erozyjne. Analizę zmian rzeźby form eolicznych i form występujących na stokach poprzedzono rozpatrzeniem podatności obszaru województwa łódzkiego na działanie procesów eolicznych i stokowych.The paper presents changes in the relief of the Łódź Voivodeship over the past 100 years. In view of a shortage of data, only a few cases of changes to aeolian landforms and to selected forms appearing on the slopes of gullies and other young erosional cuts were described. The transformation of aeolian relief in the last 100 years was associated with the formation of small, initial aeolian hillocks and with the transformation by wind of older late-glacial dunes. The changes to gullies involved rapid transformation of their slope profiles under the influence of soil cultivation and comprised from 2.18 to 51.4% of the gullies’ slopes. As in the case of the dunes, the transformation of the relief both of former Neoholocene gullies, and of young, small, but permanent erosional forms originated on the slopes took place. Relief analysis of aeolian landforms and features occurring on the slopes was preceded by consideration of the vulnerability of the Łódź Voivodeship area to aeolian activity and slope processes

Evolution of periglacial dells and valleys during the Holocene in the vicinity of Łódź

Nawiązując do wyników badań peryglacjalnych niecek i dolin denudacyjnych, prowadzonych w okolicach Łodzi przez prof. H. Klatkową w latach 50. i 60. ubiegłego stulecia, w artykule przedstawiono holoceńską ewolucję wyżej wymienionych form denudacyjnych. Wyróżniono trzy najważniejsze etapy tej ewolucji: 1) wypełnianie niecek i dolin denudacyjnych deluwiami antropogenicznymi, 2) rozcinanie form vistuliańskich przez wąwozy, 3) przemiany rzeźby wąwozów oraz niecek i dolin denudacyjnych pod wpływem denudacji agrotechnicznej. Poruszono zagadnienie czynników warunkujących neoholoceńskie zmiany rzeźby suchych niecek i dolin, podkreślając rolę narastającej antropopresji i fluktuacji klimatu. W pracy określono bliżej wiek poszczególnych etapów przemian ukształtowania niecek i dolin denudacyjnych. Ich ewolucja rozpoczęła się u schyłku subboreału i trwała przez niemalże cały subatlantyk aż do współczesności, ze szczególnym nasileniem w średniowieczu. Przedstawiono także litologiczną charakterystykę neoholoceńskich osadów wypełniających niecki i doliny denudacyjne.Referring to the results of the research on periglacial dells and valleys conducted in the vicinity of Łódź by Professor H. Klatkowa in the 50s and 60s of the last century, the paper presents the Holocene evolution of the aforementioned denudation forms. Three main stages of this evolution have been identified: 1) filling of periglacial dells and valleys with anthropogenic delluvium, 2) fragmentation of Vistulian forms through gullies, 3) relief transformation of gullies and periglacial dells and valleys by tillage erosion. The issue of factors influencing the Neoholocene changes in the relief of dry dells and valleys has been addressed, emphasizing the role of increasing human impact and climate fluctuations. In this paper the age of the individual stages of the transformations of the periglacial dells and valleys have been identified. Their evolution began at the end of the Subboreal period and lasted almost entire Subatlantic period until the present time, with a particular intensity in the Middle Ages. Lithological characteristics of Neoholocene deposits filling the periglacial dells and valleys is also presented

Characteristics of the Koźmin Las site

Stanowisko Koźmin Las zlokalizowane jest na obszarze dobrze rozpoznanym w trakcie studiów geologicznych i geomorfologicznych prowadzonych przez badaczy z ośrodka łódzkiego od lat 90. ub. wieku w odkrywkach węgla brunatnego Kopalni Węgla Brunatnego „Adamów”. Od 2010 roku realizowane były tutaj wielowskaźnikowe badania nad znaleziskiem kopalnego lasu ze schyłku późnego vistulianu. Pozostałość in situ bardzo dobrze zachowanych szczątków drzew z tego okresu jest rzadkością w skali europejskiej. Uzyskane wyniki stały się podstawą wniosków paleośrodowiskowych i paleogeograficznych.Koźmin Las site is located in the well recognized area during the geological and geomorphological studies con-ducted since 90s of the last century in the ocucrops of the Adamów JSC Lignite Mine in Central Poland. Since 2010 have been undertaken multiproxy investigations on the sediments with relicts of former riparian forest dated back at the Vistulian Lateglacial. Well-preserved tree trunks and in situ stamps from this period are rare on a European scale. Obtained results were the basis of palaeoenvironmental and palaeogeographical conclusion