Dendrochronological records of debris flow and avalanche activity in a mid-mountain forest zone (Eastern sudetes - Central Europe)

Dendrochronological methods were used to determine the frequency of debris flow/avalanche events in a forest zone. A debris flow and avalanche track located in the Eastern Sudetes Mountains (Central Europe) was analysed. The length of the youngest debris flow/avalanche track is about 750 m. Three distinct sections of the debris flow can be identified along the longitudinal section: niche, gully and tongue. The dendrochronological study shows that trees started growing on the margins of the debris flow between 1908 and 1963. Hence, debris flow and/or avalanche events occurred on this slope at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. All trees collected from the tongue started growing between 1935 and 1964. However, a large debris flow event took place several years before, most probably during an extraordinary rainfall in June 1921. Following this event, several relatively large debris flows have occurred during the growing season, the strongest dendrochronologically confirmed events occurring in 1968, 1971-1972, 1991, 1997 and probably in 1977. Spring debris flow events induced by snow melt and/or avalanches have occurred in 1994 and 2004. The results suggest that with favourable geological conditions, debris flows can occur very frequently within entirely forested slopes

Historical Reconstruction of the Scarcely Recognized Metallurgical Activity in Poland

Ironworks were located in the river valley floors as the water was the source of energy for the metallurgical technology. Trees growing in river valleys were a source of wood for charcoal production. Over the past centuries, ferrous metallurgy contributed to the transformation of the valley floor relief. Also the structure of the sediments was transformed. The subject of historical water-powered metallurgy in Poland is a poorly researched area from the perspective of natural sciences. The main research aim of this project, is a historical reconstruction of the scarcely recognized metallurgical activity, based on geomorphological, sedimentological and palaeobotnical changes in the environment. The project has two components complementary to each other. First part involves desk-based research during which digital data from air laser scanning is processed to determine the occurrence and distribution of potential forms related to the historical metallurgy, and an analysis of historical sources will be undertaken. In the next step, first fieldwork, and then the preparation of samples for radiocarbon and anthracological analysis will follow. During the fieldwork part, research will be carried out on an area of chosen river basins of the southern and central Poland. The research will be based on the geomorphological analysis in the places where potential or identified metallurgical centers were placed, along with the excavation of deposits and sampling for further analysis, both in the charcoal kilns and the former smelter ponds. If it proves possible, it is planned to expose the deposits in the weirs. Preliminary research contradicts the low invasiveness of historical metallurgy in the environment. According to the preliminary studies of the authors, it is known that in studied river valleys and adjacent areas, traces of former charcoal kilns have been found at a large scale (tens of thousands of forms). DEM images generated from airborne LiDAR data allow simple and relatively quick identification and inventory of the remnants past charcoal production. The large number of charcoal kilns, and the vast area they cover, indicate that the past charcoal production has had a significant impact on the environment of studied area. Analysis of the species composition of charcoals collected from kilns has shown the presence of pine wood mainly. Also the unexpected results of the first radioisotopic charcoals dating from the charcoal kilns, with dates of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, provide a particularly strong motivation for examining more forms in order to find equally spectacular results and to confirm a new perception of the beginning of water-powered metallurgy in Poland

Spruce tree-ring reductions in relation to air pollution and human diseases a case study from Southern Poland

The study was conducted in two small municipalities in Małopolskie voivodeship in Southern Poland. Both municipalities are located in mountain basins in the Western Beskids mountain range.Cores were taken from trees growing near the centre of Rabka-Zdrój and Sucha Beskidzka in order to analyse the impact of contemporary air pollution on the health of tree stands. Annual tree rings developed during the era of high atmospheric pollution are usually narrower than the others. These municipalities were chosen due to their current air pollution problems despite their relatively small population.Local chronology, skeleton plots and calculated ring reductions were created for the sample trees. Temporal relationships between air pollution and a negative health reaction in trees and in people were also examined. To fulfil this objective the dates of occurrence of tree-ring reductions were compared with the concentration of particulates (PM10) in the atmosphere and also lung disease morbidity in the local population. Two periods of reduced annual tree rings were detected: first from the 1960s to the end of the 1980s (associated with industrial pollution) and more recently the years since 2003. Since 2003 reductions of annual tree rings have increased in parallel with increases in dust pollution. This reaction of trees to dust pollution was immediate. The negative reaction of trees preceded several years of increasing lung disease morbidity. This gives basic evidence to support the argument that tree ring reductions could be used as an early bioindicator for warning against the risk of air pollution. The aim of this work was to determine the periods of reduction in the annual growth of spruce growing near the centre of Rabka-Zdrój and Sucha Beskidzka. In addition, potential associations were sought between the time of occurrence of these periods and changes in air pollution and human disease

Geomorphological conditions of the location historical ironworks. A contribution to the research based on DEM analysis from LIDAR data

The aim of this study was to present the use of the natural elements of the relief of river valleys such as changes in the width of the valley bottom, landforms occurring in the bottom of the valley, differences in height of the valley terraces as favourable for the location of the dam partitioning the bottom of the valley and creating a water reservoir for the requirements of historic metallurgical centres. The research was carried out based on DEM analysis from LiDAR data. Features were chosen in river basins with a rich metallurgical legacy. Analysis of the location of the former ironworks was carried out using Surfer 12 software. Five centres were selected due to the fact that only these are the only centres suitable for research which have survived to this day. Using the shaded relief models and contour coloured maps absolute differences in height between valley levels and other forms of relief occurring in the valley were analyzed, as well as the distribution of individual terrain forms in the designated part of the valley and changes in the width of the valley bottom were analysed in the context of the location of former metallurgical centres. On the basis of the contours of the former water reservoir visible in the valley relief, and using a surface area measurement tool (Surfer software), the range of the area that the reservoir could cover was measured. On the basis of the results obtained, it can be seen that convenient geomorphological conditions were used for the placement of selected weirs and metallurgical ponds which facilitated the damming of the valley. Natural narrowing of the valley bottom, or dunes and hills directly adjacent to the valley floor, were utilised during the construction of the dam. The rivers on which the furnace ponds were constructed are relatively small watercourses, so the weirs created by the constructors are not impressive. Their height is generally in the range of about 2 to 3 metres and their length is from about 120 to 300 metres. Nevertheless, they were effective in allowing sufficient water retention and the creation of furnace ponds with a measured area of about 4.5 ha to about 25 ha

Gully erosion recorded by dating the exposure of tree roots - on the example of the Proboszczowicka Plateau (Silesian Upland, southern Poland)

Podczas ulew w lessach Wysoczyzny Proboszczowickiej zachodzi erozja. Zbocza i dna wąwozów są zalesione, dlatego w rozcięciach erozyjnych są eksponowane korzenie. Po odsło-nięciu w drewnie korzeni zachodzą zmiany anatomiczne. Pozwala to wskazać rok odsłonięcia korzenia i datować epizod erozyjny, który doprowadził do jego odpreparowania z osadów. Wyniki badań czasu ekspozycji korzeni wskazują, że wąwozy były przekształcane w ciągu ostatnich 30 lat. Najstarsze, bardzo nieliczne epizody erozyjne pogłębią]ące nisze u wylotu badanego wąwozu zare-jestrowano w latach 1970., a bardziej intensywnie erozja zachodziła w latach 1980. Dno wąwozu było wtedy rozcinane, pogłębiane były także nisze położone u jego wylotu. Najbardziej intensywna była jednak erozja wiatach 1990. - wówczas doszło do powstania rynien erozyjnych na zboczach i dalszego rozcinania dna wąwozu

Gully erosion dating by means of anatomical changes in exposed roots (Proboszczowicka Plateau, southern Poland)

Re-incision occurs in gullies in the undulating loess plateau in southern Poland. The gully hillslopes are mainly covered with beech trees. The beech roots are exposed in the gullies through erosion. The wood cells in the root tree rings divide into early wood and late wood, and after the roots are exposed, they start to make fewer cells. Dolomites and limestones lying under the loess cover are transported and wound the tree roots. As a result of this process on the border between exposed and unexposed tree rings in the tree roots, scars sometimes occur. These anatomical changes in root tree rings allow to date erosion episodes with one year accuracy. Dating of the exposure of roots indicates that intensive gully erosion in the studied gully started in the 1970s. Since that time, numerous extreme rainfall events responsible for initiating erosion have also occurred. The bottom of the valley head eroded during extreme rainfall events in 1984 and 1991. Erosion here alternates with deposition, its rate being relatively small. Incisions in hillslopes retreated during the flood in 1997, but they originated during earlier rainfall episodes. Hillslope undercutting occurring in the lower part of the gully was formed during older erosion episodes in 1971 and 1984

The influence of riparian trees on meandering floodplain and riverbed transformation - the case of the Mala Paneiv River (Opole Plain)

Brzegi koryta piaszczystodennej, meandrującej Małej Panwi są porastane przez drzewa, ktr3re zmieniają morfologię koryta. Wykorzystując wyskalowaną tyczkę wykonano badania ukształtowania dna koryta Małej Panwi, kartowano także pozakorytowe formy powstające przy udziale drzew porastających brzegi. Pnie oraz systemy korzeniowe drzew nadrzecznych przyczy-niają się do powstawania erozyjnych poziomów terasowych i stopni włożonych. Pod wpływem ero-zji bocznej drzewa nadrzeczne są pochylane w kierunku dna koryta, gdzie często generują cienie piaszczyste i zagłębienia opływowe

Can we distinguish between tree-ring eccentricity developed as a result of landsliding and prevailing winds? Consequences for dendrochronological dating

The aim of our study was to compare patterns of tree-ring eccentricity developed in Nor-way spruce trees as a result of landsliding with the one caused by the prevailing wind (in 2 study sites), and with the normal growth of trees (in 2 reference sites). We sampled 20 trees per study site and 10 per reference site. Two cores were taken from each tree (120 cores in total) from the upslope and downslope, windward and leeward sides of stems. Ring widths measured on opposite sides of stems were compared using the method of percent eccentricity index. Graphs of the index obtained for individual trees were analysed. Statistical indicators were calculated for a percent eccentricity in-dex. Disturbance events were dated and the response index was calculated. The results show that the patterns of eccentricity developed as a result of the prevailing winds and due to landsliding differ from one another and from the reference sites. The results suggest that the impact of the prevailing wind on tree growth is more severe than the impact of landsliding. The difference may result from the slow-moving character of the landslide under study. The results, however, indicate that wind impact should be taken into account in dendrogeomorphic research and that the impact of mass movements should be considered in dendroecological studies on wind

Relief evolution of landslide slopes in the Kamienne Mts (Central Sudetes, Poland) - analysis of a high-resolution DEM from airborne LiDAR

The aim of the study is to reconstruct the development of landslide relief in the Kamienne Mountains (Central Sudetes, SW Poland) based on a DEM from LiDAR data. Analyses of relief and geological maps in ArcGIS 10.5 and of slope cross-sections in Surfer 14 allowed to distinguish different types of landslide relief, developed in latites and trachybasalts lying above claystones and mudstones. The types vary from small, poorly visible landslides to vast landslides with complex relief. They were interpreted as consecutive stages of geomorphic evolution of hillslope-valley topography of the study area. Two main schemes have been established which explain the development of landslide slopes in the Kamienne Mts: (1) upslope, from the base of the slope towards the mountain ridge and (2) downslope, beginning on the top of the mountain ridge. The direction of landslide development depends on the thickness of volcanic rocks in relation to underlying sedimentary rocks. When the latter appear only in the lowest part of the slope, landslides develop upslope. If sedimentary rocks dominate on the slope and volcanic rocks form only its uppermost part, landslides develop downslope. The results show that landsliding leads to significant modifications of relief of the study area, including complete degradation of mountain ridges

Reductions in tree-ring widths of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) as an indicator of air pollution in southern Poland

The aim of the study was to investigate how the emission of pollutants to the atmosphere from the late 19th century until modern times has been recorded in rings of silver fir trees growing in southern Poland. Samples were collected from 24 firs growing in the Beskid Niski Mountains (Western Carpathians). Using a Pressler borer, a single core was collected from each tree. Within the samples, tree-ring widths were measured. On this basis, reductions of tree-ring widths were calculated and subsequently divided into three classes according to their severity. Study results indicate that growth reductions at the site studied were influenced by the pollution emitted from the now-defunct Central Industrial Region, which developed most rapidly from 1920 to 1940, and began to decline after World War II. These emissions were probably responsible for reductions in the trees sampled in the years 1928–1947. On the other hand, reductions of tree-ring widths dating from 1951 to 1989 were caused by the post-war development of heavy industry throughout Poland, and in particular in the Upper Silesian Industrial Region, which developed at its most rapid rate from 1960 to 1990. The results obtained demonstrate that reductions of tree-ring widths in the silver firs studied are related to industrial air pollution in the 20th century. As industrial production declined and environmentally friendly technologies were introduced in the early 1990s, air pollution levels decreased and an increase in tree-ring widths followed in the silver firs studied. Further reductions of tree-ring widths have been observed in recent years (since 2009), which may be caused by air pollution due to low-stack emissions from domestic boilers. The analysis conducted demonstrates that a reduction in tree-ring widths in silver fir is a sensitive bioindicator of air pollution