ECOLOGY AND SAFETY IN THE PRACTICE: MANAGEMENT OF SIGNIFICANT TREES IN URBAN ENVIRONMENT

This paper deals with applying of acoustic tomograph as support tool to ecological assessment of veteran trees in urban environment. Very large old trees provide many ecosystem services in urban parks, historical gardens, and green urban areas. But, sometimes, very large old trees can be considered as a threat for safety of people, visiting green areas. This is because of very large trees can be destroyed in the tree trunk without visible signs of wood destruction inside the tree body. So, acoustic tomography can be used as very effective support tool for ecological assessment of stability and health of veteran trees in urban environment. This paper presents basic methodological approaches to acoustic tomography of veteran trees under some examples from environmental practice in the Czech Republic

Young urban trees as important structures in the cultural heritage of cities – a case study from Prague

Urban trees generate numerous ecosystem services, and these are often closely associated with the species, age and size of trees as well as with their vitality. Generally, the focus of urban and regional planning is aimed at very large trees, because very large trees are considered to be key green structures in an urban green infrastructure. However, there is a significant knowledge gap related to the importance of young trees in cities, despite their value in urban green spaces, greenways, parks, gardens, urban forests, and as components of green roofs and green walls. This study is the result of field mapping young trees in the urban area of the famous European historical city of Prague. Field mapping revealed a total of 40 individual young trees, or young tree groups, with cultural value in the study area of Prague. The results of this empirical study indicate that young trees (not just very large and old trees) can be very important structures for the provision of cultural ecosystem services in cities, and that they can be viewed as living cultural symbols. This is a new aspect in the awareness of the environmental and social roles of urban trees. This case study from Prague suggests that (i) young trees in urban areas need more attention from researchers and (ii) should be incorporated into urban planning as an important component of urban green infrastructure

Zmiany echokardiograficzne u chorych poddanych terapii resynchronizującej

Background and aim: The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate echocardiographic changes in clinical responders and nonresponders after 3 and 15 months of cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT). Methods: Fifty eight patients in whom a biventricular system was implanted between 2005 and 2008 were followed up at 3 and at 15 months. Clinical and echocardiography parameters including intra- and interventricular dyssynchrony were assessed at baseline and after 3 and 15 months of CRT. Every patient in whom quality of life, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class and/or 6-minute walk test (6MWT) improved (improvement of &#8805; 1 NYHA class, 6MWT by more than 10%), and who was neither in hospital for heart failure nor died for cardiac reasons, was categorised as a clinical responder. Results: In the responders&#8217; group, we found a significant improvement of right ventricular systolic function and a decrease in the size of the right ventricle (RV) only after 15 months (tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion [TAPSE] 17.8 &#177; 4.0 mm to 19.4 &#177; 3.7 mm, p < 0.05, RV diameter 29.3 &#177; 5.0 mm to 27.8 &#177; 4.2 mm, p < 0.05). Significant improvement of other monitored parameters occurred 3 months after CRT implantation: left ventricle (LV) end-diastolic diameter 70.5 &#177; 7.8 mm to 66.1 &#177; 8.3 mm, p < 0.001, LV ejection fraction 22.0 &#177; 5.4% to 27.1 &#177; 9.8%, p < 0.05, pulmonary artery pressure (peak gradient of tricuspid regurgitation) 37.1 &#177; 14.8 mm Hg to 27.6 &#177; 8.9 mm Hg, p < 0.001, tricuspid regurgitation (grade) 1.9 &#177; 0.9 to 1.5 &#177; 0.6, p < 0.05, mitral regurgitation (grade) 2.6 &#177; 0.9 to 2.2 &#177; 0.9, p < 0.001, LV dP/dt max (peak positive rate of pressure rise [slope of mitral regurgitant jet]) 482.4 &#177; 155.4 mm Hg/s to 981.2 &#177; 654.5 mm Hg/s, p < 0.001, velocity time integral (VTI) in LV outflow tract (LVOT) 14.1 &#177; 4.3 cm to 16.7 &#177; 4.1 cm, p < 0.001. In the group of nonresponders, only 2 parameters improved significantly: LV dP/dt max 561.2 &#177; 347.9 mm Hg/s to 1024.5 &#177; 745.3 mm Hg/s, p < 0.001, and LVOT VTI 14.5 &#177; 3.0 cm to 16.3 &#177; 2.9 cm, p < 0.001. Other echocardiographic parameters did not show any important changes, and no changes occurred between 3 and 15 months. On the contrary, after 15 months we saw significant progression of tricuspid regurgitation in nonresponders. In multivariate analysis, combination of baseline delay between time to peak systolic velocity in ejection phase at basal septal and basal lateral segments (Ts-lateral-septal delay) and serum creatinine was a strong predictor of clinical CRT response (area under curve was 0.80, percentage of correct decision was 82%). Conclusions: In the group of responders, significant changes of most monitored echocardiographic parameters were observed 3 months after CRT implantation. The only parameters which changed significantly after 15 months, but not previously, were the systolic function of the RV and the decrease in the RV size. In the group of nonresponders, these changes were not observed.Wstęp i cel: Niniejsze prospektywne badanie przeprowadzono w celu oceny echokardiograficznych zmian u chorych odpowiadających i nieodpowiadających na terapię resynchronizującą (CRT) po 3 i 15 miesiącach od wszczepienia urządzenia resynchronizującego. Metody: Do badania włączono 58 chorych, u których wszczepiono urządzenie do stymulacji dwukomorowej w okresie od 7/2005 do 5/2008. Stan kliniczny uczestników badania i parametry echokardiograficzne, w tym dyssynchronię śród- i międzykomorową, oceniano wyjściowo, a następnie po 3 i 15 miesiącach od wszczepienia CRT. Za osoby odpowiadające na terapię resynchronizującą uznano wszystkich chorych, u których stwierdzono poprawę w zakresie jakości życia, klasy NYHA i/lub wyniku testu 6-minutowego marszu (6MWT) (poprawa klasy NYHA o &#8805; 1, poprawa 6MWT o ponad 10%) i którzy nie byli hospitalizowani z powodu niewydolności serca ani nie umarli z przyczyn sercowo-naczyniowych. Wyniki: W grupie chorych reagujących na CRT stwierdzono istotną poprawę czynności skurczowej i zmniejszenie wielkości prawej komory (RV) po 15 miesiącach [zwiększenie wychylenia płaszczyzny pierścienia zastawki trójdzielnej w skurczu (TAPSE) z 17,8 &#177; 4,0 mm do 19,4 &#177; 3,7 mm, p < 0,05; zmniejszenie wymiaru RV z 29,3 &#177; 5,0 mm do 27,8 &#177; 4,2 mm; p < 0,05]. Inne parametry uległy istotnej poprawie już po 3 miesiącach po wszczepieniu CRT [późnorozkurczowy wymiar lewej komory (LV) z 70,5 &#177; 7,8 mm do 66,1 &#177; 8,3 mm; p < 0,001; frakcja wyrzutowa LV z 22,0 &#177; 5,4% do 27,1 &#177; 9,8%; p < 0,05; ciśnienie w tętnicy płucnej (maksymalny gradient fali niedomykalności trójdzielnej) z 37,1 &#177; 14,8 mm Hg do 27,6 &#177; 8,9 mm Hg, p < 0,001; niedomykalność trójdzielna (stopień) z 1,9 &#177; 0,9 do 1,5 &#177; 0,6; p < 0,05; niedomykalność mitralna (stopień) z 2,6 &#177; 0,9 do 2,2 &#177; 0,9; p < 0,001; LV dP/dt max &#8212; maksymalna szybkość narastania ciśnienia (spektrum niedomykalności mitralnej) z 482,4 &#177; 155,4 mm Hg/s do 981,2 &#177; 654,5 mm Hg/s; p < 0,001, całka spektrum prędkości przepływu (VTI) w drodze odpływu lewej komory (LVOT) z 14,1 &#177; 4,3 cm do 16,7 &#177; 4,1 cm; p < 0,001]. W grupie chorych nieodpowiadających na CRT tylko dwa parametry uległy znamiennej poprawie: LV dP/dt max z 561,2 &#177; 347,9 mm Hg/s do 1024,5 &#177; &#177; 745,3 mm Hg/s; p < 0,001 i LVOT VTI z 14,5 &#177; 3,0 cm do 16,3 &#177; 2,9 cm; p < 0,001. Nie odnotowano istotnych zmian innych parametrów echokardiograficznych. Nie stwierdzono również żadnych zmian w okresie od 3. do 15. miesiąca po implantacji. Z kolei po 15 miesiącach zaobserwowano istotną progresję niedomykalności trójdzielnej u osób nieodpowiadających na CRT. W analizie wielu zmiennych czynnikami o dużej wartości predykcyjnej w ocenie klinicznej odpowiedzi na CRT (pole pod krzywą 0,80; odsetek właściwych decyzji 82%) były: występowanie różnicy czasów do szczytu fali skurczowej prędkości w fazie wyrzutowej podstawnych segmentów ściany bocznej i przegrody międzykomorowej (Ts-lateral-septal delay) i stężenia kreatyniny w surowicy podczas wyjściowej oceny uczestników. Wnioski: W grupie chorych odpowiadających na CRT stwierdzono istotną poprawę większości monitorowanych parametrów echokardiograficznych już 3 miesiące po wszczepieniu urządzenia resynchronizującego. Parametrami, które uległy istotnej poprawie dopiero po 15 miesiącach, były czynność skurczowa RV i zmniejszenie wielkości RV. W grupie chorych nieodpowiadających na CRT nie zaobserwowano powyższych zmian

Retention Forestry Supports Bird Diversity in Managed, Temperate Hardwood Floodplain Forests

The retention forestry approach is considered as one of the potentially effective tools for sustainable forest management for conservation of biodiversity in managed temperate and boreal forests. Retention of old-growth forest structures (e.g., very large old living trees) in forest stands during clear-cutting provides maintenance of key habitats for many old-growth forest interior-species. Most of ecological studies on green tree retention (GTR) consequences for biodiversity have been focused on birds. However, the long-term studies of GTR impacts on forest birds are very poor. In this paper, we focused on assessment of the long-term consequences of leaving legacy oak trees on the cut areas for bird diversity 18&#8211;22 years after clear-cutting in managed temperate European hardwood floodplain forests. Results based on bird counting using mapping of bird nesting territories revealed a key importance of legacy oak trees for maintaining bird diversity in the study area. These results are widely applicable for managed temperate hardwood forests with serious dominance of oak (Quercus sp.) in forest stands. Legacy oak trees in this habitat type are keystone structures for bird diversity. Retention approach focused on these trees is potentially an important conservation tool for preserving forest bird diversity and other associated species in temperate hardwood forests managed by clear-cutting