Stymulowanie rozwoju mowy dziecka z zespołem Downa w wieku przedszkolnym

Down syndrome is the most frequent and the best-known disease conditioned by the occurrence of an additional autosomal chromosome in hu-mans. The development of a child with Down syndrome is often accompanied by problems with correct speech. Since the impaired development of speech has a large impact upon the general development of the child, and it also affects their relations with the environment, it was necessary to design a programme of individual stimulation of the speech development and pro-social functions of the child. The examined child was included in an individual treatment programme. The child left on its own will not handle the accumulating difficulties that arise from the syndrome nor will it handle the impaired development.Zespół Downa jest najczęściej spotykaną i najlepiej poznaną cho-robą uwarunkowaną występowaniem dodatkowego chromosomu autosomalnego u ludzi. Rozwojowi dziecka z zespołem Downa towarzyszą często problemy z pra-widłową mową. Ponieważ zaburzony rozwój mowy ma duży wpływ na ogólny rozwój dziecka, a ponadto zaburza jego stosunki z otoczeniem, w omawianym przypadku konieczne było zorganizowanie programu indywidualnych oddzia-ływań stymulujących rozwój mowy i funkcji prospołecznych dziecka. Badane dziecko zostało objęte indywidualnym programem terapeutycznym. Dziecko pozostawione samo sobie nie poradzi sobie z nawarstwiającymi się problemami wynikającymi ze schorzenia oraz opóźnionym rozwojem

Variation in leaf surface hydrophobicity of wetland plants: the role of plant traits in water retention

Leaf surface wetness has numerous physiological and ecological consequences, and the morphological structures on the leaf surface can affect its extent and duration, contributing to interception rates in the scale of the whole ecosystem. Wetland plants have developed morphological adaptations to high water level allowing them to avoid water excess. Droplet contact angle and surface free energy are measurable parameters which relate to how the plant influences water usage and redistribution. We analysed patterns of contact angle and the surface free energy of the adaxial and abaxial surface of 10 wetland plant species and related them to the optimal habitat conditions and functional traits of the plants. Despite the consistent environment of these plants, we found them to vary greatly in terms of leaf surface wettability and surface free energy, with contact angles ranging from 75 to 169° and surface free energy, from 1.32 to 30.38 mJ/m2. Canopy height and leaf longevity were significantly correlated to leaf wettability, whilst SLA (Specific Leaf Area) and leaf shape were not related to hydrophobicity. Investigating adaptations of wetland plants to their environment showed that including wettability and surface free energy in combination with other plant traits improves our understanding of water plant-soil-water interactions in wetland habitats

High biodiversity of green infrastructure does not contribute to recreational ecosystem services

Urban lakes, especially those of natural origin, provide ecosystem services, recreation being one of the most important and highly valued by city dwellers. Fulfilling the needs of city residents to relax and have contact with nature has become a priority in urbanized areas and has been proven to positively affect people’s health and well-being. The recreational potential of water bodies was identified to be the most important aspect of ecosystem services to the residents of the neighboring areas. An assessment of recreational ecosystem services (RES) provisioning to society based on the real time spent by the citizens and housing values in the urban–rural gradient revealed that the economic benefits of lakes differ in urbanized, suburban and rural landscapes. The growth of cities has led to an increased population density in the surroundings of ecologically valuable areas, resulting in higher pressure from visitors seeking recreational areas. Along with urbanization, the impoverishment of ecosystem functions takes place, limiting their capability to provide ecosystem services. In this work, the provisioning of recreational ecosystem services of 28 floodplain lakes located along the urban–rural gradient of the Warsaw agglomeration was assessed. The relationship between the ecological value of the water bodies, measured using naturalness indices, and the recreational ecosystem services they can provide was assessed. The results showed that the floodplain lakes located along the urban–rural gradient are of great importance to the citizens due to their recreational potential. The provisioning of recreational ecosystem services is poorly connected with the ecological characteristics of the floodplain lakes. Only hemeroby was significantly correlated with provisioning, and there was no relationship with factors such as naturalness of vegetation or water quality, demonstrating that public preference was not generally influenced by high ecological quality. These data should be available to potential buyers and be integrated in spatial planning management plans in order to shape future housing policy

You can’t see the woods for the trees: invasive acer negundo L. in urban riparian forests harms biodiversity and limits recreation activity

Public access to high quality green environments has become a key issue for city managers and a matter of environmental justice. Urban pressures on ecosystem remnants may act to favor the expansion of some invasive species in cities. Whilst the negative impacts of invasive species on ecosystem function is well documented, little is known about how invasive species influence the use of green space by people. Here, we examined one of the few remnants of urban riparian forests in Europe, the Vistula river valley in Warsaw, which has recently become an attractive recreation site. Despite their high ecological value, the poplar and willow forests have been increasingly taken over by the invasive tree species Acer negundo. We examined the status of the invasion process and the relationship between recreational ecosystem services and the characteristics of the tree stands—tree species, tree density, and age and NDVI values. We found the willow forest to be more susceptible to invasion by A. negundo than the poplar forest, which was revealed in significantly higher share of the maple individuals and their greater volume per unit area. Ash-leaved maples also prevailed in numbers in younger stands (<10 years) than in older ones. The presence of A. negundo affected biodiversity, resulting in decreased undergrowth density and biodiversity expressed in number of species. The use intensity by the public, assessed on the basis of soil compaction of existing informal tracks, as revealed by GLM analysis, was related to volume of invasive maple and distance from the main track. This study highlights the need to integrate invasive species management into green infrastructure planning and management

Application of UAV and ground measurements for urban vegetation cooling benefits assessment, Wilanów Palace case study

This research at the Wilanów Palace, Warsaw, assesses urban greenery’s cooling impacts in a cultural heritage site using remote sensing and on-site measurements, highlighting vegetation’s importance in urban climate control. The study combines soil temperature data, UAV thermal imagery, leaf area index (LAI), LiDAR, and NDVI analyses. Findings demonstrate a strong link between vegetation density and temperature: UAV land surface temperature (LST) ranged from 26.8° to 47.5°C, peaking at 72°C, while ground-based temperatures were between 19.5° and 29.2°C, lowest in dense vegetation areas. The statistical analysis confirmed significant temperature differences across vegetation types, with higher LAI areas showing lower temperatures. These results validate the cooling effect of dense vegetation, emphasizing green spaces’ significance in urban climate regulation within cultural heritage sites. The study informs sustainable urban design and conservation, underlining the critical role of vegetation in improving urban microclimates

The Role of Trees in Winter Air Purification on Children&rsquo;s Routes to School

Air pollution is now considered to be the world&rsquo;s largest environmental health threat, accounting for millions of deaths globally each year. The social group that is particularly exposed to the harmful effects of air pollution is children. Their vulnerability results from higher breathing frequency and being subject to concentration peaks just above the ground. The negative effects of ambient particulate matter also depend on the time of exposure. A daily route to school can constitute an important component of children&rsquo;s physical activity, but air pollution can pose a threat to their health. Numerous studies have proved that high loads of PM can be effectively reduced by vegetation. Little is known, however, on whether vegetation can also reduce PM during leaf dormancy. In this study we investigated the role of trees in air purification during the leafless period in children&rsquo;s routes to selected schools located in Warsaw during winter. The results obtained show a weak impact of the tree canopy in winter

The Role of Trees in Winter Air Purification on Children’s Routes to School

Air pollution is now considered to be the world’s largest environmental health threat, accounting for millions of deaths globally each year. The social group that is particularly exposed to the harmful effects of air pollution is children. Their vulnerability results from higher breathing frequency and being subject to concentration peaks just above the ground. The negative effects of ambient particulate matter also depend on the time of exposure. A daily route to school can constitute an important component of children’s physical activity, but air pollution can pose a threat to their health. Numerous studies have proved that high loads of PM can be effectively reduced by vegetation. Little is known, however, on whether vegetation can also reduce PM during leaf dormancy. In this study we investigated the role of trees in air purification during the leafless period in children’s routes to selected schools located in Warsaw during winter. The results obtained show a weak impact of the tree canopy in winter

Rethinking urban green spaces for urban resilience. Do green spaces need adaptation to meet public post-covid expectations?

Based on a social preference survey performed in Warsaw, we assessed the preferences toward alterations in urban green spaces (UGS) that should take place to ensure safe recreation. We identified how peoples’ personal characteristics are linked to the preferred changes to formulate recommendations for alterations addressing post-covid challenges while keeping the resident’s preferences in mind. We used 1–7 scorings of images of different types of urban landscapes, which we photomanipulated to represent varying levels of crowding, followed by questions regarding recreational behaviour, anxiety towards COVID and preferred changes. Various urban landscapes were, on average, comparably suitable for recreation, only highly urbanized landscapes receiving lower scorings. The respondents declared that vegetation density and overall share of vegetation were of the highest importance in assessing images and claimed that crowding had little effect on their preferences. Those statements were inverse to their choices when assessing recreational preferences based on images: the presence of people in all cases decreased assessment of the scenery. There was a clear respondents’ need for more wild and cultivated vegetation and more places for spending time in UGS. Any repressive actions by distancing people spatially in UGS, isolating seniors or introducing entry limits did not meet social approval. We also identified two major behavioural patterns: people who were primarily driven by fear of COVID-19, visiting green spaces closer to their homes and having less need for UGS alterations. The second group was those frequently visiting UGS who did not reveal fear of COVID-19, those who did not favour wide paths or the importance of UGS located nearby, and opted for more wilderness. These two approaches to recreation are likely to persist after the pandemic, which supports the need to increase UGS diversity