The impact of land cover and its changes on European Beaver emplacement in the Magura National Park

Działania zmierzające do reintrodukcji bobra europejskiego (Castor fiber) w Beskidzie Niskim zaczęto podejmować w latach 80. XX w. Zwiększanie się populacji bobra zbiegło się w czasie ze zmianami ustrojowymi, społecznymi oraz ekonomicznymi, które miały miejsce zarówno na obszarze Beskidu Niskiego, jak i całej Polski. W przypadku Magurskiego Parku Narodowego wpisują się one w dłuższy ciąg wydarzeń XX w., związanych z intensywnymi działaniami wojennymi oraz wymianą ludności na tym obszarze. W ich wyniku struktura użytkowania ziemi, będąca wynikiem oddziaływania człowieka na środowisko naturalne, poddana została znaczącym zmianom. W pracy podjęto próbę oceny wpływu zmian pokrycia terenu na populację bobra europejskiego w Magurskim Parku Narodowym. Szczególną uwagę zwrócono na przemiany zachodzące w bezpośrednim sąsiedztwie stanowisk bobra. Intensywność przekształceń pokrycia terenu w obrębie strefy jego oddziaływania została porównana ze zmianami zachodzącymi w innych obszarach Parku, w tym tych użytkowanych przez człowieka. W badaniach wykorzystano wyniki inwentaryzacji przeprowadzanych w latach 1996, 2010 oraz 2021. Strukturę pokrycia terenu pod koniec lat 80. XX w. pozyskano z archiwalnych map topograficznych w skalach 1: 10 000 i 1: 25 000. Dla okresu od lat 90. ubiegłego wieku do 2019 r. informacje zostały pozyskane poprzez segmentację i klasyfikację ortofotomap. W pozyskiwaniu informacji z materiałów kartograficznych wykorzystano model głębokiego uczenia Mask R-CNN oraz algorytmy uczenia maszynowego. W wyniku przeprowadzonych badań stwierdzono, że na obszarze Magurskiego Parku Narodowego od lat 80. XX w. do dziś doszło do wzrostu liczebności bobra; zwiększyła się także powierzchnia lasów oraz gęstość zabudowy, przy jednoczesnym spadku powierzchni pól i użytków zielonych, a także gęstości sieci drogowej. Bobry żyjące na badanym obszarze, wykazywały w tym okresie tendencję do porzucania stanowisk w dnach dużych dolin rzecznych w pobliżu siedlisk ludzkich, na rzecz zasiedlania obszarów wyżej położonych, bardziej oddalonych od stref aktywności człowieka. Obecnie zamieszkane przez bobra są głównie tereny opuszczonych wsi łemkowskich oraz przyległych lasów na południu Parku Narodowego. Trudne do określenia i wymagające dalszych badań jest stwierdzenie, czy opisywana zmiana lokalizacji obszarów bytowania bobra wynika z chęci uniknięcia przez niego człowieka czy z innych uwarunkowań środowiskowych.Reintroduction of the European beaver (Castor fiber) in the Beskid Niski started in the 1980s. The increase in the beaver population coincided with the systemic, social and economic changes that took place both in the Beskid Niski and in the entire Poland. In the case of the Magurski National Park, they are part of a longer series of events of the twentieth century, related to intensive warfare and population exchange in this area. As a result, the structure of land use, as an effect of human impact on the natural environment, has undergone significant changes. The article attempts to assess the impact of changes in land cover on the European beaver population in Magura National Park. Particular attention was paid to the changes that take place in the immediate vicinity of the beaver sites. The intensity of land cover transformations within its impact zone was compared with changes that occur in other areas of the park, including those made by humans. The results of field surveys carried out in 1996, 2010 and 2021 were used in the research. Until 2019, information was obtained through segmentation and classification of orthophotos. The Mask R-CNN deep learning model and machine learning algorithms were used to extract information from cartographic materials. In the Magurski National Park area, from the 1980s to the present, there has been an increase in the number of beavers; the forest area and the density of buildings also increased, with a simultaneous decrease in the field and grassland area, as well as the density of the road network. During this period, beavers living in the study area showed a tendency to abandon their positions at the bottom of large river valleys near human habitations, in favour of inhabiting higher-lying areas, more distant from human activity zones. Currently, beavers inhabit the areas of abandoned Lemko villages and adjacent forests in the south of the national park. It is difficult to determine and requires further research whether the described change in the location of the beaver habitat results from the beaver’s desire to avoid humans or from other environmental conditions

Low flows in Białka (Tatra Mountains) - long-term changes”

Do wyznaczenia niżówek w Białce użyto metody przepływów granicznych Q90%, WNQ i SNQ. Uzyskane wyniki poddano analizie statystycznej. Zachodzące dla niżówek w Białce prawidłowości i występujące w nich zmiany zostały porównane z Kościeliskim Potokiem. Zlewnia Białki jest bardziej podatna na niżówki głębokie niż zlewnia Kościelskiego Potoku, jednak rzadziej występują w niej niżówki płytkie. Warunkowane jest to głównie różnicami w budowie geologicznej badanych zlewni. Wykazano zależności niżówek od elementów środowiska przyrodniczego, także w aspekcie zmian w nich zachodzących, zwłaszcza w kontekście opadów i temperatury. Istotnym czynnikiem warunkującym przebieg niżówki w badanych zlewniach jest także pokrycie terenu. W tym kontekście istotny jest znaczący wzrost zalesienia zlewni w analizowanym wieloleciu (1966-2016). Stwierdzono, że w tym okresie wystąpił także istotny statystycznie trend wzrostu minimalnego przepływu niżówki. W latach 2006 – 2016 zaobserwowano natomiast spadek liczby dni z niżówką głęboką.Low flows in the Białka stream were determined by threshold flow method using Q90% (90% probability flow), WNQ (maximum low-flow) and SNQ (mean low-flow). The obtained results were then subjected to statistical analysis. The characteristics of low flows of Białka stream were compared with Kościeliski Potok stream. Results indicate that Białka basin is more susceptible to severe low flows than the Kościelski Potok basin, however, minor low flows are less frequent. This is mainly due to differences in the geological structure of the studied catchments. Dependencies of low flows on the geographic environment, also in the aspect of it’s changes have been shown, especially in the context of precipitation and temperature. An important factor determining the course of low-flow events in the studied catchments is also the land cover. In this context, a significant increase in the afforestation of the basin in the analyzed period (1966-2016) is important. It was found that during this period there was a statistically significant increase trend in the minimum flow of low-flow. In the years 2006 - 2016 a decrease in the number of days with a severe low flows was observed too

Migracje zarobkowe z województwa opolskiego na przykładzie gminy Chrząstowice

województwo opolskie charakteryzuje się dużymi migracjami zagranicznym w celach zarobkowych. Jest to spowodowane dużym udziałem ludności poniemieckiej, silnie związanej z Republiką Federalną Niemiec, a także przemianami, które nastąpiły po wstąpieniu Polski do Unii Europejskiej. W opisywanej gminie Chrząstowice także występują liczne wyjazdy zarobkowe, co znajduje odzwierciedlenie w wynikach przeprowadzonej ankiety. Migracje te mają silny wpływ na sytuację społeczno-ekonomiczną zarówno regionu jak i gminy Chrząstowice – zarówno pozytywne, jak transfery gotówki czy likwidacja bezrobocia, jak i negatywne, takie jak obniżenie wpływów do budżetów samorządów i zjawisko eurosieroctwaopolskie voivodeship characterizes in large foreign migrations for commercial purposes. This is due to the large share of post-German people strongly associated with the Federal Republic of Germany, as well as the changes that followed after Poland's accession to the European Union. In the described commune Chrząstowice there are also numerous paid trips, which is reflected in the results of the survey. These migrations have a strong impact on the socio-economic situation of the region and the Chrząstowice municipality - both positive as cash transfers or the elimination of unemployment, as well as negative ones, such as lowering the influence on the budgets of self-governments and the phenomenon of the euro-orphan

Baseflow trends for midsize Carpathian catchments in Poland and Slovakia in 1970-2019

Global warming affects, among many other things, groundwater recharge conditions. Over recent decades, this phenomenon in the Carpathians has been emphasized by the changing role of snowmelt recharge in winter and spring. The aim of the study was to assess baseflow trends in 20 medium-sized Carpathian catchments in Poland and Slovakia. The baseflow was calculated using Eckhardt’s digital filter. The trend analysis was performed using the non-parametric method separately for the series representing the baseflow throughout the whole year, and separately for seasons. The most evident changes were noted for the low baseflow in the summer and autumn, especially in foothill catchments. Statistically significant decreases in the low daily baseflow were expressed as a relative change, and ranged from −9% to −66% per 10 years for the summer, and from −12% to −82% per 10 years for the autumn. In winter and spring, trends in the low baseflow were not significant, except in high mountain catchments where 14% of increases in the low baseflow were noted in the winter and spring. The results indicate the changing role of snowmelt recharge in the Carpathians and the increasing problem of groundwater depletion in the summer and autumn, mainly in foothill areas

Baseflow Trends for Midsize Carpathian Catchments in Poland and Slovakia in 1970–2019

Global warming affects, among many other things, groundwater recharge conditions. Over recent decades, this phenomenon in the Carpathians has been emphasized by the changing role of snowmelt recharge in winter and spring. The aim of the study was to assess baseflow trends in 20 medium-sized Carpathian catchments in Poland and Slovakia. The baseflow was calculated using Eckhardt’s digital filter. The trend analysis was performed using the non-parametric method separately for the series representing the baseflow throughout the whole year, and separately for seasons. The most evident changes were noted for the low baseflow in the summer and autumn, especially in foothill catchments. Statistically significant decreases in the low daily baseflow were expressed as a relative change, and ranged from −9% to −66% per 10 years for the summer, and from −12% to −82% per 10 years for the autumn. In winter and spring, trends in the low baseflow were not significant, except in high mountain catchments where 14% of increases in the low baseflow were noted in the winter and spring. The results indicate the changing role of snowmelt recharge in the Carpathians and the increasing problem of groundwater depletion in the summer and autumn, mainly in foothill areas

The European beaver population in the Magurski National Park during the period 1996-2021

In recent years, a significant growth in the population of the European beaver Castor fiber L., both in Poland and around the world, has been observed. Beavers significantly transform the natural environment around the sites where they occur. Therefore, it is important to accurately recognize the colonization patterns of new territories by the European beaver and to gain knowledge about the longevity of populations in already occupied areas. This applies especially to areas of natural value, including protected areas. Fieldwork carried out in the spring of 2021, provided information on the distribution of the European beaver and number of individuals in the Magura National Park (MNP) in the Beskid Niski, an arboreous mountain range in southern Poland. The collected data were compared with similar mappings conducted in this Park in 1996 and 2010. This allowed us to characterize the change dynamics of the beaver population in the MNP area and to describe the changes in spatial distribution of sites inhabited by beavers. During the period of 1996–2021, the population of the European beaver increased from 23–26 to 64 individuals in the study area, with a maximum of 68 in 2010. Beaver colonization of ever smaller watercourses draining higher-located catchments and a change in the characteristics of beaver-inhabited sites have been observed. The average number of dam structures within one site as well as site length have increased. Furthermore, the dominant dwelling type has changed from burrows and open-water lodges to bank lodges, which combine characteristics of the two former. We estimate that the period when beavers migrated further up along the watercourses in the studied area was in the years 2010–2021

Liczebność i stanowiska bobra europejskiego w Magurskim Parku Narodowym w latach 1996–2021

<p>In recent years, a significant growth in the population of the European beaver Castor fiber L., both in Poland and around the world, has been observed. Beavers significantly transform the natural environment around the sites where they occur. Therefore, it is important to accurately recognize the colonization patterns of new territories by the European beaver and to gain knowledge about the longevity of populations in already occupied areas. This applies especially to areas of natural value, including protected areas. Fieldwork carried out in the spring of 2021, provided information on the distribution of the European beaver and number of individuals in the Magura National Park (MNP) in the Beskid Niski, an arboreous mountain range in southern Poland. The collected data were compared with similar mappings conducted in this Park in 1996 and 2010. This allowed us to characterize the change dynamics of the beaver population in the MNP area and to describe the changes in spatial distribution of sites inhabited by beavers. During the period of 1996–2021, the population of the European beaver increased from 23–26 to 64 individuals in the study area, with a maximum of 68 in 2010. Beaver colonization of ever smaller watercourses draining higher-located catchments and a change in the characteristics of beaver-inhabited sites have been observed. The average number of dam structures within one site as well as site length have increased. Furthermore, the dominant dwelling type has changed from burrows and open-water lodges to bank lodges, which combine characteristics of the two former. We estimate that the period when beavers migrated further up along the watercourses in the studied area was in the years 2010–2021.</p&gt

Water circulation patterns in Krempna stream catchment in Beskid Niski Mountains

Magura National Park, located in Beskid Niski Mountains, is poorly researched in the field of hydrology. The aim of this study is to recognize the water cycle patterns in Krempna stream catchment (located in Magura NP). To reach this goal, hydrological mapping was taken. 173 (9,9/square kilometer) water outflows in catchment were surveyed; mean spring water temperature was $13,8^{\circ}C$ (ranging from 8 to $19^{\circ}C$) and mean SEC was 345 $µS×cm^{−1}$ (ranging from 70 to 1000 $µS×cm^{−1})$. The results, compared with existing studies, indicate low water resources and a rapid transformation of rainfall into runoff in the studied catchment