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Repozytoria RCIN
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INSTYTUT ARCHEOLOGII I ETNOLOGII POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK
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INSTYTUT BADAŃ LITERACKICH POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK
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INSTYTUT BADAWCZY LEŚNICTWA
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INSTYTUT BIOLOGII DOŚWIADCZALNEJ IM. MARCELEGO NENCKIEGO POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK
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INSTYTUT BIOLOGII SSAKÓW POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK
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INSTYTUT CHEMII FIZYCZNEJ PAN
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INSTYTUT CHEMII ORGANICZNEJ PAN
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INSTYTUT FILOZOFII I SOCJOLOGII PAN
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INSTYTUT GEOGRAFII I PRZESTRZENNEGO ZAGOSPODAROWANIA PAN
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INSTYTUT HISTORII im. TADEUSZA MANTEUFFLA POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK
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INSTYTUT JĘZYKA POLSKIEGO POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK
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INSTYTUT MATEMATYCZNY PAN
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INSTYTUT MEDYCYNY DOŚWIADCZALNEJ I KLINICZNEJ IM.MIROSŁAWA MOSSAKOWSKIEGO POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK
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INSTYTUT PODSTAWOWYCH PROBLEMÓW TECHNIKI PAN
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INSTYTUT SLAWISTYKI PAN
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SIEĆ BADAWCZA ŁUKASIEWICZ - INSTYTUT TECHNOLOGII MATERIAŁÓW ELEKTRONICZNYCH
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MUZEUM I INSTYTUT ZOOLOGII POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK
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INSTYTUT BADAŃ SYSTEMOWYCH PAN
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INSTYTUT BOTANIKI IM. WŁADYSŁAWA SZAFERA POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK
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- The 1989 fall of the Iron Curtain marked the beginning of new economic, socio-cultural and political realities for the former socialist states in Central and Eastern Europe. Along with the economic restructuring from statecentralised to market economy, democratisation and liberalisation initiated a transformation of the socialist urban space, which was characterised by the changing role of its iconic landmarks. This conceptual paper examines these post-1989 changes, which range between the removal of these landmarks and their transition into market led iconic and flagship attractions. The paper identifies the changing role of tourism from a topbottom orchestrated to a market led activity, which explains the transformation of some of these landmarks. It introduces a new framework for studying this process by suggesting that iconisation, de-iconisation and re-iconisation processes are interrelated to other strategies and approaches to the transition of the socialist urban landscape into a western market economy. The paper identifies avenues for further research and provides some recommendations for improving the management of similar processes.
- A central strand of research work in the realm of urban physics aims at a better understanding of the variance in microclimatic conditions due to factors such as building agglomeration density, anthropogenic heat production, traffic intensity, presence and extent of green areas and bodies of water, etc. This research has been motivated in part by phenomena associated with climate change and urban heat islands (UHI) and their implications for the urban microclimate. Note that the characteristics and evolution of the urban microclimate is not only relevant to people’s experience of outdoor thermal conditions in the cities. It can be argued that the solid understanding of the temporal and spatial variance of urban microclimate represents a prerequisite for the reliable assessment of the thermal performance of buildings (energy requirements, indoor thermal conditions). In this context, the present paper entails a three-fold contribution. First, the existence and extent of the UHI phenomena are documented for a number of Central-European cities. Second, a number of variables of the urban environment are identified that are hypothesized to influence UHI and the urban microclimate variance. These variables, which pertain to both geometric (morphological) and semantic (material-related) urban features are captured within a formal and systematic framework. Third, to support the process of design and evaluation of UHI mitigation measures, the potential of both numerical (simulation-based) applications and empirically-based urban microclimate models are explored.
- A comparison was done of the timberline course from the mid-20th and beginning of 21st century, in Mengusovská Valley (Slovakia) and Rybi Potok Valley (Poland). These are two valleys in the High Tatra Mts. Aerial photosand satellite images were used to assess the changes of the timberline in the two valleys. The course of the timberline ecotone in both valleys is similar. In both valleys, the stable timberline section is almost half of the totaltimberline length. In both valleys there has been an increase in the elevation of the timberline (on average by 10 m in the Mengusovská Valley and 15 m in the Rybi Potok Valley), and free spaces have been increasinglyclosing up. The progressive changes of the timberline are mainly due to the limit placed on human economic activity, and to climate warming. Inactive avalanche paths have led to an enlargement of the forest area in bothvalleys. The reduction of avalanche activity is the direct result of climate warming in the Tatra Mts. and from the decrease in the amount of snow in winters.
- A detailed analysis was performed of precipitation data from the years 2011-2013 collected from 17 stations in the city of Łódź over six days with the highest six-hour precipitation periods. Each day was analyzed in respect of the synoptic conditions affecting the weather, with particular emphasis placed on moisture conditions. The highest precipitation was recorded during the May to August period. The convergence of thermally contrasting air masses and significant amounts of water vapor transported to the area of Central Europe were the main cause of extreme precipitation in the area of Łódź. During the advection of warm air masses, the significant amount of water vapor in the air originated not only from the warm sea basins, but also from evapotranspiration during the air masses travelling over hot land areas. A high content of precipitable water during heavy precipitation events was reported in the area of Poland and its neighborhood.
- A key feature of contemporary tourism is massive investment on the part of developers in tourism-related urbanisation, with this made most manifest in the construction of recreational apartment houses, and the expansion of ski slopes and golf courses. For obvious reasons, such activities are directed at traditional centres of tourism, which respond to the current trend towards hedonism present in society. However, major development activity has also taken place in municipalities in which tourism only began to play its more significant part once social and political transformation had already occurred. An example is the Slovak municipality of Veľká Lomnica, a village in which golf-course construction has initiated large-scale development projects. The aim of the work described in this paper was precisely to address this example in assessing the impact of tourism-related urbanisation on the municipality in question.
- A number of 125 open-air localities from Wielkopolska documented presence of 18 species (3 carnivores, 4 proboscideans, 3 perissodactyls and 8 artiodactyls). Most of species are cold-adapted members of mammoth fauna from the Late Pleistocene, such as Ursus arctos priscus, Mammuthus primigenius, Coelodonta antiquitatis, Equus ferus, Rangifer tarandus, and Bison priscus. The few species like Ursus arctos taubachensis, Palaeoloxodon antiquus and Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis represent an older, thermophilic fauna dated to MIS 5e. The vast majority of bones are accidental finds, without a stratigraphic context. Most artiodactyls were found in alluvial sediments, in bogs or swamps, while carnivores are represented only by isolated remains. <br>
- A number of investigations have recently been devoted to the issues of inequalities in the international academic discourse. Hardly any of them concern, though, scholarly publishing practices and the actual utilization of the scientific output of non-Anglophone geographers, especially those from regions undergoing a neoliberal turn in the management of tertiary education and science. The following article aims to partly fill the gap through a close bibliometric analysis of the participation of researchers from East-Central Europe in international human geography. The investigation makes use of information about articles published in 48 geographical journals indexed in Web of Science. The results of the examination reveal that the share of researchers from East-Central Europe in the international geographical discourse is rather inconsiderable. The geographers struggle with the following problems: (1) publishing in a limited group of periodicals (concerning mostly the issues of Europe) coupled with a dearth of publications in important American and British societal journals as well as the ones of a more radical orientation; (2) infrequent citations of their works as compared to those of Anglophone and Western European researchers. All this is accounted for, inter alia, by (1) the negative impact the socialist period had on the development of social sciences, (2) a poor command of English, (3) a research focus on well-established and ‘safe’ themes as well as (4) the mechanisms of the Anglophone dominance in science. Giving all these handicaps careful consideration, the authors formulate the idea of doublepublication policy aimed at ameliorating the discussed problems.
- A process of reurbanisation associated with the resurgence of inner-city housing has been observed in Western Europe since the 1980s. Nowadays this trend is not only seen in large urban areas but also in the medium-sized towns and cities of Eastern Europe. However, there is still a lack of empirical research on the spatial variation of the population change within such cities. This paper explores the process of reurbanisation in the city cores and its underlying dynamics against demographic changes, using the city of Kraków (Poland) as an example.
- A recent survey concerns the use of the place-based approach to territorial development throughout Europe.Places, according to the Barca Report, are drawn as frames which are irrespective of political boundariesfor integrating policies with spatial impacts. For this very reason, they are also a no-man’s land each in thesense of no one government being responsible. Where does this leave the democratic legitimacy of placegovernance? The question may also be asked whether territorial representation is the only way of producinglegitimacy in a network society. Raising the issue is certain to meet with opposition, especially since alternativesare anything but clear. The epilogue discusses Europe as a place and reflects on European governance.
- A solid international legal framework for family planning supports national family planning programs. Yet it is not by itself a program guarantee, especially among Muslim nations, many of which have stalled FP transitions and weak or absent government assistance for FP programs. The success of Iran’s family planning program, therefore, is all the more noteworthy. Since its establishment in 1993, it has been one of the most successful state family planning (FP) programs in the world, having reduced the national annual growth rate from 2.7% in the late 1960s to little over 1% currently. This paper explores international and national legal, institutional, demographic, and cultural-geographical influences that may have contributed to its results.
- Accessibility is widely used term and plays an important role in many scientific fields. It determines the advantage of one location over the other. Although there are different measures and number of studies on accessibility in the world literature, there are relatively few so far in Poland at the national level. The purpose of this article is to present some results of ongoing research that have been carried out at the IGSO PAS in 2007 and 2008. The projects led to development of methods of calculating time accessibility and the multimodal potential accessibility indicator of the area of Poland. The time accessibility is measured by using the isochronic-based and distance-based accessibility measures. The multimodal potential accessibility indicator is meant to be utilized, for evaluating the possible effects of construction and modernization of the transport network that are envisaged in the EU supported operational programs. The measure may be calculated separately for carriage of goods and passengers, the 16 voivodships (provinces of Poland) and four modes of transport (road, railways, inland waterways and air).
- Accessibility of public services constitutes an essential element, defining the level of development of a given region and the standard of living of its inhabitants. The present report attempts to shed light on the spatial accessibility to services in the local dimension, with consideration of the important factor, constituted by the development of road infrastructure, which, side by side with economic advantages (enhancement of competitiveness and attractiveness) and improvement of accessibility, should also bring social effects, in particular – increase of spatial mobility and improvement of the overall living standards and the quality of life (Domańska, 2006). The significance of the development of road infrastructure and its influence on the changes in potential accessibility have also been analysed.
- Across Europe, the current system of waste management is responsible for environmental pollution, leading to the need of a transition towards a circular economy model, and towards systemic approaches for achieving sustainable objectives. Interpreting waste as resource – through the development of eco-innovative solutions – can play a positive impact on the quality of life and of the environment. REPAiR1 research project proposes eco-innovative strategies, in order to co-design and assess solutions, involving a series of decisional problems that require the development of Spatial Decision Support System, described in their general structure and with a focus on the REPAiR project.
- After EU enlargement and its approaching to the Ukrainian borders, the development of cross-border cooperation with neighbor countries–members of EU has become extremely important. The integration processes shift from national to the regional and local levels. The Ukrainian-Polish cross-border cooperation should be aimed at: the intensification of European integration due to the development of the long-term Ukrainian-Polish relations on the innovative basis; the elimination of the institutional obstacles for the structure changes in Ukrainian economy by means of the implementation of the European standards of economic activities; the providing of the maximum possible mobility of technologies, capitals, labor, goods and services; the coordination of strategic programs for boundary regions development in order to enhance their competitive advantages. The cross-border cooperation is restrained by the barriers, such as: political, economical, infrastructural, legal, organizational, social. The current state of the Ukrainian-Polish cross-border cooperation shows that both in Poland and Ukraine there is a need for assuming the complex political, economical, technical, organizational and ecological measures which have to minimize the negative exposures of existing barriers. The boundary situation of regions should be taken as an advantage for social-economy development that has to facilitate the transit potential of the border territories.
- After more than two decades of attempting to redevelop the inner city of Johannesburg, it is still perceived by scholars, the popular media and the general public as a crime-ridden area of decay. This paper looks at a public transport system, as well as the redevelopment of parks and the provision of housing in the inner city. The Rea Vaya BRT serves as the ’backbone’ for the redevelopment strategy of the City of Johannesburg’s ’Corridors of Freedom’ which aims to mitigate inequality in the city. This research analyses the success and shortcomings of the BRT system, as well as the redevelopment of inner city parks and the provision of housing for the poor in the inner city and along these development axes. Although large amounts of money have been allocated to the redevelopment of the inner city parks and to tracts of land along these so-called Corridors of Freedom, these parks are still proving to be user-unfriendly owing to a lack of maintenance. Although the redevelopment projects appear to be worthy attempts to improve the inner city of Johannesburg these have as yet not proved themselves to be very effective.
- After the fall of the Iron Curtain, CEE cities (as well as other cities in the former Socialist Bloc) experienced dynamic development in many areas. The presented article deals with one of the key areas of the post-socialist transformation of the city, specifically the humanisation of mass housing in large housing estates. These housing estates from the central planning period still dominate the skyline of many CEE towns. At the beginning of the 1990s, housing estates suffered from a number of shortcomings that needed to be put right within the frame of their humanisation. The paper analyses a more than two decade-long process of housing estate humanisation which gradually led to the replacement of the monofunctional (strictly residential) model with a multifunctional model. This leads to improvement of civic amenities, implementation of new urban-architectural solutions and the creation of new job opportunities. As a result, these changes increase the quality of life in housing estates, both from an objective and subjective point of view. Changes in the spatial, social, economic and physical structure of housing estates after 1989 will be analysed using examples from hierarchically different locations in the Czech Republic. The synthesis of findings will be supplemented with the results of empirical studies that were carried out by geographers, sociologists and urban planners.
- The agricultural abandonment and reforestation taking place over the last few decades in the Carpathians has led to accelerated transformation of pasture landscape. The trajectories of pasture landscape changes, the factors threatening and supporting the pastures’ traditional use have been established on the basis of archival and contemporary cartographic materials, historical scientific works and archival photographs. An attempt has also been made to assess pasture landscape durability. The major part of the former pasture landscape has evolved into forest or settlement landscapes. The pasture landscape durability will only be possible if the operations supporting the traditional mountain grazing are continued.
- Agricultural land is declining in many mountainous regions of the world, often because political and economic changes make agriculture less profitable. This study compared the structure of land use in the Homerka catchment, an area of 19.3 km2 located in the West Polish Carpathians, using GIS techniques and cartographic materials between 1977 and 2009. This period covers the transformation of the Polish economy from a communist system to a free-market economy after 1989. The analysis indicates an increase in the forest area of the Homerka catchment by 18.14% and a decrease of cultivated land by 82.64%. The grasslands did not change significantly in their area, however, their spatial pattern was very dynamic related to their reduction due to forest expansion and enlargement due to cultivated land abandonment. The area of buildings revealed a continuous increase from 0.21% to 0.38%. The population density increased from 62 people/km2 in 1978 to 79 people/km2 in 2009, while the population dependent on agriculture decreased from 35% to below 20% in the same period. The trend remains one of forest transition where, after a period of deforestation, large areas of land marginally suitable for agriculture are abandoned and left to forest regeneration. However, the driving of the labour force from agriculture to other economic sectors is not accompanied by migration from rural to urban areas.
- Agriculture has been the major driver of deforestation in Europe in the last 1000 years. In the past, forests were also exploited for charcoal production; however, the spatial scale/extent of this activity and its impact are unknown. LIDAR data can be used as a noninvasive tool to investigate the small-scale diversity of the land relief, including forested areas. These data can reveal the extent anthropogenic modifications of topography present-day as well as in the past. One of the activities that can be analyzed based on LIDAR data is spatial distribution of charcoal production. A preliminary LIDAR data analysis indicated the intensity of this practice and its potential impact on the natural environment. This prompted us to analyze the environmental impact of charcoal hearths in northern Poland. As it turned out, this topic exceeded the scope of earth sciences and became a transdisciplinary one. In this work, we will use the research methods typical of biogeography, dendroecology, paleoecology, soil science, biology, botany, history, onomastics, as well as art history, in order to thoroughly understand not only the natural consequences but also the social and economic consequences of charcoal production. This paper presents the assumptions of our project, the research methodology, and the preliminary results. We have identified using LIDAR data more than 73 thousand relief forms which can be remnants of charcoal hearths. Our preliminary results confirmed large scale impact of past human activity related to charcoal production and suitability of the methods used for detecting and reconstructing charcoal hearths as well as determining the distribution and magnitude of past forest use for charcoal production in NW Poland.
- Agriculture is a sector of the national economy strongly influenced by climatic conditions. A majority of jobs in agriculture are still performed outdoors, under various weather conditions. Several meteorological situations can lead to severe disturbances in the organism of agricultural workers, with high temperature, intensive insolation and elevated air humidity proving especially dangerous, as such weather conditions can lead to overheating and dehydration of the body. The work presented here compares biothermal conditions in Poland and Bulgaria from the point of view of occupational health. To this end, use was made of several indices assessing heat stress in human beings, namely: Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT), HUMIDEX, Water Loss (SW), Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) and Physiological Subjective Temperature (PST). When account was taken of the occurrence of heat extremes as defined by these indices, it proved possible to distinguish categories of health risk regarded as small, increased or great. Comparison of the two agricultural regions reveals significantly more severe heat stress in Bulgaria than in Poland, in terms of both the frequency of heat-stress episodes and the number of hours (daily and monthly) associated with heat stress. This ensures that dangerous conditions for agriculture workers are primarily present in Bulgaria, rather than in Poland.
- The aim of the analysis was to compare physicochemical parameters and chemical composition of two groups of artificial reservoirs, mountain and lowland ones, characterised by different parameters and functions. Three mountain artificial reservoirs (Klimkówka, Dobczyce, Czorsztyn) located in the Upper Vistula basin (Carpathian Mountains in Poland) and three lowland reservoirs (Ivankovo, Verhnevolzhskoye, Vyshnevolotzkoye) located in the Upper Volga basin (Eastern European Lowland in Russia) were selected for the study. Data for the summer season in 2009-2013 were used in the analysis. Mountain reservoirs display high water concentrations of sulphates, chlorides and biogenic nitrates, and lower concentrations of ammonium and oxygen indicator in relation to lowland reservoirs. Similar concentrations of phosphates were noticed in both the mountain and the lowland reservoirs. The hydrochemical differentiation between the individual mountain reservoirs was small, and statistically significant differences only occurred for SEC. Greater differentiation of the hydrochemical parameters was found among the lowland reservoirs. Statistically significant differences were demonstrated with regard to SEC, Cl- and NO3-.
- The aim of the article is to define the concept of territorial classification and typology, including classification and typology of spatial units, and to systematize the practical variants of the method, as well as to identify the possibilities of using functional structure as a research tool. It systematizes existing approaches of creating functional classifications and typologies and presents examples of their application in analyses to interpret and explain dissection of individual variables. The paper consists of two parts. In the first one the spatial unit classification has been defined and distinguished from related terms. Different classification of rural areas has been systemized using formal and methodological or substantive criteria. In the second part, diverse empirical examples of rural spatial units classifications regarding functional structure and their application have been examined in relation to above mentioned systematics.
- The aim of the current study was to identify the main actors (leaders) involved in transformations of mediumsized cities in Poland and Russia that share similar legacies but took different development paths after the collapse of state socialism. These transformations are discussed using the framework of urban regeneration and are based on empirical data from two cities – Kolomna (Russia) and Kalisz (Poland). The data were obtained through expert interviews, as well as nonparticipant observation in the two cities. Though the process of urban regeneration shows similarities, the process leaders are different.
- The aim of the paper is to characterize the trends of sunshine duration (SDU) and air temperature in Poland, which may help understand the mechanism of contemporary climate change. The daily totals of SDU and daily data on air temperature from the years 1971-2020, from 25 synoptic stations in Poland are the basic source data. The series of records of the two variables showed that the points of change in the level of stabilization of the value of SDU and air temperature are close to each other, and confirm known in the literature “global dimming” and “global brightening” periods. The linear regression model confirmed that sunshine duration explains well the variability of, and increase in day-time air temperature in Poland in the warm part of the year.
- The aim of the paper is to provide the overview of the spatial development conflicts linked with the existence of Military training areas (MTA) in the regional system. Only several places in the Central European space can be called new wilderness. Above all these are the MTA. The environmental history of these spaces went through a deep reversion. Changes in their cultural, political as well as social-economic profile can be compared with the specific belt of the former Iron Curtain zones only. Last two decades were essential for the physical existence of the MTAs. Because of the weak local political power, social capital and wide public support, are most of the decommitted MTAs in a deep conceptual crisis. The presented study finds solutions based on a long lasting research.
- The aim of the paper is to understand evolutionary changes of hotel intra-urban location policy during the period of the economic transition. Thus, the theoretical model of polycentric intra-urban development of hotel facilities is introduced in this research. Polycentric development is defined as the result of two ongoing and contrary tendencies: (1) spatial sprawl of hotel facilities resulting from new hotel investments, and (2) concentration of hotel enterprises, which is the effect of demand-based and production-based agglomeration processes of hotel facilities in particular locations. To examine this theoretical concept, the changes of spatial distribution of hotel entities in Budapest since 1982 were investigated. Kernel density estimation was applied to identify the number, location, and area of clusters of hotel services. Empirical evidence confirms the proposed theoretical model of polycentric intra-urban development of hotels, although significant hotel clusters are only formed in the central districts of Budapest.
- The aim of the research detailed here has been to apply a new approach in assessing cave environmental changes – the so-called Cave Disturbance Index (CDI), relating to relief, water objects, air, vegetation and fauna (as the main geographical components of the cave environment) plus cultural aspects of recent cave use. Indicators coming under each of these categories are considered in detail and a quantitative estimation of total CDI then proposed. Practical application of the CDI method is then demonstrated by reference to caves situated in the Muradimovskoe Uschelie Natural Park (Southern Ural Mountains).
- The aim of the research was to investigate the use and potential of Planning Support Systems (PSS) in public participation within spatial planning in Polish local governments. Data from 718 local spatial planning departments, collected using CATI method, reveals limited current use of PSS tools in public participation, primarily passive online document viewing. Despite this, there is a growing potential for online methods, such as interactive meetings, necessitating PSS tools for real-time interaction. The study highlights a strong adherence to statutory consultation forms, suggesting a need for PSS development focused on legal requirements in public participation. <br>
- The aim of the study is to evaluate the influence of agglomeration effects on corporate performance in Germany. The assessment carried out by investigating the effects of localization and urbanization. For this reason, the work was presented to the theoretical basis; it formulated the problem, methodology of the research and analyzed the influence of various factors on the number of employees in leading industries of Germany. We use the Panel data, a large-scale German establishment survey covering around 3477 companies of 9 industries located in 83 cities (14 lands). The study covers the period 2007 – 2014 years. The paper presents a linear model and two nonlinear models – the model with the addition of the square of companies` age and the model using the natural logarithm of the number of employees. The best model was chosen by using Akaike information criterion (AIC) and Schwarz (BIC), i.e. the linear model. The study found that localization effects have a positive impact on the number of employees, while the effects of urbanization – negative. In addition, it most strongly depends on the number of employees by region and industry. In the largest regions there is the largest population and respectively, the number of workers in it, so the agglomeration effects in the populous region is higher than in the other regions. The age of the company has a positive effect on the company’s number of employees: with an increase in the age of 1 year, the number of employees is increased by 21 people.
- The aim of the study was to analyze changes in the command and control functions of cities in 2006 and 2016 based on the method of gravity centers. The analysis was performed both for individual sectors of the economy as well as for the European economy as a whole. The shift in the center of gravity of the studied command and control functions of cities in the direction of Central Eastern Europe is examined in the paper. The fairly recent development of CEE and European integration increasing to the east and south has triggered the relocation of many companies from west to east and has also increased the importance of local companies. It may therefore be argued that the importance of the command and control functions of cities in developing countries has also increased (Poland, Russia). There is also a related decline in the importance of the so-called blue banana region and cities in Great Britain and Germany. This is especially visible in terms of the number of corporate headquarters in the western part of the continent. However, the shift in capital is not that clear – and both German and British corporations still remain the leaders in Europe.
- The aim of the study was to identify and examine main directions of soil patterns, typology, SOC (Soil Organic Carbon) and Nt (Total Nitrogen) content in the topsoil changes that have occurred in kettle holes as an effect of soil erosion and anthropogenic denudation. Varied in the type of land use, three closed basins located in young glacial landscape in north-western Poland were investigated. According to the type of land use, the total area of soils with untransformed or moderately transformed morphology is different. Significant modifications have been taking place not only in mineral soils, which are located on slopes, but especially in soils of the bottom of sedimentary basins. In fact, most of primary soil properties and morphology have been replaced by new characteristics. The most intensive modifications of soil morphology and soil chemical properties occurs within croplands. Total area of colluvial soils can be treated as indicator of soil erosion processes intensity.
- The aim of the study was to identify the impact of the basic soil properties and slope inclination on the distribution and stability of water-stable aggregates in three different land uses (deciduous forest, vineyard, arable soil) across three soil types (Luvic Chernic Phaeozem, Eutric Cambisol, Vermic Chernozem) on slopes in the Nitra Valley, western Slovakia. The analysis revealed that soil type significantly influences aggregate stability and soil structure vulnerability, while soil depth and organic carbon content do not. Changes in primary soil organic matter affected soil aggregation. Increased mineralization of soil organic matter (SOM) supported the formation of primarily large water-stable macro-aggregates (WSAma) > 3 mm, whereas the the immobilization of organic carbon in SOM led to the formation and stabilization of smaller WSAma 1-0.25 mm and waterstable micro-aggregates. Cambisol exhibited the highest stability in both dry and wet conditions as well as the lowest vulnerability of soil structure. <br>
- The aim of the work described here has been to analyse contemporary changes along the shore along the central part of the Vistula Sandbar located on the Baltic’s south coast. There, breakwaters are being installed to protect the canal cut that has been under construction since 2020 (fig.1). Shoreline changes involving both dunes and beaches have been predicted to arise following construction of breakwaters, which will obviously influence the dynamics of the previously natural shore of the Sandbar. Factors exerting done in the 2003‑2020 period. The section of the Sandbar under discussion (the middle part, at km 18‑25, fig. 1, 2) has so far shown only limited accumulation trends. Plate 1 presents different relief of the foredunes caused by storm surges and aeolian processes. The wind regime for 2001‑2017 features the more marked presence of wind from the W and SW sector. Aeolian accumulation caused by such westerly winds is rebuilding the beach and dune in the investigated area (fig. 6‑8). The strongest winds are those from the NW that arise during the autumn-winter period. The orientation of the sandbar coast ensures that erosion in the course of storm surges is different. The middle part of the Vistula Sandbar is only eroded during the highest storm surges (fig. 3). Over the research period, it was possible to observe erosion of various types caused by storm surges recorded in Gdańsk. Since 2003, there have been several storm surges featuring a water level higher than 1.2 m AMSL. Each such surge ensures severe erosion of dunes (as in 2004, 20006, 2007, 2012, 2017 and 2019). Storm erosion is a major factor in dune development: the higher the surge, the higher the levels of water run up and coastal erosion (fig. 4). During the highest surges (featuring water of H>1.2 m AMSL, the run-up is of almost 4 m AMSL. The mean rate of retreat at the base of the foredune is 3‑4 m, while the maximum reaches 7‑8 m. In the periods between storms, the areas at the bases of dunes increases by 0.8 to 1.5 m/y. Reconstruction of the dunes took place up to 2‑3 years after a major storm surge. The sand building foredunes is fine and medium (average 0.20‑0.21 mm). There are fines sands along the whole Vistula Sandbar, while beach dune sand is coarser. The coarsest sand is the type that builds the beach ridge (0.3‑0.4 mm). This type of material comes from the cliffs of the Sambian Peninsula located in the NE part of the Gulf of Gdańsk. Plants scattered across the beach ensure aeolian accumulation on the upper beach. Beach height is often higher than the highest water run-up during storm surges, with this serving to safeguard dunes against erosion. Beach width is almost widest on the investigated part of Sandbar (other than at the mouth of the Vistula delta), exceeding 41 m on average (figs. 1C and 5). The foredune dynamics are not great (figs. 6 and 7). However, there are more major increases in years lacking storm erosion, with the height of foredunes exceeding 4‑5 m. Neighbouring sections of coast lack such foredunes, however – meaning that erosion is more marked there than along the Sandbar’s central stretch. The area under study is one of two accumulating sections of the Vistula (the second being in the Vistula Delta). Analyses show that breakwaters constructed will block sediment transport on both the shore and the beach. All aeolian sediment will accumulate on the western side of the Canal that is to be completed (at km 26‑25). There will be new dune growth and beach widening. Sand will not be transported eastwards (at km 23‑18 and further east to Krynica Morska). Dunes will not develop in this section, and that will ensure the development of erosive tendencies. The erosion of dunes will take place on the eastern side of breakwaters and may exceed 0.5 to 1.2 m/y (fig. 8). Annual rates of erosion will depend on the number of strong storm surges with sea level H > 1 m. Such surges occur more frequently than they did in the 20th century.
- The aim of the work detailed here has been to identify the most important premises upon which cross-border cooperation can be established, the conditions for its further continuation or lack of continuation; and the key barriers to and benefits from the cooperation in question. Also examined was the intensity of cooperation in the periods before, during and after the implementation of individual cross-border cooperation projects – the aim being to assess the extent to which joint projects generate mutual relations of greater intensity. Analysis drew on a questionnaire survey run among all organisations involved in the implementation of Poland’s EU-funded cross-border cooperation projects in the 2007–2020 period.
- The aim of the work detailed in this article has been to indicate demographic and social categories to the greatest extent segregated in the three selected metropolitan areas of Warsaw, Berlin and Paris, by applying multidimensional analysis; as well as to answer a question as to whether these categories are similar or different, given the different circumstances underpinning the development of the areas under study. The metropolitan areas were selected from Central Europe (Warsaw), Western Europe (Paris), and from the area located in the borderland between these regions (Berlin). In the case of each area, typical categories were selected for analysis, and developed on the basis of accepted segregation indices (the dissimilarity index D, isolation index xPx, delta index DEL, absolute centralisation index ACE, spatial proximity index SP and modified location quotient LQp). The multidimensional and multifaceted analysis allowed the most segregated groups at municipality and district levels to be distinguished, and presented in the context of previous research.
- The aim of this article is to analyze various methods and approaches to peripherality, and to introduce proposals for delimitation of peripheral areas in Visegrad countries. First, the content of approaches to the identification of peripherality is assessed, followed by emphasis on the role of spatial scale in the delimitation of peripheral areas. Then, the strict and broad understanding of peripherality is described considering the role of locality in its conceptualization. The quantitative approach to the delimitation of peripheries in the Visegrad countries presented in the following part of the article is in line with the precise understanding, as it is assumed to be more sufficient for the research of economic development in peripheral areas. In the final part of the article, examples of delimitation of peripheries in whole V4 area are introduced based on distance-based measures, equidistant-based measures, and on the approach employing the potential index. This allowed for revealing and validating some regularities in the spatial distribution of peripheral areas but also revealed the role of subjective assumptions entering the delimitations.
- The aim of this article is to examine the development of transport infrastructure (modernisation of railway tracks and development of the motorway and expressway network) and its possible effects on regional development in Slovakia. Accessible transport infrastructure (mainly the motorway network) has influenced many decisions concerning the location of industrial investments. The impact of transport infrastructure on the reduction of regional disparities in Slovakia is limited mainly due to the concentration of transport infrastructure investment in the more developed regions of Slovakia. Poorer regions in eastern Slovakia and the southern part of Central Slovakia are still affected by the unfavourable level of accessibility to the transport infrastructure that creates important conditions affecting their development.
- The aim of this article is to generate a debate on the definition and application of the territorial approach of future EU Cohesion Policy. Territorial cohesion, its instruments and tools have formed a specific ‘paradigm’, ‘disciplinary matrix’ and ‘vocabulary’. However, a peculiar dichotomy resonates: the EU’s global economic competitiveness objective is (usually) confronted by its territorial cohesion objectives. Permanent failure is generated and anomalies of the territorial cohesion paradigm are on the rise. Are we at the threshold of a new scientific revolution inside the EU and within its territorial cohesion matrix?
- The aim of this article is to present results of long-term empirical research on the changing behavior of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Poland in the context of spatial exclusion and spatial ‘justice’. Between 2007 and 2015, the authors conducted cyclical research on the financial behavior of SMEs in Poland on large samples. The scope of research on traditional and virtual space covered mainly: the criteria for selecting a bank for current service and the use of various banking services in particular distribution channels. In the researched period, the percentage of indications to convenient location as the most important factor for selecting a bank dropped from 29% to 16%. In the entire period under research, the highest percentage of indications to convenient location as the most important factor for selecting a bank was recorded in the micro enterprises sector. The percentage of entrepreneurs’ indications of fees and commissions as the most important factor in choosing a bank increase from 28% to 36%. Price parameters became the most important factor of bank selection in the SME sector. Virtual space was used primarily to distribute less complex banking services (checking the account balance and viewing the history of operations on the account, as well as to make transfers). In the case of more complex products, such as deposits or loans, traditional banking branches were preferred. In contrast to the results of the American research (Degryse & Ongena, 2002), in Poland there was no impact of the distance between the company and the bank branch on the loan utilization rates and the loan refusal rates. The research has shown that the virtual space equalizes the opportunities, facilitates business operations, contributes to a drop in prices and improvement in quality of the offered products and services, and renders the access to products and services fairer.
- The aim of this article is to present the dependence between the suburban development of housing estates and the transportation system. Relationships between the city and its surroundings depend on the road network and daily traffic. That is why in most cases cities ‘spread’ in a linear form – forming an ‘urban sprawl’ with a low density of development and long distances between housing and retail services. According to analyses, cities in Poland affect their outskirts in an ‘urban sprawl’ manner. The development of suburban housing dependent on communications leads to spatial conflicts. This article shows both the interdependence and consequences of this situation. The main methods used were statistical and spatial analyses and a case study.
- The aim of this article is to support another view of rural economies than one focused mainly on agriculture. The reason for such a view is the fact that the economic importance of other than agricultural economic activities (e.g. in manufacturing, services) in rural areas of developed countries is much larger than that of agriculture. Despite this new economic orientation of rural areas, rural developemt policies are still heavily focused on agriculture. To support these statements, a changing nature of rural economies of developed countries is discussed in contrast to the stagnating focus of rural studies and rural development policies.
- The aim of this article was to examine the relations of physical and human geography with selected disciplines of natural and exact sciences as well as social sciences. The results shows that: (1) the position of geography among other disciplines is relatively high, however the relative position of human geography in social sciences is higher than that of physical geography in natural and exact sciences, (2) both geographical disciplines show an adverse ‘trade balance’ in scientific exchange, (3) human geography is more ‘introverted’, (4) relations between human geography and other disciplines are stronger than in the case of physical geography.
- The aim of this paper is to analyse the annual and long-term variability in the occurrence of these clouds in the Silesian Upland (on the example of Katowice) as well as to indicate its causes related to atmospheric circulation. The source material comes from the IMGW-PIB. The paper uses data on mid-level cloud cover in Katowice in the years 1971-2020. Altocumulus lenticularis (Ac len) clouds, coded CM = 4, were analysed for eight time points a day (every 3 hours) during the study period. The study also used data on air masses, weather fronts, and types of atmospheric circulation based on the Calendar of atmospheric circulation types for southern Poland compiled by Niedźwiedź (2024). Most occurrences of Ac len were observed in autumn, and least in summer. The highest average number of days and number of cases of Ac len were recorded in October and November, while the lowest in April. In terms of the diurnal distribution, these clouds occurred most frequently between 6:00 and 15:00 UTC. Based on a 50-year dataset, a statistically significant decreasing trends for both number of cases and number of days were found for this type of cloud cover (-2.7 days per 10 years). The maximum number of occurrences was found in 1975, and the minimum in 2016. The highest conditional probability of occurrence of a lenticular cloud in Upper Silesia was found for advection of air masses from the south and southwest in cyclonic pressure systems (>25%) and for advection of a warm polar maritime air mass over southern Poland (20%). <br>
- The aim of this paper is to explore the profile of tourists visiting Budapest, Prague and Warsaw. These cities were selected for their rich cultural heritage and change in volume of tourism in recent years. Survey data (N = 550) and statistical data on tourist volume were used to show similarities and differences in tourist characteristics in terms of socio-demographics and purpose of travel. The study concluded that most tourists visiting these cities are from Western Europe. The main purpose of travel is associated with cultural tourism offerings and entertainment. The study results help understand impact of city tourism development strategies on the tourist profile.
- The aim of this paper is to identify, categorize, explain and interpret the process of ‘John-Paul-the-Secondisation’ which has been taking place for the last three decades in Poland. ‘John-Paul-the-Second-isation’ is perceived as a kind of landscape sacralisation, i.e. the process of filling the cultural landscape with objects and phenomena related to Pope John Paul II, his work and personality. The process is analysed on three basic levels: architectural, nominative and temporal. The growing cult of the ‘Polish Pope’ is a visible sign of social, cultural, religious and political factors influencing cultural landscape.
- The aim of this paper is to identify the dimensions of resilience undertaken in literature, characteristics describing resilient systems and spatial scales in the context of which resilience research and strategic planning are carried out. The research method was desk research within which the papers that were reviewed were selected based on scientific journal reputation including the high Impact Factor. References to resilience in strategic planning were selected on the basis of information about international organizations dealing with resilience mentioned in scientific articles. Based on broad review, environmental, social, economic and institutional resilience have been identified. Important properties of social-ecological systems identified in the context of resilience include connectivity, modularity, redundancy, interdependence, and diversification, while resilience strategies specifically consider flexibility, resourcefulness, reflectiveness, dispersion, mutuality, inclusion, and integration. Research as well as strategic actions to strengthen resilience consider global spatial scale but also national, regional, local, neighbourhood, household and individual.
- The aim of this research was to illustrate the relationship between the occurrence of very strong and extreme cold stress among human beings under the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) across Poland and largescale near-surface air temperature over the central part of Europe. The statistical downscaling procedure of canonical correlation analysis (CCA) with respect to the period between 1971 and 2000 was applied to extract the main modes of large-scale factors and their local responses. The greatest frequency of occurrence of the discussed cold stress exceeded 35% in January. Most of the variance (39-44%) of the local field in each winter month is explained by the first coupled canonical maps. T he main patterns of large-scale field show negative anomalies of monthly mean air temperature in central Europe from -1°C up to -3°C. It can indicate an increase in frequency of the occurrence of analysed cold stress categories throughout the entire area of Poland, by 2% to even over 10%, depending on the region. The best quality model was obtained in eastern Poland, especially in the north-east and south-west of Poland.
- The aim of this study is assessment of thermal comfort conditions during heat waves in Ukraine in the years 1961-2015. The assessment is based on the thermal index Physiologically Equivalent Temperature. This study uses data from 29 meteorological stations across Ukraine. The research showed an increasing frequency of occurrence of heat waves (HWs) in the territory of Ukraine in the last decades. East and south Ukraine (except of coastal stations) experienced the most strenuous human-biometeorological conditions whilst HWs were recorded in the country. Lower mean PET values were found in Western region of the country. The obtained results suggest that the HW event of 2010 was the longest and the most strenuous HW in human-biometeorological terms since 1961.
- The aim of this study was to determine how COVID-19 pandemic influenced air quality in the chosen Polish cities. Data on nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxides, fine and coarse particulate matter concentrations from air quality monitoring stations was used to compare pollutants levels during the pandemic and in the 5-year pre-pandemic period. The impact of the pandemic on the air quality has been analysed using linear mixed effect models, adjusting for long-term, seasonal and weekly trends and meteorological conditions. Results showed that during the pandemic, until the second lockdown only nitrogen oxides levels were significantly reduced (up to 20%), while when again loosening restrictions the rebound effect led to 20-30% increase of all analysed pollutants.
- The aims of this research were to identify the key processes that have occurred in the past that have caused changes in the physiognomy of archaeological landscape and to indicate possible future processes, along with their landscape implications. The study was based on cartographic and literature studies, and field visits. It covered an analysis of the land cover, the history of archaeological research, the establishment of forms of legal protection and tourist infrastructure development. The past changes are visualised for each site in the form of a block graph. Possible future scenarios with landscape implications are presented on a tree diagram. <br>
- The aims of this study were to review human-environment interactions during the Meghalayan and to search for the stratigraphic boundary of a new epoch, informally termed the Anthropocene, as well as to determine whether the stratigraphic signals of human activity on the Meghalaya Plateau in Northeast India can be correlated globally. This plateau is the base of the Meghalayan Age that was determined from a speleothem in a cave located on it. Review indicates that study region developed on the periphery of ancient Indian civilisation, with stratigraphic signals of human activity being apparent in only the last few thousand years; that is, substantially later than the neighbouring ancient Indian civilisation. The stratigraphic signals are heterogeneous and diachronous, not only as a result of various human activities, but also in the effect of the diverse sensitivities of the environment to anthropogenic disturbances. A discrete and visible cultural layer that relates to the development of settlements and the production of new materials is still being formed and reworked. The only synchronous stratigraphic signal with a global range seems to be associated with the artificial radionuclide fallout from nuclear weapons testing, which covers a topsoil layer of up to tens of centimetres thick.
- Air pollution with particulate matter is a serious problem in Europe, especially in Poland. Despite the fact that the issue of particulate air pollution concerns both big agglomerations and smaller towns, and even villages, due to the population density and chemical composition of the particulate matter, the actions to limit the concentration are focused on big cities. In this study the data for 30 Polish cities and urban agglomerations from 2000-2016 was analyzed to show the temporal and spatial variability of the pollutants level and to prepare the prediction until 2020. The analysis showed that although for most cities a decreasing trend was observed, there are a few cities that will not achieve the assumed level in 2020. Another fact is that for some cities that currently meet the average annual standards, the limits in 2020 are expected to be exceeded.
- Although Poland and Israel seem to be very far apart and different in size, history, and culture, there are a lot of similarities when it comes to the history of their international boundaries, the way the boundaries were created, those who established their boundaries, the aim of the location of the boundary lines, and the processes in which the boundaries were developed. Both countries were created by the international community (League of Nations and the United Nations) as nation states; both had large areas in the past but less land area in modern times. Both have two periods of boundary allocations in the modern era: after the first and the second World Wars. Both had been attacked after independence and enlarged their area by fighting the attackers. There are also some non-similarities between their boundaries. The major difference being that Poland’s boundaries have remained stable since 1951 and almost nobody has asked for changes. Israel, on the other hand, still does not have permanent stable acceptance of boundaries by its inhabitants
- Although the Baltic states, comprising Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, situated on the historical boundary of Northern, Central and Eastern Europe, are very similar from the viewpoint of regional identity and development as well as history and geographical characteristics, they exhibit regional disparities. This analysis focuses on monitoring a statistical set of ten selected representative economic and social indicators at the level of the NUTS 3 regions using deviations from the median and cluster method. Based on the analysis, the regions were categorized into groups that have shown the major disparities and differences between the capitals’ regions and the rest of the countries.
- Although the ecosystem services concept is very popular in recent years, its use in spatial planning is limited. The aim of this paper is to describe current problems of ecosystem services application in the spatialplanning process. There are two aspects of research; the first is associated with the definitions and classifications of ecosystem services while the second is related to the use of the concept in supporting the decision-makingprocesses in spatial planning. The first part of the paper discusses the definition and existing classifications system of ecosystem services and its usefulness for spatial planning. The second part is of more legal natureand is related to the spatial planning procedure. Proposals how to fit the ecosystem services concept into the planning process are presented in this part.
- Although the first numerical dating of Middle and Upper Palaeolithic sites in Poland was applied at the beginning of the second half of the 20th century, it has only been in the last two decades that a data increase has been recorded, making it possible to discuss both the development of human behaviour and cultural phenomena in time perspective. This paper aims to show the chronological diversity of sites dating from the beginning of the Weichselian glaciation (MIS 5a – MIS 5d, GI-19 – GI-23, Greenland Interstadials) to the middle part of MIS 3 (GI-8 – GI-10). We considered sites dated mainly by thermoluminescence dating (OSL) and radiocarbon dating. We relied on a series of recent datings. We attempted to analyse the stratigraphic integrity, the archaeological finds and the numerical dating results. Through OSL dating, we could establish the chronology of Micoquian sites, previously regarded as middle Pleistocene, to the last glaciation. The dating compilation also shows that the Late Middle Palaeolithic and Early Upper Palaeolithic (EUP) sites are unlikely to overlap, or if they do, it is only over a small period. Unfortunately, this period is poorly interpreted because it spans the limit of the radiocarbon dating reliability and goes beyond the bounds of the calibration curve. Confronting the datings of the Lincombian-Ranisian-Jerzmanowician (LRJ) complex and the oldest finds associated with Aurigniacian sites in Poland lead to the conclusion that these sites may have co-occurred for some time. <br>
- Although there is no ‘proper’ macro-regional strategy of the European Union for the Western Mediterranean, different works have, for decades, pointed out various factors of macro-regional coherence of this area, including many organisations and schemes of cooperation. After presenting the conceptual framework used to address the theme, we characterise the case and indicate the state of macro-regional cooperation in the area. Then we discuss the variables that contribute to this cooperation, and those that limit it. This case study sheds light on how macro-regionalisation, by combining a trans-meso scale and a post-complex rationale, induces a renewal of spatial references and planning policies in the European Union. It opens perspectives for the future programming period of territorial cooperation.
- An important element in the local shaping of a low-carbon economy, as well as one of the key areas of activity in communal plans for its development should be rural areas and their related agricultural activities. This is due on the one hand to the significant share of agriculture in total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Poland (on average about 8%, locally as much as 20-50%), and on the other hand to the high potential of rural areas to use their resources to increase carbon sequestration in biomass and soil, reduce GHG emissions, as well as use agricultural activity for the development of renewable energy. The paper, based on the results of mathematical modelling of GHG emission from agricultural sources in all Polish communes, attempts to regionalize the needs of integrating agriculture and rural areas into the development of low-carbon economy at the local level. For this purpose, the guiding factors for regionalisation of the needs for mitigation actions were determined, and a regionalisation of these needs as well as a typology of the distinguished regions were, consequently, developed. The regions with the most urgent needs for mitigation actions were indicated, as well as the directions of mitigation actions for particular types of regions.
- An important source of risk in agricultural production is the variability to crop yields reflecting irregularly changing weather. This variability may be described as a stochastic process that has a function of density. Analyses of historical data on crop yields reveal that the function of density changed from right-skewed to left-skewed, along with increasing mean yields. All examined yields of crops cultivated recently in Poland demonstrate the left skew, which does not diminish with the aggregation of acreage. A fairly good approximation of the probability distribution for actual yields may be obtained using the log-normal distribution with an inverted abscissa.
- An introductory text discusses the Just Transition Fund’s core assumptions and origin, in the process revealing stages to the evolution of the approach taken – in the direction of ‘green economy’ assumptions. Activities financed within the framework of the Fund are identified, in respect of the restructuring of Poland’s mining regions. Examples of fields of intervention are then discussed by reference to the Terytorialny Plan Sprawiedliwej Transformacji Województwa Śląskiego 2030, i.e. the 2030 Territorial Plan for the Just Transition of Poland’s Śląskie Voivodeship, in Silesia. A particularly important aspect here is the timetable for closures of mines and conventional power plants. The material also presents selected data on the significance of mining and the extractive industries in both their social and economic dimensions. Particular attention is here paid to the labour-market consequences of the Just Transition. The references are to levels of pay in the sector referred to, as well as the wealth characterising the relevant Polish gminas (areas of local-governmental administration) – as an alternative way of looking at the entire process. The article also points to a large number of research aspects linking up with transitioning in the economy and requiring further study and analysis. Overall, the work points to the challenges that regions subject to restructuring are going to be faced with. <br>
