In the decision making process concerning numerous objects researchers frequently face the problem of selecting an appropriate method to link them into groups of similar objects. This study is a proposal of the application of agglomeration methods to search for relationships between individual forest ecosystems in terms of their water retaining capacity. It was assumed that most parameters describing water retaining capacity of a specific ecosystem should come from forest management plans. Selected characteristics, adopted as those describing water retaining capacity of forest ecosystems, i.e. mean fall of land [%]; distance from watercourse network [m]; distance from standing waters, wetlands (lakes, ponds, swamps) [m]; site moisture content variant [-]; stand density index [-]; type of soil cover [-]; undergrowth cover index of the experimental plot [-]; canopy index [ha∙ha-1] and potential available water retentiveness of the soil profile [mm] were tested using seven data clustering methods, i.e. the single linkage method, group average method (UPGMA – Unweighted Pair-Group method using arithmetic averages), weighted average method (WPGMA – Weighted Pair-Group Method using arithmetic Averages), the furthest neighbor method, the unweighted centroid method (UPGMC – Unweighted 169 Pair-Group Method using Centroids), weighted centroid method (WPGMC – Weighted Pair-Group Method using Centroids) and ...
The paper covers research on groundwater level depth dynamics in unevenaged forest stands of swamp habitats as influenced by meteorological conditions (air temperature and rainfall). The research period comprised hydrological years 2002–2005 with 7 experimental plots examined. The area of investigation was located in Puszcza Zielonka ca 6 km NE of Poznań. Variability of groundwater levels, especially at shallow water locations, tends to show cyclic regularity, modulated for particular years by irregularity of weather conditions – mainly the precipitation and temperature, but physiographical features such as soil, vegetation, drainage network, water bodies, surface relief affect water conditions significantly nevertheless as a exclusively modulating factor. The results of the research prove the main effect of air temperature and precipitation on pattern of groundwater level dynamics in forest swamp habitats as a general regularity. The above mentioned conclusion supports additionally the results of recent research on climatic water balance for the area of experimental plots location. Anyway, the question arises about no expected distinction in groundwater level depth between the extreme years as far as precipitation is concerned (the years 2003, 2002 and 2005). No groundwater level dynamics decrease along with increase of groundwater level depth observed was another irregularity. Probably significant, ...
The paper covers research on groundwater level depth dynamics in unevenaged forest stands of swamp habitats as influenced by meteorological conditions (air temperature and rainfall). The research period comprised hydrological years 2002-2005 with 7 experimental plots examined. The area of investigation was located in Puszcza Zielonka ca 6 km NE of Poznań. It has been found that the highest dynamics of groundwater level depth occurs for the experimental plots of the middle-aged stands, the lowest dynamics of groundwater depth level occurs for the older forest stands (80 to 100 years) and in lesser extent in the youngest forest stands (up to 20 years). However it should be noted that the research data were collected in a short time span, thus the conclusions concerning relations between groundwater level and forest stand age described here should only be considered as a initial thesis requiring further explanation to be proven or rejected in the course of further research. ...
Meteorological conditions have a considerable impact on water relations and the state of forest hydrogenic habitats. Variation in atmospheric precipita-tion and air temperatures are of particular relevance. The presented meteoro-logical parameters obtained between 1986 and 2008 from the meteorological station in Zielonka included: annual and halfyear precipitation sums; drought frequencies; number of days by quantity; mean annual and half-year air tempera-tures; number of days of different temperature categories; duration of the mete-orological growing season; beginning and completion of the meteorological growing season. The study results indicated the occurrence of changes in the values of the above-specified parameters. From 1987 to 2007 the mean precipitation value was 541 mm. In Zielonka nearly 5 droughts in a year and 2–3 during the summer half-years were noted. In recent years, a decrease in days with precipitation below 1 mm and above 20 mm was recorded. The mean annual air temperatures and mean temperatures of the winter and summer halfyears show a rising tendency. This is the result of changes in the number of days with extreme temperatures. In recent years, the number of days with the average temperature between -5.0 and 15.0°C has decreased while the number of days with temperature above ...
Fires are the major threats to forest ecosystems. In the years 1990-2008 a total of 168.2 thousand forest fires were recorded in Poland over a total area of 170.3 thousand ha. Only in 2008 a total of 7850 forest fires broke out and 2514 ha stands burned down. In the same year in forested areas administered by the State Forests National Forest Holding there were 3306 fires, covering the area of 663 ha. This amounts to 42% in terms of the number and 26% in terms of the af-flicted area of the total number of forest fires in Poland. The forest hazard for for-est complexes forces the entities managing them to undertake actions required by the Polish regulations, consisting in e.g. the establishment and maintenance of an adequately dense network of roads, referred to fire roads. They are an important component of the forest fire hazard monitoring system as well as have a consider-able effect on the efficiency, effectiveness and safety of the conducted fire-fighting activities. This study analyzed the technical condition of almost 50 kilometers of roads considered to be fire access roads in a state forest division in southern Po-land. As a result of the conducted survey it ...
Meteorological conditions have a potential impact on forest economy. Var-iation in atmospheric precipitation and air temperatures are of particular relev-ance. The presented meteorological parameters obtained between 1987 (1986) and 2008 from the meteorological station in Zielonka included: annual, half-year and monthly precipitation sums; snow cover characteristic, drought frequencies; number of days by quantity; mean annual, half-year and monthly air temperatures; number of days of different temperature categories; duration of the meteorological growing season; beginning and completion of the meteorological growing season, period without slight frost. The study results indicated the occurrence of changes in the values of the above-specified parameters. From 1987 to 2008 the mean precipitation value was 531mm. In Zielonka nearly 5 droughts in a year and 2-3 during the summer half-years were noted. In recent years, a de-crease in days with precipitation below 1mm was recorded. The mean annual air temperatures and mean temperatures of the winter and summer half-years show a rising tendency. This is the result of changes in the number of days with extreme temperatures. In recent years, the number of days with the average temperature between -5.0 and 15.0°C has decreased while the number of days with temperature above +15.0°C has increased. The ...
Since 2007 the program called "Enhancing water storage capacity and preventing floods and drought in lowland forest ecosystems" has been implemented in the Polish forests. Its objective is to stop or slow down the outflow of surface water in the vicinity of small catchment areas and to support the development of natural landscape. The activities include, among others, the construction or renovation of several thousand water storage systems in lowland forests throughout the country. One of the major goals of the project is to support ecologically sound methods of water retention. The improvement of water balance will enhance biodiversity in forest ecosystems. This project may become the first large effort in Europe to develop small-scale water retention in forests. It analyzed the small water retention investments data already existing in Tuczno Forest Division. Analysis of the documentation showed that Tuczno Forest Division invests primarily cheap small water retention objects, environmentally friendly, made from ecological materials. These constructions often combine features of road engineering structures with backwater devices (culvert-penstock, dike). In this study, it was found that the depth and capacity of water reservoir in the 100th forest sub-compartment is less than the project intent by 4% and 10%. The cause ...
Construction of forest roads on swampy terrains poses many problems and is expensive, therefore the Authors compared the method so far used to achieve road passability owing to the application of rubble with a modern method, where the main element is a geotextile with a track reinforcement of additional fibres. In the presented experiment the geotextile was embedded into the surface structure as a flat layer or as a semi mattress and covered with variously grained sand or crushed granite. Four variants of the surface construction obtained in this way with additionally established reference stretch of the rubble surface were tested using a light weight dynamic deflectometer (LWD) before and after rainfall. The obtained results demonstrated an approximate bearing capacity of the road surface in the tested technologies, clearly exceeding bearing capacity of the reference stretch of road. The rainfall caused a decrease in bearing capacity on all tested sections, however, the greatest decrease of bearing capacity was observed on the reference stretch. The tested technologies do not allow to achieve road surface bearing capacity suitable for the heavy vehicles carrying timber, but they may provide the base layer for this type of roads or form an independent surface on ...
The aim of the study was to analyse the interaction between pavement moisture content and load-bearing capacity of an unpaved forest road. The selected experimental road sector was divided into three sections (A, B and C), which were flooded with three different amounts of water 10 mm (section A), 20 mm (section B) and 30 mm (section C), compared with the intense rainfall. Three series of tests were conducted at each section: prior to flooding (1st day of measurements), during the first 24 hours after flooding (2nd day) and during the next 24 hours after flooding (3rd day of measurements). Moisture content of structural layers of the road (surface course, base course and subbase course) were determined and the measurements using a light weight deflectometer (Evd, s/v) and a static plate (E1, E2, Io) were conducted. Recorded averaged results clearly indicate a negative effect of an increase in pavement layers moisture content (e.g. resulting from heavy rainfall) on the forest road carrying capacity and on compaction parameters of its layers. On the third day of the measurements a decrease in the analysed modulus, on average between 16% (E2) and 25% (Evd) was observed, but a decrease in compaction by 16% ...
It has been estimated that over 80% of forest areas in Poland is threatened with fire. Due to the number of fires and burned area, Poland is counted to the group of European countries where fires break out the most frequently. On average, each year and mostly because of human activity, almost 8.5 thousand fires break out resulting in over 7 thousand ha of burned forest area. Many scientists forecast that the climate warming, decline in precipitation amount and prolonging rainless periods will enhance fire risk in forests, which will translate itself not only into an increase in the number of fires, but also will favour their intensive spreading. The aim of presented paper is estimating the operational efficiency of the fire protection system in Polish forests and the effectiveness of fire extinguishing actions in forests, but also recognition of the effect of the forest area management type on fire statistics. Following data series were investigated: of the number of fires, the burned forest area and average fire area for the years 1990-2016 for the forests under the management of the State Forests National Forest Holding (State Forests NFH) and other managements. Determined trends were analysed by means of Mann-Kendall ...
The aim of the research described in this paper is to classify groundwaterlevel patterns in pine stands of forest fresh sites. The approach has been employedwith the view to facilitate explaining interactions between physiographic characteristicsand groundwater dynamics in prospective research. The methods whichhave been employed so far for explanation of groundwater level dynamics interactionswith local physiographic conditions do not let to draw firm conclusions. Theclassification of groundwater dynamics patterns requires employing more sophisticatedmethods, because of a relatively extensive range of groundwater dynamicssite-to-site variability expressed, e.g., by amplitude and cycle period. The methodsof groundwater patterns classification proposed in the literature focused either onhydrogeological criteria or, if related to forest ecosystems, focused on water balanceelements in forest habitats.The area selected for investigation represented typical features for theNorthern European Lowland forests defined by soil and form of terrain patternshaped by the last glacial period (Vistulian glaciation) and dominant share of ScotsPine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in stand species composition. The research period coveredthe 2002-2007 hydrological years. The measurement used in analysis covered35 sites equipped with measurement wells. ...
The development of the transportation network brings both benefits and threats. Much attention is paid to soil contamination with trace elements, difficulties in animal migration, noise propagation or synanthropisation of the vegetation cover. This paper deals with the effect of provincial very low-volume road No. 150 on the herbaceous vegetation cover, especially on the occurrence of 3 species of the heather family: Calluna vulgaris, Vaccinium myrtillus and V. vitis-idaea. Observations were conducted in pine stands in fresh coniferous forest and fresh mixed coniferous forest sites in the Puszcza Notecka Forest, Poland - one of the larger forest complexes in Europe. Twelve rectangular experimental sites were established perpendicular to the road axis, called belt transects. Each of them consisted of 3-4 plots located at different distances from the pavement edge. Measurements and estimations of herbaceous vegetation cover and pH soils were recorded for the each plots. Values from all belt transects were approximated within plots at the same distance from the road and then compared using statistical methods. By the road humus was a less acidic than in the depth of the tree stand, there was more abundant herbaceous vegetation, including Calluna vulgaris, but rarely appeared Vaccinium myrtillus and V. vitis-idaea ...
This paper presents the edge effect of a very low-volume road on the belt of roadside vegetation in the "Puszcza Notecka", Poland - one of the largest compact forest complexes in Europe. The observations were carried out in the vicinity of pine stands in the fresh coniferous forest and fresh mixed coniferous forest sites. Twelve rectangular experimental sites 30 and 50 meters wide at a distance of 0 to 10 meters from the edge surfaces were established. 75 species characteristic for the 13 phytosociological classes and 20 species associated devoided of the diagnostic value were recognized in the roadside area. Native species dominated, where the most numerous species belonged to meadow communities (Molinio-Arrhenatheretea) and ruderal (Artemisietea vulgaris). Despite the significant participation of synanthropic plants, there was no invasion of alien species. ...
The aim of the paper is to illustrate the results of the long-term research performed on swamp areas of the Forest Promotional Complex (FPC) “Lasy Rychtalskie”. The research project comprehended hydrological, chemical and geotechnical field studies performed on forest swamp areas to assess current state conditions of forest management and forest ecosystems, predict changes and identify the threats to ecosystem stability. The Forest Promotion Complexes are a functional areas in peculiarities about to ecological meaning, educational and social. The own name FPC “Lasy Rychtalskie” is accepted from a situated forests on precinct Rychtal of Forest Inspectorate Syców. This forests of precinct are celebrated from ekotype ordinary pine, about unrepeatable genetic values, confirmed in scientific investigations. The study covered forest swamp areas of the FPC “Lasy Rychtalskie”. To detailed investigations are selected three experimental areas, microcatchments and 6 transects transverse to forest roads situated or in frames above mentioned areas or in their immediate nearness. Chosen microcatchments are situated, that lie in wholes on marshland areas. On experimental areas are installed 51 of wells to measurements of ground water levels and 3 Thomson overflows on rivers. From all of bore-holes were received samples of soils to standard researches in laboratory – ...
The aim of the present work is a description of a multi-year complex field research (hydrological, chemical and geotechnical) carried out in the area of the "Lasy Rychtalskie" Forest Promotion Complex "Lasy Rychtalskie". The work focused on characterizing the present state, forecasting future changes, as well as indicating the stability threats which the areas face. Forest promotion complexes are functional areas of a particular ecological, educational and social significance. The Lasy Rychtalskie Complex is situated within the grounds of the Syców Forest Inspectorate and its name is taken from the section called Rychtal. The area of the forests is famous for its Pinus sylvestris L ecotype, as well as unique genetic values, confirmed by scientific research. The field investigations were carried out on the marshlands of the forests in focus. Three experimental plots, microcatchments and 6 transects transverse to the forests roads, situated either within the area of the catchments or in their close neighbourhood, were selected for the detailed research. The selected catchments are situated on the marshlands. 51 groundwater measurement wells, alongside with 3 Thomson overflows situated on watercourses were installed on the experimental plots. Soil samples were collected from all drillings for standard laboratory tests of mechanical, ...
This paper presented the wolf return observation results in the Bydgoszcz Forest carried out in the years 1999-2009. The analysis conducted relate to among others the abundance of wolf population and its mortality; changes in the abundance of species forming the underlying basis of food for this predator, i.e. deer, roe deer and wild boar. These data were analyzed in conjunction with the annual plans of the hunting association. Study was complemented by pilot survey on the views of foresters and hunters in the phenomenon of re-population of Bydgoszcz Forest by wolves. The results showed that wolves have returned to Bydgoszcz in autumn 2004. and successfully adapted to the conditions prevailing there. At present, the forest exists at least one sounder of 7-9 individuals, which in summer is divided into several smaller ones. Predators probably reached the Bydgoszcz Forest from Bialowieza Primeval Forest by the north-central corridor. Results of 10 years of observation suggest that the appearance of the wolf did not affect the abundance of large herbivores inhabiting here. In recent years there has even increased the number of red deer, roe deer and wild boar. This phenomenon is explained by the introduction of more accurate method of conducting ...
Natural and anthropological climate changes are due to reason why unfavorable water resources are changed. The Forest Promotion Complexes are a functional areas in peculiarities about to ecological meaning, educational and social. The area of the FPC Lasy Rychtalskie have high retention potential. Surface outflow is relatively low ca 4% of annual precipitation and occurs in the winter half-year extending into May. The prognosis of groundwater level changes expressed by groundwater level dynamics was created on the basis of negative annual rainfall trend. The projection was calculated on assumption that significant changes in forest swamp ecosystems would occur provided that average groundwater depth level decrease by 50% of the actual groundwater level depth. The reduction of groundwater level depth as the outcome of this scenario can be expected in 100-year period. Pragmatic action to be taken should prevent from the outflow of the water from the areas. The earlier carried earlier out chemical tests did not reveal any excessive accumulation of chemical pollutants in soils, as well as surface and groundwater. ...
Wildlife crossings are resource-demanding structures constructed to minimalize impacts of human-made barriers (e.g. road and railway corridors) on the natural environment. Therefore monitoring of functionality of these engineering constructions is vital. The aim of monitoring is to control if implemented technical and biological solutions have been accepted by the wildlife. The paper concerns functionality analysis of wildlife overpass crossings constructed in the area of S3 expressway junction with A3 motorway. The research method was direct observation bats flight activity through gateway area at reference sections. It shows that constructed section of S3 motorway disturbed natural bat migration routes. The flights of bats at collision elevation 4 m over road level are 20% of total flight frequency occurring outside gateway sections. Efficiency of bat flight guiding on wildlife crossings depends on many factors e.g. biometric parameters of trees, road surface level declination in comparison with surrounding terrain level at the crossing area, location of clearings in the vicinity of crossings.The wildlife crossing analyzed in the paper is accepted by bats, however its functionality should be improved both by implementing technical modifications - increasing width of gates, decreasing of road surface level in comparison with terrain level and by ...
The paper indicates that the total mass of vehicles with timber obtained from the State Forests National Forest Holding shall satisfy the requirements for both forest roads and public were not loaded above standards. In connection with the reconstruction of public roads and actually led the optimization of forest road network cooperation is required between managers of these roads, the planning of common work and the development of road transport logistics of local transport areas. Field studies have shown that the load capacity of local and forestry roads can be raised by using appropriate design solutions and modern road materials (eg. geogrid and woven geotextiles). ...
Because of more and more frequent droughts and observed climate changes, infrastructural investments in forest are at present targeted at increasing water resources, which is realized under the so-called small-scale water retention. Forest reservoirs located in Pomorze Forest District in the north-eastern Poland, which was selected for research, fits this trend. The constructed facilities were to reduce the indications of habitat dryness and to improve fire prevention. The investment consisting in building 14 objects of water melioration has changed water conditions in the research area. 12 oak dams, stone weir and an earth pond for amphibians have been built. As a result of the realized investment, the level of water has increased and problems with periodical flooding of forest habitats have occurred. At the beginning of 2012, observational and measuring wells were created to monitor all occurring changes of the soil water table. The received data can be useful in clarifying the causes for flooding and in possible suggestions to improve the existing water conditions. This paper presents the analysis of the influence of realized investments on the changes in the level of groundwater between 2012 and 2014. ...
The paper discusses the issue of restoration of wetland areas. Wetland ecosystems are considered as the most endangered. The main scope of research was to develop a program - set of task which employment would trigger reestablishment of the environment conditions similar to natural. The range of research methods included inventorying of vegetation, and flora species, inventorying relief of terrain, measurment of water discharge and water stages, identification of peat layer depth and pond depth. Temporal damming was performed. Archive cartographic material was analyzed. The investigated area included the meadow environment, pond, and four peat bog areas located in forest-rural landscape in Kołtki-Kierzkowo in the central Pomerania region. It was indicated that for all investigated sites water conditions were transformed by anthropogenic activities. The main factor affecting hydrologic conditions was drainage of water by drainage systems constructed in the past for porpoise of improvement of land productivity. The results of temporal damming, analysis of local physiographical conditions showed that program of restoration of hydrologic conditions throughout stopping of surface flow can bring out required environmental effect. Proposed activities of active protection include preparing of damming constructions and stimulation of vegetation succession in direction to restore natural wetlands. ...
