The current situation and predicted socio-economic, technological and ecological changes, which under the influence of scientific progress, implemented Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and globalied food markets will happen in Polish agriculture and its infrastructure by 2030 are presented in the paper. Owing to the progressive integration with the economy and markets of the European Union (EU), further intensified polarization processes and modernisation of farms is perceived accompanied by restructuring of agriculture, agri-food processing industries, production services, rural supply chains and the other infrastructure in rural areas. The future model of agriculture and agrotechnology is shaping, which is characterized by arable area (AL) diminishing to 12M ha, a decreasing number of family commercial farms and smaller agricultural holdings to 400 thousand, diminishing livestock population and number of farms specializing in commercial production of milk, meat, eggs but also sugar beets, potatoes, vegetable and fruit. Crop yield and animal productivity will increase, so despite diminishing AL and livestock population, both the global production and final output of Polish agriculture will be growing annually by between 0.5 and 1.0%. Quantitative and qualitative increase in plant and livestock production will be taking place accompanied by farms and agricultural enterprises switching to the system of ...
The paper outlines some chosen Polish programmes of rural areas shaping, developed in a few recent years against the background of permanent and sustainable development. Development of the village and agriculture in the EU is based mainly on the common agricultural policy, structural policy and regional policy. Agricultural policy may be defined as price - profit policy and supporting structural policy while structural policy consists in influencing production factors which stimulate the changes on rural areas. Regional policy supports restructuring of agriculture, multifunctional development of rural areas and balancing unfavourable differences between regions. The aim of those activities is creating the value and an economically sustained position of rural areas, especially as a place of living, working and relaxation in natural environment and taking into consideration a sensible development of agricultural structures as well. Thanks to a consequent policy of sustainable development in the recent dozen of years the EU has reached a considerable progress in LFA (Less Favoured Areas) reduction. The performed survey of chosen strategies of village and agriculture development worked out in Poland in the years 2001-2006 shows that in most cases they refer to Lisbon Strategy and have various range: from a partial reference to rural ...
Numerous firms dealing with widely understood natural environment protection offer various solutions for domestic sewage treatment plants. While choosing the suitable variant of such installation, an investor is driven in the first place by economic factors, easy operation and high operational reliability. The article presents and assesses four domestic sewage treatment systems working on the basis of activated sludge technology, biofilter and combinations of these two methods, selected in view of the results they achieved. Because of the specific character of sewage produced in the areas with dispersed buildings, sewage treatment plant installations must prove highly reliable under variable operating conditions, they should be cheap to construct and utilize and not require complicated service. It seems that Sequencing Batch Rectors (SBR) treatment plants meet these requirements, as well as combined installations which join a classic activated sludge method and submerged or mobile biofilter systems. In case of SBR reactors, the whole process of sewage treatment occurs in a single tank where individual phases of the working cycle are controlled by computer. Regulation of supplied air quantity allows to modify the bioreactor work cycle in the way making possible additional reduction of biogenic compounds from sewage. Technical solutions which combine activated ...
The research is focused on energy sorrel as a fuel for local low-power heating systems with output up to 100 kW. Sorrel is perennial plant surviving in its location nearly 18 years which is very good from the point of crop expenses. It is a robust plant with height of about 2 m in second year of plantation. Dry phytomass is energetically rich fuel with total heating value 17.5 – 18.0 MJ*kg-1 at the average yield of 10 tons per hectare. An experimental combustion of pure sorrel and its blends were done with boiler VERNER A25 – a hot water boiler for pellets. 11 different sorrel fuels consisting of 5 primary kinds were tested during the experiment: sorrel (Rumex tianshanicus x Rumex patientia), Phalaroides arundinacea, Canabis sativa, pine-bark, sorrel (Rumex tianshanicus x Rumex patientia), brown coal. Based on collected data it is possible to obtain an overview of these fuels and their emission properties. Satisfactory values of CO concentration are possible to gain partly by choosing appropriate combustion device and its settings and partly by mixing with other types of fuel. In the case of sorrel the combination of both has been shown very useful. It is very hard to ...
The field investigations were carried out in a small forest catchment situated in the area of the Krajeńskie Lakeland, in the Lipka Forest District, the Biskupice Forest Range. The catchment covers the area of 182 ha; 95% is covered by forests and 5% by arable land and meadows. Field measurements comprised continuous recording of water level at the Thompson's weir and weekly measurements of groundwater levels in ten wells. Construction development was introduced in the area of the watercourse during the conducted research: six damming devices (installations) constant weirs - were constructed there. The annual outflow coefficient from the catchment equals to 0.330. It confirms the necessity of developing the discussed watercourse in order to create the so-called small retention. However, no significant influence was found of the development on the water balance components of the catchment. The influence of the watercourse bank development can be clearly described by conducting an analysis of direct runoff. 14 recorded large floods were subject to analysis; 6 prior to the development and 8 following it. Each of the waves was described by applying Nash's conceptual model. A constant number of 2 reservoirs in a cascade was assumed. Means of time-constants for high water ...
This research discusses processes in Slovakia, known as endogenous development, that have been related to general process of political and economical transformation in Slovakia since 1990s. The term endogenous development defines the growth of communities from inside, which is provided by local human, productive and natural resources and external support. The aim of this sociological research is to discuss development initiatives in selected rural communities of Veľká Ves, Málinec and Hradište. The research had been carried out in the period between 2004 and 2007. Local initiatives in Slovakia are, in generally, performed by self-government bodies, civic initiative and local businesses. These subjects act either independently or in partial cooperation. Since 2000s, authorities and institutions, that are in charge of subsidies, grants and Euro-funds on behalf of communities, highlight the need for co-operation among all three subjects. Examples of these coordinative actions involving self-government, population and private sector already exist, although the self-government bodies – above all mayors – have been principal and, in most cases, the only initiators of these processes. This fact was acknowledged by interviewed mayors from the observed municipalities. From them, some important empirical information, related to the endogenous development of municipalities, were obtained. The ethnological research ...
Noise is one of the most popular environmental pollution. Long-standing residence in noisy areas can cause discomfort, problems with sleeping, neurosis, etc. Because of moving sources and increasing the number of routs, communicative noise is drudging on the huge areas. The level of noise emitted depends on the number of vehicles, as well as their types, speed and technical condition and also the type of routs pavement. Propagation of acoustic waves in the roadside area is stipulated by sound's source energy as well as characteristics of the emitter. Forest ecotone zones and roadside afforestation constitute a certain ecological filter buffering contaminations generated by traffic. Trees and shrubs growing in the vicinity of routs are able to reflect as well as absorb noise. They can form natural acoustic screen. The paper presents an assessment of the propagation of communicative noise on the forestry areas by analysis of variance. Researchers were carried out in the forest area, urban and park forests. Evaluation of noise propagation was conducted in January and July 2006. The measurements’ intensity of noise was interpreted according to model three-factor linear model as well as two-factor linear model. Measuring points were located in different distances away from the crown ...
The paper analyses the leakage of air-to-air recovery heat exchanger consisting of 100 capillary thermal tubes 1.5 m long and aligned in ten rows. The operation of the recovery exchanger prototype was tested in a pigsty. The analysis focuses on how the exchanger leakage affects the heat utilisation efficiency of the air ducted from the pigsty, changes in supply/exhaust air flow rate ratio, supply air temperature, thermal output obtained, and exchanger’s total thermal and mass balances. The results obtained in in-process measurements and the mass and thermal balances show that the exchange leakage causes the outside supply air to contain 12.1–37.3% of the pigsty exhaust air. The percentage of the pigsty air increases with the increase of mass flow rates of supply and exhaust air. This leakage resulted particularly in a major change in supply and exhaust air mass flow rates, higher moisture content, temperature and thermal flow of the air conducted in the pigsty. The change in air flow rates resulted in ventilation change so that the overpressure ventilation took place instead of balanced ventilation. This change led to increased thermal losses by air penetrating through leaks in the peripheral building structures. Increased supply air moisture content made it ...
The aim of the study was to determine the influence of mulching and organic fertilization on the seedling vigour of Scots pine and occurrence of soil mites (Acari) in forest- and post-arable soils. Two different field experiments were carried out in the vegetation period of the year 2005 on light soils at two different sylvan-natural regions. The first trial was conducted at Białe Błota near Bydgoszcz – on a brown podzolic soil. The second experiment – at Lipnik near Stargard Szczeciński – on an acid brown soil. The experiments were run in a split-plot system with four replications. Two different factors were compared. The first row factor was fertilization, used in the two following treatments: N1 – treated sewage sludge (⅔) + bark (⅓) and N2 – treated sewage sludge (⅔) + sawdust (⅓). The second row factor was mulching, used in the two variants: C – without mulching (control) and S – mulching with litter. Scots pine seedlings grown on the forest soil at Białe Błota were characterized by increased height than those cultivated on the post-arable land at Lipnik. The best results, both on the forest soil as well as on the post-arable ground, were obtained in the ...
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. ...
This paper deals with the determination of several efficiency types of a cross-current recovery exchanger which is a part of the air venting system in the swimming pool hall on the premises of the Czech University of Life Sciences (CULS) in Prague. The product is a cross-current plate exchanger with a heat-exchanging surface of antirust aluminium. According to the manufacturer, the exchanger is fit for temperatures common in air ventilation systems. The air is forced in by fans at a flow quantity of 16,000 m3, maximum speed 2000 rpm, electric motor output 7.5 kW, filters for the air coming from the outside – grade G4, pressure loss from 42 to 200 Pa, filters for the air coming from the inside – grade G3, pressure loss from 46 to 200 Pa. The results presented are derived from in-process measurements taken on 31 January 2007 and 7 February 2007, from 9.15 to 11.30 on both days. Air temperature and air humidity were measured with 9636-51B-type sensors by Ahlborn, connected to the AHLBORN ALMEMO 5990-2 centre. These sensors were placed into each of the four input/output channels, very close to the exchanger itself (Fig. 2). The data measured were saved in the centre ...
The assessment of sediment amount transported by river based on indirect methods may lead to considerable errors. It particularly pertains to the assessment of transported suspended sediment quantity. In the paper methods are presented of determining the amount of load transported by the river and supplied to the water reservoir at Krempna on the Wisłoka river. The quantity of load flowing into the reservoir determined on the basis of field measurements was assumed reliable in the assessment of applied computational methods. On the basis of results of the multi-annual investigations on the silting processes, the authors, set a value of β-parameter using the results of the silting volume measurements and load transport computations during the subsequent years of the reservoir’s operational period. The sediment trap efficiency of the reservoir determined on the basis of transported sediment mass computed according to bathometric measurements and silting surveys ranges between 65% in 1998 and 50% in 2005. The determined sediment trap efficiency on the basis of the results of calculations by the DRUSLE method is on about 30% larger than the sediment trap efficiency value calculated on the basis of bathometric measurements. The amount of sediment transport computed by the MUSLE method is ...
Management transformations which started at the turn of the eighties and the nineties of the 20th century in Poland have thoroughly changed socioeconomic conditions of the development of the country and its regions. The transformation of state controlled management system required adjustment of various socioeconomic and spatial structures to the new rules of market economy. This process, being based on transformation of the previous structures created in the centrallysteered management system and on the development of the new structures, is being observed in many places in Poland, also in rural areas in Świętokrzyskie Voivodship. The space is characterized by great diversity resulting from natural, economic and cultural conditions, and, consequently, individual regions differ by their respective flexibility of adopting new management rules. Changes in the structure of activity on the farms in rural areas are of great importance in the transformation. The agriculture sector, which was dominant in rural areas in the central economy has changed since the nineties of the 20th century. The sources used in this work can be divided into two groups considering their accessibility: the published and unpublished sources. The paper deals with geographical and agricultural aspects of the analysis of spatial differentiation of the non-agriculture ...
Forest communication network consists mainly of dirt roads. Technical problems with forest roads transport occur especially for these dirt roads which are constructed on cohesive topsoil. Lignite fly-ash may be utilized for successful stabilization of cohesive topsoil dirt roads. The pavements stabilized with fly-ash often perform unsatisfactorily under heavy loads and failures are noted as a result. The research described in this paper aimed at developing technical solution for reconstruction of road pavements constructed with admixture of fly-ash and fly-ashslug respectively. Bearing strength variability of fly-ash-soil and fly-ash-slag-soil mixes after failure and application of repair method were considered. Crushed then re-compacted with addition of stabilizer soil mixes as influenced by period and conditions of binding were tested. The stabilizers utilized for testing were both active fly-ash of lignite group IIIC and coke blast furnace slag. Two varieties of mixes were tested. These varieties were sandy clay mixed with addition of 14 % lignite fly-ash and the mixture of 10 % lignite fly-ash and 10% furnace slag respectively. The samples were crashed and re-compacted after 14- and 42-day period of curing in optimal and air-dump conditions. After sample curing deformation modules were measured with the utilization of VSS press. The deformation ...
The aim of the study was to determine the influence of microirrigation (microjet sprinkling and drip irrigation) and organic fertilization (compost prepared on the base of sewage sludge) on a seedling vigour of one-year and two-year old Scot pine seedlings (Pinus sylvestris L.), cultivated on a post-agricultural ground with the use of zoo-melioration in two different regions. Field experiments were carried out on an experimental field in Kruszyn Krajeński (loose sandy soil of quality class VI) near Bydgoszcz and in Lipnik near Stargard Szczeciński (sandy soil of quality class IVb). The first row factor was irrigation used in three treatments: without irrigation (control), drip irrigation, microjet sprinkling. The second row factor was fertilization, used in two variants: mineral fertilization (standard applied in forest nurseries), organic fertilization (compost). The irrigation significantly increased the height and the diameter of the Scot pine seedlings. There were no significant differences in the characters of the growth between the two irrigation systems. Fertilization of Scot pine seedlings with the compost increased significantly the height of seedlings. Interaction of irrigation with organic fertilization of Scot pine seedling height and diameter was noted. Pine seedlings grown on the plots fertilized with compost under irrigation conditions were characterized ...
The paper presents measurement and calculation results of volume samples taken from the bedforms of the sand-gravel bed river in Polish Carpathians. As a sample method the “in situ” sample freezing method was applied. River channel geometry and changes in the morphology of the river bed were investigated using laser geodimeter. The procedures have been carried out on the Raba River downstream of its confluence with the Vistula River. The main research was conducted in spring and autumn 2006. To give a picture of the long term processes which have the influence on the changes of the river bed along the investigated reach for comparison some of the results from year 2005 are also presented. The basic information about research catchment, its location, gravel sampling methodology and characteristics of sand-gravel dunes are included. Development of riverbed forms as a mixture of sand and gravel according to their granulometric composition was detailed. The samples were analyzed considering the layered structure of the dunes and the results of statistical calculations are provided. Tables of granulometric parameters in metric and logarithmic scales are presented among other information such as: mean diameter, sorting index, sorting degree, coefficient of grains uniformity and non-uniformity, standard deviation, ...
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, ...
