Around the Bloc: Poland Gives Go-Ahead To Controversial Logging Program
The plans to allow large-scale logging in the Bialowieza forest are likely to put the country on a collision course with environmentalists and the European Union.
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The plans to allow large-scale logging in the Bialowieza forest are likely to put the country on a collision course with environmentalists and the European Union.
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Officials say the operation aims to prevent “forest degradation,” while activists counter with charges of violating EU law for ulterior motives.
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Talks to continue on possible Iranian purchase of Russian-made equipment for a defunct Bulgarian nuclear plant.
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This paper aims to define the amount of changes in potential flood losses on the basisof spatial distribution patterns of floodplain development using GIS tools. A procedurefor potential flood loss estimation has been developed in which GIS tools have beenapplied. A procedure for calculating flood losses applied in Polish legislation has beenused. According to this survey, in Gryfino, which is situated on the Odra river in years1996–2007 potential hazard of flood loss grew as a result of grow of floodplain areasdevelopment
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How to deal with rain waters and snow melting waters to be removed from urbanized areas is an essential element of sustainable development. The paper discusses basic problems of rainwater management in urban areas and selected alternative methods of rainwater and snowmelt water management.
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There are places, in the state of Paraná, southern Brazil, where even 70% of thepopulation are descendants of Polish immigrants. The history of Polish settlementin this area dates back to the first half of the 19th. century. The paper presents the keyfactors and it lists some events that determine the formation of the Polish nationalidentity in Brasil, taking as an example the county of São Mateus do Sul.
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This research is centred around understanding a less known culture, Verbicioara, by looking at its landscape. Using the site level archaeological data available from the excavations to date, this study builds an aggregated data model that might explain how people have used the land and how they have adapted to their environment. Statistics, landscape analyses based on topographic maps and flood simulations have been used to get an image of how Verbicioara communities have chosen their environment and what can mean the scarcity of the artefacts that we find today in the danubian territory of the culture.
More...Designing a Socially Engaged Nature Recovery Network
The 1940s New Bauhaus professor Moholy-Nagy was the pioneer of the concept “design for life”, promoting communal methodologies and technological alliances. He also fostered empathy and new models of citizenship. Today industrial and individual actions are the cause of dramatic environmental consequences, which require us to transition to sustainable, communal, ethical, and circular designed interventions: interventions which consider their own end of life, repair, and circularity. Authors typically interpret Moholy-Nagy’s “design for life” metaphorically in “life around us” and create design interventions which foster new behaviors and communal approaches. Distributed design approaches enable communities to have agency over environmental challenges that impact them, meeting their contextual needs. Communal Response(s) (that is when a community responds to something it affects it) presents and discusses a design-led vision, coalescing Open Design, Engaging Design, Nature and Ecological Citizenship. Communal Response(s) collectively empower societies as digitally amassing environmental data will become more commonplace. These “public interest technologies”, which accrue data/evidence, are known as Citizen Science (CS). We present projects, literature, and conceptual practice(s) to signpost scalable and communal opportunities. The article consolidates “preferable future(s)” through narratives, and is validated by leading wildlife experts. This design-led and “socially engaged” Nature Recovery Network seeks to empower dispersed communities through their alignment in a design space. The “design space” moves beyond conventional models, delivering communal design(s). The narrative proposition(s) empower local environmental and cooperative responses, with the potential to scale. The construct presents an embedded vision of socially engaged design in relation to Moholy-Nagy’s “design for life”, with legacies that impact the natural world. Its audiences are design agents, ecological parties, communities, and strategists who are committed to “communal design for transition” to sustainable practices.
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The shape of the surface of shell structures, measured by laser scanning, can be modelled using approximating spline functions. Since the 1990s, several modelling techniques have been developed: based on points, meshes, areas outlined on meshes, regions grouping areas with a similar structure. The most effective of them have been used in modern software, but their implementations differ significantly. The most important differences concern the accuracy of modelling, especially places with rapid shape changes, including edges. The differences also affect the mathematical complexity of the created model (the number of unknowns) and the time of its development. These factors contribute to the effectiveness of modelling. Some methods work fully automatically, others allow manual selection of certain parameters, there are also methods that require full manual control. Their selection and application is greatly affected by the user’s intuition and knowledge in the field of creating such surfaces. This study tested the influence of the above factors on the modelling efficiency. A total of six methods of creating spline surfaces were analysed in three software packages of different classes: Geomagic Design X, Solidworks and RhinoResurf. The analyses were carried out on a shell structure of complex shape, consisting of seven patches separated by edges. The created models were assessed in terms of their accuracy of fitting into the point cloud. Additionally, the complexity of the model expressed in the number of control points and the time of its development were determined. The results confirmed the validity of the four methods in terms of model fitting accuracy. The best results were achieved using the semi-automatic method in the most advanced software package and the manual method in the simplest package. This has confirmed the great importance of user experience in terms of theoretical properties of spline functions. However, complexity and development time did not show a direct relationship with the accuracy of the models created.
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Among many inland water bodies, a large group includes water bodies formed as an effect of mining activities. Open-cast mining of common minerals, i.e., sand, gravel, loam, basic minerals such as lignite, sulphur and fossil resins of coniferous trees (amber) leaves many excavations, which spontaneously get filled with precipitation waters, black waters (the ones near the surface) and ground waters (deeper underground), often making new and wonderful elements of local landscape. Till the time of political transformations in Poland, due to low awareness of proper reclamation of post-mining areas, few post-mining excavations that spontaneously filled with water were subdued to comprehensive inventory, surveying and geological documentation, which is a necessary condition for their safe use. Examples of such objects are Bagry and Staw Płaszowski in Kraków (mining of loam (clay), sand and gravel), which have undergone full surveying inventory, including bathymetric surveying, only several decades after the end of mining (Gawałkiewicz R., Maciaszek J., 1999; Gawałkiewicz R., 2017; Gawałkiewicz R., 2018a and Gawałkiewicz R., 2018b), despite being the property of the city of Cracow for many years and functioning as sports and recreational, natural (ecological) and economical (fishing facilities) spots. A worth mentioning body of water is the reservoir “Piaseczno” (the commune of Łoniów, the Sandomierz District), now classified as a part of a group of reservoirs with medium retention and has been created after the opencast exploitation of sulphur ended. Despite many years of reclamation measures (shallowing by washing glass sands to the reservoir) and due to the great risk of danger (local landslides, unstable ground in the costal zones, artificially maintained level of the water table) the Łoniów commune did not approve this reservoir to use; and nowadays, the reservoir is not suitable for any form of use. The only function that can be fulfilled is ecological function. In the article the results of the complex geodetic (littoral zone) and hydrographic (body of water) inventory are presented. It was possible owing to the use of the remote-controlled HyDrone produced by Seeflor Systems and equipped with a SonarMite BTX/SPX OHMEX ultrasonic sonar by Lymtech and a GNSS set by Trimble (R8s antenna + TSC3 controller) and biological inventory in the littoral zone. Detailed morphometric parameters of the reservoir were also noted based on the integrated geodetic and bathymetric measurements, which in the future may provide valuable data used in the process of adapting the analyzed area for various socio-economical purposes, while maintaining a high degree of safety of its use.
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The paper uses data from meteorological stations operating in Zamość in the period from 1976 to 2020. The variability of the values of selected meteorological elements and climatic characteristics on a time scale was presented using the most commonly used distribution statistics, i.e. average values and variability measures. The direction of the trend of changes in air temperature was determined as well. In order to determine the bioclimatic conditions, the values of selected indicators were calculated, including equivalent temperature, effective temperature, and air cooling quantity. The conducted research indicates that in Zamość optimal thermal conditions described as pleasantly cool occur in the summer ( June, July, August), while in July they are mild. In April, May and September, the thermal sensation is characterized as cool. Generally, it is cold from November to March and very cold in January and February.
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Amphibians and reptiles are among the most endangered organisms worldwide - respectively about 35% and 20% (IUCN, 2022). Their vulnerability is related to the insufficiency of ecologically optimal habitats (climatic, physico-chemical, biocenotic) for development and reproduction. The 9 species of amphibians and 7 reptiles from in the Lower Prut Area, present important ecological links in the ecosystems specific to the given area, and 5 and 3 species, respectively, are included in the Red Book of the Republic of Moldova (2015). Thus, Pelobates fuscus is Critically Endangered (CR), and pollution, and especially the drying up of lakes, would lead to the extinction of the species. The vulnerable species (VU) of Triturus cristatus and Lissotriton vulgaris will be quite affected, both by desiccation and by the lack of oxygen during the summer period. The species Bombina bombina, Hyla orientalis, Pelophylax ridibundus,Pelophylax lessonae and Bufo viridis have a wider ecological valence, which makes them less threatened by climate change, but remain linked to waters for reproduction. Reptiles prefer shady, moist, swampy, aquatic habitats, etc., but they also need sufficiently sunny places. The 3 endangered species (EN), such as Emys orbicularis, although it is omnivorous, is very rarely encountered (RR); the species of Podarcis taurica, Coluber caspius, Lacerta agilis, Lacerta viridis have a wider ecological valence and show a weak vulnerability to climate change, and the dependence on food resources of the Natrix natrix and Natrix tessellate makes them more vulnerable to the drying up of water bodies. In order to reduce the negative effects of climate change on vulnerable amphibians and reptiles, scientifically substantiated interventions are needed to rebuild habitats, to form ecological corridors connecting certain fragmented isoecohabitats, to expand the areas occupied by threatened species in various sectors, both with optimal conditions, as well as at the limit of extremes.
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The main objective of this study is to analyse the trends and variability of extreme weather indices in the Boucle du Mouhoun region of Burkina Faso. To this end, meteorological data for the period 1991 to 2021 were obtained from the National Meteorological Agency of Burkina Faso. These meteorological data (rainfall, temperature) were integrated into the Rclimdex software to generate extreme climate indices (rainfall, temperature). These data were then analysed by means of homogeneity tests (Pettitt and von Neumann ratio), trend tests (Mann-Kendall, Sen's slope) and the frequency of the return period of the extreme climate indices using XLSTAT (Statistical Software for Excel) 2023. The study shows that the precipitation indices are overall homogeneous (p-value ≥ 0.05) and that there is no significance (p-value ≥ 0.05) for the trend of the extreme precipitation indices from 1991 to 2021. Conversely, the temperature indices are not homogeneous (p-value ≤ 0.05), and a significant upward trend was observed for the maximum temperature index (p-value ≤ 0.05) and the minimum temperature index (p-value ≤ 0.05). The extreme climate indices also show considerable variability over the period 1991-2021. Moreover, the return periods for the occurrence of extreme climate indices are shorter, ranging from 0 to 10 years. It is therefore important that regional authorities in the area develop strategies to consolidate water infrastructures and provide financial support to producers, especially banana producers.
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There are thousands of scientific studies that deal directly or indirectly with the microplastic in water, from tap water to seawater. The aim of this study is to find the main research interests in the specific scientific literature, based on its most frequent words and by using graphical representations to better understand their linkage. Of interest for most studies are some details or processes around which similar groups of articles are written: the identification of the microplastic type (based on various criteria such as shapes, size, color or chemical composition (e.g.: polypropylene, polystyrene, polyethylene, polyester), the microplastic removal mechanisms (under natural conditions, through deposition, or at wastewater treatment plants), the degree of microplastic contamination in the aquatic environment (e.g.: in oceans or in rivers), the effects of microplastic pollution on various organisms, especially marine life and humans, after microplastic ingestion or food chain alteration. There are already hundreds of reviews that analyze articles dealing directly or indirectly with the problem of microplastics in water; these reviews are interested mostly in defining microplastic categories, abundance, sources and impact. Also, the reviews highlight the need to standardize the sampling and pretreatment methods used when measuring the concentration of microplastics in order to obtain comparable results.
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This study aims to show the importance of ecosystems degradation of the Comoé national park at the morphopedological regions scale, and the field mechanisms determining the degradation processes. The hypothesis is that the degradation is more pronounced in sandy soils on plateau landscapes made up with granite rocks and are mainly linked to physical circumstances with edaphic significance. From the integrated analysis of landscapes, it appears that “categories” characterized as field/fallow and tree-shrub or grass savanna of the land cover constitute forms of degradation, but with overestimated disturbance rates due to extension of tree-shrub or grass savanna. Regions on tropical ferruginous and sandy ferralitic soils, with very low water retention capacity, resulting from granites, are the most exposed to transformations. To the low water reserve in the soil, it is added the effect of climatic deficits, already important because ˂250 mm, to cause a weaker regeneration of vegetations than in regions on green rocks and shales.
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The aim of this article is to analyse the spatial variability of SNQ, the average annual minimum river flow, as well as SNQm (m = 1, 2, …12), the average monthly minimum river flow in Poland. The data were obtained from the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management – National Research Institute (IMWM-NRI) in the form of the daily flow series from the period between 01 Nov 1990 and 31 Oct 2020 from 433 gauging cross-sections located within the territory of Poland. The results of the analyses are presented on maps of the physiographic regions of Poland (the Coastlands, the Lakelands, the Lowlands, the Highlands, the Carpathians and the Sudety Mountains). In order to compare SNqm – the unit average minimum monthly flow between the physiographic regions, the Kruskal-Wallis test with the Dunn (Bonferroni) adjustment was performed. In order to evaluate the spatial variability of the SNqm, the hypothesis was verified for each gauging station that the Spearman correlation coefficient between the SNqm and the zero point of the gauge was different from zero. The SNqm flow changed over the year. As expected, the highest values were observed in March and April, and the lowest in July and August. Regardless of the month, the rivers in the central part of Poland (the Lowlands) were less water abundant than those in other regions of the country while the greatest flows were observed in the mountain rivers. Statistically, no difference was observed between the SNqm in the Coastlands, the Carpathians and the Sudety Mts., and in nearly all of the months between the SNqm in the Lakelands and the Lowlands. In the whole territory of Poland, the river flow was dependent on the altitude of the catchment, while the strongest correlation was observed in the mountain regions.
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Geographical indications are objects of intellectual property, which serve to identify the origin of products, being guarantees of their quality and value. A new and absolutely current direction in the field of sparkling wine production is the argumentation and promotion of DOC quality, in order to increase the quality of products, expand the range, increase the volume of production and export. So far, no research has been carried out in the Republic of Moldova on the influence of various agrobiological, agrotechnical and technological factors of the wine area on the quality indices of DOC quality sparkling wines. This article reflects the results of the feasibility study for the elaboration of the specifications for the production of DOC sparkling wines. The influence of agrotechnical factors on vineyards is analyzed; agro-economic argumentation and organization of the land for the establishment of vineyards; the characteristic of specific soil indices and recommendations on how to use them; arguing the assortment of vine varieties and the impact of climatic factors.
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The poor energy security worldwide and especially at the national level, requires all entities to look for effective solutions to rectify the current situation by turning to renewable energy sources and energy efficiency. The purpose of this paper is to study the wind energy potential and wind characteristics for second-level administrative-territorial entities (districts) from the Central Development Region, Republic of Moldova, which includes 13 districts: Anenii Noi, Călărași, Criuleni, Dubăsari, Hâncești, Ialoveni, Nisporeni, Orhei, Rezina, Străseni, Șoldănesti, Telenesti and Ungheni. The Wind Atlas Method accompanied by the special Wind Atlas Analysis and Application Program, data on wind speed and direction measured by the Technical University and the orographic map of the Republic of Moldova was used for the research. For each individual district there were: calculated and presented the maps of the average annual wind speed and wind power density at the height of 100 m above ground level; classified the district territory according to the power density value and also calculated the theoretical wind power possible to install. Following the calculations made for the thirteen analyzed districts, it was found that the average annual wind speed at the height of 100 m is between 6.70 and 7.40 m/s, and the wind power density - between 287 and 398 W/m2 . The highest average annual speed equal to 7.40 m/s and wind power density equal to 398 W/m2 was identified in Nisporeni district and the lowest in Ialoveni, Rezina, Șoldănești and Dubăsari districts.
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Krakatau (Krakatoa) je nenaseljeni vulkanski otok u Sundskom prolazu, između otoka Jave i Sumatre u Indoneziji u pokrajini Lampung. Otok je površine 10,5 km2 . Najviša nadmorska visina je 813 metara. Sundski tjesnac povezuje Javansko more s Indijskim oceanom. Njegova je širina od 26 do 110 kilometara. Djelovanje i tutnjava iz unutrašnjosti otoka Krakataua čula se u svibnju 1883. godine. Posade brodova i čamaca, koji su plovili u njezinoj blizini, vidjeli su oblake dima i čuli zaglušujuću buku. Pomorci su javljali svojim prepostavljenim na kop nu da slušaju svkodenevnu tutnjavu s otoka i da se nešto loše sprema. M nogima su pucali bunjići u ušima, a pepeo, koji je padao na brodove, morali su svakodnevno skidati. I taj 27. kolovoza 1883. godine, pamtit će cijeloga života. Nešto prije podneva dogodila se eksplozija koja je razorila cijeli otok Krakatau.
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Voljeti neku zemlju a ne poznavati njenu prirodu, odnosno prirodno naslijeđe, jeste kao voljeti neku sliku a ne poznati kako je nastala. Sama Bosna i Hercegovina je veoma složena slika, satkana od brojnih manjih koje pamtimo dok prolazimo ovom malom ali prelijepom zemljom. Tako ju je veoma teško sagledati u cjelini, a naš pogled može samo vidjeti jedan mali dio, dok brojne slike ostaju ne registrirane. Te male slike se prepliću jedna s drugom te čine jedno vrhunsko umjetničko djelo prirode kako se rijetko susreće na jednom za svjetske pojmove malom području.
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