Jan Barabach - Profile on Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Jan Barabach
Ice Caves as Emerging Research Objects of the Climate-Crisis Era
Permafrost and Periglacial Processe, 2025
Ice caves remain relatively underexplored as climatic archives. Due to the rapid loss of ice mass... more Ice caves remain relatively underexplored as climatic archives. Due to the rapid loss of ice mass that is observed worldwide as a result of global climate warming, we are losing this record year by year. This trend has likely prompted scientists from all over the world to expand and accelerate their research on perennial cave ice. In this study, using bibliometric analysis, we demonstrate how ice caves have become increasingly popular subjects of scientific research, especially within the past two decades. The article reveals that climate change has recently become a significant topic in speleological research. However, relatively few articles are directly focused on this issue, and the keyword is more commonly used as a connection between other areas of geoscience research. Many studies emphasize the urgent need for interdisciplinary collaboration to address the challenges facing this fragile ecosystem. Although, the increasing number of published scientific studies resembles a race against time to explore as much as possible before this unique underground world disappears.
Has Quaternary palynology reached its climax?
The Holocene, 2025
Throughout more than 100 years of its history palynology has become an independent discipline tha... more Throughout more than 100 years of its history palynology has become an independent discipline that is being applied in various fields from palaeoecology, aerobiology, forensic sciences to taxonomy. Bibliometric analysis allows to distinguish different phases in the evolution of palynology. From the initial phase, when the first pioneer results were released, through the building phase when the potential of pollen analysis has been expanding into new research areas, to mature phase in which palynology becomes a basic research method with worldwide recognition applied in many scientific fields. However, the scientometric analysis of palynological documents suggests that in the second decade of the 20th century, the increasing trend of the number of published documents stopped. This tendency has been observed in most of the journals publishing palynological content. This may suggest that the discipline has reached its climax. Moreover, the last couple of years show a slow but constant drop in the number of published documents. During this period also a decrease in mean citation per document and per year is observed. This poses a question – does this issue reflect only the state of the discipline or is that a wider phenomenon touching also other scientific fields related to palynology as for example palaeoecology? On the other hand, bibliometric analysis points out also some positive aspects of the evolution of palynology such as the increase in international co-authorship and the increase in the number of co-authors per document that indicates the development and specialization of the discipline.
Geographia Polonica, Jan 12, 2024
Jaskinia Lodowa w Ciemniaku (Ice Cave in Ciemniak), in the Tatra Mountains (Tatry), is believed t... more Jaskinia Lodowa w Ciemniaku (Ice Cave in Ciemniak), in the Tatra Mountains (Tatry), is believed to host the largest subterranean ice mass in Poland. It has been known for over a century, however, the onset of its scientific investigations dates back to 1922, when Tadeusz and Stefan Zwoliński mapped it. Since then, it has become one of the best-known caves in Poland. It was described in over a hundred scientific and popular science papers. They include findings of international importance, e.g. works related to radioisotopes, ice-mass balance and age. However, some of the questions asked a century ago are still partly unanswered. One may wonder if they will be delivered before climate warming causes the largest 'cave glacier' in Poland to disappear.
Geographia Polonica, 2023
Jaskinia Lodowa w Ciemniaku (Ice Cave in Ciemniak), in the Tatra Mountains (Tatry), is believed t... more Jaskinia Lodowa w Ciemniaku (Ice Cave in Ciemniak), in the Tatra Mountains (Tatry), is believed to host the largest subterranean ice mass in Poland. It has been known for over a century, however, the onset of its scientific investigations dates back to 1922, when Tadeusz and Stefan Zwoliński mapped it. Since then, it has become one of the best-known caves in Poland. It was described in over a hundred scientific and popular science papers. They include findings of international importance, e.g. works related to radioisotopes, ice-mass balance and age. However, some of the questions asked a century ago are still partly unanswered. One may wonder if they will be delivered before climate warming causes the largest 'cave glacier' in Poland to disappear.
Ericoid shrub encroachment shifts aboveground–belowground linkages in three peatlands across Europe and Western Siberia
Global Change Biology
In northern peatlands, reduction of Sphagnum dominance in favour of vascular vegetation is likely... more In northern peatlands, reduction of Sphagnum dominance in favour of vascular vegetation is likely to influence biogeochemical processes. Such vegetation changes occur as the water table lowers and temperatures rise. To test which of these factors has a significant influence on peatland vegetation, we conducted a 3‐year manipulative field experiment in Linje mire (northern Poland). We manipulated the peatland water table level (wet, intermediate and dry; on average the depth of the water table was 17.4, 21.2 and 25.3 cm respectively), and we used open‐top chambers (OTCs) to create warmer conditions (on average increase of 1.2°C in OTC plots compared to control plots). Peat drying through water table lowering at this local scale had a larger effect than OTC warming treatment per see on Sphagnum mosses and vascular plants. In particular, ericoid shrubs increased with a lower water table level, while Sphagnum decreased. Microclimatic measurements at the plot scale indicated that both wa...
Ericoid shrub encroachment shifts aboveground–belowground linkages in three peatlands across Europe and Western Siberia
Global Change Biology
In northern peatlands, reduction of Sphagnum dominance in favour of vascular vegetation is likely... more In northern peatlands, reduction of Sphagnum dominance in favour of vascular vegetation is likely to influence biogeochemical processes. Such vegetation changes occur as the water table lowers and temperatures rise. To test which of these factors has a significant influence on peatland vegetation, we conducted a 3‐year manipulative field experiment in Linje mire (northern Poland). We manipulated the peatland water table level (wet, intermediate and dry; on average the depth of the water table was 17.4, 21.2 and 25.3 cm respectively), and we used open‐top chambers (OTCs) to create warmer conditions (on average increase of 1.2°C in OTC plots compared to control plots). Peat drying through water table lowering at this local scale had a larger effect than OTC warming treatment per see on Sphagnum mosses and vascular plants. In particular, ericoid shrubs increased with a lower water table level, while Sphagnum decreased. Microclimatic measurements at the plot scale indicated that both wa...
Scientific Reports, Sep 2, 2022
This paper presents the state and spatial distribution of surface sediment contamination of 77 la... more This paper presents the state and spatial distribution of surface sediment contamination of 77 lakes in Poland by Cr, Ni, Cd, Pb, Zn, and Cu. The analyzed lakes were located within a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union (EU). Spatial distribution of the heavy metals (HMs), factors favoring the delivery/accumulation of HMs in surface sediments, and pollution sources were analyzed. The results indicate the contamination of lake sediments by HMs, but the potentially toxic effects of HMs are only found in single lakes. The spatial distribution of Cr indicates predominant impacts of point sources, while for Pb, Ni, and Zn, the impact of non-point sources. The analysis showed the presence of areas with very high values of particular HMs (hot spots) in the western part of Poland, while a group of 5 lakes with very low values of Ni, Pb, and Zn (cold spots) was identified in the central part of Poland. Principal component analysis showed that presence of wetlands is a factor limiting HMs inflow to lakes. Also, lower HMs concentrations were found in lake surface sediments located in catchments with a higher proportion of national parks and nature reserves. Higher HMs concentrations were found in lakes with a high proportion of Special Protection Areas designated under the EU Birds Directive. The positive matrix factorization analysis identified four sources of HMs. High values of HMs concentrations indicate their delivery from industrial, urbanized, and agricultural areas. However, these impacts overlap, which disturbs the characteristic quantitative profiles assigned to these pollution sources. Heavy metals (HMs) are considered as one of the most problematic environmental pollutants 1,2. It is linked to their persistence, non-biodegradability, toxicity, and bioaccumulation. Their origin in water bodies may be either natural (e.g. weathering of bedrock, volcanic eruptions) or anthropogenic (e.g. metal ores and coal mining, coal burning, industry, urbanization, sewage treatment, fertilization, atmospheric deposition from fossil fuel combustion, deforestation, tourism, aquaculture, fishery) 3-10. Dominant sources of HMs differ at the continental scale. In Africa, the dominant source of HMs is bedrock weathering, in North America mining and industry, and in Asia and Europe domestic wastewaters 11. According to the latest study results, sediments are dominated by elements primarily originating from anthropogenic sources 12-14. Many studies show that industrial sources generally have the greatest impact on HMs pollution 15. In urban lakes, the dominant sources are urban and industrial effluents; in rural areas, lakes are mainly supplied with agricultural runoff and domestic wastes 13. Lakes in protected areas are also exposed to the supply of HMs from anthropogenic sources 16-18. It results from the fact that these lakes' whose catchments are located beyond the protected areas. According to Cuculić et al. (2009), HMs in lake sediments in national parks are both of natural and anthropogenic origin. In lakes isolated from pollution sources, the pattern of HMs concentration is different than that in lakes subject to human pressure 19. Research conducted by Vukosav et al. 20 showed that lake sediments in the Plitvice Lakes National Park (Croatia) are generally not polluted with HMs. Also, sediment contamination has not been reported in Smolensk Lake National Park 21. According to the
Catastrophic disaster in the Noteć Forest recorded in sediments of Rzecin Peatland
Wydział Nauk Geograficznych i GeologicznychGłównym problemem pracy jest poznanie ostatnich 200 la... more Wydział Nauk Geograficznych i GeologicznychGłównym problemem pracy jest poznanie ostatnich 200 lat historii Puszczy Noteckiej, a zwłaszcza zdarzeń katastrofalnych - gradacji szkodników i pożarów w tym okresie. W pracy zastosowano zarówno źródła biotyczne, które stały się podstawą wysokorozdzielczej analizy palinologicznej oraz liczne materiały historyczne. Dzięki temu uzyskano pełniejszy obraz rekonstruowanych wydarzeń. W celu rekonstrukcji zjawisk pożarowych oprócz analizy mikrowęgielków sięgnięto także do archiwalnej prasy lokalnej. W celu weryfikacji modelu wiek-głębokość, stworzonego w oparciu o 10 dat radiowęglowych (AMS), wykonano także analizę koncentracji Spheroidal Carbonaceous Particles (SCP). Jednym z najważniejszych wyników pracy jest poznanie zapisu paleoekologicznego wielkoskalowego odlesienia spowodowanego masowym pojawieniem się szkodnika Panolis flammea (Schiff.) w latach 1922-1924. Zdarzenie to zapisało się głównie poprzez pojawienie się aparatów szparkowych sosny ...
Toponimy a zasięg występowania drzew na przykładzie rozmieszczenia buka zwyczajnego w Polsce
The paper presents the inventory of place names (toponyms) connected to European beech (<em>... more The paper presents the inventory of place names (toponyms) connected to European beech (<em>Fagus sylvatica</em> L.). This tree species reaches its eastern distribution limit in Poland and covers around 5.9% of forest area in the country. Due to the fact that its occurrence depends mostly on climatic conditions it is present on the west, north and south, but not in the central and eastern part of Poland. The aim of this study was to compare, using geographic information system (GIS) tools, spatial distribution of toponyms derived from the core 'buk' (i.e. beech in Polish) with present occurrence of this tree known from botanical studies, and its natural limits described in the literature. Thanks to National Register of Geographical Names 1314 topographic objects names derived from beech were determined and classified into several groups of origin. Around 38% of phyto−toponyms are names of settlements or their parts. The results of spatial analysis of this objects...
Limnological Review, 2012
The article presents the results of landscape analysis of the surroundings of Lake Rzecin in Note... more The article presents the results of landscape analysis of the surroundings of Lake Rzecin in Noteć Forest depicted on cartographic materials. Morphometrical analysis and analysis of changes in the water conditions of Lake Rzecin were conducted. Thanks to many cartographic data, changes in lake geometry could be observed during almost the whole of the last two centuries. The results show that the major impact on the rate of lake level decrease in the last two hundred years was due to melioration works. Two periods of rapid decrease in the lake surface can be observed during this time. The first occurred as a result of the creation of Rzecin Ditch, which probably took place in the middle of the 19th century; the second, in all likelihood, with its cleaning out; the exact date of this operation is not known but the results of map analysis suggest that it could have happened between 1958 and 1966. Due to these two events the lake surface decreased by 73.6% during the analysed period. Ap...
Long-term ecological approach to the disturbance management of the forests of N Poland
EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts, Apr 1, 2019
Przed zwiększoną wycinką lasów w średniowieczu torfowiska w Polsce znajdowały się w stanie natura... more Przed zwiększoną wycinką lasów w średniowieczu torfowiska w Polsce znajdowały się w stanie naturalnym akumulując znaczne ilości węgla. Przez większość holocenu (ostatnie 10 650 lat) lasy stanowiły parasol ochronny dla torfowisk. Wraz z postępującym otwarciem krajobrazu została zaburzona pierwotna dynamika hydrologiczna większości obiektów. Zmianom uległy także funkcje i bioróżnorodność torfowisk. Szczególnie na przestrzeni ostatnich kilkuset lat, w efekcie działalności człowieka wszystkie torfowiska zostały zaburzone. Ostatnie 200 lat historii to dramatyczna eksploatacja torfu i melioracje odwadniające prowadzące do obniżenia wód gruntowych. Efektem tychże zaburzeń są obiekty pozbawione roślin torfotwórczych oraz mikroorganizmów uczestniczących w procesie akumulacji materii organicznej, które stają się często emiterem netto węgla do atmosfery. Dla lepszego zrozumienia bioróżnorodności i bilansu węgla w torfowiskach potrzebne jest szczegółowe spojrzenie na te skomplikowane obiekty z wykorzystaniem różnorodnych metod badań. Badania prowadzące do podejmowania kompetentnych i właściwych decyzji służących ochronie torfowisk powinny mieć charakter długoterminowy, co w pośpiechu realizacji grantów naukowych i projektów w aktywnej ochronie przyrody jest często dużym problemem. Jednocześnie niewiele jest działań zmierzających do oceny/recenzji poprzednich prób restytucji, które wydają się niezbędne w planowaniu przyszłych przedsięwzięć tego typu. W perspektywie planów restytucji torfowisk i przeszłych działań istnieje duża potrzeba zespołowych działań dla ochrony torfowisk w kontekście zmian klimatu i odpowiedniego określenia warunków referencyjnych. Artykuł prezentuje możliwości podejścia interdyscyplinarnego w badaniach torfowisk na przykładzie torfowiska Linje i badań paleoekologicznych torfowisk wysokich typu bałtyckich w północnej Polsce. Słowa kluczowe: torfowisko, monitoring, eksperyment, paleoekologia Abstrakt. Significance of the interdisciplinary studies for the understanding of peatlands disturbances in forested areas. Peatlands were accumulating a considerable amount of carbon before increased forest cutting in the Medieval. Through the most of the Holocene period (last 10 600 years) forest ARTYKUŁY / ARTICLES
Archiwum Fotogrametrii, Kartografii i Teledetekcji, 2013
Hydrological changes in the Rzecin peatland (Puszcza Notecka, Poland) induced by anthropogenic factors: Implications for mire development and carbon sequestration
The Holocene, 2016
Wetlands are very vulnerable ecosystems and sensitive to changes in the ground water table. For t... more Wetlands are very vulnerable ecosystems and sensitive to changes in the ground water table. For the last few thousand years, hydrological balance has also been influenced by human activity. To improve their cropping features, drainage activity and fertilizing were applied. The drainage process led to an abrupt change of environment, the replacement of plant communities and the entire ecosystem. The problem of carbon sequestration is very important nowadays. A higher accumulation rate is related to higher carbon accumulation, but the intensity of carbon sequestration depends on the type of mire, habitat, and climatic zone. The main aim of this article was an examination of the changes in poor-fen ecosystem during the last 200 years in relation to natural and anthropogenic factors, using paleoecological methods (pollen and macrofossils). The second aim was a detailed investigation of the sedimentary record to aid our understanding of carbon sequestration in the poor fen of temperate z...
Northern hemisphere peatlands are substantial carbon stores. However, recent climate change and h... more Northern hemisphere peatlands are substantial carbon stores. However, recent climate change and human impacts (e.g., drainage and atmospheric nutrient deposition) may trigger the emission of their stored carbon to the atmosphere. Biodiversity losses are also an important consequence of those changes. Therefore, there is a need to recognise these processes in space and time. Global change experiments are often conducted to improve our understanding of the potential responses of various ecosystems to global warming and drought. Most of the experiments carried out in peatlands are focused on carbon balance and nitrogen deposition. Nevertheless, it is still unclear how fast peatlands respond to temperature changes and water-table lowering in the continental climate setting. This is important because continental regions account for a significant proportion of all northern hemisphere peatlands. A combination of short-term and long-term approaches in a single research project is especially...
Paleoecological and historical data as an important tool in ecosystem management
Journal of Environmental Management
Wetlands
Peatlands are ecosystems for which carbon budget relies strongly on the meteorological and hydrol... more Peatlands are ecosystems for which carbon budget relies strongly on the meteorological and hydrological conditions. Here, using a manipulative field experiment, we measured ecosystem respiration (R ECO) over two years (2013-2014) in a poor fen in Poland to estimate the carbon emission in a changing climate. The experiment consisted of warming (open-top chambers-OTC) and water table manipulation. The application of OTC increased the mean values of daily maximum air temperature by approx. 1.1-1.8°C. Warming or the increased water table depth separately resulted in an increase in ecosystem respiration by approx. 0.1 μmol CO 2 m −2 s −1 and 0.3 μmol CO 2 m −2 s −1 , respectively. However, our results show also the additive nature of warming and water table drawdown impact on daily R ECO during the studied years (2013-0.80 μmol CO 2 m −2 s −1 and 2014-1.16 μmol CO 2 m −2 s −1). With the natural dry period event which occurred in 2014, the seasonal R ECO increased by approx. 0.2 μmol CO 2 m −2 s −1 as compared to the previous year. Projected global warming will therefore significantly enhance C loss from poor fens in this region of Europe.
Palaeoenvironmental changes in Central Europe (NE Poland) during the last 6200 years reconstructed from a high-resolution multi-proxy peat archive
The Holocene, 2014
Ice Caves as Emerging Research Objects of the Climate-Crisis Era
Permafrost and Periglacial Processe, 2025
Ice caves remain relatively underexplored as climatic archives. Due to the rapid loss of ice mass... more Ice caves remain relatively underexplored as climatic archives. Due to the rapid loss of ice mass that is observed worldwide as a result of global climate warming, we are losing this record year by year. This trend has likely prompted scientists from all over the world to expand and accelerate their research on perennial cave ice. In this study, using bibliometric analysis, we demonstrate how ice caves have become increasingly popular subjects of scientific research, especially within the past two decades. The article reveals that climate change has recently become a significant topic in speleological research. However, relatively few articles are directly focused on this issue, and the keyword is more commonly used as a connection between other areas of geoscience research. Many studies emphasize the urgent need for interdisciplinary collaboration to address the challenges facing this fragile ecosystem. Although, the increasing number of published scientific studies resembles a race against time to explore as much as possible before this unique underground world disappears.
Has Quaternary palynology reached its climax?
The Holocene, 2025
Throughout more than 100 years of its history palynology has become an independent discipline tha... more Throughout more than 100 years of its history palynology has become an independent discipline that is being applied in various fields from palaeoecology, aerobiology, forensic sciences to taxonomy. Bibliometric analysis allows to distinguish different phases in the evolution of palynology. From the initial phase, when the first pioneer results were released, through the building phase when the potential of pollen analysis has been expanding into new research areas, to mature phase in which palynology becomes a basic research method with worldwide recognition applied in many scientific fields. However, the scientometric analysis of palynological documents suggests that in the second decade of the 20th century, the increasing trend of the number of published documents stopped. This tendency has been observed in most of the journals publishing palynological content. This may suggest that the discipline has reached its climax. Moreover, the last couple of years show a slow but constant drop in the number of published documents. During this period also a decrease in mean citation per document and per year is observed. This poses a question – does this issue reflect only the state of the discipline or is that a wider phenomenon touching also other scientific fields related to palynology as for example palaeoecology? On the other hand, bibliometric analysis points out also some positive aspects of the evolution of palynology such as the increase in international co-authorship and the increase in the number of co-authors per document that indicates the development and specialization of the discipline.
Geographia Polonica, Jan 12, 2024
Jaskinia Lodowa w Ciemniaku (Ice Cave in Ciemniak), in the Tatra Mountains (Tatry), is believed t... more Jaskinia Lodowa w Ciemniaku (Ice Cave in Ciemniak), in the Tatra Mountains (Tatry), is believed to host the largest subterranean ice mass in Poland. It has been known for over a century, however, the onset of its scientific investigations dates back to 1922, when Tadeusz and Stefan Zwoliński mapped it. Since then, it has become one of the best-known caves in Poland. It was described in over a hundred scientific and popular science papers. They include findings of international importance, e.g. works related to radioisotopes, ice-mass balance and age. However, some of the questions asked a century ago are still partly unanswered. One may wonder if they will be delivered before climate warming causes the largest 'cave glacier' in Poland to disappear.
Geographia Polonica, 2023
Jaskinia Lodowa w Ciemniaku (Ice Cave in Ciemniak), in the Tatra Mountains (Tatry), is believed t... more Jaskinia Lodowa w Ciemniaku (Ice Cave in Ciemniak), in the Tatra Mountains (Tatry), is believed to host the largest subterranean ice mass in Poland. It has been known for over a century, however, the onset of its scientific investigations dates back to 1922, when Tadeusz and Stefan Zwoliński mapped it. Since then, it has become one of the best-known caves in Poland. It was described in over a hundred scientific and popular science papers. They include findings of international importance, e.g. works related to radioisotopes, ice-mass balance and age. However, some of the questions asked a century ago are still partly unanswered. One may wonder if they will be delivered before climate warming causes the largest 'cave glacier' in Poland to disappear.
Ericoid shrub encroachment shifts aboveground–belowground linkages in three peatlands across Europe and Western Siberia
Global Change Biology
In northern peatlands, reduction of Sphagnum dominance in favour of vascular vegetation is likely... more In northern peatlands, reduction of Sphagnum dominance in favour of vascular vegetation is likely to influence biogeochemical processes. Such vegetation changes occur as the water table lowers and temperatures rise. To test which of these factors has a significant influence on peatland vegetation, we conducted a 3‐year manipulative field experiment in Linje mire (northern Poland). We manipulated the peatland water table level (wet, intermediate and dry; on average the depth of the water table was 17.4, 21.2 and 25.3 cm respectively), and we used open‐top chambers (OTCs) to create warmer conditions (on average increase of 1.2°C in OTC plots compared to control plots). Peat drying through water table lowering at this local scale had a larger effect than OTC warming treatment per see on Sphagnum mosses and vascular plants. In particular, ericoid shrubs increased with a lower water table level, while Sphagnum decreased. Microclimatic measurements at the plot scale indicated that both wa...
Ericoid shrub encroachment shifts aboveground–belowground linkages in three peatlands across Europe and Western Siberia
Global Change Biology
In northern peatlands, reduction of Sphagnum dominance in favour of vascular vegetation is likely... more In northern peatlands, reduction of Sphagnum dominance in favour of vascular vegetation is likely to influence biogeochemical processes. Such vegetation changes occur as the water table lowers and temperatures rise. To test which of these factors has a significant influence on peatland vegetation, we conducted a 3‐year manipulative field experiment in Linje mire (northern Poland). We manipulated the peatland water table level (wet, intermediate and dry; on average the depth of the water table was 17.4, 21.2 and 25.3 cm respectively), and we used open‐top chambers (OTCs) to create warmer conditions (on average increase of 1.2°C in OTC plots compared to control plots). Peat drying through water table lowering at this local scale had a larger effect than OTC warming treatment per see on Sphagnum mosses and vascular plants. In particular, ericoid shrubs increased with a lower water table level, while Sphagnum decreased. Microclimatic measurements at the plot scale indicated that both wa...
Scientific Reports, Sep 2, 2022
This paper presents the state and spatial distribution of surface sediment contamination of 77 la... more This paper presents the state and spatial distribution of surface sediment contamination of 77 lakes in Poland by Cr, Ni, Cd, Pb, Zn, and Cu. The analyzed lakes were located within a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union (EU). Spatial distribution of the heavy metals (HMs), factors favoring the delivery/accumulation of HMs in surface sediments, and pollution sources were analyzed. The results indicate the contamination of lake sediments by HMs, but the potentially toxic effects of HMs are only found in single lakes. The spatial distribution of Cr indicates predominant impacts of point sources, while for Pb, Ni, and Zn, the impact of non-point sources. The analysis showed the presence of areas with very high values of particular HMs (hot spots) in the western part of Poland, while a group of 5 lakes with very low values of Ni, Pb, and Zn (cold spots) was identified in the central part of Poland. Principal component analysis showed that presence of wetlands is a factor limiting HMs inflow to lakes. Also, lower HMs concentrations were found in lake surface sediments located in catchments with a higher proportion of national parks and nature reserves. Higher HMs concentrations were found in lakes with a high proportion of Special Protection Areas designated under the EU Birds Directive. The positive matrix factorization analysis identified four sources of HMs. High values of HMs concentrations indicate their delivery from industrial, urbanized, and agricultural areas. However, these impacts overlap, which disturbs the characteristic quantitative profiles assigned to these pollution sources. Heavy metals (HMs) are considered as one of the most problematic environmental pollutants 1,2. It is linked to their persistence, non-biodegradability, toxicity, and bioaccumulation. Their origin in water bodies may be either natural (e.g. weathering of bedrock, volcanic eruptions) or anthropogenic (e.g. metal ores and coal mining, coal burning, industry, urbanization, sewage treatment, fertilization, atmospheric deposition from fossil fuel combustion, deforestation, tourism, aquaculture, fishery) 3-10. Dominant sources of HMs differ at the continental scale. In Africa, the dominant source of HMs is bedrock weathering, in North America mining and industry, and in Asia and Europe domestic wastewaters 11. According to the latest study results, sediments are dominated by elements primarily originating from anthropogenic sources 12-14. Many studies show that industrial sources generally have the greatest impact on HMs pollution 15. In urban lakes, the dominant sources are urban and industrial effluents; in rural areas, lakes are mainly supplied with agricultural runoff and domestic wastes 13. Lakes in protected areas are also exposed to the supply of HMs from anthropogenic sources 16-18. It results from the fact that these lakes' whose catchments are located beyond the protected areas. According to Cuculić et al. (2009), HMs in lake sediments in national parks are both of natural and anthropogenic origin. In lakes isolated from pollution sources, the pattern of HMs concentration is different than that in lakes subject to human pressure 19. Research conducted by Vukosav et al. 20 showed that lake sediments in the Plitvice Lakes National Park (Croatia) are generally not polluted with HMs. Also, sediment contamination has not been reported in Smolensk Lake National Park 21. According to the
Catastrophic disaster in the Noteć Forest recorded in sediments of Rzecin Peatland
Wydział Nauk Geograficznych i GeologicznychGłównym problemem pracy jest poznanie ostatnich 200 la... more Wydział Nauk Geograficznych i GeologicznychGłównym problemem pracy jest poznanie ostatnich 200 lat historii Puszczy Noteckiej, a zwłaszcza zdarzeń katastrofalnych - gradacji szkodników i pożarów w tym okresie. W pracy zastosowano zarówno źródła biotyczne, które stały się podstawą wysokorozdzielczej analizy palinologicznej oraz liczne materiały historyczne. Dzięki temu uzyskano pełniejszy obraz rekonstruowanych wydarzeń. W celu rekonstrukcji zjawisk pożarowych oprócz analizy mikrowęgielków sięgnięto także do archiwalnej prasy lokalnej. W celu weryfikacji modelu wiek-głębokość, stworzonego w oparciu o 10 dat radiowęglowych (AMS), wykonano także analizę koncentracji Spheroidal Carbonaceous Particles (SCP). Jednym z najważniejszych wyników pracy jest poznanie zapisu paleoekologicznego wielkoskalowego odlesienia spowodowanego masowym pojawieniem się szkodnika Panolis flammea (Schiff.) w latach 1922-1924. Zdarzenie to zapisało się głównie poprzez pojawienie się aparatów szparkowych sosny ...
Toponimy a zasięg występowania drzew na przykładzie rozmieszczenia buka zwyczajnego w Polsce
The paper presents the inventory of place names (toponyms) connected to European beech (<em>... more The paper presents the inventory of place names (toponyms) connected to European beech (<em>Fagus sylvatica</em> L.). This tree species reaches its eastern distribution limit in Poland and covers around 5.9% of forest area in the country. Due to the fact that its occurrence depends mostly on climatic conditions it is present on the west, north and south, but not in the central and eastern part of Poland. The aim of this study was to compare, using geographic information system (GIS) tools, spatial distribution of toponyms derived from the core 'buk' (i.e. beech in Polish) with present occurrence of this tree known from botanical studies, and its natural limits described in the literature. Thanks to National Register of Geographical Names 1314 topographic objects names derived from beech were determined and classified into several groups of origin. Around 38% of phyto−toponyms are names of settlements or their parts. The results of spatial analysis of this objects...
Limnological Review, 2012
The article presents the results of landscape analysis of the surroundings of Lake Rzecin in Note... more The article presents the results of landscape analysis of the surroundings of Lake Rzecin in Noteć Forest depicted on cartographic materials. Morphometrical analysis and analysis of changes in the water conditions of Lake Rzecin were conducted. Thanks to many cartographic data, changes in lake geometry could be observed during almost the whole of the last two centuries. The results show that the major impact on the rate of lake level decrease in the last two hundred years was due to melioration works. Two periods of rapid decrease in the lake surface can be observed during this time. The first occurred as a result of the creation of Rzecin Ditch, which probably took place in the middle of the 19th century; the second, in all likelihood, with its cleaning out; the exact date of this operation is not known but the results of map analysis suggest that it could have happened between 1958 and 1966. Due to these two events the lake surface decreased by 73.6% during the analysed period. Ap...
Long-term ecological approach to the disturbance management of the forests of N Poland
EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts, Apr 1, 2019
Przed zwiększoną wycinką lasów w średniowieczu torfowiska w Polsce znajdowały się w stanie natura... more Przed zwiększoną wycinką lasów w średniowieczu torfowiska w Polsce znajdowały się w stanie naturalnym akumulując znaczne ilości węgla. Przez większość holocenu (ostatnie 10 650 lat) lasy stanowiły parasol ochronny dla torfowisk. Wraz z postępującym otwarciem krajobrazu została zaburzona pierwotna dynamika hydrologiczna większości obiektów. Zmianom uległy także funkcje i bioróżnorodność torfowisk. Szczególnie na przestrzeni ostatnich kilkuset lat, w efekcie działalności człowieka wszystkie torfowiska zostały zaburzone. Ostatnie 200 lat historii to dramatyczna eksploatacja torfu i melioracje odwadniające prowadzące do obniżenia wód gruntowych. Efektem tychże zaburzeń są obiekty pozbawione roślin torfotwórczych oraz mikroorganizmów uczestniczących w procesie akumulacji materii organicznej, które stają się często emiterem netto węgla do atmosfery. Dla lepszego zrozumienia bioróżnorodności i bilansu węgla w torfowiskach potrzebne jest szczegółowe spojrzenie na te skomplikowane obiekty z wykorzystaniem różnorodnych metod badań. Badania prowadzące do podejmowania kompetentnych i właściwych decyzji służących ochronie torfowisk powinny mieć charakter długoterminowy, co w pośpiechu realizacji grantów naukowych i projektów w aktywnej ochronie przyrody jest często dużym problemem. Jednocześnie niewiele jest działań zmierzających do oceny/recenzji poprzednich prób restytucji, które wydają się niezbędne w planowaniu przyszłych przedsięwzięć tego typu. W perspektywie planów restytucji torfowisk i przeszłych działań istnieje duża potrzeba zespołowych działań dla ochrony torfowisk w kontekście zmian klimatu i odpowiedniego określenia warunków referencyjnych. Artykuł prezentuje możliwości podejścia interdyscyplinarnego w badaniach torfowisk na przykładzie torfowiska Linje i badań paleoekologicznych torfowisk wysokich typu bałtyckich w północnej Polsce. Słowa kluczowe: torfowisko, monitoring, eksperyment, paleoekologia Abstrakt. Significance of the interdisciplinary studies for the understanding of peatlands disturbances in forested areas. Peatlands were accumulating a considerable amount of carbon before increased forest cutting in the Medieval. Through the most of the Holocene period (last 10 600 years) forest ARTYKUŁY / ARTICLES
Archiwum Fotogrametrii, Kartografii i Teledetekcji, 2013
Hydrological changes in the Rzecin peatland (Puszcza Notecka, Poland) induced by anthropogenic factors: Implications for mire development and carbon sequestration
The Holocene, 2016
Wetlands are very vulnerable ecosystems and sensitive to changes in the ground water table. For t... more Wetlands are very vulnerable ecosystems and sensitive to changes in the ground water table. For the last few thousand years, hydrological balance has also been influenced by human activity. To improve their cropping features, drainage activity and fertilizing were applied. The drainage process led to an abrupt change of environment, the replacement of plant communities and the entire ecosystem. The problem of carbon sequestration is very important nowadays. A higher accumulation rate is related to higher carbon accumulation, but the intensity of carbon sequestration depends on the type of mire, habitat, and climatic zone. The main aim of this article was an examination of the changes in poor-fen ecosystem during the last 200 years in relation to natural and anthropogenic factors, using paleoecological methods (pollen and macrofossils). The second aim was a detailed investigation of the sedimentary record to aid our understanding of carbon sequestration in the poor fen of temperate z...
Northern hemisphere peatlands are substantial carbon stores. However, recent climate change and h... more Northern hemisphere peatlands are substantial carbon stores. However, recent climate change and human impacts (e.g., drainage and atmospheric nutrient deposition) may trigger the emission of their stored carbon to the atmosphere. Biodiversity losses are also an important consequence of those changes. Therefore, there is a need to recognise these processes in space and time. Global change experiments are often conducted to improve our understanding of the potential responses of various ecosystems to global warming and drought. Most of the experiments carried out in peatlands are focused on carbon balance and nitrogen deposition. Nevertheless, it is still unclear how fast peatlands respond to temperature changes and water-table lowering in the continental climate setting. This is important because continental regions account for a significant proportion of all northern hemisphere peatlands. A combination of short-term and long-term approaches in a single research project is especially...
Paleoecological and historical data as an important tool in ecosystem management
Journal of Environmental Management
Wetlands
Peatlands are ecosystems for which carbon budget relies strongly on the meteorological and hydrol... more Peatlands are ecosystems for which carbon budget relies strongly on the meteorological and hydrological conditions. Here, using a manipulative field experiment, we measured ecosystem respiration (R ECO) over two years (2013-2014) in a poor fen in Poland to estimate the carbon emission in a changing climate. The experiment consisted of warming (open-top chambers-OTC) and water table manipulation. The application of OTC increased the mean values of daily maximum air temperature by approx. 1.1-1.8°C. Warming or the increased water table depth separately resulted in an increase in ecosystem respiration by approx. 0.1 μmol CO 2 m −2 s −1 and 0.3 μmol CO 2 m −2 s −1 , respectively. However, our results show also the additive nature of warming and water table drawdown impact on daily R ECO during the studied years (2013-0.80 μmol CO 2 m −2 s −1 and 2014-1.16 μmol CO 2 m −2 s −1). With the natural dry period event which occurred in 2014, the seasonal R ECO increased by approx. 0.2 μmol CO 2 m −2 s −1 as compared to the previous year. Projected global warming will therefore significantly enhance C loss from poor fens in this region of Europe.
Palaeoenvironmental changes in Central Europe (NE Poland) during the last 6200 years reconstructed from a high-resolution multi-proxy peat archive
The Holocene, 2014