Anna Bucała

The impact of human activities on land use and land cover changes and environmental processes in the Gorce Mountains (Western Polish Carpathians) in the past 50 years

The role of human impact on the natural environment was studied in the Jaszcze and Jamne catchments in the Gorce Mountains (Western Polish Carpathians). Analysis of land use and land cover changes using GIS techniques and cartographic materials between 1954 and 2004 indicates an increase in forest area by 11.5% and 18.5%, respectively, at the expense of arable land and grassland areas. Agricultural abandonment often occurred on steep slopes (above 10°) with skeletal (shallow) soils at higher elevations (above 800 m a.s.l.). In addition, the density of dirt roads decreased from 6.97 km/km(2) in 1981 to 4.3 km/km(2) in 2008. In former agricultural areas, long expanses of terraces have either disappeared or experienced shallow mass movements. The statistical reports and questionnaire survey indicate reduced income from farm activities in this region. As a result of LULC changes and stream transformation, the Jaszcze and Jamne stream channels were shortened, straightened, and narrowed, with tendency to incision estimated at 1 cm per year over the past 40 years. The changes observed in the environment under human impact, accelerated following 1989, are representative of the Western Polish Carpathians.

Evaluation of the hydromorphological state of mountain streams under the influence of contemporary human activity (Polish Carpathians)

This article contains an analysis of the hydromorphological state of mountain streams under contemporary human impact conditions. The subjects of the study are the Jaszcze and Jamne streams, located in the Polish Flysch Carpathians. The hydromorphological state of each stream reflects its habitat quality and depends on a number of natural and anthropogenic features. The research is conducted on the basis of a British method, the River Habitat Survey, which complies with the EU Water Framework Directive. The Habitat Quality Assessment and Habitat Modification Score indices are used to determine the diversification of natural features and the levels of human transformation of the streams studied. The research showed that the largest transformations in stream hydromorphology and habitat conditions occurred in those valley parts characterized by intensive development of building construction and hydrotechnical infrastructure.

The reflection of human activity in the sediments of Iwankowskie Lake from Subatlantic Phase (Polish Outer Carpathians)

The paper presents the analysis of organic and mineral sediments filling the depression, which developed over the landslide located at the slope (767–773 m a.s.l.) of Lubań ridge decscending to the Ochotnica river valley in the Polish Flysch Carpathians. The landslide formed in an early stage of the Subatlantic Phase (2490 ± 35 BP). The top of peat is dated at 1360 ± 50 years BP and is covered by 72 cm of clayey silts with some sandy intercalations, which indicate slopewash after deforestation. The pollen of ruderal plants and Cerealia (undiff.) reflect agricultural activity in the surroundings. The fragments of charcoal indicate the age of the forest clearance to the first half of the 17th century. The late forest clearance at the elevated north exposed slopes followed 200–300 years later in relation to the foundation of the village at the valley floor.

Analysis of rainfall-induced shallow landslides in Jamne and Jaszcze stream valleys (Polish Carpathians) – preliminary results

Abstract Analysis of rainfall-induced shallow landslides in Jamne and Jaszcze stream valleys (Polish Carpathians) - preliminary results. Preliminary shallow landslide susceptibility mapping of the Jamne and Jaszcze stream valleys, located in the Polish Flysch Carpathians, is presented in the paper. For the purpose of mapping, there were used SINMAP and Iverson’s models integrating infiltration and slope stability calculations. The calibration of the used models parameters, obtained from limited field and laboratory tests, was performed using data from 8-9 July 1997, when as a consequence of a very intense rainfall, 94 shallow landslides were observed on meadows and arable lands. A comparison of the slope stability calculation results and the localisation of the noticed shallow landslides showed satisfactory agreement between localisation of the observed and computed unstable areas. However, it was concluded that better simulation results were obtained using Iverson’s model.