Anna Lewandowska-Czarnecka

Afforestation of heathlands and its influence on the land cover, accumulation of plant biomass and energy flow in the landscape: An example from Zaborski Landscape Park

In the mid-19th century, the sheep industry played a considerable part in sheep breeding in Pomerania. Livestock grazing took place on extensive heathlands developed as a result of land deforestation performed in the 17th and 18th century, as well as during and after the Napoleonic wars. The sheep industry and the related textile craft developed until the 1890s when the Prussian government began the restoration of forests after the period of their excessive exploitation. The Prussian government policy contributed to the afforestation and the growing forest range through purchasing of landed estates, in particular the Polish ones, and creating forest divisions, followed by reconstruction of forests. This paper presents the history of the Widno estate belonging to Mr. Konstanty Przytarski. The estate was located in the northern part of the present-day Zaborski Landscape Park, near the town of Brusy and Chojnice. In 1894, the estate was sold to the Prussian forest administration. The paper presents changes in the land use and the forest above-ground biomass. Furthermore, changes in the structure of the energy flow network through the natural and production-cultural subsystems are presented. The network structure was analysed according to the methodology presented by H.T. Odum. Data contained in the sales contract of the Widno estate were used in the analysis, together with a forest inventory book of the Prussian Forest Inspectorate Zwangshoff and inventory books of the Polish Inspectorate Przymuszewo. The study highlighted the increasing role of sheep breeding on small family farms established by employees of the forest division on the leased lands. This form of activity refers to the economic traditions in the region of Zabory.

Changes in the preferences for the ecosystem service use and the effects in a city located along a river: a preliminary study based on the example of Toruń (Poland) compared to the Isle of Dogs in London

Ecosystem services originated from various ecological units, local as well as global, hierarchically, they depend on the structure and functions of the ecosystem under study and its human community. They are involved in controlling and maintaining the development of natural resources in the ecosystem, human activities and prosperity through the use of material and non-material benefits. The technology brought in as well as developed by the application of those benefits, enhance the ecological capacity for our human community and in consequences may depend on the decisions brought about by private and public interests. Other forms of ecosystem services also immerge as a direct and indirect product from human pressure on the environment, because the ecosystem exploited by man is most often from a sink of destructive chemical and physical factors, they result in ecosystem services out of an unhealthy environmental state. This study deals with applicability of the ecosystem service paradigm, and presents the results obtained in Torun, a city developing close to the Vistula River from medieval times. Preference of choice among a wide variety of ecosystem services can be provided in this setting, so it is interesting to compare Torun to other cities where exceptional results are obtained. The reference point in this comparison is a system of similar size but which has developed within a much bigger and stronger urban ecosystem. This is the Isle of Dogs on the Thames River in London. Our analysis shows that currently, there are strong differences between the two cities in their demand for ecosystem services and their interaction with the public sphere, design and art. On the Isle of Dogs, there is a stronger connection between the ecosystems and the design of space to create an interesting streetscape in comparison to Torun. The connection between the public and private zones to achieve the attractiveness to the city and to combine art and design with environmental solutions has brought about excellent results in London.

SOCIOECONOMIC VERSUS NATURAL SYSTEM IN A DYNAMIC LAKE LANDSCAPE: A CASE STUDY OF JEZIORAK LAKE IN POLAND

In this paper changes in the landscape were analysed in the direct drainage area of Jeziorak Lake. They can be traced back to stages in the development of the man-environment system, that is, drawing from the ecosystem, the intensifi cation of farming and trade and the development of tourism and building. The landscape, on which man drew for ecosystem products for his survival, was highly natural and variety was added by paying attention to fifeatures of the land. The participation of country areas surrounding the lake changed its type of landscape to a natural-agricultural character. Buildings, meadows and fi elds were well matched with the natural fl ora. Structure of ecosystem is preserved but waters were polluted with fl ows from farmland. Recently tourism and building are changing the landscape in many parts disadvantageously for the landscape and ecosystem. The interference in the fl ora of the littoral is reducing the ability of the ecosystem to self-cleanse water and stabilize soil directly in the drainage area.