Edyta Sierka

Environmental repercussion of subsidence reservoirs reclamation

Environmental repercussion of subsidence reservoirs reclamation Subsidence basins filled with water are being formed above exploitation fields also in woodland areas leading to changes in water relations simultaneously affecting creation of environmental islands characterized by higher biodiversity in comparison with adjacent areas. Unfortunately, these types of water reservoirs from the legal point of view are considered mining damage and should thus be reclaimed. Reclamation usually consists in gravitational drainage and filling up with barren rock, appropriate relief forming and afforestation. So performed reclamation practices lead to negative effects both within the subsidence and in adjacent areas. The objective of this work was to determine the impact of reclamation based on filling subsidence with barren rock on changes in hydrology and biodiversity of nearby forest communities. For the purpose of the study two objects were selected: the existing water body and former water reservoir - at present filled with barren rock. Both are situated in Ślαskie voivodship (the territory of Mysłowice and Katowice). Within the two objects, hydrological studies at two sampling points in each of the objects and vegetation sampling were performed. The DCA of 12 transects (6 in each object) and statistical analyses of vegetation showed differences between two objects in species composition, especially due to higher abundance and coverage of invasive and expansive species in reclaimed areas. Chemical analyses showed high contamination of surface waters (by e.g. SO42-, Cl-, Na+) caused by waste deposition in barren rock and the negative effect of coal mine waters supplying the area of reclaimed reservoir. Środowiskowe skutki rekultywacji zbiorników powstałych w nieckach osiadań Niecki osiadania wypełnione wodα tworzα się nad polami eksploatacyjnymi równieł na terenach leśnych, zmieniajαc poważnie warunki hydrologiczne a równocześnie przyczyniajαc się do powstania wysp środowiskowych o znacznie większej różnorodności biologicznej niż tereny sαsiadujαce. Niestety tego typu zbiorniki wodne z punktu widzenia prawa sα szkodami górniczymi i podlegajα procesom naprawczym, polegajαcym najczęściej na grawitacyjnym odwodnieniu niecki a następnie jej wypełnieniu skałami płonnymi, odpowiednim ukształtowaniu rzeźby terenu i najczęściej posadzeniu lasu. Tak prowadzone prace rekultywacyjne pociαgajα za sobα (paradoksalnie) szereg negatywnych skutków, zarówno w obrębie samej niecki jak i obszarach przyległych. Celem prezentowanej pracy jest określenie wpływu rekultywacji zbiornika, powstałego w niecce osiadań, przez zasypanie skałα płonnα na zmiany warunków hydrologicznych oraz różnorodność biologicznα sαsiadujαcych zbiorowisk leśnych. W prezentowanej pracy dane florystyczne gromadzono na terenie zasypanego zbiornika, zlokalizowanego na terenie miasta Mysłowice (woj. ślαskie) i zbiorowiska leśnego w jego sαsiedztwie. W obrębie zbiornika szczegółowo scharakteryzowano warunki hydrologiczne. Wykonano spisy gatunków roślin naczyniowych z ich procentowα wycenα w skali 0%, 10%, 20%, …, 100% w obrębie wyznaczonych reprezentaty wnych powierzchni badawczych, zarówno na terenie byłego zbiornika, jak i w sαsiadujαcym zbiorowisku leśnym. Różnice w różnorodności gatunkowej, udziale grup ekologicznych gatunków roślin przeanalizowano testem nieparametrycznym Kruskalla- Walisa i post-hoc Conovera, natomiast zwiαzek z warunkami siedliskowymi sprawdzono analizα korelacji sumy rang Spearmana i metodami analizy gradientowej (DCA). Wyniki badań wskazujα na negatywny wpływ procesów rekultywacji technicznej zbiorników powstałych w nieckach osiadań na różnorodność biologicznα, majαcy wyraz w składzie gatunkowym - obecność gatunków obcego pochodzenia. Również z punktu widzenia hydrologii zasypanego skałα płonnα zbiornika ten typ rekultywacji prowadzi do wysokiego stopnia zmineralizowania oraz podwyższonego stężenia siarczanów, chlorków oraz jonów sodu.

Biominerals and waxes of Calamagrostis epigejos and Phragmites australis leaves from post-industrial habitats

Vascular plants are able to conduct biomineralization processes and collect synthesized compounds in their internal tissues or to deposit them on their epidermal surfaces. This mechanism protects the plant from fluctuations of nutrient levels caused by different levels of supply and demand for them. The biominerals reflect both the metabolic characteristics of a vascular plant species and the environmental conditions of the plant habitat. The SEM/EDX method was used to examine the surface and cross-sections of the Calamagrostis epigejos and Phragmites australis leaves from post-industrial habitats (coal and zinc spoil heaps). The results from this study have showed the presence of mineral objects on the surfaces of leaves of both grass species. The calcium oxalate crystals, amorphous calcium carbonate spheres, and different silica forms were also found in the inner tissues. The high variety of mineral forms in the individual plants of both species was shown. The waxes observed on the leaves of the studied plants might be the initializing factor for the crystalline forms and structures that are present. For the first time, wide range of crystal forms is presented for C. epigejos. The leaf samples of P. australis from the post-industrial areas showed an increased amount of mineral forms with the presence of sulfur.

Participation of Calamagrostis epigejos (L.) Roth in plant communities of the River Bytomka valley in terms of its biomass use in the power industry

Abstract This paper presents an attempt to assess the potential use of Calamagrostis epigejos (L.) Roth. as a renewable energy source. Abandonment of human management is often followed by a decrease in species richness in semi-natural grasslands, mainly due to the increased dominance of clonal grasses such as Calamagrostis epigejos which were formerly repressed by management. The biomass resource of this, and its accompanying, species, i.e. species of the Solidago genus and others e.g. Cirsium rivulare, Deschampsia caespitosa, Molinia coerulea and Filipendula ulmaria, was evaluated in the green wastelands of the River Bytomka valley (Upper Silesia, Poland). It was found that approx. 1.2 t·ha−1 of dry matter can be obtained from approx. 30% of the average share of Calamagrostis epigejos in plant communities of unmown meadows. This is 10 times less than in the case of Miscanthus giganteus, a non-native cultivated grass. An increase in the biomass component of Calamagrostis epigejos reduced that of Solidago sp. (−0.522176, p< 0.05) and other species (−0.465806, p< 0.05). The calorific value of Calamagrostis epigejos biomass is approx. 15.91 MJ·kg−1, which is comparable to the calorific value of coal and close to, inter alia, that of Miscanthus sacchariflorus (19 MJ·kg−1) as an energy crop. The presented research is in its preliminary stages and therefore, it is necessary to investigate the reaction of Calamagrostis epigejos to regular mowing and to removal of the biomass from the studied areas.

Macrophytes in the assessment of river ecological condition on the example of Pszczynka River (Silesian Upland)

Abstract The Water Framework Directive introduced an ecological approach to the assessment and classification of waters. The part of the assessmentare macrophyte - based methods used in the evaluation of the ecologicalcondition of rivers in respect of biodiversity. The Macrophyte Method for River Assessment has been used in Poland since 2007 and provides us with an information about ecological state of the rivers. Presented analyses were aimed to describe macrophyte development in the sandylowland type of river in the Silesian Upland. The assessment was made for lowland Pszczynka River (45.8 km total length, total catchment area 368.3 km2), which is a left-bank tributary of Vistula River. At the selected 10 research sections of the river (100 m each) the composition of macrophytes and abiotic conditions of the river were described. The paper presents the results of preliminary assessment of ecological condition of Pszczynka River on the background sources of substances discharged to the riveralongits course. Macrophyte Index for Rivers (MIR) was calculated based on the results of the research - river bed surface coverage by the particular plant species. The MIR limit values were used to determine the class of water quality in the examined river. Overall, the ecological status of Pszczynka River was rated as moderate and its water classified as Class III of water quality.