Joanna Plit
Articles
Investigating openness of the cultural landscape: a methodological proposal
Geographia Polonica (2016) vol. 89, iss. 2, pp. 129-140 | 
Full text
doi: https://doi.org/GPol.0050
Abstract
Openness and closure, understood as a physiognomic property of landscape, characterises the possibility of observing far out horizons and broad vistas. The degree of openness of landscape can be treated as a synthetic indicator of the evolution of the natural-cultural environment. A change in the degree of openness / closure of landscape is a lengthy historical-cultural process, lasting hundreds or even thousands of years. It has different course and dynamics in various climatic and vegetation zones. This process displays fluctuations, depends upon the population number inhabiting a given area, technological advancement, ways of economic management, historical events, and numerous other factors. It is also conditioned by the natural processes. The purpose of the present article is to propose and describe a method of assessment and interpretation of the degree of actual openness of the cultural landscape and to discuss the results obtained, and of comparing the methodology proposed with analogous European elaborates. The average percentage of openness of landscape was assessed according to five classes. The proposed method was tested in Poland areas. The source base for the study was constituted by the satellite images, Corine Land Cover maps, made legible through comparison with the land use maps presenting the state as of the turn of the 21st century. The method here proposed allows for the assessment of the continuous variability of landscapes, expressing the gradient from open to closed landscapes.
Keywords: landscape physiognomy, indicator of openness, closure of landscape, Poland
[plitjo@twarda.pan.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00‑818 Warszawa, Poland
, University of Silesia Faculty of Earth Sciences Będzińska 60, 41-200 Sosnowiec: Poland
The stamps of the authority and ownership in cultural landscape
Geographia Polonica (2013) vol. 86, iss. 3, pp. 267-277 | Full text
doi: https://doi.org/GPol.2013.23
Abstract
Cultural landscape can be treated as an iconographic representation of regional history. Landscape preserves traces of magnates’ aspirations regarding spatial domination and the delimitation of their territorial borders. These are the traces of inspiration and of ways in which to exercise power, evidence of their intentions to predominate, of their wish to obtainblind obedience, as well as to stir up envy and demonstrate distinctiveness. This paper has therefore sought to determine which features of authorities and of owners are discernible in the cultural landscapes of Poland.
Keywords: marks of branding, cultural landscape, Poland
[plitjo@twarda.pan.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00‑818 Warszawa, Poland
Evolution of the South-Mazovian cultural landscape
Geographia Polonica (2011) vol. 84, iss. 1, pp. 95-111 | Full text
doi: https://doi.org/GPol.2011.1.6
Abstract
Spatial historical analysis is very helpful in research. Historical analyses allow for: the re-construction of the process underpinning the creation and evolution of cultural landscapes from the Middle Ages up to modern times; the identification of phenomena and processes that are the direct and indirect consequences of historical events; and the reconstruction of cause-and-effect connections between events in a region and the contemporary physiognomy of its cultural land-scape.
Keywords: central Poland, changes in cultural landscape, historical analyses
[plitjo@twarda.pan.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00‑818 Warszawa, Poland
Changes of the Vistula river channel and floodplain in the last 200 years
Geographia Polonica (2006) vol. 79, iss. 2, pp. 65-87 | Full text
Abstract
The Vistula River is a typical Central-European river flowing from the mountains acrossbasins and upland belts to the lowlands. The Vistula valley is modelled by a river with a complexhydrological regime. In its upper reaches, floods driven by summer rainfall prevail, while in thelower reaches snowmelt floods are important. Deforestation favoured a natural propensity forriver braiding. In the mid-19th century, the channelization of the upper Vistula (in the Carpathianforeland) and the lower reaches was commenced with, while the middle streach was leftin a natural state, such that the river has in places preserved a braided pattern up to the presentday. The channelization followed by construction of reservoirs caused downcutting and aggradationto occur, such that opposing tendencies were observed in particular reaches of the riverchannel. In addition, flood embankments confined aggradation to the intra-embankment area.Thus, the functioning of the Vistula River system is largely controlled by diverse human activity.Unconstrained flow and river load transport along the whole river length are only partly possibleduring extreme floods. The present-day adjustment tendencies also relate to ongoing changes inland-use in the drainage basin, as well as on global climatic changes.
Keywords: Vistula River, channelization/regulation, present-day changes of floodplain, downcutting, aggradation
[alajczak@o2.pl], Institute of Geography Pedagogical University of Krakow Podchorążych 2, 30 -084 Krakow: Poland
[plitjo@twarda.pan.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00‑818 Warszawa, Poland
[soja@zg.pan.krakow.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences, Św. Jana 22, 31-018 Kraków, Poland
[starkel@zg.pan.krakow.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences, Św. Jana 22, 31-018 Kraków, Poland
Changes in middle course of the river Vistula in historical times
Geographia Polonica (2004) vol. 77, iss. 2, pp. 47-61 | Full text
Abstract
An attempt is made to reconstruct the sequence of change in a part of the Middle Vistulavalley between the 11th and late 20th centuries, using historical methods. The most detailedanalysis was possible for the changes of the last 250 years. It was possible to document the timeof the onset of the change in the character of the river from dominantly meandering to one thatwas characterised by braiding, suggesting the anthropogenic influences that have modified thenatural processes (for example: deforestation, changes in rural management, development offlood embankments).
Keywords: Vistula river valley, historical analyses, bed river channel changes
[plitjo@twarda.pan.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00‑818 Warszawa, Poland
General map of potential natural vegetation of Poland
Geographia Polonica (1982) vol. 48, pp. 31-40 | Full text
[plitjo@twarda.pan.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00‑818 Warszawa, Poland