Geographia Polonica (2020) vol. 93, iss. 1

Abstract

The paper concerns investigations on urban geomorphology. The subject of the paper is the historic centre of Kraków (or Cracow) where the pre-human relief became masked due to the rapid increase in cultural deposits from the mid-13th century onwards. The aim of the investigation is the reconstruction of the original topography, relief and hydrography of this area based on rich sources of materials in papers and non-publisheddata on geology, geoengineering, archaeology, history, and also on maps and panoramic drawings of the town. A digital elevation model has been generated, which showed the topography of the study area in the period before the mid-13th century. Structural analysis, cross validation test and estimation by ordinary kriging method were carried out. The final cartographic work was prepared with the use of QGIS and Surfer software.The distribution of landforms in the study area in the mid-13th century is presented as a proposed variant of the geomorphological map prepared by the authors. The former relief was evaluated in terms of its potential for encouraging settlement.

Keywords: pre-urban morphology, Kraków, Vistula, meandering river, limestone horst, Pleistocene terrace, Holocene floodplain, digital cartography, geostatistics, ordinary kriging

Adam Łajczak [alajczak@o2.pl], Institute of Geography Pedagogical University of Krakow Podchorążych 2, 30-084 Krakow: Poland
Roksana Zarychta [roksana.zarychta@up.krakow.pl], Institute of Geography Pedagogical University of Kraków Podchorążych 2, 30-084 Kraków: Poland

Abstract

The floodplain forms of lowland rivers act as fluvial archives, as their morphology, material and spatial characteristics refer to the hydromorphological changes of the river and (dis)connectivity of the alluvial system. The aims of the research are (1) to identify natural levees, crevasses, and point-bars on the Hungarian floodplain section of the Maros River, (2) to measure their morphometric parameters, and (3) to analyse their spatial and temporal variations in connection with various human impacts. Six genetic types of natural levees and pointbar systems developed as the result of various human impacts, thus the development of the forms terminated or became laterally limited.

Keywords: natural levee, crevasse, point-bar, human impact, LiDAR survey, Maros River, Hungarian floodplain

Márton Balogh [baloghmarton.geo@gmail.com (corresponding author)], Department of Physical Geography and Geoinformatics University of Szeged Egyetem u. 2-6, 6722, Szeged: Hungary
Timea Kiss, Department of Physical Geography and Geoinformatics University of Szeged Egyetem u. 2-6, 6722, Szeged: Hungary
Károly Fiala, Lower Tisza District Water Directorate Stefánia 4, 6720, Szeged: Hungary
István Fehérváry, Lower Tisza District Water Directorate Stefánia 4, 6720, Szeged: Hungary

Abstract

Forests in the Carpathians are increasing their range mainly due to the expansion in former agricultural areas. In this study conducted for two valleys (88 and 69 km²) topographical maps from 18th to 20th century and an orthophotomap were used in order to determine the durability of forest cover. This durability is understoodas the period of time during which a given area was presumably occupied by forest. A digital elevation model (DEM) and a digital surface model (DSM) of 1x1m resolution were applied to investigate the relationshipbetween forest cover durability and altitude, slope, aspect and the mean height of trees. The variety of spatial structure of forest cover durability results mainly from the differences of the examined valleys accessibility. Positive correlation between forest cover durability and the mean height of trees and altitude found for both valleys. A directly proportional relationship between forest cover durability and slopes also occurs in the Solinka Valley.

Keywords: forest cover durability, Forest cover, Bieszczady Mts., Gorce Mts., digital elevation model, digital surface model, cartographic analysis

Janusz Godziek [j.godziek23@gmail.com (corresponding author)], Faculty of Natural Sciences, Institute of Earth Sciences University of Silesia in Katowice Będzińska 60, 41-200 Sosnowiec: Poland
Bartłomiej Szypuła [bartlomiej.szypula@us.edu.pl], Faculty of Natural Sciences, Institute of Earth Sciences University of Silesia in Katowice Będzińska 60, 41-200 Sosnowiec: Poland

Abstract

The human-biometeorological conditions in Kyiv (Ukraine) and changes in the frequency of heat stress during the summer period due to recent climate trends were analyzed. The evaluation based on physiologically equivalent temperature (PET). The results revealed the highest probability of thermal comfortable conditions in Kyiv is from the last 10-day period of April to the end of June and from the last 10-day period of August to the end of September. The probability of heat stress reached nearly 90% during the second and third 10-day periods of July. A pronounced increase in thermal stress during the studied heat wave cases (HW), as well as increasing amount of days with heat stress in the period 1991-2015, were found.

Keywords: human thermal comfort, physiologically equivalent temperature, Kyiv, heat wave, heat stress

Olga Shevchenko [shevchenko_olga@knu.ua], Department of Meteorology and Climatology, Geography Faculty Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv 64/13, Volodymyrska Street, 01601 Kyiv: Ukraine
Sergiy Snizhko [snizhko@knu.ua], Department of Meteorology and Climatology, Geography Faculty Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv 64/13, Volodymyrska Street, 01601 Kyiv: Ukraine
Andreas Matzarakis [andreas.matzarakis@dwd.de], Research Center for Human Biometeorology German Meteorological Service Stefan-Meier-Str. 4, 79 104 Freiburg: Germany; Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg Werthmannstrasse 10, D-79 085 Freiburg: Germany

Abstract

This study documents the spatio-temporal land use and land cover dynamics of Yangoupokpi Lokchao Wildlife Sanctuary (YLWLS) in Manipur, India. Landsat imageries at three points of time spanning 38 years (1978, 2000 and 2016) were taken into account. Supervised image classification techniques were employed. Fragstats software was used to derive five landscape metrics, namely, class area (CA), number of patches (NP), largest patch index (LPI), percentage of landscape (PLAND) and mean patch size (MPS), to quantitatively assess the level of landscape fragmentation in the YLWLS. Dense and moderately dense forests decreased markedly during 1978-2000 from 46.5% to 40% and 38% to 28% of the total geographical area, respectively. However, between 2000 and 2016, the sanctuary managed to gain 840 ha of dense forest through various afforestation activities. The overall change in YLWLS during 1978-2016 indicates a substantial transition of dense and moderately dense forests.

Keywords: land use, land cover, fragmentation, wildlife sanctuary, buffer, Manipur, India

Khangsembou Bungnamei [natikbmei@gmail.com (corresponding author)], Department of Geography Gauhati University Guwahati 781014, Assam: India
Anup Saikia [asaikia@gauhati.ac.in], Department of Geography Gauhati University Guwahati 781014, Assam: India

Abstract

The aim of the analysis was to compare physicochemical parameters and chemical composition of two groups of artificial reservoirs, mountain and lowland ones, characterised by different parameters and functions. Three mountain artificial reservoirs (Klimkówka, Dobczyce, Czorsztyn) located in the Upper Vistula basin (Carpathian Mountains in Poland) and three lowland reservoirs (Ivankovo, Verhnevolzhskoye, Vyshnevolotzkoye) located in the Upper Volga basin (Eastern European Lowland in Russia) were selected for the study. Data for the summer season in 2009-2013 were used in the analysis. Mountain reservoirs display high water concentrations of sulphates, chlorides and biogenic nitrates, and lower concentrations of ammonium and oxygen indicatorin relation to lowland reservoirs. Similar concentrations of phosphates were noticed in both the mountainand the lowland reservoirs. The hydrochemical differentiation between the individual mountain reservoirswas small, and statistically significant differences only occurred for SEC. Greater differentiation of the hydrochemical parameters was found among the lowland reservoirs. Statistically significant differences were demonstrated with regard to SEC, Cl- and NO3-.

Keywords: water chemistry, lowland reservoirs, mountain reservoirs, Upper Volga basin, Vistula basin

Małgorzata Kijowska-Strugała [mkijowska@zg.pan.krakow.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences, Św. Jana 22, 31-018 Kraków, Poland
Łukasz Wiejaczka [wieja@zg.pan.krakow.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences, Św. Jana 22, 31-018 Kraków, Poland