The growing demand for social and regulatory forest ecosystem services can significantly modify the availability and cost of biomass for energy purposes. This article presents a model for optimizing ...biomass supply chains using a linear programming framework integrated with a geographic information system (GIS). Based on a given type of biomass resource, its calorific value, price, distance from the power plant, and transportation costs, the model identifies the optimal source of biomass, allowing it to cover the demand for the required total energy value with the lowest possible costs. The case study includes the Połaniec power plant in southeastern Poland and potential sources of forest biomass and agricultural straw within 100 km of the plant. The impact of constraints on the availability and cost of biomass was analyzed in the following scenarios: (1) all forest and agriculture biomass is available, (2) forest area in Natura 2000 network is excluded, and (3) firewood and forests with dominated ecological and social function are excluded. Unit costs of biomass varied depending on biomass availability and energy demands. The lowest unit costs of biomass (3.19 EUR/MJ) were for energy demand at the level of 1 TJ yearly for all kinds of biomass and the highest (4.91 EUR/MJ) for ecological and social constraints and energy demand 4 TJ. As energy demand increased, unit costs increased, and the ability to meet this demand with just one type of biomass decreased. The energy biomass sector can utilize the model to benefit both biomass producers and their final buyers.
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•Deadwood volume in protected areas depends on random factors and is difficult to predict.•Deadwood accumulation depends on the vigor of the species comprising the stand.•Silvicultural treatments ...considerably reduce the effects of natural factors.•Deadwood volume increases with site fertility and stand age.•Terrain-related difficulties hindering silvicultural treatments have a positive effect on the amount of deadwood.
In forest management policy, deadwood is regarded as an indicator of sustainable forest management. Dead trees are a key habitat feature for a wide range of organisms. In this study, data from a regular network of nearly 30,000 sample plots (the National Forest Inventory) distributed throughout Poland were used to determine relationships between deadwood volume and thirteen selected natural and human-related factors: forest ownership, protection type, inclusion in the Natura 2000 network, terrain, slope gradient, site fertility, site moisture (water abundance), dominant species, age of the dominant species, stand volume, tree and shrub density, sapling and shrub cover, and stand damage. Analysis of data on deadwood volume was carried out in two steps: univariate analysis was used to determine present-day differences among forests, while a logistic regression model was applied to identify the factors that had the greatest impact on deadwood volume variability on the studied plots. Despite interference from numerous random effects that are difficult to capture and quantify, being often associated with disturbances and differences between the silvicultural approaches of individual forest managers, many of the analyzed factors were found to exert a significant influence. Strong relationships were identified mostly in managed forests (private, municipality-owned, and those managed by the State Forests National Forest Holding). In national parks and nature reserves, the identified effects were less pronounced due to the fact that the examined plots differed in terms of protection type and duration and may have been impacted by different natural disturbances. Indeed, deadwood volume was significantly affected by protection type, with much more deadwood found in strictly protected areas as compared to forests under active protection. Inclusion in Natura 2000 had only a slight effect. On the other hand, a major role was played by difficult terrain accessibility, which impeded silvicultural treatments. More deadwood occurred in the mountains, with increasing slope gradient positively affecting deadwood volume, but only up to a certain point. On the steepest slopes deadwood volume decreased due to the soil and wood sliding to a lower level. Deadwood volume was significantly greater on more fertile and moist sites. In managed forests, both stand age and growing stock volume were positively associated with deadwood accumulation. The species composition of stands, mostly attributable to habitat conditions, was also relevant. The present work identified some significant differences in deadwood volume between stands, and the findings may be useful in developing future management practices with a view to supporting biodiversity.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Abstract
Numerous bird species, often rare or endangered, rely on the presence of standing and downed deadwood for shelter, nesting, and foraging. Habitat quality was evaluated on the basis of ...deadwood volume, the density of large standing deadwood, and the space filling index (SFI). The SFI reflects the degree of space filling of the bottom layers taking into account tree trunks, seedlings, saplings, ground vegetation, stumps, and downed deadwood. Analysis encompassed all special protection areas (SPAs) in Poland (a total of 107 SPAs containing 7974 sample plots monitored under the National Forest Inventory). An additional in-depth analysis was conducted for 30 SPAs with the greatest share of forest habitats. The studied indicators varied substantially both between and within individual SPAs, with deadwood volume ranging from 1.3 to 50.5 m
3
ha
−1
(mean of 9.0 m
3
ha
−1
) and the density of large standing deadwood (diameter at breast height ≥ 30 cm) from 0.1 to 16.0 ind ha
−1
(mean of 2.2 ind ha
−1
). These values were relatively low compared to the density of living trees with corresponding dimensions (111 ind ha
−1
). SFI analysis indicated high or very high space filling of the bottom forest layers on 14–56% of sample plots in a given SPA. The presence of deadwood was found to be significantly positively affected by SPA location in the mountains, a greater proportion of sites with higher fertility, a greater share of forest area under strict protection, as well as higher stand volume within a given SPA. The correlation between deadwood volume and the density of birds (primary and secondary cavity nesters) in individual SPAs was positive (
R
= 0.60). As compared to lowland areas, SPAs in mountain areas are generally characterized by high stand volumes, a greater density of large living trees, and a greater amount of diverse deadwood. In those areas conservation measures should involve continuous monitoring and diagnosing of any problems associated with the populations of individual bird species; focused efforts should be implemented to support those species that exhibit unfavorable population trends. In most lowland SPAs measures aimed at the improvement of site conditions for birds must be more extensive than in the mountains, with a low abundance of dead trees (especially large ones). These parameters can be improved by retaining some senescent stands in managed forests until their natural death and implementing a strict protection regime in areas of high conservation value.
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Site productivity remains a fundamental concern in forestry as a significant driver of resource availability for tree growth. The site index (SI) reflects the overall impact of all environmental ...factors that determine tree height growth and is the most commonly used indirect proxy for forest site productivity estimated using stand age and height. The SI concept challenges are local variations in climate, soil, and genotype-environmental interactions that lead to variable height growth patterns among ecoregions and cause inappropriate estimation of site productivity. Developing regional models allow us to determine forest growth and SI more appropriately. This study aimed to develop height growth models for the Scots pine in Poland, considering the natural forest region effect. For height growth modelling, we used the growth trajectory data of 855 sample trees, representing the Scots pine entire range of geographic locations and site conditions in Poland. We compared the development of regional height growth models using nonlinear-fixed-effects (NFE) and nonlinear-mixed-effects (NME) modelling approaches. Our results indicate a slightly better fit to the data of the model built using NFE approach. The results showed significant differences between Scots pine growth in natural forest regions I, II, and III located in northern Poland and natural forest regions IV, V, and VI in southern Poland. We compared the development of regional height growth models using NFE and NME modelling approaches. Our results indicate a slightly better fit to the data of the model built using the NFE approach. The developed models show differences in height growth patterns of Scots pines in Poland and revealed that acknowledgement of region as the independent variable could improve the growth prediction and quality of the SI estimation. Differences in climate and soil conditions that distinguish natural forest regions affect Scots pine height growth patterns. Therefore, extending this research to models that directly describe height growth interactions with site variables, such as climate, soil properties, and topography, can provide valuable forest management information.
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Saproxylic species from different taxonomic groups often occur only on certain types of deadwood with specific qualitative characteristics. The various types of deadwood are very dynamic elements of ...forest ecosystems, associated with many site and stand features, as well as with the type of forest management. Using a pool of 29,098 sample plots spread across Poland, we analyzed 30 different deadwood types defined on the basis of three characteristics: position (standing, lying), degree of decomposition, and size. Statistical hurdle models were used to assess changes in the volume of individual deadwood types based on a broad range of independent variables. Depending on the type of management, terrain, site fertility, stand volume, tree density, and stand age, the models revealed substantial differences in the volume of different deadwood types, ranging from 0 to approx. 4 m3 ha−1. It was found that the volume of most deadwood types (except for a few, mostly with diameters under 15 cm) increases with stand age or stand volume. In managed forests at all stages of stand development there is a deficiency of thick deadwood. Both standing and lying deadwood at different decay stages is available continuously, irrespective of the values of individual independent variables, but considerable differences exist. While most lying deadwood exhibits higher levels of decomposition, in standing deadwood the proportions of different decay stages are strongly associated with tree diameter at breast height. The developed models make it possible to predict the volume of individual deadwood types for a broad range of independent variables. The current work presents several examples, with the results showing extremely complex relationships between deadwood diversity and site and stand features at every stage of forest development, with continuous changes in the volume and proportions of different deadwood types. In general, at the landscape level Polish forests contain both standing and lying deadwood at all decay stages in more or less equal proportions. However, in forest management one should pay special attention to the dimensions of retained deadwood. The absence of thick deadwood is particularly conspicuous in lowland managed forests.
•The total deadwood volume consists of many deadwood types with very different characteristics.•Statistical models based on stand features describe the diversity of dead wood with high accuracy.•The diversity of the deadwood changes with the age of the stand, the method of management and habitat conditions.•Some types of deadwood are not found in all forests, especially thick deadwood is completely removed.•Management of deadwood resources should be largely based on its diversity.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Everyday reports provided by meteorological services do not identify the size of the surface area covered by thunderstorms in the day. We discuss two methods of converting daily terrestrial ...observations of days with a thunderstorm into quantitative indices (M and Mv) representing the surface area of thunderstorm occurrence on these days. The indices are first defined and tested using Monte Carlo simulation method before derivation from observational data. These indices that inform of how much thunderstorms spread over a selected region (e.g. country) during a day therefore provide different information than the frequency of thunderstorms. Using these indices we assess the daily area of thunderstorms occurrence (DASO) in Poland and Europe for each day between 1980 and 2010. We have found that the behaviour of large thunderstorm differs substantially between Poland and Europe. Whilst in Poland the frequency of these events has been growing by 4days per decade, a reverse trend was observed in Europe, at 9days per decade. We have also calculated that the mean number of thunderstorm days per year, recorded by the whole Poland weather network during the study period, is 127.
•Methods of converting thunderstorm observations into thunderstorm area are proposed.•The methods are tested using Monte Carlo simulations.•The behaviour of large thunderstorm differs between Poland and Europe in 1980-2010.
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Forest fragmentation is a widespread phenomenon that directly or indirectly affects the processes that take place both in forest ecosystems and in their immediate surroundings. So far, many studies ...confirm its negative effects, especially on biodiversity. On the other hand, there are few studies that address the effects of forest fragmentation on the amount of accumulated biomass or carbon, as well as on the characteristics of wood resources in managed forests. Therefore, issues related to timber production, which are important from the point of view of multifunctional forest management, are omitted. The aim of our research was to add to the knowledge in this area. In particular, we focused on assessing the impact of forest fragmentation on wood resources based on an analysis of edge effects in forest patches (units formed by combining forest fragments characterized by structural connectivity). Vector data describing the topography of forest fragments in Poland and the results of the National Forest Inventory (NFI) from 2015–2019 were used as material for solving this problem. The results of our research showed that the effects of fragmentation on managed pine stands depend on the age of the stand and the fertility of the habitat. In young stands growing on barren or strongly barren habitats, growing stock volume turned out to be significantly higher in the edge zone. In older stands, especially on moderately fertile habitats, significantly higher resources were found in the interior zone of forest patches. Habitat quality also had a significant effect on the amount of carbon accumulated. In strongly barren habitats, higher carbon mass was found in edge zones, while in moderately fertile habitats, stands had higher carbon volume in the interior zone. Our results illustrate that forest fragmentation is a very complex process that can increase or reduce wood resources, depending on the age of the stand and the quality of the habitat. From the standpoint of measurable benefits, it was concluded that protection from the negative effects of fragmentation should focus primarily on older stands and more fertile habitats.
Abstract
Time variations of lightning activity in the three main tropical thunderstorm centers located in the Maritime Continent (Pakistan, India, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, and Australia), Africa, ...and the Americas are analyzed using a lightning activity index IRS, which is calculated from the resonances of magnetic field in the extremely low frequency range—the Schumann resonances—which were observed at Hylaty station (Poland) in the time interval July 2005–May 2006. Power spectrum analysis of the IRS series is carried out for this time interval. The annual and semiannual variations are shown in all of the series together with the following characteristic periodicities: 45 (Madden–Julian oscillation), 17.6, 13.5, and 4.8 days, seen mainly in the series describing the lightning activity of the Maritime Continent. In addition, maps of the dynamical power spectrum are constructed. They present variability both in the values of characteristic periods 26–30, 17–22, 12–14, 9–10, and 5–7 days and in their duration. During the studied time interval, according to these indices, the African center was the most active, whereas the American and Maritime Continent centers showed a similar level of activity. The largest differences among the centers were observed in the summer months in the Northern Hemisphere.
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Za i przeciw darwinizmowi Zięba, Stanisław
Zeszyty Naukowe Wyższej Szkoły Nauk Społecznych z siedzibą w Lublinie,
10/2022, Volume:
11, Issue:
1
Journal Article
Open access
Teoria ewolucji zakorzeniona jest mocno zarówno w naukach biologicznych, jak i w empirycznym wymiarze świata. Jest uznana za trafną teorię wynikającą z przejawów przyrody i ukazującą jej ewolucyjny ...obraz. Teoria ewolucji zyskała popularność także w naukach społecznych i w polityce (darwinizm społeczny, który określa się jako „duch ewolucji”). Nauka od swych początków zmierzała do odkrycia zasad rozwoju wszechświata i przyrody. Moc tej teorii tkwi w tym, że uważa ona, iż rozwiązała po tylu wiekach zagadkę człowieka. Oto mamy odpowiedź: dobór naturalny, mutacje i przypadek równania się człowiek. Teoria ewolucji jest także narzędziem eksplikacji wielu procesów w przyrodzie i we wszechświecie. Rozwój strategii badawczej organizacji przyrody spowodował, że mechanizmy tkwiące u podstaw teorii ewolucji poddano weryfikacji, której rezultatem jest wskazanie na wiele jej ograniczeń. Kryteria wiarogodności teorii przyrodniczej zmieniają się, stąd główne zasady teorii ewolucji stwarzają wiele wątpliwości eksplikatywnych. Nauka poszukuje fundamentalnych praw przyrody rozszyfrowujących złożoności wszechświata, praw dyktujących zachowania bytów, do których nasze zmysły nie mają i nigdy nie będą mieć bezpośredniego dostępu. Zagadnienie złożoności świata (w tym przyrody) stało się wiodącym przedmiotem interdyscyplinarnych badań współczesnej nauki. Nauka wypracowała nową hierarchię pojęciową, nowe zasady filozoficzne, epistemologiczne, metodologiczne i aksjologiczne, a także nowe metody obserwowalności. Zaproponowane przez Darwina mechanizmy genezy i rozwoju przyrody wydają się wątpliwe w świetle nowego kontekstu badawczego. Wyjaśnienie organizacji przyrody za pomocą takich pojęć, jak: dobór naturalny, mutacja, przypadek jest czynnością skomplikowaną, brak bowiem spójności między tymi pojęciami a empirią. Każda trafna teoria przyrody winna leżeć w obszarze kompetencji przyrody, czyli w sferze doświadczenia, stąd można się zastawiać, czy zasady teorii ewolucji wypełniają to kryterium, czy teoria ta spełnia wymóg adekwatności wobec współczesnych danych o przyrodzie.
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