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The aim of this study is to assess the impact of various forms of anthropogenic pressure on selected karst springs in Poland, regarded as elements of “natural heritage”: Blue Springs, Goryczkowe Vauclusian Spring, and Zygmunt Spring. These springs are located in different regions of Poland and represent the most efficient karst springs in their respective areas, distinguished by exceptional aesthetic values and have been recognized as natural heritage sites and included in the international Most Important Karst Aquifer Springs (MIKAS) database or its national counterpart (NIKAS). A key factor differentiating these springs is the type of anthropogenic pressure exerted upon them. In the case of Blue Springs, located in central Poland near Tomaszów Mazowiecki, anthropopressure is manifested through modifications to the hydrological network and flow conditions due to attempts to extract groundwater for the municipal water supply of Łódź. Goryczkowe Vauclusian Spring, located in southern Poland within the Tatra National Park, is subject to indirect anthropogenic impact primarily via atmospheric deposition of pollutants originating from industrialized regions outside the park. For Zygmunt Spring, located in southern Poland, the dominant form of anthropopressure is intensive tourism. Despite its status as a nature reserve, the area has suffered from a reduction in biodiversity and poor water quality, particularly in terms of bacteriological status. Despite ongoing pro-environmental efforts, environmental changes around all the studied springs are evident and scientifically confirmed. Although the springs’ location within parks or reserves does not shield them from long-range atmospheric pollution, it does provide a level of protection by limiting both water usage and land development, generally restricted to tourism and sightseeing. Nevertheless, risks associated with tourism management must be acknowledged, including increased water demand, wastewater and solid waste generation, as well as non-compliance with regulations governing protected areas (e.g., destruction of unique vegetation).

Forest fires, due to climate change, are a growing threat to human life, health, and property, especially in temperate climates. Unfortunately, the impact of individual factors on forest fires varies, depending on the geographical region and its natural and socio-economic conditions. The latter are rarely introduced into fire warning systems, which significantly reduces their effectiveness. Therefore, the main goal of this study was to quantify the impact of a wide range of anthropogenic factors on forest fires, using Poland as a representative example of a Central European country. Data were analyzed in relation to districts for the period 2007–2017, using correlation analysis and regression modeling applying global and local/mixed regression methods. It was found that almost all of the 28 variables taken for analysis significantly determined the density of forest fires, but the greatest role was played by the length of the border between forests and built-up areas, and road density. In addition, the impact of most of the analyzed variables on forest fires varied over the study area, so implementing non-stationarity in geographically weighted regression models significantly improved the goodness-of-fit compared to global models.

This study was a continuation of our investigation of the spatio-temporal variability of the Bzura River’s water chemistry. Our research is of particular importance in the context of the recent ecological disaster on the Oder River and concerns the international problem of surface water contamination. The study area was a 120 km section of the Bzura River. We tested more measurement points and with a higher sampling frequency than those used in the national monitoring of river water quality. During two hydrological years, 360 water samples were collected. The selected parameters: electrical conductivity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, dissolved organic carbon, nitrates, phosphates, bicarbonates, chlorides, sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium were determined. Numerous results exceeded the Polish threshold limits. Spatio-temporal variability and water quality were assessed using principal component analysis (PCA), cluster analysis (CA), and water quality index (WQI) approaches. Many point sources of pollution related to urbanization, agriculture, and industry were detected. Moreover, due to the changing climatic conditions, a significant difference between temporal variability in both years was observed. Our results indicated that it is necessary to increase the number of measurement stations for surface water monitoring; it will allow for a faster detection of the threat.

Rapid global urbanization has led to the loss and degradation of many natural habitats, causing numerous bird species to inhabit and breed in cities. Here we investigated the influence of multiple factors on the number of chicks of the four common waterbird species, from Anatidae [Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)] and from Rallidae [Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra), Common Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus)], nesting in Gdańsk (Poland) in 2020 and 2021. We found that the harsh winter before the 2021 season may have resulted in a lower number of chicks in rallids. Rainfall and higher temperatures during breeding season increased the number of rallids’ chicks. Larger waterbodies were associated with a lower number of chicks (except for Moorhen). However, a longer shoreline was related to a higher number of chicks of all species. The Normalized Difference Moisture Index, indicating absence of urban fabric, positively impacted the number of chicks of all species, except for Mallard. The distance of waterbody from areas with varying degrees of urbanization had a diverse effect on the number of chicks of each species, except for Swan. Our results emphasize the importance of urban reservoirs for breeding birds and highlight the need to preserve natural features, such as allowing bank vegetation and reeds to grow, to provide nesting sites and shelter.

The transformations of the Earth’s atmosphere have always been conditioned by cosmic-astronomical factors and natural “life processes of the Earth.” Human pressure has been increasing for several thousand years, but only in the last three centuries has anthropopressure reached a global scale, modifying the state of the atmosphere. The rhythm of energy fluctuations over the last approximately 130,000 years, including the youngest millennia (the so-called Late Glacial and Holocene) and contemporary times with human influence, allow us to predict the approaching end of the current climatic optimum.

The aim of this article is to present the social–ecological system (SES) as a unit of analysis for sustainable water management under conditions of anthropogenic pressure in Poland. In the face of accelerating climate change and growing human impacts, Polish water systems are exposed to increasing ecological stress and to material and immaterial losses affecting local communities. The SES approach provides an integrative analytical framework that links ecological and social components, enabling a holistic view of adaptive and governance processes at multiple spatial scales, from municipalities to areas that transcend administrative boundaries. Methodologically, this study triangulates three complementary approaches to strengthen explanatory inference. This conceptual SES review defines the analytical categories used in the paper, the bibliometric mapping (Scopus database with VOSviewer) identifies dominant research streams and underexplored themes, and the qualitative Polish case studies operationalize these categories to diagnose mechanisms, feedbacks, and governance vulnerabilities under anthropogenic pressure. The bibliometric analysis identifies the main research streams at the intersection of SES, water management and sustainable development, revealing thematic clusters related to climate change adaptation, environmental governance, ecosystem services and hydrological extremes. The case studies - the 2024 flood, the 2022 ecological disaster in the Odra River, and water deficits associated with lignite opencast mining in Eastern Wielkopolska - illustrate how anthropogenic pressure and climate-related hazards interact within local SES and expose governance gaps. Particular attention is paid to attitudes and social participation, understood as configurations of behaviors, knowledge and emotions that shape decision-making in local self-government, especially at the municipal level. This study argues that an SES-based perspective can contribute to building the resilience of water systems, improving the integration of ecological and social dimensions and supporting more sustainable water management in Poland.

The consequences of climate change and increasing anthropogenic pressure pose a growing threat to UNESCO World Heritage sites. Proper identification of environmental factors and their effective mitigation are crucial for preserving historic assets without unnecessary intervening in their material fabric. This article presents excerpts from a study conducted to develop the Master Plan for Preservation for the oldest part of the former Nazi extermination camp Auschwitz II—Birkenau, including non-standard, minimally invasive testing, and the successful implementation of the research findings. Drawing on experience from a multi-year, interdisciplinary research project carried out in close collaboration with the conservation team of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial, as well as other research projects and surveys conducted in other UNESCO World Heritage sites, the authors critically engage with current standards for the monitoring, protection, and conservation of built cultural heritage. The role of comprehensive identification of different threats—including hydrogeological ones, exacerbated by anthropogenic pressure and climate change—points to the need for a broader approach, especially for the most valuable built-heritage sites that are either increasingly passive recipients of threats generated outside the protected area, or are vulnerable to the extent of standard methodologies for the conservation of cultural sites being no longer applicable.

Rivers face multiple stressors that act on biodiversity. In view of global environmental changes, river modifications, deforestation, and pollution, their natural parts are of highest importance in maintaining the biodiversity of mollusks. The study addresses the predictors of rare mollusk species, as they serve as ecological indicators of ecosystem quality and drivers of ecosystem pollution in agricultural, urban, and forest catchments. Analyses of environmental predictors and mollusk distribution were provided, and the model of multivariate canonical correspondence analysis was constructed. The pH of the water was relatively high, indicating alkaline conditions, whereas conductivity was low, indicating no salty influences in river basins. The study revealed the occurrence of species globally threatened (EN), vulnerable in Europe (VU), least concern species (LC), or legally protected in Poland, for example, Unio crassus, Anodonta cygnea, and Unio tumidus. Mollusks showed a high positive association with 13 predictors that reflected the variety of substrates, river and water parameters, and debris. As shown by CCA results, they also avoided rivers in urban catchments. The results provide new data for managing areas, and the specifics are easy to extrapolate to other contexts. Mollusks occurrence in freshwaters has decreased dramatically, placing them among the most threatened animals on Earth. Overall, this study highlights the complex interactions between environmental conditions and mollusk diversity. Rivers face multiple stressors that act on biodiversity. In view of global environmental changes, river modifications, deforestation, and pollution, their natural parts are of the highest importance in maintaining the biodiversity of mollusks; therefore, the study addresses the predictors of rare species, as they serve as ecological indicators of ecosystem quality and drivers of ecosystem pollution in agricultural, urban, and forest catchments. Mollusks occurrence in freshwaters has decreased dramatically, placing them among the most threatened animals on Earth. Overall, this study highlights the complex interactions between environmental conditions and mollusk diversity.

Background: Secondary salinity of river water reduces the value of ecosystem services, negatively impacting the entire aquatic ecosystem and reducing the possibility of water use. In Poland, significant anthropogenic salinity of rivers and water reservoirs is usually associated with mining activity consisting of pumping salty mine water into settling ponds or often directly into rivers. However, to assess the reasons for the salinity of the Vistula waters, it is necessary to identify all sources of salt in surface waters, enabling the assessment of the salt load in the waters. Methods: The paper presents four sources of data which have been compiled to propose a valuable method for analyzing the threat of the river. Patrol monitoring was one method of data acquisition, and State Environmental Monitoring data ware also used. Clustering and correlation statistical techniques were used for analysis. Results: Of the 20 physical and chemical parameters analyzed, chloride, calcium sulphate and magnesium ions are important for salinity. Measurements with multi-parameter probes allowed for the identification of increased salinity pressure sites, while flow analyses were required to calculate the load. Conclusions: The Vistula River had the highest concentrations of the analyzed ions in the Silesia Region. The use of patrol monitoring can be highly useful in determining the causes of emerging problems with water quality and supporting State Environmental Monitoring.

Different individual soil parameters or simple indices are widely used in soil quality evaluation, but this approach has many limitations. The aim of the study was to determine an integrated soil quality index in agricultural soils as affected by different levels of anthropopressure. The soil quality index was calculated through: the selection of the appropriate indicators for a minimum data set, score assignation for selected indicators and the integration of indicators in an index. The study was carried out in two areas under agricultural use with similar soil cover but with a different history and intensity of exposure to pollution input. Soil samples collected from the surface layer (0-30 cm) were analysed for physicochemical (i.e. texture, fractional composition of soil organic matter, pH), and biological (respiration, dehydrogenase activity, microbial biomass and nitrification) properties and the levels of contaminants (16PAHs and heavy metals). The level of anthropopressure was assessed on the basis of pollutants emission indices. A statistical evaluation based on principal component analysis enabled the selection of indicators of significant importance to soil quality. The level of anthropopressure was found to be an important factor influencing soil quality; higher soil quality index values (0.50) were determined for the area of low anthropopressure.