The expansion and decline of charophyte communities in lakes within the Sejny Lake District (north-eastern Poland) and changes in water chemistry

Over the last 25 years, considerable changes have been observed in the littoral vegetation of 11 lakes within the Sejny Lake District. In eight lakes (Dowcień, Jurkowo, Kunis, Miałkie, Pilwie, Płaskie, Wiłkokuk, Zelwa) where Chara species dominated, their communities declined or disappeared completely. In four of these lakes (Dowcień, Jurkowo, Kunis and Miałkie), charophytes were replaced by communities of the class Potametea (mainly Nupharo-Nymphaeetum albae and Ceratophylletum demersi). In three other lakes (Pilwie, Płaskie and Wiłkokuk), the area covered by charophyte communities decreased. In Lake Zelwa, Charetum rudis and Charetum jubatae disappeared while Charetum tomentosae and Charetum fragilis expanded. A total area of charophyte communities remained approximately the same. A considerable increase in the water total hardness and concentration was noted in each of the eight lakes. In most of them increased levels of dissolved organic matter (measured as COD-KMnO₄) and pH were detected as well. However, the increase in the concentration was smaller in Lakes Wiłkokuk and Zelwa in which only slight changes in the vegetation were observed. In the above two lakes, the concentration of dissolved organic matter decreased and low water colour values are now noted. In three lakes (Długie, Dmitrowo and Gajlik), the charophyte communities tended to expand under the condition of moderate or high (Lake Długie) concentration, while dissolved organic matter concentrations were low. These lakes are also characterized by low values of colour. Charophyte communities may persist in lakes for a long period of time even when there is a moderate increase in concentration until the colour of water distinctly increases (>20 mg Pt L⁻¹).     

Climate variability and change within the discharge time series: a statistical approach

The paper contains some results of long-time series analysis of discharges with respect to climate variability and change. The appropriate statistical computations based on data supplied by the Global Runoff Data Center in Koblenz. The computations have been carried out for the case of annual and of monthly (of each month) time series. The verification of the assumed hypotheses has been conducted for 5% significance level.The hypothesis that the mean value and the variance are stationary and ergodic (Kruskal-Wallis test) have to be rejected, respectively: (a) from 10.2% to 21.6% of cases and from 1.7% to 7.4% of cases for monthly discharges; and (b) in 23.3% and 3.4% of cases for annual discharges. Whereas, in case of the Mann-Kendall test trends emerge (a) in the mean value from 25% of cases to 42.6% of cases, and in the variance from 10.2% of cases to 19.3% of cases for monthly discharges; (b) in 42% and 9.1% of cases there occur trends in the mean value and the variance, respectively, for annual discharges. Moreover, results of the tests are presented separately for the time series being independently and dependently distributed in time.     

The acoustic emission from rock under stress and hydraulic pressure

The essential conditions for effective and ecologically safe exploitation of underground waste storage are maintenance, prevention, and monitoring of tightness of rock masses covering and surrounding the reservoir rock complex. This monitoring can be realized by a especially designed acoustic measurement system.The reservoir rock complexes - without leakage - are supposed to be in physical equilibrium; without changes of rock dynamic properties the acoustic emission vanishes. In contrast, as is shown, the results of the field tests carried out in coal mines proved that there was a correlation between the stresses and the acoustic emission ratio. The laboratory experiments also showed correlation between changes of permeability of coal samples and acoustic emission.the explanation of the observed results is based on the development of inelastic deformation of a rock skeleton. The plastic strains in the porous rock appear after overcoming the yield point. The yield point value can be extended by increase of shear stresses, effective stresses and interstitial pressure.In particular, there are three kinds of dynamic phases which may appear preceding the failure of leak tightness:

1. (1) breaking of the rock masses due to stress (Griffith criterion of stability may be expressed in terms of the acoustic emission parameters),

2. (2) the dilatant corrosion of pressure plasticity resulting from chemical, physical and thermal activities, and

3. (3) the destructive increase of pressure in rock pores.

This paper presents the statistical parameters describing the acoustic emission from the rock mass and the dynamic processes mentioned above are described in terms of seismoacoustic activity.     

Changes of GPR spectra due to the presence of hydrocarbon contamination in the ground

The location of hydrocarbon contamination in the ground using the GPR method is based mainly on information taken from reflected signals. In the cases investigated in Polish contaminated sites, such signals were very seldom recorded. A long time after spillage, contamination takes the form of plumes with different size and distribution, which depends on geological and hydraulic properties of the ground. In this paper, it is shown that the set of hydrocarbon plumes should be described with a stochastic model, and such plumes may generate the scattered waves which cause changes in the power spectra. It has been observed that the power spectra of GPR signals over contaminated areas are quite different from such spectra over clear ones. These differences were discussed in this paper on the basis of theoretical analysis, numerical modelling and the results of GPR terrain surveys.     

Environmental challenges in Polish agriculture covering a main area of the Baltic Sea Basin

Poland largely encompases the estuary of the Vistula and Odra rivers, which drain into the Baltic Sea. Only a very small area of the south-east part of the country is within the Black Sea Basin. Poland contributes significantly to the pollution of the Baltic Sea, with biogenic nutrients and organic substances. Poland includes more than half the coastal inhabitants of the Baltic Sea, and they use 40% of the arable land situated there. The contribution to the pollution of this sea with nitrogen, phosphorus and organic substances is approximately 30, 40 and 22%, respectively. The main sources of nutrients are untreated sewage and the runoff and leakage of fertilizers from agricultural land. The natural conditions in Poland are poorer than in Western Europe due to the prevalence of light soils and a short growing period with frequent droughts. After correcting the synthetic index for soil and climate, it was estimated that for each inhabitant of Poland there are 0.3 ha of farmland, which is comparable to that of Western Europe. For the maintenance of the population, intensive agricultural production must be accompanied by environmental protection regulations. Polish agriculture is not only a polluter but also a recipient of pollution, especially the deposits of sulphur and heavy metals emitted by industry and municipal areas. The estimated annual emission of sulphur dioxide is about 4 million t, which equals an average deposit of about 90 kg of sulphur per hectare of farmland. The pedological processes and acid deposits cause more than 60% of agricultural land in Poland to be acidic. The contamination of soils with heavy metals in general is lower than in Western Europe, but in some areas (e.g. Upper Silesia) it exceeds the safe limits.