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Number of results: 11
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Abstract

In this study the effect of different grassland managements (cattle grazing with different intensities and mowing) on soil mesofauna, i.e. mites (Acari) and springtails (Collembola), was studied. Mites and springtails are the most numerous representatives of soil mesofauna organisms living in the upper soil layers (up to 5 cm). Soil mesofauna groups or species are commonly used as bioindicators of soil health. The experiment was carried out from 2007 to 2009 in the West Sudety Mountains, Poland. Pastures and meadows were under organic farming management, without pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, and restricted livestock density. Soil samples were taken three times a year (in May−June, July and October) from pastures grazed at different frequencies: once, twice and four times a year, alternate management (grazed and mown pasture) and mown meadow. Mites were identified according to orders or suborders (Oribatida, Gamasida, Prostigmata, Astigmata), while springtails to the species level. The data were analysed using a general linear model (GLM). The mesofauna taxa in relation to the treatment and date were analysed with the canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). The data from three years showed that most soil mesofauna assemblages occurred in significantly higher numbers on the pasture grazed once or twice and on alternate managed pasture than in pasture grazed four times a year and mown meadow. The CCA analysis showed the preference of most springtail species to pasture grazed once a year, while mites preferred pasture grazed twice a year and alternate management. The number of species and the abundance of the most numerous species (Protaphorura pannonica, Desoria multisetis and Folsomides parvulus) did not differ significantly between treatments. To summarize, cattle grazing once or twice a season or alternate management (grazing and mowing once a season) have a positive impact on soil mesofauna.

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Authors and Affiliations

Iwona Gruss
Karolina Pastuszko
Jacek Twardowski
Michał Hurej
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Abstract

The study of changes in grassland was conducted on the territory of individual counties of the West Pomeranian Voivodship. Based on data collected in the Valorisation of the Agricultural Production Space of Poland and spatial data (an electronic 1:5000 soil and agricultural map) the basic information on the use of agricultural land in the 70s of the 20th century. Changes in use over time were analysed based on data the Statistics Poland (Pol.: Główny Urząd Statystyczny – GUS), General Geographic Database and The Agency for Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture Crop Register (Pol.: Agencja Restrukturyzacji i Modernizacji Rolnictwa – ARiMR).
The studies showed that in the West Pomeranian Voivodship, a successive decrease in the share of permanent grasslands (0.9%) and arable lands (1.4%) is observed. There is a spatial variation in the share of permanent grassland in the province’s counties, with a distinction between northern and southern counties. The main direction of change in grassland area is arable land, which applies to counties with the highest share of permanent grassland (PG) and counties with a high share of the best soils and forest direction. Land quality was the main factor determining the direction of grassland changes, with the best PG converted to arable land or for investment purposes. In contrast, the weakest were converted to forestry or spontaneously wooded through abandonment. The main reasons for changes in grassland areas in the West Pomeranian Voivodship were: conversion of use to arable land, afforestation of grasslands, land use for urban planning purposes, leaving land fallow and conversion for constructing fishponds.
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Authors and Affiliations

Teodor Kitczak
1
ORCID: ORCID
Marek Podlasiński
1
ORCID: ORCID
Grzegorz Jarnuszewski
1
ORCID: ORCID
Ryszard Malinowski
1
ORCID: ORCID

  1. West Pomeranian University of Technology, Faculty of Environmental Management and Agriculture, Department of Environmental Management, 17 Słowackiego St, 71-434, Szczecin, Poland
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Abstract

Permanent grasslands – according to the Water Framework Directive – are typical water related ecosystems so they largely affect water quality, its cycling and balance and therefore deserve protection. They are an element of landscape structure (ecosystem function or service) commonly considered a factor stabilising environmental changes.

Most threats posed to waters in Poland originate from present cropland structure with its definite predominance of arable lands over grasslands. Agriculture should therefore focus on the improvement of land use structure in order to minimise environmental hazards and to guarantee at the same time optimum economic effects. This could be achieved by turning arable lands into grasslands (where justified e.g. on light soils) or at least by maintaining present grassland area (condition in negotiations with the EU) and management that would consider environmental protection.

Increasing the contribution of grasslands to cropland structure or at least maintaining their pre-sent status quo would help to achieve compromise between the goals of farmers and environmental protection. Purposeful utilisation of ecosystem services, particularly those of grasslands, allows to maintain more intensive farming without environmental hazard. Limited should be only such activi-ties whose intensity exceeds regenerative or buffering environmental capacity e.g. on grounds par-ticularly subjected to water pollution or those included into Natura 2000 network.

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Authors and Affiliations

Halina Jankowska-Huflejt
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Abstract

Permanent grasslands are the most environment-friendly way of using agricultural lands. Apart from producing fodder, grasslands play many other important non-productive functions. Biodiversity is the key factor decisive for their high natural and productive values. Grasslands play an important role in water retention. Not all types of grasslands may be used agriculturally. Out of 16 types of habitats, 10 may be used for production, the others are biologically valuable. The surface area of permanent grasslands in Poland has markedly decreased during the last decade. Now, they constitute slightly more than 20% of agricultural lands occupying 3127.8 thous. ha (in 2019) including 2764 thous. ha of meadows and 363.8 thous. ha of pastures.
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Authors and Affiliations

Mirosław Gabryszuk
1
ORCID: ORCID
Jerzy Barszczewski
1
ORCID: ORCID
Barbara Wróbel
1
ORCID: ORCID

  1. Institute of Technology and Life Sciences – National Research Institute, Falenty, Hrabska Av. 3, 05-090 Raszyn, Poland
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Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the ecological characteristics of vascular plants colonizing serpentine mining waste dumps and quarries in Lower Silesia. The investigated flora was analyzed with regard to species composition, geographical-historical status, life forms, as well as selected ecological factors, such as light and trophic preferences, soil moisture and reaction, value of resistance to increased heavy metals content in the soil, seed dispersal modes and occurrence of mycorrhiza. There were 113 species of vascular plants, belonging to 28 families, found on seven sites in the study. The most numerous families were Asteraceae, Poaceae, Fabaceae and Caryophyllaceae. Only 13% of all plants recorded occurred on at least five of the study sites. The most numerous were species related to dry grassland communities, particularly of the Festuco-Brometea class, which included taxa endangered in the region of Lower Silesia: Avenula pratensis, Salvia pratensis, Festuca valesiaca. Apophytes dominated in the flora of the investigated communities. Hemicryptophytes were the most numerous group and therophytes were also abundant. The serpentine mining waste dumps and querries hosted heliophilous species which prefer mesic or dry habitats moderately poor in nutrients, featuring neutral soil reaction. On two study sites 30% of the flora composition consisted of species that tolerate an increased content of heavy metals in the soil. Anemochoric species were the most numerous with regard to types of seed dispersal. Species with an arbuscular type of mycorrhiza were definitely dominant in the flora of all the study sites, however, the number of nonmycorrhizal species was also relatively high. It was suggested that both the specific characteristics of the habitats from serpentine mining and the vegetation of adjacent areas had a major impact on the flora composition of the communities in the investigated sites.

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Authors and Affiliations

Dorota Kasowska
Anna Koszelnik-Leszek
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Abstract

The article describes the vegetation growing on settlings and washing tanks situated in the ,,Żabie Doły" area (Bytom). There were recognised 2 plant associations and 6 plant communities which belong to Artemisietea, Molinio-Arrhenatheretea, Calluno-Ulicetea classes. Among them dominate communities from Dauco-Melilotenion suballiance which are confined to dry, permeable soils with the initial soil-forming process (Melilotetum albo-officinalis, Dauco-Picridetum hieracioidis. Calamagrostis epigejos community, So/idago canadensis community). There were recorded also swards (Festuca ovina community) and meadows tDeschampsia caespitosa community, Agrostis capillaris community).
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Authors and Affiliations

Agnieszka Kompała
Agnieszka Błońska
Gabriela Woźniak
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Abstract

The study analysed the relationship between the granulometric composition of grassland soils as determined by laser diffraction and their content of mineral forms of nitrogen and organic carbon. The content of mineral forms of nitrogen (NO 3-N and NH 4-N) in soil samples – after their extraction with 1% solution K 2SO 4, was determined by flow colourimetry. Soil organic carbon content was determined using the Tyurin method. The study examined soil samples collected from 169 control and measurement sites located in different regions of Poland in terms of conditions for agricultural production. Statistical analyses of the research results showed that the grain size of grassland soils had a significant effect on their ammonium nitrogen content but not on their nitrate nitrogen and organic carbon content. In this respect, it was found that there was a positive correlation between the share of the sand fraction and the content of ammonium nitrogen in soils and an opposite relation between the share of coarse silt, fine silt and clay and the content of the aforementioned component. Results of the analyses differ considerably from the results of studies by other authors on the influence of soil grain size distribution on the content of mineral nitrogen and organic carbon in soils based on classical methods of measurements of soil particle size distribution. There is a need to develop solutions to convert and compare results obtained by laser diffraction and standard methods.
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Authors and Affiliations

Stefan Pietrzak
1
ORCID: ORCID
Marek Urbaniak
1
ORCID: ORCID

  1. Institute of Technology and Life Sciences – National Research Institute, Falenty, 05-090, Raszyn, Poland
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Abstract

The aim of the study was to assess the P-PO4 and N-NH4 pollution of water in grasslands located on peat soils and to identify the impact of groundwater level on this pollution formation. The research was conducted in 2000– 2010 on grounds of ITP-PIB in Biebrza village (Poland). Within lowland fen a total of 18 monitoring points of groundwater and watercourses were established in 6 separate test stands. The subject of the research was water collected from drainage ditches/channels and groundwater, which was taken from wells installed in organic-soil layer and wells whose bottom was 15–20 cm below this layer. Water samples were collected several times a year, and in the case of groundwater, its level was also measured. It was found that: 1) due to concentration level of P-PO4 and N-NH4, about 46 and 39% of water samples from organic-soil layer and more than 40 and 37% of water samples from mineral- organic-soil layer respectively, were characterized by poor chemical status; 2) due to the exceeding of the limit values of P-PO4 and N-NH4 concentration, water samples from watercourses in over 30 and 27% respectively were not within 1st and 2nd class of surface water quality; 3) P-PO4 and N-NH4 concentrations in each water type were statistically significant and positively correlated with each other; 4) in organic-soil layer the groundwater level changing every 10 cm was a statistically significant factor differentiating the average P-PO4 concentration in groundwater associated with mineral-organic layer of peat soil and average N-NH4 concentration in each type of water.
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Authors and Affiliations

Andrzej Sapek
1
Stefan Pietrzak
2
ORCID: ORCID
Dominika Juszkowska
2
ORCID: ORCID
Marek Urbaniak
2
ORCID: ORCID

  1. Retired researcher
  2. Institute of Technology and Life Sciences – National Research Institute, 3 Hrabska Avenue, 05-090, Falenty, Poland
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Abstract

The aim of the study was to recognise the accumulation of organic carbon (SOC) in the soils of Polish grasslands (GL) and to consider the possibility of increasing its sequestration in these soils. The Tiurin method (mineral soils) and the mass loss method (soil of organic origin) were used. It was found that: (i) the average SOC content of mineral soils is 2.44% and of organic soils – 10.42%; (ii) according to the Polish criteria, approximately 84% of GL mineral soils are classified as classes with high and very high SOC content, and over 15% and 1% – in classes with medium and low SOC content, respectively; more than 99% of organic soils belong to two classes with the highest SOC content and less than 1% to the class with an average content; (iii) according to the European Soil Bureau, the share of GL mineral soils with a high SOC content is slightly over 4%, medium – slightly over 47%, and low and very low – around 50%; for organic soils they are 67, 29, and 4%, respectively; (iv) the reserves of organic carbon in the 0–30 cm layer on the entire surface of GL soils amount to 412.7 Tg of SOC. There is considerable scope for increasing the SOC stock in meadow-pasture soils.
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Authors and Affiliations

Stefan Pietrzak
1
ORCID: ORCID
Jakub T. Hołaj-Krzak
1
ORCID: ORCID

  1. Institute of Technology and Life Sciences – National Research Institute, Falenty, 3 Hrabska Avenue, 05-090 Raszyn, Poland
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Abstract

This paper presents the results of a study on the level of nitrate leaching from the 0–30 cm layer of grassland (GL) soil in the Lublin Voivodship during the winters of 2018/2019, 2019/2020 and 2020/2021. The amounts of leached nitrates were determined using the Burns model. For the calculations based on this model – directly and indirectly, the results determination of residual nitrate nitrogen, texture and organic matter in GL soils, obtained within the framework of agricultural monitoring of soils by the National Chemical and Agricultural Station (KSChR), and results of system meteorological measurements conducted by the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management – National Research Institute (IMGW-PIB) were used.
The analysed soil samples were taken from 39 permanent control and measurement grassland sites. The research discovered in particular that:
– the average leaching of nitrate nitrogen from GL mineral soil in the three analysed periods was 16.2 and 5.1 kg N∙ha–1 from organic soil;
– on average, in autumn during the entire study period, 55.3% of NO3-N leached from the 0–30 cm layer of GL mineral soil, and 27.3% from organic soil;
– among different agronomic categories of mineral soil, the highest leaching of NO3-N was recorded from medium soil (17.4 kg N∙ha–1) and the lowest from heavy soil (11.5 kg N∙ha–1);
– individually determined values of NO3-N leaching from soil varied significantly from 0 to 68.5 kg N∙ha–1 for mineral soil and from 0.1 to 23.65 kg N∙ha–1 for organic soil.

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Authors and Affiliations

Stefan Pietrzak
1
ORCID: ORCID
Marek Urbaniak
1
ORCID: ORCID

  1. Institute of Technology and Life Sciences – National Research Institute, Falenty, Hrabska Ave., 3, 05-090 Raszyn, Poland

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