The goal of the studies undertaken in Polish national parks was to determine noise threats, examine the resources, assess the quality of soundscapes and identify the possibilities of their protection. The questionnaire method used in the studies made it possible to identify the awareness of noise threats and the value of soundscapes according to the park service staff. In addition, the semantic differential and description methods were used to learn how students assessed the soundscape quality of Polish national parks. Finally, avenues of further research on soundscape in environmentally valuable areas were indicated. The research findings indicate that each national park in Poland is characterised by diverse and unique soundscapes and is subject to the pressure of road traffic and tourism resulting in noise hazards. The conservation of the acoustic values of parks is necessary and possible.

The article presents the problem of the settlements development in the Ojców National Park (ONP) and its buffer zone, both located in the suburban area of Cracow (Poland). The aim of the research was to recognize the social perception of this phenomenon, as well as the residents opinion about the limitations in spatial management related to the functioning of the Park. Interviews were made among 204 residents, and 40 representatives of local self-governments, cultural institutions, associations, administrators of tourist facilities and entrepreneurs. The local community perceives constraints in the new buildings construction and in enlargement or modernization of the existing ones as the main problem for people living in the ONP or its buffer zone. Driven by their particular interests, residents advocate the further development of the settlements and tourist infrastructure within the Park and the buffer zone, the liberalization of regulations, and even the liquidation of the Park’s buffer zone. They do not understand that the natural and landscape values (highly appreciated by them) can be degraded due to these activities.

For more than ten years a dynamic and intensive development has been observed in spatial information technology combining elements of geoinformatics with data from various sources in order to create elaborate, often interdisciplinary and multifunctional compilations.

The progressing implementation of IT solutions with reference to resources and related trends to make public infor-mation that is useful to a wide group of recipients are reflected in multimedia information materials of many public institutions and private businesses. An example of using electronic technologies in the presentation of spatial data of national parks is widely available geoportals, interactive maps and other cartographic or paracartographic visualizations offering various tools allowing the utilisation of spatial information resources.

This publication aims at a multilevel analysis of the availability of network services, as defined in Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 March 2007 establishing an Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community,to all the existing geoportals of Polish national parks and a review of additional functions offered by the map services of all 23 Polish national parks that may be useful to users. As a result of research, tables and descriptions comparing the functions of the analysed geoportals were compiled and additional practical tools observed in other services were described. In addition, based on the comparisons, a concept of geoportal optimization was developed taking into account all categories of spatial information services and optional functions.

Artificial small water reservoirs existing over peatbogs of Łęczyńsko-Włodawskie Lakeland have high ecological value. Planktonie rotifer communities of the reservoirs are characterized by high species diversity, presence of rare species as well as high abundance of periphytic and benthic-pcriphytic forms. Low nutrients concentrations of studied reservoirs confirmed low total rotifers density, presence of indicatory species and high ratio of algaevorous to detritivorous species. The analysis of domination structure of planktonie rotifers showed very low stability of their community and high vulnerability for changes of habitat conditions.

The Tatra National Park is seeing continual growth in its tourist traffic, contributing to the destruction of the soil cover along the tourist trails. This process can be reduced by applying some simple solutions.

Praca obejmuje wyniki trzyletnich badań liczebności bakterii wskaźnikowych stopnia zanieczyszczenia (ogólna liczba bakterii oznaczana na agarze bulionowym w temperaturze 22 i 37°C) i stanu sanitarnego (liczba bakterii grupy coli - TC, bakterii grupy coli typu kałowego - FC, paciorkowców kałowych- FS i beztlenowych bakterii przetrwalnikujących redukujących siarczyny - Clostridium pcrfringensi w wodzie Jeziora Długiego Wigierskiego w warunkach bytowania kormorana czarnego tPhaiocrocorax carbo). Badania przeprowadzono w latach I 998-200 I w 530 próbach wody pobieranych na I 4 stanowiskach wyznaczonych w charakterystycznych miejscach jeziora, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem miejsc lokalizacji siedlisk kormoranów. Większość (powyżej 60%) przebadanych prób wody Jeziora Długiego Wigierskiego mieściła się w l klasie wód o bardzo dobrej jakości. Okolo 20-30% prób wody mieściła się w Il klasie wód dobrej jakości, tylko niewielki procent prób wody wykazywało nieznacznie większy stopień zanieczyszczenia i zaklasyfikowano je do Ill klasy czystości, tzn. wód o zadowalającej jakości. Wyższym stopniem zanieczyszczenia charakteryzowały się próby wody pobierane zazwyczaj w pobliżu dopływu i odpływu rzeki Dłużankijak też w sąsiedztwie bytowania kormoranów-w pobliżu wyspy Ostrówek i w strefie przybrzeżnej. Próby wód bardziej zanieczyszczonych bakteriologicznie pobierano częściej w okresie wiosenno-letnim, kiedy aktywność ptactwa wodnego i innych zwierząt w rejonie jeziora była większa. Wskazuje na to niski stosunek FC : FS w większości pobieranych w tym czasie prób wody z jeziora. Niski stosunek liczbowy kałowych bakterii grupy coli do paciorkowców kałowych w większości badanych prób wody sugeruje przeważający udział ptactwa wodnego w zanieczyszczaniu tego zbiornika.

Assessment of photosynthetic activity is one of the quick and simple methods of verification whether the studied environmental factors have a stressful effect on photosynthetically active organisms. High-intensity light can be a stress factor that could have a potential impact on the maximum productivity of photosystem II. The purpose of the conducted research was to observe changes in photosynthetic activity of the lichen Cladonia mitis and the bryophyte Pleurozium schreberi exposed to artificial high-energy lighting under laboratory culture conditions. The obtained results showed variability of photosynthetic activity over time, depending on the amount of light energy supplied. C. mitis and P. schreberi at full exposure (light energy: 52.03 W m ^-2 and photosynthetically active radiation 167.24 μmol m ^-2) showed a slow downward trend in photosynthetic activity, while at half the light intensity periodic fluctuations were observed without changes in the controls. Long-term and high-light intensity exposure of photosynthetically active organisms may cause gradual degradation of the photosynthetic apparatus, which in turn leads to cell death. Low values of photosynthetic activity may indicate a situation in which, due to excess light, the rate of photosystem II damage exceeds the rate of its repair. This leads to irreversible damage to the photosynthetic apparatus.

The objective of the paleoecological studies undertaken in the "Klocie Ostrowieckie" reserve was mainly to reconstruct the subfossil mire vegetation at a local and regional scale. This article presents the results of palynological and plant macroremain analyses of this site, and belongs to the first published studies of such a type, made in the Drawieński National Park. Based on our studies, five phases in the history of the mire development were determined. The most pronounced feature of that history, was a decline of Cladietum marisci clearly concurrent with a strong yet puzzling expansion of pine stands occurring approximately 1000 years ago.