a b s t r a c tUrban areas, in particular, present unique challenges for the conservation of ecosystems. Allotment gardens (AGs) are an important greenspace feature of urban landscapes in Europe which have the potential to offer multiple social and bio-physical ecosystem services in addition to food production. This study is an attempt to assess and compare the ecosystem services provided by AGs in Manchester, UK, and Poznań, Poland as well as a comparison to city parks. The surveys included a detailed land cover characterisation and an assessment of cultivated and spontaneous plant species. There are differences in the land use characteristics in the two cities with a preference for vegetable growing and water recycling in Manchester, and a greater number of trees and a higher focus on recreation in Poznań. The consequences of these basic differences are discussed in terms of the ecosystem services that are provided by the two different AG types, and parks. In terms of ecology, there is higher species richness on AGs with a greater proportion of neophytes, which may potentially spread into cities. The species recorded in parks and AGs contained a lot of native characteristics of urban, ruderal plant communities.
NAJWER A., BORYSIAK J., GUDOWICZ J., MAZUREK M., ZWOLIŃSKI ZB., 2016. Geodiversity and biodiversity of the postglacial landscape (dębnica river catchment, Poland). Quaestiones Geographicae 35(1), Bogucki Wydawnictwo Naukowe, Poznań, pp. 5-28, 12 fi gs, 4 tables. ABSTRACT:The preparation of a proper zoning plan or landscape-ecological plan requires taking into account recognition of the natural values of an area covered by the plan and evaluating its abiotic and biotic diversities. The aim of the paper is to present the new approach to the procedure of geodiversity and biodiversity assessment. This procedure is used to characterise abiotic and biotic heterogeneity of the postglacial landscape modifi ed by a man, tested on dębnica River catchment (Western Pomerania, Poland). This catchment is a representative example illustrating the landscape of Central European Plain. The analytical algorithm of the geodiversity assessment is based on appropriate selection of the evaluation criteria: lithological, relative heights, landform fragmentation, hydrographical elements and mesoclimatic conditions. Biodiversity was assessed on the basis of real vegetation, potential natural vegetation and the degree of anthropisation of the natural vegetation with respect to syngenesis of plant associations. Seven factor maps were obtained: fi ve for the diversity of abiotic elements, and two for the diversity of biotic elements, which became the basis for the creation of total geodiversity and biodiversity maps. Maps produced in accordance with given methodology may fi nd a wide range of applications.
Research was carried out on the importance of organic farming practices for maintaining agricultural landscape complexity with consequent benefits for spontaneous vascular flora biodiversity. An agricultural landscape unit (75 ha) composed of extensively used arable lands and grasslands and small remnant natural habitats, occurring among fields or in field verges in the West Pomerania region, Poland, was investigated. Spontaneous vascular flora of extensively farmed landscape was mapped using the topographic method. The examined flora was analyzed in terms of plant species richness and diversity. The following attributes of flora were considered: taxonomic and syntaxonomic diversity, and the share of geographical and geographical–historical elements, Raunkiaer’s life forms, archaeophytes, kenophytes, plants with conservation status and threatened in the Polish regions or countries of the European Union, and ancient woodland plant species indicators. Spontaneous vascular flora included 338 species / 75 ha and represented rich taxonomic diversity: 213 genera, 71 families and 48 orders. The phytocoenoses included 52 plant associations from 17 classes, 23 orders, and 32 alliances of the phytosociological system, including 6 segetal synanthropic communities.
Trees in the densely built-up historical cores of cities play an important role in increasing the aesthetic values of the cityscape as well as lowering the effect of the urban heat island. The research aimed to determine the spatial distribution of tree populations in the medieval parts of cities according to local policy. The investigation included three cities in Central and Eastern Europe: Poznań and Lublin in Poland and Lviv in Ukraine. The oldest parts of these cities share similar origins, the same continental biogeographical region, and comparable climatic conditions.This study considered indicators of occurrence, density, species composition, and spatial distribution; and the number of trees planted since the political transition to democracy has also been considered, taking into account the composition of their species. Local policy documents on greenery management, revitalisation, and adaptation to climate change were analysed.The study identified different types of management concerning trees. In Poznań, trees are actively introduced in public spaces, but private backyards are managed by their owners. In Lublin, although there are relatively few new plantings, there is the largest share of trees in the backyards and self-seeding is common. In Lviv, there are new plantings in private and public spaces. Lviv is distinguished by its large share of native trees, with naturally shaped crowns, and in Poznan and Lublin, new plantings include artificially shaped, small spherical crowns. The local policy documents don't contain operational directives regarding the cultural, environmental, social, and technical conditions for new planting.
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