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Today's generations live in uncertain times. The inflation of violent and unpredictable events over the last two decades, such as the economic crisis or COVID-19 pandemic, has affected the functioning of regions and the daily lives of their residents. Therefore, the socioeconomic level has to be monitored. This article fills the research gap regarding the identification of the impact of recent turbulent events on the development of municipalities in southern Poland. The specific goal is to identify trends in socioeconomic changes in times of change and uncertainty from 2006 to 2021 in 450 municipalities in Małopolskie, Śląskie, and Świętokrzyskie Voivodeships. The research defined model and problem areas among the municipalities regarding the level of development. The analyses employ an original synthetic Level of SocioEconomic Development index (LSED) consisting of 18 diagnostic variables. The study mixed qualitative and quantitative approaches and considered the spatial dimension in statistical analyses. We identified general trends related to the ageing population and housing shortage. Moreover, in municipalities dominated by industry, socioeconomic development was generally constant. The opposite is true for municipalities focusing on tourism or agriculture. The conclusions demonstrate that Poland's European Union membership was the key driver of the socioeconomic development of the regions and the country at large. The rule of law crisis in Poland and ensuing cuts in EU spending could slow the development down. The crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic might be consequential as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Celem artykułu jest przedstawienie możliwości praktycznego wykorzystania narzędzi Systemu Informacji Przestrzennej (SIP) oraz podkreślenie znaczenia SIP jako środowiska do wykonywania analiz przestrzennych, w tym oceny stanu ładu przestrzennego. Szczególną uwagę zwrócono na możliwość łącznej, automatycznej analizy danych pochodzących z różnych źródeł, przekazujących informację na różnych poziomach szczegółowości. Ocena stanu ładu przestrzennego jako jeden z przedmiotów analiz przestrzennych jest zadaniem szczególnie podatnym na subiektywne opinie, zatem istotne jest określenie merytorycznych zasad ww. procesu oraz dążenie do jego automatyzacji. W artykule przedstawiono przykłady wykorzystania SIP do oceny stanu ładu przestrzennego.

Widespread suburbanisation and significant anthropogenic pressure contribute to multidimensional transformations in the space around us. The present research is a response to the current research gap for exploration of new multimetric methods for measuring anthropogenic pressure, mathematical and statistical analysing it, and presenting research results. The developed method could facilitate the employment of measurable parameters and expert knowledge to represent the scale and diversity of this phenomenon. To this end, the authors used universal and versatile computational GIS algorithms based on advanced geoprocessing tools to propose a set of 18 indicators as potential diagnostic variables for an econometric anthropogenic pressure model. The study area was a 10‐km ring around the Kraków city limits (Małopolskie Voivodeship, Poland), a zone under significant development and settlement pressure. Four econometric models were created using backward stepwise regression and linear regression. The diagnostic variables for the linear regression equations were selected with Hellwig's method and expert knowledge. The proposed concept was found to facilitate an effective measurement of anthropogenic pressure and an understanding of the significance of factors that affect it. It can also be useful in spatial planning decision‐making. Thanks to its versatility, the concept can be implemented for any study area for which a set of preprocessed input data is available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial concentration and quantitative spatial density of anthropogenic elements were assessed. The authors used original parameters of standing and progressive anthropogenic pressures in individual hexagons in a grid based on a land cover database and the current population structure. The calculated values of relative entropies for both parameters were similar. The relative entropy based on both pressures for the whole area was high (0.89). In peri-urban zones it was 50% less and in cities about 80% greater. A juxtaposition of standing and progressive pressure values revealed a trend towards a slight decrease in the values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The aim of this work was to assess the accuracy of direct runoff depth calculated according to an original Soil Conservation Service – Curve Number (SCS-CN) method and a modified Sahu - Mishra - Eldho (SME) method based on different sources of information on land cover. Main novelty of this work is using Database of topographic objects (BDOT10k) instead of Corine Land Cover (CLC) for the assessment of land cover in a catchment. The research was performed in the Kamienica river, a right tributary of the Dunajec, Poland. The effect of land cover data on runoff depth was assessed with the original SCS-CN method, and modified SME method. The value of CN parameter was estimated using two databases on land use, CLC and BDOT10k. BDOT10k was proven to be a considerably more precise land cover database that enabled more accurate interpretation. The study demonstrated the highest accuracy of direct runoff calculation with SME-CN method, irrespective of the approach used for determination of the catchment land use. The use of SME-CN instead of the original SCS-CN method provides much more accurate prediction of direct runoff in a catchment. Highlights • BDOT10k should be used to determine a catchment land cover for smaller map scales. • Differences in CN according to BDOT10k or CLC were minor for large-scale maps. • Modified SME-CN model provided an accurate estimation of direct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floods are a natural phenomenon that has always been and will pose a threat to people's life and health, their property and the environment. Total elimination of the flood is impossible, but the current state of knowledge enables the use of the available tools in order to reduce the scale of these threats. The aim of the study is to develop a methodology of identification of the areas of hindered flow of water, located in the immediate vicinity of rivers. The proposed methodology is based on a study of the land cover. The developed algorithm of land cover spatial data processing for the local flood risk mapping implements GIS tools. Verification of the developed method was carried out on the example of selected rivers in Poland, only one of which is covered by the plans of flood risk management and causes periodic floodings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Scientiarum Polonorum. Formatio Circumiectus is the property of Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Rolniczego im. Hugona Kollataja w Krakowie and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The aim of the article was to present and examine the level of competitiveness of the districts (poviats) of Małopolska province, and compare them with each other in this respect. The analysis included three dimensions: social, economic, and environmental. This subdivision results from the direction of implementing the principles of sustainable development. In each dimension, typical variables have been selected, which facilitated the determination of respective competitive positions of each district. The study was based on a multivariate space of variables, using one of the methods of taxonomic classification - Ward's agglomeration, and combinatorial operative method of enabling separation of homogeneous clusters in respect to the studied phenomenon. In order to determine similarities between individual units (districts called poviats, or counties), matrix of Euclidean distances was used. Analyses have shown that towns with district rights tend to enjoy high competitive positions, as well as those districts located in the southern part of the Małopolska province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The suburban areas are lands under strong anthropogenic pressure which results in their significant transformation. Identifying the direction of changes and their intensity is the basis of research based on the analysis of land use and land cover. The study involved the analysis of land cover in the area of suburban zone of the city of Krakow based on the vector geodata available in the European Environment Agency database (Urban Atlas download service). Geographic data were classified according to various categories of coverage. The area was divided into evaluation clusters that included covering buffer zones with the given parameters according to the distance from the city: zones 0-5 km, 5-10 km, 10-15 km and 15-20 km. All analyzes were performed by means of the QGIS software using geoprocessing tools and additional ones of spatial statistics (among other things Group Stats). The percentage of each category of coverage in relation to the total area was made for each of the separate buffer zones' statements. The theory of changing the structure of coverage categories along with diverging from the city according to the diagram of reducing participation of heavily anthropogenic areas to those less exposed to it was confirmed on the basis of this analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detailed spatial analysis of area coverage was performed in the present paper, which allowed to determine numerous derivative parameters connected with human activity as well as natural processes. Data from Database of Topographic Objects in nominal scale 1:10 000 (in short: BDOT10k) in GML format were used as source materials and processing of the source data to object-relational form of SpatialLite database was performed. Methods of areas classification and valorization on the basis of land coverage diversity were used in the research after using modification of classes selection to BDOT10k. Borders of spatial objects had geo-referential precision to 3 m and were not subjected to generalization process. It provided possibility to achieve high degree of credibility of calculated parameters. Materials that concern ecological corridors were obtained from the General Directorate for Environmental Protection by means of WFS service. Geoprocessing methods and spatial connections in GIS heterogenic systems were used to perform analyses. The effects of all the conducted analyses allowed to identify problem fields where areas of ecological corridors became strongly anthropogenized. The results were presented as multilayered compositions and cartograms. The research area covered 15,200 km2 and ranged the territory of Małopolska province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the paper is to propose methodical solutions concerning synthetic agricultural analysis of production space which consists in combined (synthetic) - in spatial and statistical contexts - analysis and evaluation of quality and farming utility of soils in connection with soils erosive risk level. The paper is aimed at presentation of methodology useful in such type of analyses as well as demonstration to what extent the areas of farming production space being subject to restrictive protection are exposed to destructive effect of surface water erosion. Own factor (HDSP.E) was suggested, which is a high degree synthesis of soil protection in connection with degrees of surface water erosion risk. The proposed methodology was used for detailed spatial analyses performed for Tomice - the Małopolska rural commune (case study). The area model elaborated for the proposed methodology's purpose faced with soils mechanical composition allowed to make a model of surface water erosion in five-grade scale. Synthetic evaluation (product of spatial objects on numerous thematic layers) of quality and farming utility of soils and also zones of surface water erosion risk allowed to assign spatial distribution of HDSP.E factor (abbreviation of high degree of soil protection combined with erosion). The analyses enabled to determine proportional contribution of the most valuable resources of farming production space that are subject to soil erosion negative phenomenon. Geoprocessing techniques used for the analyses of environmental elements of farming production space were applied in the paper. The analysis of spatial distribution of researched phenomena was elaborated in Quantum GIS programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ecological Engineering / Inżynieria Ekologiczna is the property of Polish Society of Ecological Engineering and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Acta Scientiarum Polonorum. Formatio Circumiectus is the property of Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Rolniczego im. Hugona Kollataja w Krakowie and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Agricultural land abandonment is an elusive phenomenon, as yet not fully defined. Even though it is common in Polish landscape, there are no measures to date that could quantify the phenomenon. Neither the data from the Central Statistical Office, nor the data from land registers include information on land abandonment. Therefore, there is a need for a systematic approach that could quantify and determine the extent of land abandonment. A fieldwork approach was designed for the purpose, and research was conducted on a test area of Okocim village in Małopolska region. Vegetation cover that could indicate the existence of land abandonment on the agricultural areas - such as trees, brushwood, and grass cover - was examined using a representative sample of 145 test fields. The fieldwork approach revealed that the extent of land abandonment in the test area is 37% of all areas officially classified as agricultural, which shows that the scale of the phenomenon is significant, and that there is a need to develop an approach to provide a more detailed picture of the distribution of land abandonment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For more than a decade now, in the EU countries in particular, we observe significant advances in the development of regional geoportals, created by various public administration units. This has resulted, above all, from: legal regulations, an increased demand for geospatial information, and the development of mobile and geo-information technologies. At present, there are several hundred official mapping services on the Internet, making available databases of geospatial information of varying character. One of these is the map portal called Geoportal 2. One of the distinguishing features of the service is the fact that it provides access to geospatial data with the administrative data status, including land registry data. Despite regulatory limitations related to data processing, the Geoportal 2 is one of the most popular and most frequently chosen specialist map services in Poland. The goal of the paper is to present the Geoportal 2, describe its characteristics, and evaluate selected functionalities available within the mapping service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Scientiarum Polonorum. Formatio Circumiectus is the property of Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Rolniczego im. Hugona Kollataja w Krakowie and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The fundaments for sustainable development are constitute by spatial management policies expressed in the study of conditions and directions of spatial management as well as in the local spatial management plan. Polish agricultural lands are more often reclassified as non-agricultural areas. For example, this is confirmed by statistical data from the Polish Central Statistical Office. Also, there is an increasing number of non-agricultural and non-forest areas in spatial management studies. Ensuring access to technical infrastructure is an important argument in favour for development of investment areas. This article analyses, land zoning patterns in the community of Tomice, with particular consideration to investment areas. This paper also takes a close look at local spatial management policies and discusses the location of investment areas in the context of their access to utilities network. The article applies geoprocessing methods, including geometric and spatial analysis of selected basic evaluation fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precisely determining agricultural land abandonment (ALA) in an area is still difficult, even with recent progress in data collection and analysis. It is especially difficult in fragmented areas that need more tailor-made methods. The aim of this research was to determine ALA using airborne laser scanning (ALS) data, which are available in Poland with 4 to 6 points per square metre resolution. ALS data were processed into heat maps and modified with chosen kernel functions: triweight and Epanechnikov. The results of ALS data processing were compared to the control method, i.e., visual interpretation of an orthophotomap. This study shows that ALS data modelled with kernel functions allow for a good identification of ALA. The accuracy of results shows 82% concordance as compared to the control method. When comparing triweight and Epanechnikov functions, higher accuracy was achieved when using the triweight function. The research shows that ALS data processing is a promising method of detection of ALA and could provide an alternative to well-known methods such as the analysis of satellite images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The final decision of the owner of the plot who plans to build a house depends on many factors most of which are of legal and financial nature. The authors demonstrate that the decisions regarding specific location within the plot of land are influenced by intangible components as well, namely the intention to have the best view. The view is often related to the occurrence of landmarks with prominent visual impact in the landscape that determine visual connections. The rural landscape is determined by the spatial arrangement including the buildings, the shape of public spaces, ownership divisions, and the land distribution. Being an element of rural cultural heritage, the arrangement of buildings is influenced by a vast number of factors such as geographical, historical, physical, and socio-economic ones. This article focuses on determining the interaction between the settlement locations and zones with an excellent, unique view of characteristic, well-known architectural landmarks. Mapping of viewsheds of many features is a critical element of the landscape planning process and facilitates the protection of cultural heritage assets. The analysis involved LiDAR DTM (Digital Terrain Model created in Light Detection and Ranging technology), digital photographs, and historical maps. In terms of the administrative subdivision, the area comprises 20 localities. The landmark visibility analysis for locations of the buildings covered a 140 km2 area of Carpathian Foothills in southern Poland. The article combines experiences in the field of landscape architecture, spatial planning and the use of Geographic Information System (GIS) technology. The examples show that the modern development layout refers to the historical structure and the development of a new settlement tissue has a cultural background and is influenced by spatial landmarks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]