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The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of deforestation of variable origin on the stream water chemistry, with a special focus on the NO3– ion. The research was conducted in 8 small catchments in the Tatra Mountains and 7 small catchments in the Beskid Śląski Mountains (the Carpathians, Poland). Relevant deforestation events occurred in the Beskid Śląski Mountains in the 1980s and 1990s, and were caused by intense acidic atmospheric deposition in the 1970s and 1980s, while tree stands in the Tatra Mountains were damaged abruptly by hurricane-force winds in 2013 and gradually by the bark beetle since the late 1990s. We show the key role of deforestation in the concentration of base cations (Ca2+, Mg2+), base anions (SO42-, HCO3–), and NO3– in stream water in catchments affected by acidic deposition. The lack of forest reduces the release of Ca2+, Mg2+ and HCO3– due to lower weathering rates in deforested areas than in forested areas. The absence of trees capable of absorbing atmospheric SO42- and NO3– in deforested catchments leads to a higher proportion of stream water SO42- and NO3– in the anion total than in forested catchments. The time passed since deforestation and degree of deforestation play a key role in NO3– concentration in stream water. The highest concentrations of NO3– were noted in stream water in freshly and fully hurricane-deforested catchments in the Tatra Mountains. The stream water NO3– concentration was markedly lower in a beetle-deforested catchment where only 40% of the forest had become damaged while the lowest NO3– concentrations were noted in more than 60% forested catchments. The most distinct seasonal changes in NO3– concentrations in stream water and in soils were noted in freshly and fully hurricane-deforested catchments.

The most important natural and anthropogenic factors affecting stream water and groundwater chemistry in the Carpathians were identified mainly on the basis of hydrochemical case studies from numerous small headwater Carpathian catchments. The most important natural factor determining water chemistry in the Carpathians is geology. In areas formed of poorly soluble granite and gneiss rocks (crystalline portion of the Tatra Mountains), the total dissolved solids (TDS) and concentration of main cations and anions are many times lower than that in areas formed of highly soluble carbonate rocks (sedimentary portion of the Tatra Mountains, Pieniny Mountains) and also clastic rocks forming so-called Carpathian flysch (Beskidy Mountains, Carpathian Foothills). Stream water and spring water chemistry in the Carpathians change primarily due to hydrologic factors—changes in discharge. As discharge increases, TDS declines and the concentrations of most main ions also decline, while the concentration of K+, NO3−, and PO43− increases. Elevation and geographic location of springs and streams in given climate zone and vegetation zone are additional natural factors affecting water chemistry, and this is particularly true of SO42− and Cl− concentration as well as pH. Anthropogenic factors affecting water chemistry in the Carpathians include acid rain, deforestation, agriculture, and tourist-generated wastewater. The effects of acid rain are felt in the form of low concentrations of main cations in stream and spring water in the western part of the Carpathians. This region was affected by very high acidic sulfur and nitrogen deposition in the second half of the twentieth century. Deforestation in the Carpathians impacts mainly spruce monocultures declining due to acid rain, strong winds, and bark beetle infestation, and is the main cause of increasing NO3− concentrations in stream water and spring water. Agricultural land use does not threaten stream water and groundwater due to low usage of mineral fertilizer. Threats that do exist are associated with unregulated releases of wastewater in rural areas. Wastewater generated by tourists is a major threat to stream water quality in areas with a high environmental value that are highly popular with tourists. Tourist lodges release wastewater into Carpathian streams leading to excess nitrogen and phosphorus concentration in stream water.

A viewshed analysis is of great importance in mountainous areas characterized by high landscape values. The aim of this research was to determine the impact of reforestation occurring on former pasturelands on changes in the viewshed, and to quantify changes in the surface of glades. We combine a horizontal and a vertical approach to landscape analysis. The changes in non-forest areas and the viewshed from viewpoints located in glades were calculated using historical cartographic materials and a more recent Digital Elevation Model and Digital Surface Model. An analysis was conducted using a Visibility tool in ArcGIS. The non-forest areas decreased in the period 1848&ndash, 2015. The viewshed in the majority of viewpoints also decreased in the period 1848&ndash, 2015. In the majority of cases, the maximal viewsheds were calculated in 1879/1885 and 1933 (43.8% of the analyzed cases), whereas the minimal ones were calculated in 2015 (almost 57.5% of analyzed cases). Changes in the viewshed range from 0.2 to 23.5 km2 with half the cases analyzed being no more than 1.4 km2. The results indicate that forest succession on abandoned glades does not always cause a decline in the viewshed. Deforestation in neighboring areas may be another factor that has an influence on the decline.

The typologies of landscapes of individual states that have ratified the European Landscape Convention do not include mountain pasture landscapes. Pasture landscapes in the Carpathians are preserved in a relatively good condition, although their spatial extent has considerably shrunk over the last few decades. The article demonstrates that mountain meadows and glades in the Carpathians meet all the conditions that allow them to be classified as a type of landscape, and thus they should be included in national typologies of landscapes. Firstly, they constitute a set of natural (non-forest vegetation) and anthropogenic (traditional shepherding buildings) objects. Secondly, they are a dynamic system in which natural, social and economic processes take place. They are also a source of stimuli, affecting different human senses and values and are a system that provides various real and potential services. The inclusion of mountain pasture landscapes in national typologies may provide a stronger basis for their protection.

Vasyl Herasymiuk, one of the most prominent contemporary Ukrainian poets, presents the struggle of the insurgents against the Soviet occupiers in the Carpathians in his literary works as an opposition of “own” and “other.” The invasion of the occupier destroys the authentic Carpathian cultural continuum and the insurgent underground resistance becomes a symbol of the human struggle for dignity and the preservation of own identity. The article analyzes the specific model of history presented in Vasyl Herasymiuk’s poetry. The connection between the insurgency and the poet’s biography and the history of his family is demonstrated. The article also traces and analyzes the contamination of the images of UPA insurgents and opryshky , the transformation in the hierarchical verticality of space, and the development of the struggle, presented via the opposition of “own” – “other,” from a myth-ritual point of view.

Short-duration extreme rainfall and flash floods are the major natural hazards in small Carpathian catchments. Quantifying forcing rainfall, hydrological responses and geomorphological impacts is the key to mitigating the negative impacts of flash floods. This article focuses on the hydrometeorological aspects of a flood event, the geomorphological changes of hillslopes and the river valley, in the Kasiniczanka catchment—48 km2 (Outer Carpathians, Poland). Results revealed that the flood in 2014 was generated by 6-h rainstorm with a total of 95.2 mm, and the mean intensity ranging from 7.1 to 31.3 mm h−1. The flood peak ranged from 60 to 171 m3 s−1, and it was approximately two times higher than an 0.1% flood. The unit peak flow ranged between 3.6 and 4.6 m3 s−1 km−2, and the K index (which is non-dimensional measure and allows the comparison of flood magnitudes in catchments of differing size), ranged from 3.9 to 4.1. These two measures revealed that this flood was among the worst, recorded in catchments ranging from 13 to 48 km2 in the Carpathians as a whole. The most significant geomorphological changes were observed in unmanaged channel reaches (the upper and middle parts of the catchment), contrary to lower part, where the river channel was protected by a hydrotechnical infrastructure. Flood analysis enabled the evaluation of the flood risk management process, related to flash floods in small catchments. In this context, some proposals to reduce flood risk level are presented and discussed.

Semi-natural grasslands are characteristic elements of mountain landscapes across the world. However, a significant decrease in their area has been observed in many places in Europe. This phenomenon leads to many negative consequences, which is why meadows and pastures are managed for conservation purposes in most European countries, especially in protected areas. The aim of this study is to identify the challenges for the management of semi-natural grasslands in the national parks of the Polish Carpathians with a special focus on the implementation of conservation measures. The study highlights also attitudes of local communities towards the conservation of semi-natural grasslands as well as motivations guiding the residents to support conservation activities. According to interviews conducted with parks' employees six key categories of challenges have been distinguished. They are associated with the land ownership structure, financing and implementation of conservation measures, planning and evaluation of applied treatments, and natural and social determinants. Only some of the challenges result exclusively from the mountainous conditions or refer directly to the effectiveness of the conservation measures. Most of the challenges are typical of those found in national parks throughout the world and are connected with legislative and financial issues. The results of interviews showed that implementation of conservation measures in difficult, mountainous conditions, and their labour consumption pose the biggest challenge. A significant problem is also the removal of mown biomass. The possibility of efficient conservation of semi-natural grasslands is in many cases limited by advanced processes of secondary forest succession, complicated ownership relations and difficult procedures of obtaining funds for the active conservation. The attitudes of local communities towards the conservation of semi-natural grasslands are different in individual national parks. The residents supporting the conservation activities are guided by aesthetic and scenic, historical and cultural as well as financial motivations.

The Polish Carpathians, like many mountain areas in Europe, are currently facing dynamic land use changes that will shape their future landscapes. As there are many different possible scenarios of potential change, we compared three different land use scenarios up until the year 2060 and assessed their impact on the potential habitat connectivity of two large carnivores&mdash, wolf (Canis lupus) and lynx (Lynx lynx). We first analysed the main directions of change within and outside the pan-European wildlife corridor located in the western part of the Polish Carpathians. Then we calculated and compared least-cost paths among randomly selected points for each land use scenario separately. Our results showed that the main direction of change&mdash, forest cover increase&mdash, may positively influence habitat connectivity for both wolf and lynx. However, due to the future spread of settlements, this positive impact might be locally limited. Therefore, to realise the potential conservation opportunities resulting from on-going land use changes, adequate orientation of spatial planning towards habitat connectivity is crucial.

In ungauged catchments, flood hydrographs are usually simulated/reconstructed by simple rainfall-runoff and routing models. Horton’s and Schumm’s ratios serve as the input data for many of these models. In this paper, more than 800 Carpathian catchments (up to 35.2 km2 in area) were investigated in context of the “Horton’s and Schumm’s laws”. Results reveal that the “law of stream number” and “law of stream areas” are fulfilled in almost all catchments. The mean that values of the bifurcation ratio (RB) and the area ratio (RA) reach 3.8 and 4.8, respectively, and are thus comparable to values reported in other regions of the world. However, the “law of stream lengths” is not fulfilled in more than half of the catchments, which is not consistent with many theoretical studies reported in the literature. Only 383 (48%) catchments fulfill the “law of stream length”, with the mean value of the length ratio (RL)=2.3. There was no relationship found between the geological/geomorphological settings that influence river system development and the spatial distribution of catchments where the “law of stream length” was or was not was fulfilled. A similar conclusion was reached for the spatial distribution of the RB, RL, and RA ratios. These results confirmed that the use of Horton’s and Schumm’s ratios for the evaluation of the influence of geological/geomorphological settings on the river system development is limited. Among the lumped hydrological models, those requiring the RB, RL, and RA ratios have been extensively studied over last decades. This study suggests that the application of these models may be limited in small catchment areas; therefore, more attention should be placed on the development of hydrological models where the RB, RL, and RA ratios are not necessary.

One of the major land use and land cover changes in Europe is agricultural land abandonment (ALA) that particularly affects marginal mountain areas. Accurate mapping of ALA patterns and timing is important for understanding its determinants and the environmental and socio-economic consequences. In highly fragmented agricultural landscapes with small-scale farming, subtle land use changes following ALA can be detected with high resolution remotely sensed data, and successional vegetation height is a possible indicator of ALA timing. The main aim of this study was to determine the relationship between successional vegetation height and the timing of agricultural land abandonment in the Budzów community in the Polish Carpathians. Areas of vegetation succession were vectorized on 1977, 1997, and 2009 orthophotomaps, enabling the distinguishing of vegetation encroaching on abandoned fields before and after 1997. Vegetation height in 2012–2014 was determined from digital surface and terrain models that were derived from airborne laser scanning data. The median heights of successional vegetation that started development before and after 1997 were different (6.9 m and 3.2 m, respectively). No significant correlations between successional vegetation height and elevation, slope, aspect, and proximity to forest were found. Thus, the timing of agricultural land abandonment is the most important factor influencing vegetation height, whereas environmental characteristics on this scale of investigation may be neglected.

A new to Poland species of a myxomycete, Arcyria marginoundulata, was found at two distant localities in the southern part of the country. Polish specimens are typical and have all important features characteristic of the species: minute, grey, stipitate sporocarps, calyculus concentrically plicate at margin, spiny capillitium and small spores covered with few irregularly distributed larger warts. The species was found growing on alder female catkins. It seems that this substrate is specific for A. marginoundulata in Europe.

Establishing protected areas has emerged as one of the key aims in global and EU conservation policy. In the EU, the particular role of providing biodiversity conservation was bestowed on the European Ecological Network Natura 2000. However, public perception of this initiative has been negative in most countries. In this manuscript, we present a representative description of knowledge and attitudes of inhabitants of Polish Carpathians’ municipalities included into Natura 2000. The research was conducted in six municipalities among 906 respondents. Majority (92%) of respondents believe that it is a good measure to legally protect nature in their area. Additionally, we analysed how selected features of respondents influence their perception of protected areas. Level of education, the fact that respondents moved to their current place of residence in adulthood and that they are self-employed, are the characteristics that most significantly influence their knowledge of Natura 2000. Moreover, ownership of a business, familiarity with Natura 2000 and the respondents’ age affect their level of satisfaction with a Natura 2000 site designated in their region. We focus on differences in awareness and acceptance of the programme among different municipalities’ inhabitants – in the municipality fully covered by a Natura 2000 site, inhabitants are most knowledgeable about nature conservation issues but at the same time they opposed it most strongly. In a typical agricultural municipality, knowledge on nature conservation issues is low while in the touristic-type, the vast majority of residents have no opinion on designation of new protected areas at all. Based on the results of the following study we suggest that development of tools on how to manage the protected areas effectively should rely both on traditional ecological analysis and that of a social type.

We studied pseudoscorpions of the genera Roncus L. Koch, 1873 and Acanthocreagris Mahnert, 1976 (Neobisiidae) from some caves in Romania. One new species - Roncus zburatorul n. sp. - is described; supplementary descriptions of the hitherto unknown male of R. ciobanmos Curcic, Poinar, and Sarbu, 1993 and a second female of A. callaticola (Dumitresco and Orghidan, 1964) are also presented. The specimens studied are thoroughly described and illustrated. Taxonomic interrelationships and geographic distribution are briefly discussed.

The paper presents the outcomes of the uncertainty investigation of a long-term forest cover change analysis in the Polish Carpathians (nearly 20,000 km2) and Swiss Alps (nearly 10,000 km2) based on topographic maps. Following Leyk et al. (2005) all possible uncertainties are grouped into three domains - production-oriented, transformation- oriented and application-oriented. We show typical examples for each uncertainty domain, encountered during the forest cover change analysis and discuss consequences for change detection. Finally, a proposal for reliability assessment is presented.

The Carpathian Mountains: challenges for the Central and Eastern European landmark.- Science for the Carpathians: using regional capacity to cope with global change.- Progress in understanding the dynamics of Carpathian abiotic environment.- Progress in understanding the dynamics of Carpathian abiotic environment.- Landslide susceptibility assessment: GIS application to a complex mountainous environment.- GIS evaluation of erosion-sedimentation risk caused by extreme convective rainstorms: case study of the Stonavka River catchment, Czech Republic.- Assessment of the impact of agricultural land utilization practices on soil losses.- The effects of climate change on element content and soil pH (Sikfokut DIRT Project, northern Hungary).- Climate changes in the vertical zones of the Polish Carpathians in the last 50 years.- Air temperature variability in the High Tatra Mountains.- Climate trends in the Slovak part of the Carpathians.