"Technical infrastructure in multifunctional forests"
- Task 1: Development of water relations in forest environment adapted to function of forest.
- Task 2: Building and adaptation of roads (communication net) in forest depend on its foundation.
- Task 3: Biogeochemical monitoring of forest environment under the influence of the objects of technical infrastructure.
The aim of investigative theme, in frame of task 1, is estimation of water relations on areas with forest different functions (productive, protective and recreational). Selected areas in LZD Siemianice became testing by detailed field investigations including among other things: stock-taking of net of water-courses, ditches and drainage devices, measurements of ground water levels, measurements of outflows in water-courses and ditches. Obtained data supplemented by meteorological data will be base for calculation of water balances for selected areas (catchments). Elaboration of coefficients of water storage estimation will be base for specifying helpful rules of conduct, in plans of forest, protection of forest etc. The aim of the research within the confines of the task number two is evaluation of strength of diverse water-ground subsoil in experimental weather conditions. The evaluation of subsoil will be done on the basis of research made in experimental sections (the compressive strength of surface given by modulus deformation) as well as lab research (crush durability and lab modulus deformation). Also, the influence on contamination of ground-water environment by surface will be specified. Methods of forest building technology will be established as a final effect of carried out research. These methods will have to fulfil the standards of the compressive strength for roads made by traffic. The aim of the research within the confines of the task number three will be the evaluation of contaminations. The forest environmental condition in the zone of the influence of the technical infrastructure objects will be also carried out. The investigated forest areas are under the influence of forest infrastructure objects as well as other building, industrial and communication objects. All of them evoke disturbances of homeostasis in forests. The influence of technical infrastructure will be determined by geochemical monitoring of indicators characteristic for particular forest ecosystem. Soil and water monitoring as well as bioindicators and biomarkers will be investigated by chemoindication, bioindication and magnetometric methods.
"Surface and deep stabilization of slopes and road foundations"
The scope of research was to devise stabilization methods, which should include following characteristics:
- gaining physical and mechanical parameters of bearing foundation layer by utilization of materials such as setting materials, chemical stabilizations, environment-neutral industrial wastes and micro reinforcement of soil,
- suitability for surface stabilization of slopes and their succeeding reclamation by means of vegetation surfacing methods enabling initial anti-erosion protection and successful introduction of permanent vegetation.
"Water relations in selected forest ecosystems developed in similar site conditions"
The principal objective of the proposed research project will be to investigate the impact of water relations on the development of different plant communities in similar site conditions. It is planned to perform appropriate investigations connected with elements of the water balance of the catchment basin and to characterize site-stand traits on all the selected experimental surfaces.
"Modeling of runoff processes from forest lowland catchment on the basis of forest environment characteristics"
The processes of rainfall-runoff transformation from a catchment remain the key research issue of general hydrology, including the science of water processes of forest areas. Although, substantial amount of research has been done throughout a 40-year period to explain the issues related to forest ecosystem-hydrological processes interactions, nevertheless the identified problems still need further investigation and explanation. Substantial progress has been achieved mainly in identification of qualitative dependences, namely general role of particular physiographic characteristics co-modulating rainfall transformation into runoff. Nonetheless essential, yet unsolved issues are related to quntitive dependences, namely forest ecosystem role understood as quantified forest stand and site characteristic in affecting processes of rainfall transformation into runoff in a catchment. The aim of research comprehends assessment and significance identification of leading forest ecosystems characteristics in transformation rainfall into runoff. The special unit selected for research - small forest catchment would be representative and bearing resemblance to experimental units. Extensive identification of physiographic conditions will be performed, with thorough view to forest ecosystem characteristics (stand and site). Hydrometeorological data will be acquired. The verification of preliminary conclusions will be performed on the basis of hydrological modeling of runoff as influenced by quality of forest environment and by means of statistical methods. As a result an attempt will be made to draw generalizing conclusions at least at the level of western part of Poland.
"Evaluation and development perspectives of the forest road network on marshy areas of the "Lasy Rychtalskie" Forest Promotional Complex"
The aim of the research project is to assess the technical conditions of forest roads on the marshy areas of the "Lasy Rychtalskie" Forest Promotional Complex (FPC) and to recommend appropriate requirements and direction of their development. In addition, the impact of different types of road surfaces on the ground-water substrate and the selection of the least harmful surface for the substrate will also be evaluated. The final stage of the study will be evaluation of the carrying parameters found on the experimental road segments, the choice of construction technology fulfilling the carrying and safety criteria in relation to the ground-water environment and determine the costs of construction and maintenance of the employed technologies.
"Water conditions on marshlands in Research Forestry Management Siemianice"
The aim of research comprehends determination of water conditions on marshlands in Research Forestry Management Siemianice. Qualitative assessment of forest, interpreted as a specific water reservoir, is generally known, but quantitative assessment of water conditions, particularly retention capacity as influenced by both forest stand characteristics e.g. tree composition, age structure and forest site type will be determined through the course of research. Special function in forests habitations of marshlands are playing. The results are to be presented by the means of numerical maps, too. It will enable successive data appending and water resources monitoring of the area under research (the utilitarian aspect of research, too).
"The significance of forest ecotone zones in biogeochemical immobilization of chemical contaminations generated by routs"
The aim of the project is to determine the importance of forest ecotone zones which constitute a certain filter buffering chemical contaminations generated by traffic. The aim of researchers is to follow how contaminations migrate in forests in vicinity of rots. Also, the aim of the researchers is to determine the best methods of forming the forest ecotone zones as well as indicate technical methods (geomembrane, reactive barriers) to protect forest environment neighboring with routs.
"Elaboration of strategy of marshlands protection of the Forest Promotion Complexes areas - on example FPC "Lasy Rychtalskie""
The study covered forest swamp areas of the FPC "Lasy Rychtalskie". To detailed investigations are selected three experimental areas, microcatchments and 6 transects transverse to forest roads situated or in frames above mentioned areas or in their immediate nearness. Chosen microcatchments are situated, that lie in wholes on marshland areas. On experimental areas are installed 51 of wells to measurements of ground water levels and 3 Thomson overflows on rivers. From all of bore-holes were received samples of soils to standard researches in laboratory - mechanical, physical, chemical and water properties. The area has high retention potential. Surface outflow is relatively low ca 4% of annual precipitation and occurs in the winter half-year extending into May. The study justifies the conclusion that the linear reservoir model returns the adequate outcome of runoff simulation for catchments located in forest swamp areas. The groundwater level is shallow in investigated sites at ca1m b.g.s. The prognosis of groundwater level changes expressed by groundwater level dynamics was created on the basis of negative annual rainfall trend. The projection was calculated on assumption that significant changes in forest swamp ecosystems would occur provided that average groundwater depth level decrease by 50% of the actual groundwater level depth. The reduction of groundwater level depth as the outcome of this scenario can be expected in 100-year period. The reasonable water management preventive measures against negative effects of hydrological processes stimulating groundwater level depth decrease on forest swamp ecosystems is stopping of the outflow from the area. The study included a task of developing and implementation easy-to-use method of potential water storage assessment for forest areas. The method bases on utilization of data stored in databases typically prepared for the forest inventory purposes. The chemical analysis of investigated sites of FPC "Lasy Rychtalskie" as far as surface and groundwater is concerned has not returned the results justifying the conclusion that the concentration of pollutant compounds is higher than the natural concentration of these compounds. The dirt roads located on swampy soils through entire annual period did not meet the bearing strength standards required for the forest communication network. The bearing strength of paved roads depended on local dynamics of groundwater level.
