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Author Correction: The influence of active metabolites from the decomposition of camelina and barley straw on the development of phytoplankton from eutrophic freshwater ecosystem
The influence of active metabolites from the decomposition of camelina and barley straw on the development of phytoplankton from eutrophic freshwater ecosystem
Legal Tools for Blue-Green Infrastructure Planning—Based on the Example of Poznań (Poland)
In Polish law, no mechanisms exist to maximize the application and protection of blue and green infrastructure (BGI) in urban areas. A comprehensive legal framework does not entirely govern urban BGI facilities. Urban planning lacks an appropriate indicator, first and foremost. This study aimed to analyze the Polish legal criteria for the viability of designing and implementing BGI facilities. The authors also researched ways to aid legislators in growing and maintaining BGI in urban areas. In Poznań, a case study was carried out on applying the greenery planning and design law. Local spatial development plans (MPZP) are now the only legal tools in Poland that allow for the protection and establishment of BGI. According to data from Statistics Poland for 2021, the proportion of the country’s total area covered by existing local plans (based on current law) is around 20.51%. When the MPZP does not cover a portion of a municipality, administrative decisions are made by issuing development conditions (WZ) for the plot. WZ may become a tool for environmental damage under investment pressure. Ideas put forward by the authors are: (1) creating urban nature reserves (as one method of land use); (2) evaluating BGI as an integral part of eco-physiographic studies and spatial planning; and (3) creating a new urban indicator with more complex parameters.
The Future of Climate-Resilient and Climate-Neutral City in the Temperate Climate Zone
The urban heat island (UHI) effect is the main problem regarding a city’s climate. It is the main adverse effect of urbanization and negatively affects human thermal comfort levels as defined by physiological equivalent temperature (PET) in the urban environment. Blue and green infrastructure (BGI) solutions may mitigate the UHI effect. First, however, it is necessary to understand the problem from the degrading side. The subject of this review is to identify the most essential geometrical, morphological, and topographical parameters of the urbanized environment (UE) and to understand the synergistic relationships between city and nature. A four-stage normative procedure was used, appropriate for systematic reviews of the UHI. First, one climate zone (temperate climate zone C) was limited to unify the design guidelines. As a result of delimitation, 313 scientific articles were obtained (546 rejected). Second, the canonical correlation analysis (CCA) was performed for the obtained data. Finally, our research showed the parameters of the UE facilities, which are necessary to mitigate the UHI effect. Those are building density and urban surface albedo for neighborhood cluster (NH), and distance from the city center, aspect ratio, ground surface albedo, and street orientation for street canyon (SC), as well as building height, material albedo, and building orientation for the building structure (BU). The developed guidelines can form the basis for microclimate design in a temperate climate. The data obtained from the statistical analysis will be used to create the blue-green infrastructure (BGI) dynamic modeling algorithm, which is the main focus of the future series of articles.
Impact of Land Use Type on Macrophyte Occurrence in Ponds in a Changing Climate
Small ponds are essential environmental elements that perform many ecological functions. We tried to answer whether the macrophytes in ponds may be influenced by environmental factors and the neighboring areas’ land-use type. We also tried to determine the trend of changes in the ponds’ depth and size over the decade (2008–2018). The research was carried out on eight ponds in four types of land use (agricultural, horticultural, urban, and industrial areas). The study covered ponds’ morphometric parameters, macrophytes’ occurrence, and physicochemical water parameters. All data collected were statistically processed using CCA, linear regression, and Pearson’s correlation. The results indicated a continuous tendency for the ponds’ size and depth to decrease, particularly in urbanized areas. During the study, most macrophytes’ genera increased their area. Our research allowed us to separate two homogeneous groups of ponds in terms of environmental conditions. The first was horticultural area ponds, for which higher nutrient concentrations in water were determined. Those ponds were inhabited by Ceratophyllum and Sparganium genera. The second was urban and industrial area ponds characterized by higher water temperature, transparency, pH, and were richer in Mg and Ca. Carex, Potamogeton, and Schoenoplectus genera preferred such conditions.