Birch trees are abundant in central and northern Europe and are dominant trees in broadleaved forests. Birches are pioneer trees that produce large quantities of allergenic pollen efficiently dispersed by wind. The pollen load level depends on the sizes and locations of pollen sources, which are important for pollen forecasting models; however, very limited work has been done on this topic in comparison to research on anthropogenic air pollutants. Therefore, we used highly accurate aerial laser scanning (Light Detection and Ranging—LiDAR) data to estimate the size and location of birch pollen sources in 3-dimensional space and to determine their influence on the pollen concentration in Poznań, Poland. LiDAR data were acquired in May 2012. LiDAR point clouds were clipped to birch individuals (mapped in 2012–2014 and in 2019), normalised, filtered, and individual tree crowns higher than 5 m were delineated. Then, the crown surface and volume were calculated and aggregated according to wind direction up to 2 km from the pollen trap. Consistent with LIDAR data, hourly airborne pollen measurements (performed using a Hirst-type, 7-day volumetric trap), wind speed and direction data were obtained in April 2012. We delineated 18,740 birch trees, with an average density of 14.9/0.01 km², in the study area. The total birch crown surface in the 500–1500 m buffer from the pollen trap was significantly correlated with the pollen concentration aggregated by the wind direction (r = 0.728, p = 0.04). The individual tree crown delineation performed well (r² ≥ 0.89), but overestimations were observed at high birch densities (> 30 trees/plot). We showed that trees outside forests substantially contribute to the total pollen pool. We suggest that including the vertical dimension and the trees outside the forest in pollen source maps have the potential to improve the quality of pollen forecasting models.

The Natural History Collections of Adam Mickiewicz University (AMUNATCOLL) in Poznań contain over 2.2 million specimens. Until recently, access to the collections was limited to specialists and was challenging because of the analogue data files. Therefore, this paper presents a new approach to data sharing called the Scientific, Educational, Public, and Practical Use (SEPP) Model. Since the stakeholder group is broad, the SEPP Model assumes the following key points: full open access to the digitized collections, the structure of metadata in accordance with certain standards, and a versatile tool set for data mining or statistical and spatial analysis. The SEPP Model was implemented in the AMUNATCOLL IT system, which consists of a web portal equipped with a wide set of explorative functionalities tailored to different user groups: scientists, students, officials, and nature enthusiasts. An integral part of the system is a mobile application designed for field surveys, enabling users to conduct studies comparing their own field data and AMUNATCOLL data. The AMUNATCOLL IT database contains digital data on specimens, biological samples, bibliographic sources, and multimedia nature documents. The metadata structure was developed in accordance with ABCD 2.06 and Darwin Core standards.

The increasing human pressure on the environment requires effective protection activities. One way to stop the degradation of natural resources is the presence of woody vegetation networks, mainly linear in character, called linear woody features, greenways or tree belts. These objects, thanks to the many natural and economic functions they serve, enable the realization of sustainable development policy. To properly design a greenway network, the natural conditions and degree of environmental degradation in a given area must first be evaluated. Based on these data, it is possible to determine appropriate afforestation needs. To evaluate the ability of a given area to meet the requirements of greenway functions, we propose a new computer modeling system - a tree belt modeling (TBM). TBM defines the availability of tree belt functions in the planned network and is one of preparation stages in the design of an optimal greenway structure. In this work, to analyze the studied area potential, application of a cadastral dataset was proposed. Thanks to this approach, the obtained results may be related to specific plot borders, which is optimal for greenway construction. To automatize the process of analysis, the TBM was implemented into an ArcGIS toolbox. The result of using this toolbox is a tree belt functions geodatabase. This database contains information about the available functions in the analyzed lines that are potential sites for afforestation. This solution, both at the methodological and technological levels, may significantly increase the effectiveness of greenway planning and thus contribute to more effective activities for sustainable development.

Terraced historical landscapes have multiple functions in mountain land, limiting erosion, enabling agricultural production and constituting cultural heritage. Currently, they are largely abandoned in Mediterranean regions and facing the ongoing impacts of climate change. Our aim is to reconstruct the evolution of land use on the terraces in order to test the hypothesis of the resilience of these landscapes and their age in recent history (17th–21st century). To achieve this, we used various current and archive spatial datasets and GIS knowledge to detect and map terraces and the changes in land use. We tested this hypothesis in a territory impacted by a recent extreme event, facing the challenge of its reconstruction. Our main outcome showed that the optimal use of the terraces corresponded to the demographic optimum of the mid-19th century, and they were gradually abandoned after the Second World War, with significant differences between Mediterranean and mountain lands. Despite this evolution, the terraces persisted and withstood an extreme event, validating our resilience hypothesis and opening avenues for the revitalization of this territory based on this heritage. These findings are drawing perspectives for the future of terraced landscapes in Mediterranean mountains in the context of climate change.

The paper describes the interfaces implemented in the AMUNATCOLL IT system, which enable access to and explorationand manipulation of data available in the database containing unique natural collections from the Faculty of Biology of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (FBAMU). Data can be accessed using the two available interfaces: graphical and programming application interfaces. The first is implemented in two forms: a portal, which is the main interface for accessingthe data stored in the database, and a mobile application that complements functions related to field research and creating private collections. To deliver the required set of operations, the portal was equipped with simplified and advanced searching, statistical analysis and spatial processing (BioGIS). Data openness and the ability to collaborate with other solutions and systems are key elements in achieving synergies in conducting research on biodiversity. AMUNATCOLL IT offers an opportunity to respond to these challenges, enabling data export for independent processing with external tools related to portal functionality or giving access to data directly using an application programming interface. Graphical interfaces are subject to numerous requirements and restrictions reflected in the graphic design and accessibility issues related to the accommodation of disabled individuals. These interfaces must properly address both groups of target recipients, considering their different goals and level of knowledge, as well as adjusting the level of interaction due to the limitations of using the interface.