Earthworks in the vicinity of roads, open mines, subsidence tanks and other man-made objects can lead to the creation of slopes that undergo erosion. One of the methods that can prevent their degradation and reclaim them is the use of geotextiles. An environmentally friendly option is using geotextiles that are produced from reclaimed fibres. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of the mechanical and chemical properties of geotextiles, namely, ropes and fibres (containing wool and polypropylene), not only on the rate of the greening of slopes but also on the species composition of vegetation. We studied the floristic composition, species diversity, species growth and soil properties of four sites of reclaimed slopes on which 46 study plots (5 m × 5 m) were laid out. We found that some species were more confined to a higher content of wool and that other species were more confined to the content of polypropylene. Both materials caused a decrease in the Shannon–Wiener diversity but an increase in evenness under the impact of ropes when compared to the control. They both also contributed to a higher mean height of the plants when compared to the control. The rate of the plant colonisation process was markedly improved by the reclaimed geotextiles. A longer and more detailed study is required to examine the effect of geotextile ropes on habitat creation.

The paper presents preliminary results of the studies concerning influence of geotextiles stabilizing the soil on vegetation of post-excavation slopes and drainage ditches. Analyzed anthropogenic habitats are situated in Międzyrzecze and Nieboczowy (Silesian Province, Southhern Poland). They...

Grazing has proven to be a successful management tool in terms of the maintenance and restoration of biodiversity. Sheep and pastoralism can provide a various set of ecosystem services, i.e., benefits for humans from the environment. The Silesian Beskids, the westernmost part of the Carpathian Mountains, is an area with a long tradition of pastoralism. Since the 13th century, sheep have grazed clearings located in forests and in large areas of grasslands in mountains. In this study, we tried to identify all possible aspects of provisional, regulating and cultural services provided by sheep and the pasturage tradition bearing in mind the specificity of this region. The biodiversity maintenance and habitat creation due to grazing and the cultural values of pastoralism was illustrated using a literature review of data concerning cultural heritage, tourism and education and using our own phytosociological field studies performed in nine vegetation types within grazing sites. In order to examine the impact of grazing, an observation of sheep’s daily grazing activity during the vegetation season using tractive GPS locators was conducted. The results showed that grazing has a positive impact on the maintenance of vegetation including EU-protected habitats. In addition, the pastoral activity introduced to the Beskids by the Vlachs contributed to the development of a specific highlander culture that continues to this day. Not all potential ecosystem services associated with the use of sheep are realized in the study area. Amongst the provisional services, sheep bones are not used while dairy is the most popular followed by meat. In turn, the cultural heritage of pastoralism is one of the most important drivers for the touristic attraction of Silesian Beskid.

In vegetation science including phytosociology, visual estimates of plant cover and point method belong to the common field method to record species composition and their abundance. Two methods were compared: Braun-Blanquet scale and point method using Levy bridge. A group of students performed measurements in five plots belonged to an oak-hornbeam forestTilio-Carpinetum. It was revealed that there is a very high discrepancy in a observed number of species. Total mean numbers obtained are 13.4 and 31.2 for point method and Braun-Blanquet method respectively. However, there is the significant positive and medium correlation between two methods in terms of estimation of abundance of species. It can be concluded that point-method is not suitable for study of forest floor vegetation. It can be merged with other methods. Due to many repetitive measures, it can be helpful in learning of recognition of species.

The paper presents an assessment of the ecological potential of the Soła river based on benthic macroinvertebrates and diatomaceous phytobenthos according to the principles of the Water Framework Directive. The calculated values of Multimetric Diatom Index (IO) indicated class II of ecological...