<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
This article summarises the history of research into alien plants and plant communities in Slovakia (Central Europe). Earlier periods are reviewed briefly with reference to literature sources dealing with those periods more comprehensively. A milestone in the research was the publication of the Inventory of the alien flora of Slovakia in 2012 with a complete list of alien vascular plants. The last ten years are discussed more extensively in the article in four sections devoted to i) newly found alien plants, ii) distribution and habitat relations, iii) plant invasions, iv) citizen science based on the comprehensive excerption of literature sources. A list of 51 newly published alien taxa within the last ten years is also included with information on the year of their first occurrence in the wild in Slovakia.
</abstract>

Alien (invasive) vascular plants in Slovakia – a story of successful plant immigrants

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
Due to an absence of domestic certified reference materials for coal on the Polish market, an attempt was made to manufacture a new and innovative product tailored to its needs. The chosen candidate material was hard coal acquired from Poland’s coal mines. A single reference material unit consisted of 50g of an analytical hard coal sample with a grain size below 0.2 mm. A manufacturing method was developed enabling production of matrix reference materials addressing the needs of the domestic solid fuel market, and was directed at research laboratories carrying out analyses of solid fuels for the energy and coking sectors. The adapted manufacturing scheme of a certified reference material for coal was presented with a description of the chosen critical steps of the process and discussion of the obtained results in terms of homogeneity, stability, characterisation of the reference material as well as assigned values to particular properties and their uncertainty budget. The results obtained during homogeneity, short-term and long-term stability assessments as well as reference material characterisation confirmed the feasibility of the investigated certified coal reference material manufacturing process. The obtained levels of relative expanded uncertainties of the measurements confirmed the feasibility of the manufactured certified reference material for establishing and maintaining metrological traceability of measurement results. The presented research establishes a base for planning out production of additional reference materials as well as providing the know-how for designing manufacturing schemes for reference materials for solid fuels, or waste related materials like fly ash, or furnace waste.
</abstract>

Certified reference material for coal in accordance with the PN-EN ISO 17034:2017-03 standard and ISO GUIDE 35:2017

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>Upper Silesia in terms of ethnicity is a typical example of a historical region in Europe, but in fact, one of the few exceptions in contemporary Poland, where its mixed ethnic and religious structures have at least partly survived until today. While their existence had been denied by Nazi Germany (1933-1945) as well as by the Polish People's Republic (1945-1989), the emancipation of the German and Silesian minorities after the democratic changes of 1989 have evoked strong emotions in the ethnically almost uniform country. Nonetheless, the recent situation of minorities has improved as never before. Minority organisations has been officially recognized and German finally has become the second language in some municipalities of Upper Silesia, but the largest ethnic group in the whole country, the Silesians, have still experienced no formal recognition as a national minority. This article deals with the demographic aspects of the ethnic groups in Upper Silesia since the 19th century until recent times. The census results concerning the ethnic minorities or languages in Upper Silesia have been contested since the first records of that kind have been taken. The outcomes of the both last censuses of 2002 and 2011 concerning the minority question reflected for the first time a much more realistic picture of the status quo. Furthermore, they showed that the idea of Silesian identification found an unexpected high number of supporters. This fact indicates an emerging meaning of regional identification amid significant changes of cultural values in Polish society.</abstract>

Contested minorities – the case of Upper Silesia

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>The post-industrial landscapes represent a legacy of the industrial revolution. There have been gradually formed numerous enterprises of various industry branches on the territory between Czech-Polish border in the North and Moravian-Silesian Beskydes Mts. (a part of Carpathians) in the South (the western border follows the foothills of Hercynian Bohemian Highlands). In the given study, there are demonstrated examples of the post-industrial landscape in the concerned area of Ostrava, which is a part of the so called Upper Silesian industrial corridor that is intensively linking industrialized region of Upper Silesia in Poland and the Czech Republic with other developed regions of Europe to southwest through the Moravian Gate to the Danube region. This paper demonstrates the procedure for defining the post-industrial landscapes in general, their classification and standardization using the available data sources and GIS technology. For the processing the data of the deployment of brownfields, contaminated sites, industrial constructions of architectural heritage, mining points and areas, human made landforms, industrial and landfill sites etc. were used. They document the genesis, the territorial shape and the geographic position of the post-industrial landscape in the study region. In the concerned area of Ostrava four “rural” post-industrial landscapes were identified and classified into three different genetic types. This paper also presents a methodology for identifying, mapping and classification of post-industrial landscapes on the basis of publicly available and state-managed databases.</abstract>

Institute of Geonics, Academy of Sciences of Czech Republic, Ostrava, Brno branch, Drobného Str. 28, 60200 Brno, Czech Republic

Department of Geoinformation Technologies, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University, Zemědělská Str. 3, 61300 Brno, Czech Republic

Institute of Geonics, Academy of Sciences of Czech Republic, Ostrava, Studentská Str. 1768, 70800 Ostrava, Czech Republic

Department of Regional Development and Public Administration, Faculty of Regional Development and International Studies, Mendel University , tř. Gen. Píky Str. 7, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic

Delineation of post-industrial landscapes of the Upper Silesian corridor in the Basin of Ostrava

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>Do young children think that plants deserve morally-based respect or, on the contrary, do they feel that respect for plant life is nothing more than another behavioural norm similar to, for instance, one that states that you should not pick your nose in public? This study examines how dilemmas involving environmental, moral and socio-conventional situations are comprehended in early childhood so as to investigate the issue of whether young children attach a significant degree of severity to transgressions against plant life in comparison with disregarding socially accepted rules. Additionally, young children’s judgements are put into perspective alongside their understanding of the concept of living things in order to shed light on the role that grasping essential biological notions might play in the emergence of young children’s assessments of actions that pose a threat to the environment. The sample of the study consists of 328 children (162 girls and 166 boys) who attend Early Years Education or Primary Education and the data examined comes from the individual interviews conducted with the children. The results are discussed in connection with the current understanding of the source of ethical judgements which emphasises the importance that emotions seem to play in the construction of moral thinking.</abstract>

Faculty of Education-Bilbao, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n. 48940 Leioa,

Education and Sport Faculty, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Juan Ibáñez de Santo Domingo, 1. 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz,

Young children’s environmental judgement and its relationship with their understanding of the concept of living things

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>The results of an investigation of the invasive species in the flora of the Starobilsk grass-meadow steppe are presented. Check-list of alien plant has over 386 species of vascular plants of which 28 species are invasive. We have identified 6 transformer species from the invasive plants. We aggregate data on the entry, distribution history, ecology, occurrence in different plant communities, degree of their naturalization and the habitats where they occur. The leading families of invasive species are: Asteraceae. The basis for this group is presented by origin from the North America and the Mediterranean. With respect to the time of immigration, most of them are kenophytes. By the method of introduction, ksenophytes are dominated; according to the degree of naturalization epoecophytes and agriophytes dominate in this group. With regard to the characteristics of life forms, half of invasive species are terophytes. The vast majority of plants are heliophytes and xeromesophytes. Most species are found in biotopes group I: Cultivated agricultural biotopes; least of all species found in biotopes group F: Biotopes dominated by chamephytes and nanophanerophytes. Only 3 species found in biotopes group F: Biotopes dominated by chamephytesand nanophanerophytes. The maps of distribution of 28 invasive species are provided. Most of the species marked dispersed in more than 30 squares.</abstract>

Invasive species in the flora of the Starobilsk grass-meadow steppe (Ukraine)

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
This study investigates the recurring floods within the Nekor Basin of NE Morocco, a phenomenon dating back to 1944. A multitude of factors has contributed to these recurrent floods, which profoundly affect the northern region encompassing the Nekor Plain. The research primarily investigates the influence of specific weather conditions on the surge of water levels in “Wadi Nekor” and the ensuing consequences when the valley veers from its primary course. The research findings strongly indicate that a significant portion of these flood events can be attributed to “Cut-Off Low” (COL) and atmospheric rivers (ARs), frequently aligning with mean sea level pressure (MSLP) systems located over, or in proximity to, the Moroccan region. This study employs a systematic classification and arrangement methodology for both upper and lower atmospheric levels in analyzing pertinent cases.
</abstract>

Exploring the impact of weather patterns on exceptional flooding events in the Nekor watershed, NE Morocco

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
An eco-religious approach is one that combines religious beliefs with ecological awareness, thus giving rise to responsibility for the natural environment, such as the threat of a climate crisis due to climate change, as part of the understanding of religion itself. This approach is not universally accepted because views on climate change, and the role of humans in addressing it, can vary among different religions and religious traditions. This research explores the relationship between religiosity and climate change, with a focus on the concept of an eco-religious approach. The aim was to understand how religiosity can influence climate change using the ecological footprint as a proxy. The cross-country robust regression analysis method was employed to address this objective. Robustness and sensitivity model checks were also performed, resulting in reliable regression analysis that can be generalized to various situations. The results of the study suggest that increased religiosity is associated with a decrease in per person ecological footprint. This research suggests a transformation of religious values towards a more inclusive eco-religious perspective, encompassing bio-centric and eco-centric ethics, and not just anthropocentric views. Collaboration between religious and non-religious communities is key in addressing climate change. Religious institutions are also identified as essential agents in mobilizing environmental movements, participating in international forums, and incorporating climate change issues into educational curricula. This research supports the potential of religiosity as a positive catalyst in global efforts to preserve environmental sustainability and address the holistic challenges of climate change.
</abstract>

Religiosity and climate change: An eco-religious approach

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
Risk assessment for groundwater allows for preventive activities in the field of environmental monitoring. The risk assessment for groundwater in the area of the municipal waste landfill in Sosnowiec was carried out using the Nemerov Index (NPI) and the Enrichment Index (EF), as well as a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis and a risk matrix. It was performed on the basis of the database from 2014-2019 for ten piezometers belonging to the landfill’s observation network. In the case of the risk matrix, 20 risks were identified regarding climatic conditions, landfill infrastructure and employees. The SWOT analysis considered the strengths and weaknesses of the facility as well as opportunities related to technological development and threats related primarily to the location of the facility within the landscape. The risk assessment indices were calculated for the following parameters: electrolytic conductivity, Na, Mg, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, TOC, HCO3, Cl, SO4, and NH4. The highest values of the NPI index exceeded 3,500 (in a single measurement), while for the EF index the values reached almost 500. These prove the impact of this facility on the quality of groundwater. However, hydrochemical background value and the value of the immobile parameter are also important. This article uses limit values for the first class of groundwater quality. The results of above mentioned methods indicate a medium risk to groundwater, and the opportunities and strengths of the facility outweigh the negative aspects of the plant’s operation. Further research should include the identification of additional risk factors and the likely response to risk.
</abstract>

Risk analysis for groundwater in the area of the municipal waste landfill in Sosnowiec, South Poland

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
This article generalizes the urbanization process and its impact on agricultural land use in Vietnam. The high rate of urbanization has led to a great demand for purchasing agricultural products, especially high-quality ones, and as a result, this affects agricultural development. On one hand, it offers new chances to expand the domestic market and to encourage exports. On the other hand, the conversion of agricultural land into non-agricultural land under accelerated urbanization leads to a large area of arable land being abandoned or polluted, consequently affecting food security and sustainable development. Therefore, to meet the people’s food needs in the context of urbanization, it is necessary to have proper solutions to improve the efficiency of agricultural land use, such as: implementing land laws aimed at developing agricultural production in the direction of large-scale, concentrated commodities; executing land-use planning, performing agricultural production planning towards specialized cultivation with a stable term to ensure profitable investment; boosting the restructuring of the agricultural sector; developing collective and cooperative economics in agriculture; having policies to support, forecast, and search for markets for consumption and the processing of agricultural products; creating a transparent land-use rights market.
</abstract>

Agricultural land use in Vietnam in the context of urbanization: status and policy implications

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
Coke production is a strategic branch of the Polish, European and global economy. Economic growth is linked to the demand for high steel products, which is also connected to higher coke production. A sustainable supply of raw materials – like metallurgical coal – requires balanced, cost effective and environmentally friendly mining, to provide the best quality of coal and coke. There are various types of steelmaking coals mined in Poland (in the Upper Silesia Coal Basin), thus laboratory tests on extracted coals need to be undertaken in order to create safe mixtures of coals (coal blends) which will be processed in the blast furnace. With this mind a new tool – the safety calculation model – has been developed and implemented by the CLP-B Laboratory. This new approach taken by the laboratory is a multi-component analysis which assesses the possible risk associated with the transformation of coal blends during the coking process in the furnace. The new calculation model allows for the sustainable management of raw materials such as coking (steelmaking) coals – to produce the best quality of coke in safe conditions. In the new proposed formula, the parameters identified as critical ones for assessing the safety of the furnace feed, are moisture, ash and sulphur content, volatile matter, pressure expansion, dilatation, shrinkage, volume, CRI and CSR.
</abstract>

The sustainable supply of raw materials and an innovative method of testing metallurgical coal blends

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
In this article the influence of abiotic factors on agrophytocoenoses is considered, these are: moisture supply, rising air temperature, increasing carbon dioxide concentration, and the probability of environmental risks in particular. The degree of ecological risk has been established. Environmental risks due to the influence of climate change on agrophytocoenoses have been identified and substantiated and are: the spread of adventive and invasive plant species; loss of competitiveness of agrophytocoenosis crops relative to segetal phytobiota; increase in the number of species and distribution areas of segetal phytobiota; change in the sown area, productivity and quality of the harvest of agricultural crops; acquisition of tolerance of segetal phytobiota of agrocoenoses to herbicides and deterioration of their effectiveness under agroclimatic fluctuations. All of the above-mentioned environmental risks, which are associated with aggravation of the phytosanitary condition of crops inevitably, lead to a loss of the productivity of agrocoenoses. They lead to a decrease in the quality of the obtained plant and agricultural products as well. Along with the loss of productivity of the weedy agrocoenosis, there are environmental risks caused by the increased need for the use of plant protection products to ensure the control of the phytosanitary state of the agrocoenosis. Ensuring the reduction of environmental risks and enhancing the ecological safety of agrocoenoses is timely environmental monitoring, considering appropriate agronomic, protective, and preventive measures. These measures increase the adaptive capacity of agrocoenoses. r atmospheric levels in analyzing pertinent cases.
</abstract>

Environmental risks in agrophytocoenoses under the influence of segetal phytobiota

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis postulates an inverted U-shaped relationship between different pollutants and economic growth. In Ghana, as in many other developing countries, there exist scanty studies that confirm or otherwise the EKC hypothesis with regards to CO2 emissions as well as the factors that drive CO2 emissions. This work aims to bridge this knowledge gap by addressing these two major questions using data from 1970 to 2010 and the Auto Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) Bounds Testing approach. The results rather suggest a U-shaped relationship between per capita GDP and CO2 emissions per capita indicating the non-existence of the EKC hypothesis for CO2 in Ghana. This implies that further increase in per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will only be associated with increase in CO2 emissions as the income per capita turning point of about $624 at constant 2000 prices occurred between 1996 and 1997. Furthermore, our results reveal energy consumption and trade openness are positive long run drivers of CO2 emissions. It is therefore recommended that the enhancement of trade liberalization policies should ensure the use of cleaner technologies and products while investment in cleaner energy alternatives could help reduce CO2 emissions. We also recommend the implementation of the Low Carbon Development Strategy which integrates development and climate change mitigation actions.</abstract>

Department of Economics, University of Ghana, P.O. Box LG 57, Legon-Accra,

Graduate School of Economics, Kobe University, 2-1 Rokkodai-chuo, Nada-ku, Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture,

An empirical examination of the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis for carbon dioxide emissions in Ghana: an ARDL approach

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> Wood industries produce large volumes of residues which must be utilized, marketed or properly disposed of. Heaps of wood residues are common features in wood industries throughout the year. In Nigeria, this residue is generally regarded as waste and this has led to open burning practices, dumping in water bodies or dumping in an open area which constitutes environmental pollution. Sawmills in Nigeria generated over 1,000,000 m3 of wood waste in 2010 while about 5000 m3 of waste was generated in plywood mills. Nigeria generates about 1.8 million tons of sawdust annually and 5.2 million tons of wood wastes. The impact of improper disposal of waste wood on the environment affects both the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Also burning of waste wood releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere causing various health issues. Reuse/recycling of these wood residues in Nigeria will reduce the pressure on our ever decreasing forests, reduce environmental pollution, create wealth and employment. The literature available on this subject was reviewed and this article, therefore, focuses on the various methods of wood waste disposal and its utilization in Nigerian wood industries, the effects of wood waste on the environment as well as on human health and the benefits of proper wood waste management practices.</abstract>

Department of Forestry and Wood Technology, Federal University of Technology Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria

Department of Environmental Planning, Brandenburg University of Technology, Cottbus-Senftenberg, Germany

Sustainable wood waste management in Nigeria

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>China is the most populated country in the world, but has relatively little fertile land, and even less water. Maintaining the quality of its agricultural land is of paramount importance if China wants to feed its very large and growing population. Yet, China is one of the countries with the largest amount of polluted soil. This paper looks at the causes and distribution of soil pollution in China. It first looks at the amount of organic and inorganic soil pollutants and their geographic distribution. It then looks at the causes of soil pollution, making the distinction between agricultural activities, industrial activities, and urbanization. Pollution from agricultural activities stems primarily from the excessive amounts of pesticides and fertilizers used on farmland, and is mainly located in the south, where most of the food is produced. Pollution from industrial activities is due to airborne industrial pollutants that fall on to the land, and is mainly located in the west of the country, where most manufacturing activities take place. Pollution from urbanization is mainly due to the very large amount of solid, liquid and gaseous waste generated in a small area with insufficient treatment facilities, and exhaust fumes from vehicles, and is located around the largest cities, or roads. The result is that one fifth of China’s farmland is polluted, and an area the size of Taiwan is so polluted that farming should not be allowed there at all.</abstract>

Causes and distribution of soil pollution in China

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>The Katowice conurbation is an example of a typical old industrial region in Central and Eastern Europe, whose socioeconomic transformation, initiated after 1990, has led to spatial and functional changes. The aim of this article is to present the suburbanisation process in the Katowice conurbation based on demographic changes and an analysis of migration flow. This process has been taking place in the area since the 2000s and takes on the shape of a multi-centre development of newly created individual and developed housing zones (both in the core and in the suburban area of the conurbation). Since 1990, the cities of the Katowice conurbation have been undergoing a process of shrinking. This process is manifested in the decline in number of urban residents in the years 1991–2016, amounting to 366 thousand people. Moreover, the cities face numerous social, economic and spatial problems. Since 1995, simultaneous with the shrinking of the cities of the Katowice conurbation, there has been an increase in the number of inhabitants in its suburban areas (since 2004, the trend has continued to be positive). Population increases have also been recorded in some inner-city zones of the conurbation. The suburbanisation process in the outer zone of the conurbation includes, in particular, the communes located north and south of the cities constituting its core, including the communes of Ożarowice, Psary, Mierzęcice in the north and Mikołów, Orzesze, Wyry in the south-west. On the other hand, the areas of intense inner-city construction development, located in the areas of the Katowice conurbation core, which are attractive in terms of environment and transportation, are undergoing so-called, “internal suburbanisation”.</abstract>

The suburbanisation process in a depopulation context in the Katowice conurbation, Poland

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>In the presented research ERS1-2 and Envisat ASAR archive data were used for the periods 1993 – 2000 and 2003 – 2010. The radar images were acquired over Upper Silesia in southern Poland. DinSAR (Differential InSAR) and SBAS (Small Baseline Subset) methods were applied for the detection of the most subsided areas. The DinSAR images were layer stacked for an image using 26 interferometry pairs of ERS1-2 SAR and 16 pairs from Envisat ASAR images in an ascending-descending orbit combination. The stacking of these images showed the most subsided parts of these cities even under low coherent areas, but the results are less precise. In the Upper Silesian Coal Basin, intensive underground coal exploitation has resulted in several surface deformations under Bytom (~8-17 km2), Piekary Śląskie (~9-15 km2), Ruda Śląska (~32-42 km2) and Katowice (~20-23 km2) with 25-40 cm of subsidence (in general) in the studied time periods. The SBAS technique has also shown that coal mining caused subsidence in the cities of Bytom, Katowice, and Piekary Śląskie of 5-7 cm/yr. The presented SBAS method did not work for low coherent areas, e.g. dense forested areas. DInSAR data also pointed to several decreasingly less active mining areas, which relate to the mine closures in Bytom and Ruda Śląska, which is also verified by the time series analysis.</abstract>

Using radar interferometry and SBAS technique to detect surface subsidence relating to coal mining in Upper Silesia from 1993-2000 and 2003-2010

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>Problems of the social non-acceptance of the mining industry (particularly development projects) is relatively new, so more widely discussed for a relatively short time. In this paper, an extensive review of worldwide literature on this topic has been presented with special regard to the specificity of the European Union countries, where the NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) phenomenon is one of the key reasons for local community opposition. The problem is recognized mainly from the perspective of the mineral industry, but also from the point of view of government, NGOs or local communities. There are case studies, publications in the range of sustainable development, corporate social responsibility, geo-ethics, proposals for new analytical methods (for example multi-criteria and others) or effective solutions. The improvement in social acceptance for the mineral industry may be achieved by further development of technological, organizational and scientific methods which minimizes mining influences on the environment and society developing. Modern approach to social issues associated with mineral activity includes also strategies of bilateral communication, mediation/negotiation, cooperation between stakeholders to a larger extent then in the past. However, it is the continuous need of extensive, in-depth social debate on mineral development projects in the European Union, both in energetic and non-energetic branch.</abstract>

Problems of the social non-acceptance of mining projects with particular emphasis on the European Union – a literature review

Authorship Statement

CRediT Contribution Roles Taxonomy

Open Access License

Publication Ethics and Publication Malpractice Statement

Review Form

Guide for Authors

List of Reviewers 2021

List of Reviewers 2022

List of Reviewers 2023

Environmental & Socio-economic Studies

The Journal of University of Silesia in Katowice

 Environmental &amp; Socio-economic Studies is an international, peer-reviewed journal publishing original research papers, review articles and scientific communications concerning the...

Impact Factor

Five Year Impact Factor

Cite Score

SNIP

MNiSW

 Environmental &amp; Socio-economic Studies is an international, peer-reviewed journal publishing original research papers, review articles and...