<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">In this article an attempt was made to analyse the Bytom city relief changes in 1883-1994 years. It concentrates on the forms which are an effect of the mining and metallurgical activity such as subsidence depressions and dumps. Two digital relief models representing a topographic situation in year 1883 and 1994 were made by the Vertical Mapper tool in order to determine changes in the relief. The models were made by linear vectorization of contour lines, which then were processed into points. The made points were interpolated by the natural neighbour method. Maps of slopes, area profiles, contour line sketches and hypsographic curves were generated for two time periods on basis of the digital relief models. An area and values of subsidence for areas subjected to the mining activity, changes of the slopes, an average land altitude in 1883 and 1994 year were determined and an anthropogenic denudation ratio was also calculated. As the result of the research made, it has been established that the area of the subsidence is 3727 ha (about 54% of the city area) and the maximum value of subsidence is about 37 meters, there was a growth of the slopes at a simultaneous drop of the land average altitude, and the anthropogenic denudation ratio is 44 mm/year (800 greater than the natural denudation ratio).</abstract>

Anthropogenic transformations of the Bytom area relief in the period of 1883-1994

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">The paper presents results of investigations on microclimate over one of the largest artificial water reservoirs in the world - Ust-Ilimsk on the Angara in Russia. It is located in the western edge of the Central Siberian Upland in the northern part of Irkutsk Oblast. The area of reservoir at a normal level of water damming (296 m a.s.l.) amounts to 1873 km2, the capacity of stored water - 59,4 km3, and the shoreline length is equal to 2384 km. The evaluation of the influence of the water reservoir on local climate was based on the analysis of data collected over many years measurements of a series of particular elements of the climate and carried out in the direct neighbourhood of the reservoir before (1936-1975) and after its construction in 1977. From the research the results show that the Ust-Ilimsk water reservoir distinctly influences the local climate of adjacent areas. The differences are mostly connected with the increase in total radiation and changes in the radiation balance of the reservoir, and the larger heat capacity of the water mass in comparison to land. As data from meteorological stations indicate, the climate in the neighbourhood of this water reservoir gains many new features and generally becomes milder. The average annual increase in air temperature over the reservoir shores reached 1.3°C, whereas with in land it was only 0.4°C. At every meteorological station (inshore and continental), in the summer period and during the whole year as well, the average sum precipitation decreased by 7-14%. In the winter, when polynya exist, the number of days with fogs increases over the reservoir. Fogs in the shore zone of the Ust-Ilimsk reservoir delay the coming of frosts by 1-2 weeks.</abstract>

Changes in local climate in the neighbourhood of the Ust-Ilimsk water reservoir on the Angara, Russia

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> The Katowice conurbation is situated in the Upper-Silesian Coal Basin, in a region which had high rate of water inflow in the pre-mining period. In order to make deposits of mineral resources accessible, it was, and still is, necessary provide mines with a draining system, which now reaches as deep as 1200 m. The area of the depression sink which was thus created is about 1200 km2. Currently, all metal ore mines within the conurbation, as well as part of coal mines, have been closed down, but water which flows into them is still pumped out due to the legal obligation to protect neighbouring operating mines. After the operation and drainage of mines cease, water coming to abandoned excavations will begin restoring static reserves in the orogen, which, depending on hydrological conditions, will take between several and a few dozen years. As the level of underground water rises, the process of subsidence of old shallow mining excavations will intensify, and many depressions may appear in highly urbanized areas. In areas of mining subsidence, the underground water-table will be close to the surface, causing flooding of basements and building foundations, and the deepest subsidence basins will probably be completely flooded. Current location of operating mines on the northern and southern sides of the conurbation with the central belt of drained excavations is unfavourable for its sustainable development. A solution, which would make it possible for the conurbation to grow, would be to close down and flood the mines on the northern side as soon as their mining concessions expire, which will be in early 2020s. Then, the area would regain its original stability within a decade and all kinds of construction activities could be carried out there. That, however, requires authorities of municipalities to object to the extension of concessions for mines, which may be impossible to obtain due to fears of social discontent resulting from miners - residents of those municipalities - being made redundant.</abstract>

The issues of drainage of discussed mines in the Katowice conurbation, Poland

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Symptoms of anthropogenic changes in the vascular plant flora include the spread of some species groups and the extinction of others. Also habitat condition changes (eutrophication, pollution etc.) and biodiversity loss (at a regional, national and even continental scale) should be mentioned. Numerous papers with rare plant species localities and endangered habitats have been published but the extinction processes and scale of this phenomenon in urban areas where environmental conservation is crucial, are not often analysed. The aim of the present study is to estimate species loss in the vascular plant flora of the town Strzelce Opolskie (Chełm, Silesian Upland) on the basis of the floristic literature and botanical surveys carried out from 2011 to 2013. A comparison has been made between the list of species reported up to 1945 and those species currently occurring in the study area. As a result, a list of 99 species included in the red list of plants of Opole and Silesian voivodeships is presented. Among this group, 45 species are not confirmed after 1945. Numerous extinct and endangered species are from families: Orchidaceae (8 species), Cyperaceae (7 species), Ranunculaceae (7 species) and Lamiaceae (6 species). Strongly represented are species associated with the communities of Festuco-Brometea and Querco- Fagetea classes. From the species presented, 18 species are included in "Red List of Vascular Plants of Poland" (MIREK ET AL. 2006). It was found that the extinct species represent about 7% of Strzelce Opolskie vascular plant flora. It is a focus point for local authorities to protect botanically valuable areas. Actually, the only Miejski Park is under the conservator's protection and there are few individual trees protected due to their age or size.</abstract>

Extinct and endangered species in the vascular plant flora of Strzelce Opolskie (Southern Poland)

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">The aim of the paper was to consider the extent of the impact of revitalization on the evolution of post-industrial sites, which manifests itself in morphological and functional changes of urban space. Research was performed on three former iron and steel works areas located in the Ruhr region in Germany: one of the Thyssen's ironworks in Duisburg - Meiderich, the area of steelworks complex Gute-Hoffnungs-Hütte in Oberhausen and the area of the iron and steel works Phönix in Dortmund - Hörde. Methods were applied specific to urban morphology. For each object of study a comparative analysis of the town plan was carried out. Town plans were compared before and after the revitalization process and special attention was paid to land use. This allowed us to observe morphological and functional changes which occurred as a result of the revitalization of the study areas. The research showed that the revitalization of post-industrial space may be conducted in many different directions but irrespective of that it has a huge impact on the evolution of urban space in both a morphological and a functional way. The extent to which revitalization affects morphological and functional structure of urban space depends on the future plan for the spatial development of the site and its attitude to its post-industrial heritage.</abstract>

Department of Economic Geography, Faculty of Earth Sciences, University of Silesia, Będzińska Str. 60, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland

Cultural Geography Work Group, Department of Geography, RWTH Aachen University, Wüllnerstraße 5b, 52062 Aachen, Germany

The impact of revitalization on the evolution of urban space on former iron and steel works areas in Ruhr region (Germany)

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> The Rybnik conurbation is an example of a traditional industrial area, where, due to economic restructuring, social and economic transformations are taking place. It is located in the Silesian voivodeship (southern Poland) and its development is mostly based on intensive coal mining after the Second World War. The article presents selected aspects of social and economic transformation happening in the area of the Rybnik conurbation after 1945 and connected with its rapid economic development in the 1960s and 70s, as well as with the systematic and economic transformation in Poland after 1989. The article was prepared on the base of subject literature, statistics and own studies. Population transformations have been analysed for the period 1980-2010, in each case, in relation to selected administrative units and three zones of the conurbation - the core, the inner and the outer areas. In order to evaluate and compare the demographic situation in the Rybnik conurbation in the years 1988 and 2008, a rank method has been applied. Community classification has been based on the total value of ranks for particular communities for the following variables: birth rate, population growth, net migration rate and the participation of the population in the pre-working and post-working age. The results of population transformation indicate that until 1991, the population of the Rybnik conurbation had been increasing (up to 197.7 thousand people). In the period 1991-2012, it decreased by 26.4 thousand (i.e. by 3.8%). In the same period of time, depopulation took place in the largest mining cities of the conurbation core (Wodzisław Śląski, 56.1%, connected with its administrative division into 4 towns and 1 rural community; Jastrzębie-Zdrój - 12.3%, Żory - 7.8% and Rybnik, to a lesser degree - 2.7%). The rank method that was applied has revealed the worsened demographic condition in the western communes of the conurbation (a shift from weak to bad). Simultaneously, in the period 1990-2012, the population gradually increased in the outer zone of the conurbation, by 6.8%. This indicates the process of suburbanisation taking place in the area. Demographic and economic changes in the Rybnik conurbation after 1989, in comparison to other mining areas in Poland and in Europe, seem to be less intensive.</abstract>

Socio-economic changes in the Rybnik conurbation (Poland) as a result of economic restructuring – a case study

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Environmental & Socio-economic Studies

 Environmental &amp; Socio-economic Studies is an international, peer-reviewed journal publishing original research papers, review articles and scientific communications concerning the interactions between human activity and the environment in urban and industrial areas, and the functioning of society and nature, both in periods of urban growth and economic development, and in periods of the restructuring of the economy and the development of post-industrial space. The research attention is focused on cities, metropolitan areas and their associated suburban and rural areas, industrial and mining districts, and other areas under human impact. The journal also presents research results across the fields of physical geography, economic and human geography, the biology of organisms, ecology and nature conservation, environmental protection and natural resource management, geology, environmental engineering, environmental law and social sciences.   The journal is indexed in Scopus and Web of Science - Clarivate Analytics Emerging Sources Citation Index.   Environmental &amp; Socio-economic Studies publishes the results of research across a wide variety of interests in the following fields:    Human impact on the environment   Biomarkers used in monitoring the environment   Urban ecology   Landscape and urban planning   Environmental protection and restoring nature   Environmental management   Reclamation of post-industrial and post-mining areas   Economic development   Urban growth, living conditions and social conflicts   Conflicts around the use of natural resources   Legal aspects of environmental protection and spatial planning   Sustainable development   Environmental education   Physical geography and geology      Archiving   Sciendo archives the contents of this journal in Portico - digital long-term preservation service of scholarly books, journals and collections.   Plagiarism Policy   The editorial board is participating in a growing community of Similarity Check System's users in order to ensure that the content published is original and trustworthy. Similarity Check is a medium that allows for comprehensive manuscripts screening, aimed to eliminate plagiarism and provide a high standard and quality peer-review process.   Charges   The journal does not have article processing charges (APCs) nor article submission charges. 