Considering the global tendency towards using valuable secondary metabolites of plant origin, there is a need to optimize the cultivation of herbal plants, e.g., the meadow arnica (A. chamissonis Less.). The inflorescences of this species (Arnicae anthodium) have a similar chemical composition and pharmacological activity to that in the mountain arnica (Arnica montana L.), and can be cultivated more easily than the mountain arnica. Therefore this study assesses soil and fertilization effects on the flower head yield and concentrations of active substances (sesquiterpene lactones, flavonoids, and essential oil) with great importance for application in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. A field experiment was carried out during 2017–2019 on two types of soil (sandy and loamy soils) differing in the pH values, organic matter content, and the P, K, and Mg levels. Five levels of nitrogen fertilization were applied in both soil variants: 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 kg N∙ha−1. The study showed that both the soil type and the nitrogen fertilization had a positive impact on the raw material yield and the content and yield of the main active substances. The cultivation of arnica in the loamy soil was more favorable—it provided a higher flower head yield, higher levels of sesquiterpene lactones, flavonoids, and essential oils, and consequently, a higher yield of these metabolites. High flower head yields were achieved at doses of 60 and 90 kg N∙ha−1. The content of sesquiterpene lactones and essential oils increased in the consecutive study years along with the increase in nitrogen doses. The highest content of flavonoids was detected in flower heads obtained from three-year-old plants fertilized with 60 kg N∙ha−1. High yields of sesquiterpene lactones and essential oils were obtained at doses of 90–120 kg N∙ha−1, whereas the fertilization with 60–90 N∙ha−1 ensured a high yield of flavonoids. The yields of sesquiterpene lactones and essential oil did not depend on their concentration but correlated with the increase in the yield of flower heads of plants cultivated in both sandy and loamy soil variants. In turn, the yield of flavonoids was influenced by both their concentration and the flower head yield. The flower head yield, the content of sesquiterpene lactones, flavonoids, and essential oils, and the yields of metabolites presented in this study indicate favorable climatic conditions for the cultivation of A. chamissonis in Central and Eastern Poland. This proves that a wide range of pharmacologically active substances can be produced in this region of Europe.

The paper presents results of an analysis of pedunculate oak slenderness. The dependence between slenderness of the oak tree and dimensions of the trunk and the crown dimensions of a single tree were examined. The biosocial position of each tree was determined based on the Kraft’s classification criteria. Following dimensions were measured for each tree: height, height of base of live crown, crown radius, diameter at breast height. The following crown parameters related to the growth space of a single tree were determined: crown length, crown width, crown projection area, space of a single tree, Seebach’s growth space number, crown projection area to basal area ratio, crown spread. Based on the obtained results, the following was found: biosocial position of the oak tree in vertical structure of the stand has significant impact on the size of the tree slenderness; the slenderness increases with deterioration of the biosocial position of the tree, but it decreases with the increase in the value of the tree’s measurement characteristics and the measures of its crown.

W niniejszej pracy przedstawiono wyniki analizy smukłości sosny pospolitej (Pinus sylvestris L.), która została przeprowadzona w 103-letnim drzewostanie sosnowym rosnącym w warunkach siedliska lasu świeżego (Lśw), na terenie Nadleśnictwa Chełm (RDLP Lublin). Na podstawie pomiarów 102 losowo wybranych drzew zbadano zależność współczynnika smukłości sosny od wymiarów pnia i parametrów rozłożystości korony związanych z przestrzenią wzrostu pojedynczego drzewa. Pozycja biosocjalna każdej sztuki została określona na podstawie kryteriów klasyfikacji Krafta. Po wnikliwej analizie stwierdzono, że pozycja biosocjalna drzew z gatunku Pinus sylvestris L. w strukturze pionowej drzewostanu ma istotny wpływ na wielkość współczynnika smukłości drzewa. Badania wykazały, że smukłość wzrasta wraz z pogarszaniem się pozycji biosocjalnej, natomiast maleje wraz ze wzrostem wartości cech pomiarowych oraz parametrów korony drzewa.

Abstract. this article presents the results of my research conducted in the rural park Borek, which is located in gardzienice Drugie, lublin province. the study was comprised of measuring the dendrological value of the park using the rokosza method and determining the landscape's aesthetic value using the scenic beauty estimation (sBe) method. in order to establish the dendrological and aesthetic values, the park was divided into four sections, which were then compared with each other. it has been shown earlier that results of the scenic beauty estimation method and the dendrological value are only weakly correlated when it comes to park landscapes. it is therefore advisable to test the value of parks, in both categories, dendrological and aesthetic. this approach could form the basis for the development of a new method to classify and evaluate park landscapes.