Springs in South-Central Poland – changes and threats

Abstract

Springs are an attractive and dynamic element of natural environment, as well as an important part of cultural landscape. Numerous studies have been undertaken in the Krakowsko-Wielunska and Miechowska Uplands for over 40 years. As many as 246 springs were mapped in the 1970's and investigations have continued to the present. These have considered the type of spring, discharges, chemical composition of water, and spring surroundings including the species composition of habitats. The long period of observations has revealed changes of spring properties due to natural and anthropogenic factors. Only 38% of investigated springs maintained their natural character. The majority were completely devastated and overwhelmed. Waste was found in more than 20 springs. Also a decrease in spring discharge of about 10-30% compared to the 1970's and 1990's was noticed. But there was no clear common tendency of improvement or degradation of water quality in the whole area. However the problem of spring water pollution still persists mostly due to agriculture activity and long distance air pollution transport. Interdisciplinary research and collaboration of scientists with local authorities seems to be the only way to solve the problem of spring water quality and adequate management of their surroundings. Results of the studies have provided knowledge and a basis for concrete management application.

An attempt to explain the disappearance and decline in discharge rate of selected karst springs of the Opole region

“…The springs were re corded in the 1980s and their dis charged rates de creased by ~30% (Siwek and Baoecik, 2013). By con trast to the Carpathian Catch ments in Po land and Slovakia where no trends in the an nual baseflow to tal were de ter mined for most of the catch ments ex am ined dur ing 1970-2019 (Siwek and Pociask-Karteczka, 2017) and in the Sudetes (Staoeko and Buczyñski, 2018), here in the Opole re gion a de creas ing trend in spring dis charge is clearly vis i ble. It is coun ter to dis cus sion on cli mate change and ground wa ter re charge as re ported on the Brit ish main land (Hughes, 2023) but sim i lar cli mate and hydrol ogy has been ob served in Greece (Koutsoyiannis et al, 2023).…”

AQUALIFE Software: A New Tool for a Standardized Ecological Assessment of Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems

“…Concerning groundwater-fed springs, alteration of the discharge in the eucrenal-hypocrenal of the spring environment, and in the epirhytron (mountain streams) and alteration of the spring morphology affect severely the crenocenosis and may also cause a disconnection between the spring and the stream [58,59]. If the aquifer feeding the spring is overexploited, an alteration of the spring discharge is expected [58,[60][61][62]. Spring casing and/or concretion (piping, impoundment, and diversion of spring flows), removal of riparian vegetation [63] for maintenance works are reflected in HMOC impacts, such as alteration of the spring morphology with interruption of the spring/aquifer and spring/stream connections, habitat losses, and changes in the nutrient dynamics after vegetation removal [64].…”

A Qualidade Ambiental De Nascentes Dentro E Fora De Unidades De Conservação No Sudeste Do Brasil

“…A água das nascentes é um recurso natural de altíssimo valor econômico e social, uma vez que muitos setores de atividade humana necessitam dela para desempenhar suas funções (Sampaio 2016).). Nascentes também são objeto de interesse por causa do seu valor cultural, educacional, estético e ecológico (Janusz & Pociask-Karteczka 2017).…”