Research Digest: A Holistic View on IGRD’s Past Scientific Publications
July 5, 2022 by Oliwia Gertych
May 2022 was a busy month for the Institute of Geography and Regional Development. Fruitful in academic meetings, field trips for students, research projects, and educational excursions of our department professors. Those last ones, however, are the subject of the following blog. It’s no secret that their research contributes to the growth of the University and the curiosity of their students. Their articles, published across various platforms, deserve proper recognition. Scroll down to read about the latest discoveries in the world of geography!
Research on the Werenskiold Glacier
An article titled “A decade of glaciological and meteorological observations in the Arctic (Werenskioldbreen, Svalbard)” was published on the 1st of June 2022 in the Earth System Science Data journal. The paper is about multidisciplinary and long-term research on the Werenskiold Glacier.
This article presents the results of ten-year studies on mass balance and meteorological conditions on the surface of a glacier located in the High Arctic, where climate change is particularly intense as a result of Arctic Amplification. Its co-author is Łukasz Stachnik, our institute’s Ph.D. Lecturer, who was involved in long-term cooperation with the University of Silesia, the outcome of which was this publication. The article is available to read here.
Epiphytic Bryophytes in an Urban Landscape
In May, another publication was released. This time, co-authored by Mariusz Szymanowski, a Wroclaw University professor with a post-doctoral degree. The article discussed the issue of the distribution and environmental conditions of epiphytic bryophytes in an urbanized area, based on the example of Wrocław.
It was written in collaboration with colleagues from the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences and was published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Read more here.
Point cloud does matter
Meanwhile, the Geomorphology journal published an article titled “Point cloud does matter. Selected issues of using airborne LiDAR elevation data in geomorphometric studies of rugged sandstone terrain under forest - Case study from Central Europe”. It was written by mgr Kacper Jancewicz and mgr Wioletta Porębna, both from the Department of Geomorphology. You may read more about it under this link.
Unfortunately, this article is not available in open access, but if the topic interests you, contact the authors directly or ask about it in the closest library. Using the University’s computers allows you to log in to many pages containing academic research. If you haven’t gotten acquainted with the enormous list of the libraries in Wrocław, check out this list of Top Libraries In Wrocław Apt For Work & Studies.
Salix herbacea
An article co-written by Piotr Owczarek (the IGRD’s lecturer with a post-doctoral degree) was published in the Atmosphere journal. It presents the analysis of the growth reaction of the dwarf willow (Salix herbacea) from two research sites located in the northeast and south of Iceland.
The article presents the first incremental chronology of the Salix herbacea and shows the possibilities of using it to reconstruct changes in the natural environment of the Arctic. To know more, visit the following website.
Granite tors of the Waldviertel region in Lower Austria
In the monograph entitled 'Landscapes and Landforms of Austria', which is a part of the World Geomorphological Landscapes series published by Springer Nature, a chapter by our department’s researchers and professors was published.
Piotr Migoń, Aleksandra Michniewicz and Milena Różycka in their article “Granite tors of the Waldviertel region in Lower Austria” wrote about a synthetic representation of the rock sculpture found in the part of the Bohemian Massif located within Austria, with a richness of forms comparable to the Karkonosze (the Giant Mountains) and the Rudawy Janowickie (a mountain range in the Sudetes). More on that topic here.
Illegal motorised tourism
An article by Dagmara Chylińska and Krzysztof Kołodziejczyk (our institute’s Ph.D. Lecturers) was published in the Przegląd geograficzny journal. It was titled “Illegal motorised tourism in the State Forests in Poland”. The authors became interested in the form of tourism or recreation consisting of entering forests with off-road cars, quads, and cross and enduro motorcycles. The article analyses the spatial distribution of this phenomenon, its nature and intensity, assesses the effectiveness of the existing tools to combat the practice and presents solutions proposed by foresters aimed at counteracting the violation of the law and finding a compromise to meet the needs of various groups of lovers of this activity. This subject matter was also related to the lecture by Dr Krzysztof Kołodziejczyk, which took place on April 26, 2022, at the invitation of the Julian Czyżewski Scientific Society of Geography Students. Read more here.
Wrocław Tourist Lines
Last but not least, an article by Krzysztof Kołodziejczyk, Ph.D., entitled 'Wrocław Tourist Lines - the variability of the offer and the cycle of the tourist product' was published in the Turyzm/Tourism journal.
The text is available in both Polish and English. It analyses Wrocław Tourist Lines in terms of the structure of the tourist product, its development, and defining the stage of the product’s life. The article highlights the enormous potential of the collection of historic public transport vehicles in Wrocław. You may find the rest of the article here.
That would conclude our top picks from the never-ending list of research papers. Of course, academic life isn’t all about writing. It’s also about gaining new experiences. Check out this story of our student who attempted to climb the second-highest peak in Africa, Mount Kenya. And, as always, stay tuned for more updates on our department’s front.
Should you have any queries related to the Tourism & Hospitality studies at the University of Wrocław or if you need general information about the city, please write to us on social media - Facebook, Instagram, or contact us via email.
Oliwia Gertych
Oliwia is a Master's student of Spanish Philology at the University of Wrocław. She has hands-on experience in content creation, translation, and events management. Oliwia has an impeccable command of multiple international languages, such as Polish, English, Spanish, French, and Italian, making her a competent linguist. Apart from writing, she engages with the artistic community of the city as a violinist and a singer.
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