Weekly outline
Exercise 1. Introduction to riparian forests – occurrence, processes and threats. Literature review
The aim of this course is to present the methods for the assessment of the touristic potential of Vistula river valley" in Warsaw for the purposes of design and spatial planning with the application of GIS tools.
The area of the study covers a section of the Vistula Valley in the city of Warsaw between bridges (I) Świętokrzyski-Średnicowy and (II) Średnicowy-Poniatowskiego.
In this part, students get familiar with the functioning of the vegetation associated with the river valleys and the factors shaping the riparian ecosystems. Different types of vegetation typical for lowland large river valleys using the example of Vistula are presented: vegetation such as - aquatic vegetation, shrubs (willow shrublands), oxbow lakes and additional river channels, willow forest, poplar forests. Flooding as a factor shaping the vegetation is explained. As a result of the task, students write a literature review, basing on scientific databases - Riparian forests, status and threats, using at least 5 references.
Exercise 2. Diversification of vegetation in Vistula river valley. Materials and Methods
The aim of the exercise is to discuss the principles of mapping plant communities, the ability to read information from vegetation maps and creating potential vegetation maps necessary for further exercises. The students, after having listened a lecture on diversity and functioning of different plant communities occurring in the river valley perform an assignment in QGIS. Using the data provided (plant communities) prepare an output map of plant communities (real vegetation map, depicting each vegetation type with different color) (Map 1) and classify each plant community as herbaceous/grassland, shrubs, forest or human-made (Map 2). Write a short chapter Materials and Methods explaining the location of the area, conditions (if regulated ) of the investigated section of Vistula River and briefly describe occurring vegetation referring to Map 1 and Map 2.
Section Gdański-Dąbrowski students whose last names begin B-J
Śląsko-Dąbrowski-Świętokrzyski, names K-O
Świętokrzyski-Poniatowskiego, P-R
Poniatowskiego-Łazienkowski, S-T