Vol. 2 No. 1 (2008)

Published June 30, 2008

Szegedi, S.: History of the meteorological observatoions in Debrecen

Tar, K. - Tóth, T. - Rózsavögyi, K.: Connection between the potential wind energy and the windy days

Papp, G.: Examinations on the air quality in Berehove (Beregszász, Ukraine) between 1997 and 2007

Szalai, Z.: Spatial and temporal pattern of soil pH and Eh and their impact on solute iron content in a wetland (Transdanubia, Hungary)

Liira, J. - Aavik, T. - Parrest, O. - Zobel, M.: Agricultural sector, rural environment and biodiversity in the Central and Eastern European EU member states

Zwierzchowska, I.: Interferences between the ecological network and urbanized areas in Poland

Orosz, Z. - Fazekas, I.: Challenges of municipal waste management in Hungary

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Articles

  • History of the meteorological observatoions in Debrecen
    1-5
    Views:
    30

    Debrecen was among the first cities in Hungary where meteorological observatories were established,
    although the weather station of our University was put into operation 80 years ago, Meteorological
    observations have a much longer history in the city. In the present paper history of the meteorological
    observations and stations worked in the city has been reviewed with special emphasis on the
    meteorological observatory of the University of Debrecen.

    30
  • Connection between the potential wind energy and the windy days
    6-24
    Views:
    32

    Preliminary wind climate information are required for the selection of the sites of energetic wind
    measurements. Optimal locations of wind energy projects, where the amount of utilizable wind
    energy can be forecasted with a good approach, can be determined using GIS and statistical methods.
    Anyhow, it is necessary to elaborate methods what make posible to gain data for the wind potential of
    a given location on the base of measured data. Monthly number of windy days can be such predictor
    if its basic statistical parameters and its connection to the monthly mean wind power can be
    determined. This latter one can be substituted by the area under the curve of the function fitted to the
    hourly averages of the cubes of the wind speeds. A regression modell is fitted to the monthly number
    of windy days and areas under the curve, on the base of time series of 7 Hungarian weather stations
    and the error of the modell is determined. On this base, the modell is extrapolated to a 35 years long
    period. The area under the curve proportional to the monthly mean wind power calculated on the base
    of the monthly number of windy days show a significant decreasing trend in 4 Hungarian weather
    stations.

    18
  • Examinations on the air quality in Berehove (Beregszász, Ukraine) between 1997 and 2007
    25-33
    Views:
    38

    First results of the examinations on the air quality in Beregszász (Ukraine) are presented in the
    present paper. Data sets of air quality monitoring network in Beregszász were provided by the
    Beregszász township office of National Health Service of Ukraine. Monitoring network consists of
    five stations in the industrial residential and recreational districts of the town. Measurements were
    carried out between 1995 and 2007 in the heating and in the non heating seasons. Spatial and seasonal
    distributions of SO2, NO2 and particulate matter were analyzed using the Student t-test.

    24
  • Spatial and temporal pattern of soil pH and Eh and their impact on solute iron content in a wetland (Transdanubia, Hungary)
    34-45
    Views:
    39

    Land mosaics have direct and indirect influence on chemical reaction and redox condition of soils.
    The present paper deals with the relationship between some environmental factors (such as soil and
    vegetation patterns, micro-relief, water regime, temperature and incident solar radiation) and the pH,
    Eh of soils and solute iron in a headwater wetland in Transdanubia, Hungary. Measurements have
    been taken in four different patches and along their boundaries: sedge (Carex vulpina, Carex riparia,
    three patches and two species), horsetail (Equisetum arvense), common nettle (Urtica dioica). The
    spatial pattern of the studied parameters are influenced by the water regime, micro-topography,
    climatic conditions and by direct and indirect effects of vegetation. The indirect effect can be the
    shading, which has influence on soil temperature and on the incident solar radiation (PAR). Root
    respiration and excretion of organic acids appear as direct effects.. There have been measured
    individual pH and Eh characteristic in the studied patches. Soil Eh, pH and solute iron have shown
    seasonal dynamics. Higher redox potentials (increasingly oxidative conditions) and higher pH values
    were measured between late autumn and early spring. The increasing physiological activity of plants
    causes lower pH and Eh and it leads to higher spatial differences. Although temperature is an
    essential determining factor for Eh and pH, but our results suggest it rather has indirect effects
    through plants on wetlands.

    79
  • Agricultural sector, rural environment and biodiversity in the Central and Eastern European EU member states
    46-64
    Views:
    26

    During the second half of the 20th century, agriculture and the rural environment diverged in Western
    and Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC). CEE countries itself are heterogeneous in the
    respect of land use intensity and history. In the current review we focus on the comparison of the
    agricultural sector and threats on biodiversities of EU new-member countries from Central and
    Eastern Europe and the old EU(15) member states. The clustering of countries revealed groups
    distinguished according to the level of their economic productivity, discriminating mostly among
    eastern and western European countries. CEE countries sub-divided according to geographic region,
    including also some old members of the EU. Within the western cluster, two large sub-clusters
    became evident according to economy affected by altitudinal and climatic differences. Partly because
    there are still areas where the intensity of land use remained low, the biological diversity in many
    regions of Central and Eastern Europe has remained high. However, loss of extensively used habitats,
    the restoration on intensive agriculture, reforestation with exotic species and urbanization are major
    threats to nature in CEE countries. The estimated variability among CEE countries is caused by
    different historical and cultural backgrounds of those countries. Due to the complexity and
    geographical diversity of driving forces, there remains much uncertainty in the possible impacts of
    particular factors on land use. This complexity and diversity have to be considered when planning
    economic as well as ecological means for developing the agricultural sector and conserving
    biodiversity in the future of CEE countries.

    113
  • Interferences between the ecological network and urbanized areas in Poland
    65-77
    Views:
    26

    This paper presents spatial relations between Polish urban areas and valuable habitats and links
    between them composing the country’s ecological network. The quantitative analysis for 891 towns
    and cities was conducted using GIS techniques based on cartographic vector data and statistical data.
    Valuable habitats and links between them, such as national parks, landscape parks, CORINE biotopes
    sites, wildlife corridors linking NATURA 2000 sites and ECONET areas, can be found in 72% of
    Polish towns and cities. The proportion of artificial surfaces in those areas is different depending on
    the size of a town or city and its location. Urban areas with the highest index of presence of valuable
    habitats and links between them are concentrated in the south of Poland, where settlement network is
    most dense. However, in the case of those areas the proportion of artificial surfaces interfering with
    the ecological network is lower than Poland’s average, being 16%. The pressure of anthropogenic
    land cover extending onto the country’s ecological network is most conspicuous in urban areas with a
    population of at least several dozen thousand residents where the average developed area is 20.8% of
    their total area. The danger for the continuity of the nature system is best seen in the north western
    Poland, where artificial surfaces interference in towns and cities is largest. The analysis performed
    identified 82 towns and cities, in which the preservation of the continuity of the ecological network
    should be a priority in spatial management because of a higher than average index of the presence of
    valuable habitats and links between them and large proportion of artificial surfaces in those areas.

    24
  • Challenges of municipal waste management in Hungary
    78-85
    Views:
    34

    Aims, tasks and priorities of medium term development plans of national waste management were
    defined in the National Waste Management Plan, which was made for the period of 2003–2008 in
    Hungary. Supporting of the European Union is indispensable for carrying out of plan. The most
    important areas are related to the developing projects of municipal solid waste treatment (increasing
    the capacity of landfills, accomplishment of the infrastructure of selective waste collection, building
    of new composting plants). The national environmental policy does not focus sufficiently on the
    prevention of waste production. Due to the high expenses of investment and operation the energetic
    recovery and the incineration of municipal solid waste do not compete with the deposition. We
    inclined to think that the waste management of Hungary will be deposition-orientated until 2015. The
    main problems to the next years will be the lack of reprocessing industry of plastic and glass
    packaging waste. The high number of to-be-recultivated landfills and the attainability of necessary
    financial sources are also serious problems. There are many questions. What is the future in national
    waste management? How can we reduce the quantity of dumped waste? What are challenges of
    national waste management on the short and long term?

    284