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Coniolo and Brusaschetto, are two small towns located in the Monferrato area of the Alessandria Province, northern Italy. These communities have similar histories related to development and subsequent abandonment of marl quarry activity that began more than a century ago and continued until recently. Quarrying occurred until soil conditions, water infiltration, and excessive depth made cost of extracting and7 lifting material prohibitive. Quarries consisted of tunnels located directly beneath the towns at about 150 m below ground surface. Collapse of the tunnels led to surface subsidence and destruction of overlying homes and much of the municipal infrastructure. In the early Twentieth Century, regulations pertaining to mine and quarry safety were typically deficient, entirely absent, or not followed. Extractive activities of non-energy mineral resources from quarries and mines were and continue to be widespread in Italy, which currently ranks fifth among what are now countries of the European Union (EU). Mining sites are present in all regions of Italy, particularly in the northern part of the country and along coasts, often in areas of geohydrogeological risk. Consequences of anthropogenic pressures that alter the natural environment, such as the physical size of aquifer drawdowns, are linked to issues for a number of extractive sites across the country. This report analyzes historical and technical documents, conducts a geomorphological analysis of hilly slopes surrounding these communities, and examines urban planning and geophysical surveys to determine the impact of subsurface quarrying activities on the overlying ground surface. The study highlights significant problems that are applicable to other localities globally. This research demonstrates: (a) the importance of geological considerations to development and abandonment of mining activity in inhabited areas; (b) the importance of establishing and following safety protocols; and (c) the manner in which economic interests can take precedence over the well-being and lives of those employed to extract resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many abandoned villages in Central Europe are now covered with forest. These abandoned villages can be indicated by their different species composition compared to the surroundings. We were interested in whether these differences could be indicated by geobiocoenological plots (400 m2). Phytocoenological samples were taken from geobiocoenological plots located on the former buildings, in the village square and in gardens. Based on significant fidelity (Fisher’s exact test at P = 0.05 significance level) and differential species coverage (ONE WAY ANOVA at P = 0.05 significance level), indicator species for the former buildings and former village square could be determined. The former buildings were indicated by species requiring higher soil nutrient content and higher pH, such as Anemone ranunculoides and Stachys sylvatica. The former village square site was indicated by species adapted to acid soils with less competitive abilities that could not compete on the more fertile soils of the former buildings, e.g. Maianthemum bifolium and Dryopteris carthusiana. Based on these results, it can be concluded that the influence of forest plant communities by medieval settlement activities can be phytoindicated using geobiocoenological plots of 400 m2. This method can be applied especially in areas with acid soils, e.g. where there is a large difference in the amount of plant-available nutrients in the soil

Many abandoned villages in Central Europe are now covered with forest. These abandoned villages can be indicated by their different species composition compared to the surroundings. We were interested in whether these differences could be indicated by geobiocoenological plots (400 m2). Phytocoenological samples were taken from geobiocoenological plots located on the former buildings, in the village square and in gardens. Based on significant fidelity (Fisher's exact test at P = 0.05 significance level) and differential species coverage (ONE WAY ANOVA at P = 0.05 significance level), indicator species for the former buildings and former village square could be determined. The former buildings were indicated by species requiring higher soil nutrient content and higher pH, such as Anemone ranunculoides and Stachys sylvatica. The former village square site was indicated by species adapted to acid soils with less competitive abilities that could not compete on the more fertile soils of the former buildings, e.g. Maianthemum bifolium and Dryopteris carthusiana. Based on these results, it can be concluded that the influence of forest plant communities by medieval settlement activities can be phytoindicated using geobiocoenological plots of 400 m2. This method can be applied especially in areas with acid soils, e.g. where there is a large difference in the amount of plant-available nutrients in the soil [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article tackles the issue of the identification of relics and type of transformations in the rural cultural landscape of Warmia and Masuria, which took place as a result of the depopulation of localities due to the course and consequences of World War II. The incorporation of the southern part of East Prussia into Poland in 1945 initiated a number of social, economic, and cultural changes. Above all, the region was affected by huge migratory movements. These started with the hurried escape of the local civilian population fleeing from the Red Army that conquered the area in the winter of 1944-1945. Subsequently, the displacement of the German people and the unstable political situation that made it difficult to maintain habitation contributed to the depopulation of hundreds of villages, manor houses, foresters' lodges, and small settlements. Today, in Poland's incorporated part of former East Prussia, there are about 788 abandoned localities. The extent to which the rural landscape has changed as a result of the total depopulation of hundreds of settlement units has not yet been determined. The purpose of the research was to diagnose the processes that occurred in the material structure of the landscape of Warmia and Masuria after the continuity of habitation had been interrupted, based on data collected due to on-site prospections, searches, and spatial analyses. The elaboration presents possibilities for identifying transformations that occur after depopulation on the basis of the results of multifaceted spatial analyses carried out with the use of GIS tools. Particularly noteworthy is the use of detailed elevation data obtained from airborne laser scanning, which data largely condition not only identification of surface relics but also the degree of degradation of rural structures. The issues concerning the diagnosis of transformations are discussed using, as an example, the study of one of the depopulated localities - Bartki - a former settlement that lies in Olecko County (Warmia-Masuria Province). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]