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The Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) is the area where natural vegetation is close to housing and area of concern due to various negative consequences for humans and the environment including fire ignitions, landscape fragmentation and human-wildlife interactions. The WUI is a global phenomenon, and widespread in many countries but long-term WUI dynamics and the main factors causing WUI growth are unknown. Our goal was to assess WUI changes in the Polish Carpathians since the mid-19th century, based on high-resolution spatial data for 1860s, 1970s and 2013. We found that WUI covered already 30% of the study area in the 1860s but grew to cover nearly half by 2013, especially at lower elevations. Detailed analysis of WUI determinants confirmed the areas closer to regional administrative centres or located on steep slopes were more WUI-prone. Tourist trail density also fostered WUI occurrence. We conclude that in Central Europe, with a long history of human settlements and agricultural activities, WUI has been a persistent landscape feature for centuries, but increased in area in recent decades due to widespread abandonment of agricultural land combined with development of new residential areas.

Climate change alters the operational environment of forest management. The need to increase forest resilience and manage forests based on the best available knowledge is urgent. However, it is unclear to what extent scientific knowledge is integrated into practical forest management guidance. To explore how the integration of research works in forest management guidance, we reviewed literature on the effects of forest management measures on disturbance impacts and conducted two rounds of semi-structured interviews. First, we interviewed forest professionals from nine European countries on what they perceive to be the best forest management measures to increase resilience to forest disturbances. Second, we interviewed forest professionals responsible for developing and adapting forest management guidelines in five European countries on the barriers they perceive in integrating research into practice. Both literature review results and interviews were analysed inductively with MAXQDA software coding. We found a discrepancy between forest management measures frequently addressed in scientific literature and those favored by forest professionals. Some measures that forest managers broadly perceive as important for increasing resilience to disturbances are scarcely studied, indicating that the science-practice interphase could benefit from more application relevant research. The lack of relevant information that could facilitate the practical application of measures and the lack of professional capacity were seen by forest professionals to be the main barriers in integrating research findings into forest management. The results showed that there is a need to support the integration of research findings into practice by increasing the capacities for providing forest management guidance.

Looting is a worldwide issue that occurs not only in conflict zones or areas with weak governmental control. Although national and international agencies are addressing the problem, we are far from solving it, due to its complexity and the insufficient allocation of resources. In this article, we examine the temporal and spatial patterns of looting at the single site level (Tūwāneh, southern Jordan) over the past decade. Our analysis utilized orthomosaics created in 2018 and 2019, a systematic surface survey conducted in November 2022, and publicly available satellite imagery (via Google Earth Pro) dating back to August 2013. We identified a total of 723 looting pits, of which 259 were excavated before August 2013 and 140 between August 2013 and November 2022; 324 were inconclusive due to methodological limitations. The findings suggest that looting is a persistent issue in the area, highlighting the importance of implementing effective measures to prevent the loss of archaeological heritage.

In recent years, Chile has experienced an extraordinary drought that has had significant impacts on both the livelihoods of people and the environment, including the Andean glaciers. This study focuses on analyzing the surface processes of Universidad Glacier, a benchmark glacier for the Dry Andes. Multiple remote sensing datasets are used alongside a novel spectral index designed for mapping of rock material located on the glacier's surface. Our findings highlight the precarious state of the glacier, which serves as a crucial water source for the region. The glacier exhibits locally varied debris accumulation and margin retreat. The most significant impacts are observed on the tongue and secondary accumulation cirques, with the latter at risk of disappearing. The debris cover on the tongue is expanding, reaching higher elevations, and is accompanied by glacier retreat, especially at higher altitudes. The equilibrium line is rapidly shifting upglacier, although the mid-season snow cover still frequently reaches the 2013 equilibrium line, even in 2020. Changes in stream density on the glacier tongue indicate an increased water supply in this area, likely due to enhanced melting of glacial ice. These observed processes align well with meteorological data obtained from reanalysis products. The behavior of dust and debris is influenced by precipitation amount, while the rate of retreat is linked to air temperature.

Abstract Purpose This article aims to present the results of original empirical research on the diagnosis of factors predicting employee trust in managers in - Small and Medium Enterprises organizations undergoing the process of digitization. The concepts of digitization and trust are both defined and several determinants of trust in managers are established. Design/methodology/approach The research methods used were a study of existing literature, as well as empirical research using quantitative methods, conducted using a questionnaire developed by the authors. Findings The collected factual material indicates that the size of an organization is a variable affecting the level of trust between employees and managers in SME-sector organizations undergoing the process of digitization, and also affects which indicators of trust are professed by employees. Practical implications The conducted research identified leading determinants of trust in managers in SME-sector organizations undergoing digitization. This article contributes to reducing a theoretical knowledge gap in the discussed area, while also indicating tools for optimizing the effectiveness of the human capital management process in a world dominated by modern technologies. Originality/value Employees are a key element of modern organizations, and their success depends on the effectiveness of digital change management. Working in an environment based on trust has a positive effect on employees and thus determines the success of the entire organization. This article fills a research gap regarding the role of trust in relationship between employees and their superiors.

Geophytes are a characteristic element of deciduous forests in the temperate zone, as well as a common component of urban green spaces due to their early flowering and high decorative value. Nevertheless, in urban areas, geophytes are constantly threatened by recreational activities, especially in parks where intensive trampling occurs. In this study, we tested the effect of the distance from formal paths on the species richness, abundance and diversity of geophytes in relation to habitat conditions in urban forests and parks. We established a total of 400 plots (1 m × 1 m) located close (CL) to and further (FU) from paths in 10 forests and 10 parks in Kraków, southern Poland, in spring 2022. We recorded 23 species from nine groups of geophytes forming different underground storage organs, i.e., bulbs (B), hypocotyl bulbs (HB), rhizomes (RH), runners (RU), runners and rhizomes (RU-RH), runner-like rhizomes (RL-RH), runners and runners with tuberous tip (RU-TU), runners and shoot tubers (RU-ST) and root tubers (RT). The differences in the number, share and cover-abundance of geophytes between the CL and FU plots were statistically insignificant. In contrast, the total number, share and cover-abundance of geophytes were significantly higher in forests than in parks. Additionally, the share and cover-abundance of RH and RT were significantly higher in forests than in parks. Moreover, in CL plots in forests and parks, the cover-abundance of RH and RT were negatively correlated with soil compaction. Urban forests provide a high abundance of RH, RU-RH and RT, while parks support a high abundance of BU. To protect forest geophytes in urban forests and parks, it is recommended to limit trampling and soil eutrophication, as well as reduce the increase in soil pH along paths.

Warmer and drier conditions increase forest mortality worldwide. At the same time, nitrogen deposition, longer growing seasons and higher atmospheric $CO_{2}$ concentrations may increase site productivity accelerating forest growth. However, tree physiological studies suggest that increased site productivity can also have adverse effects, reducing adaptation to drought. Understanding such intricate interactions that might foster tree mortality is essential for designing activities and policies aimed at preserving forests and the ecosystem services they provide. This study shows how site factors and stand features affect the susceptibility of Scots pine to drought-induced stand-level mortality. We use extensive forest data covering 750,000 ha, including 47,450 managed Scots pine stands, of which 2,547 were affected by mortality during the drought in 2015-2019. We found that the oldest and most dense stands growing on the most productive sites showed the highest susceptibility to enhanced mortality during drought. Our findings suggest that increasing site productivity may accelerate the intensity and prevalence of drought-induced forest mortality. Therefore, climate change may increase mortality, particularly in old and high-productive forests. Such exacerbated susceptibility to mortality should be considered in forest carbon sink projections, forest management, and policies designed to increase resilience and protect forest ecosystems.