Road Salt Damage to Historical Milestones Indicates Adaptation of Winter Roads to Future Climate Change May Damage Arctic Cultural Heritage

There is no doubt that anthropogenic global warming is accelerating damage to cultural heritage. Adaptation measures are required to reduce the loss of sites, monuments and remains. However, little research has been directed towards understanding potential impacts of climate adaptation measures in other governmental sectors on cultural heritage. We provide a case study demonstrating that winter road salt, used to reduce ice related accidents, damages historical iron milestones. As the climate warms, road salt use will move north into areas where sites have been protected by contiguous winter snow cover. This will expose Artic/sub-Arctic cultural heritage, including Viking graves and Sami sites, to a new anthropogenic source of damage. Research and planning should therefore include the evaluation of secondary impacts when choosing climate adaptation strategies.

FEATURES OF THE RADIAL GROWTH OF SHRUBS BETULA NANA AND SALIX LANATA ON VARIOUS LANDSCAPE ELEMENTS IN THE SOUTHERN TUNDRA OF YAMAL

Tundra communities are widespread in the northern part of Russia, in particular on the Yamal Peninsula in the registration of Siberia, where research was carried out. For the study, we used plants of the species Betula nana and Salix lanata, these species are among the most common in the southern tundra of Yamal. Sampling sites were located on various morphological elements of the relief with the identification of patterns in the distribution of natural resources that determine the radial growth of the trunks of Betula nana and Salix lanata. At each site, at least 30 samples of each species were taken to obtain a sufficient sample. The sampling sites were located on different morpholog-ical parts of the relief. In the course of the study, general growth trends are highlighted, as well as absolute values of growth for 5 years. This age corresponds to the minimum age of the selected plants. As a result, data were obtained on the distribution and growth characteristics of Betula nana and Salix lanata shrubs along the relief profile; the most and least favourable areas of the profile for the growth of shrubs were identified. To compare the general trends of radial growth, a faster slowdown in growth was found in Betula nana. In addition, it was found that the species Salix lanata has a stronger effect on mechanical impact (winter road).

Can Winter Road De-Icing Affect Mortality of Organisms in Aquatic Ecosystems? An Experimental Approach

Road maintenance in winter using de-icing agents, which is widely used in Eastern Europe, is the cause of water salinization in neighbouring environments, which might lead to biodiversity loss in aquatic ecosystems. In this study, we investigated NaCl toxicity to test young organisms: Daphnia magna and Poecilla reticulata (standard tests organisms). The salinity of NaCl was measured by electrolytic conductivity (EC). It was statistically demonstrated that the test solutions should be prepared using natural water. For D. magna the NOEC was 7.17 mS/cm and the LC50 9.76 mS/cm. Poecilla reticulata showed resistance to salinity up to a conductivity of 25.2 mS/cm, and no lethal effects were recorded for any individual in the test population. The study showed that winter salinities recorded in inland waters (without emergencies such as sudden influx of pollutants due to industrial accidents) are unlikely to affect fish but may be hazardous to small plankton. However, the high dare of D. magna may result in a reduction of planktivorous fish.

Universal Meanings in Russian Novels of the 21st Century

Universals as a continuation of the traditions of Russian novels of the 19th – 20th centuries. Universal meanings are clearly expressed in Russian novels of the 21st century and are conditioned by modern problems of society. Universal meanings are viewed through the prism of universal images and motives. The image of the wanderer as a universal image in the novels “Laurus”, “Aviator”, “Nenastye”, “Winter Road”, “Gods of the Steppe”.

Winter Road Surface Conditions Classification using Convolutional Neural Network (CNN): Visible Light and Thermal Images Fusion

In winter, road conditions play a crucial role in traffic flow efficiency and road safety. Icy, snowy, slushy, or wet road conditions reduce tire friction and affect vehicle stability which could lead to dangerous crashes. To keep traffic operations safe, cities spend a significant budget on winter maintenance operations such as snow plowing and spreading salt/sand. This paper proposes a methodology for automated winter road surface conditions classification using Convolutional Neural Network and the combination of thermal and visible light cameras. As part of this research, 4,244 pairs of visible light and thermal images are captured from pavement surfaces and classified into snowy, icy, wet, and slushy surface conditions. Two single-stream CNN models (visible light and thermal streams), and one dual-stream CNN model are developed. The average F1-Score of dual-stream model is 0.866, 0.935, 0.985, and 0.888 on snowy, icy, wet, and slushy, respectively. The weighted average F1-Score is 0.94.

Monitoring of The Impact of Road Salting On Spruce Forest Ecosystem In The Vicinity of The Highway D1 In The Bohemian-Moravian Highlands, Czech Republic

Monitoring of pollution in the vicinity of roads connected to winter road maintenance is one of the important tools for optimising winter maintenance technology and reducing its environmental impact. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between winter road maintenance and the increased concentration of sodium ion to characterize the harm caused by the de-icing agents on selected types of individual components grown in the Norway Spruce ecosystem. The model area is located in the immediate vicinity of the D1 motorway connecting Prague and Brno (Czech Republic), at 103rd kilometer. The area is thus exposed to long-term contamination from automobile transport and the monitoring was carried out for three consecutive years. A clear effect of the de-icing agents on conifers near the road has been demonstrated by the symptoms of salt damage visually observed in close proximity to the road (at a sampling distance of 5 m). The needles of these spruce trees also showed increased sodium concentrations, regardless of the age of the needles. The study also confirms that sodium accumulates in all selected components of the analysed ecosystem (moos, humus, soil). The sodium concentration has been found to decrease with increasing distance from the road for all of the components.