Increased Interest in Military Tourism on Selected Examples from the Area of Northern and Northeastern Poland

Military tourism is one of the forms of tourism that is not sufficiently researched throughout Poland. It is only in recent years, after the period of political transformation, that interest in this phenomenon has been growing every year. This research has aimed to indicate the possibilities of military tourism development in northern and northeastern Poland. It includes an analysis of data concerning the Naval Museum in Gdynia, the "Wolf's Lair" Fortress in Gierloz and an example of a military event - an air show, which took place on the premises of the 44th Airborne Museum in Gdynia. Results of the analysis of the military tourism development in northern and northeastern Poland indicate that military sites and military-themed events attract considerable tourist traffic and play an important role in the overall development of tourism.

Occurrence and Genetic Correlations of Yersinia spp. Isolated from Commensal Rodents in Northeastern Poland

Rodents can be a potential Yersinia spp. vector responsible for farm facilities contamination. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of Yersinia spp. in commensal rodents found in the farms and fodder factory areas to characterize the obtained isolates and epidemiological risk. Intestinal samples were subjected to bacteriological, bioserotype, and PCR examination for virulence markers ail, ystA, ystB, and inv presence. Yersinia spp. was isolated from 43 out of 244 (17.6%) rodents (Apodemus agrarius n = 132, Mus musculus n = 102, Apodemus sylvaticus n = 8, Rattus norvegicus n = 2). Y. enterocolitica was isolated from 41 rodents (16.8%), and from one Y. pseudotuberculosis and one Y. kristensenii. In three cases, two Y. enterocolitica isolates were obtained from one rodent. All Y. enetrocolitica contained ystB and belonged to biotype 1A, considered as potentially pathogenic. One isolate additionally had the ail gene typical for pathogenic strains. The sequence analysis of the ystB, ail, and inv fragments showed a high similarity to those from clinical cases. The current study revealed a high prevalence of Y. enetrocolitica among commensal rodents, but the classification of all of Y. enterocolitica isolates into biotype 1A and the sporadic isolation of Y. pseudotuberculosis do not indicate a high epidemiological risk.

Length-weight relationship and morphometrics of Osmerus eperlanus populations from two lakes of northeastern Poland

This study provides the length-weight relationship (LWR) of European smelt (Osmerus eperlanus) occurring in two lakes in northeastern Poland. The morphometric characters of the two populations of this species in lakes Dargin and Dejguny were also compared. The LWRs were highly significant (P < 0.05) with a high coefficient of determination (r2 ≥ 0.923). The estimated b values ranged from 3.256 to 3.508. Sixteen of the 26 morphological characters measured differed between the two populations. No sexual dimorphism was observed. The research presents detailed data on the biometric characters of the species that contributes to the assessment of phenotypic plasticity and general morphological variation of the populations.

The Planktonic Rotifer Community in a Lake Restored with Selective Hypolimnetic Withdrawal

The objective of this study was to analyze variations in the planktonic rotifer community in a lake subjected to hypolimnetic withdrawal. The present study is also the first attempt to estimate the effects of changes in hypolimnion water withdrawal rates on the zooplankton community. The lake is located in northeastern Poland. Zooplankton were sampled in 1986, 2004 and 2013. Standard protocols of zooplankton sampling and elaboration were applied. Rotifer abundance, wet biomass, community structure, and species diversity were studied at different intensities of hypolimnetic water withdrawal. Trophic state indices based on rotifer abundance and species structure were used to evaluate changes in the trophic state of the lake. Our results showed increased planktonic rotifer species diversity over a period of years, which was a positive outcome of the restoration measures. Lower hypolimnetic withdrawal rates seemed to favor the development of a diverse rotifer community. Conversely, qualitative changes in zooplankton structure and a zooplankton-based assessment of the lake trophic state indicated that water eutrophication was progressing. Despite modifications to the operation of the pipeline, no significant differences in rotifer abundance or biomass were detected between the sites in each year or among years at each site.

Impacts of light rail in a mid-sized city: Evidence from Olsztyn, Poland

Investments in light rail transit (LRT) have become increasingly popular solutions to promote sustainable urban transportation. However, their impacts on cities are still subject to discussion in the academic community. There is a clear need to better understand the potential impacts of LRT projects, particularly in contexts other than major cities. In this study, we focus on the Olsztyn tram project, which has been implemented in a city of 173,000 residents situated in northeastern Poland. The paper combines different perspectives and data sources, including a study of residents’ stated preferences concerning travel behavior and modelling of housing price effects using the difference-in-differences approach. Our results suggest that the Olsztyn tram project led to a moderate change in travel behavior by increasing the frequency of public transport use but did not result in a substantial shift away from car commuting. Concerning the property market, a decline in prices was observed during the construction phase, but no statistically significant effects were found after completion.