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THE ROLE OF FORESTS IN MITIGATING THE ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES OF EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS

Katarzyna Kocur-Bera

Abstract

Forests and woodlands play a very important role in many aspects of human life, and they also affect the quality of the environment. Recently, the interest of researchers and governments has focused on the function of woodlands in terms of current climate change. In this regard forests perform four basic functions: they are пїЅcausesпїЅ, пїЅvictimsпїЅ, пїЅbeneficiariesпїЅ, and пїЅmedicineпїЅ for the ongoing changes. The last function includes participation in the reduction of greenhouse gases, by absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen, as well as delivering energy products which can replace fossil fuels. The aim of the studies and analyses presented in this paper is to demonstrate the considerable role of woodlands in actions intended to prevent climate changes and adapt to them (in the introduction), while the analytical part is focused on one of the consequences of these changes, namely the occurrence of extreme weather phenomena in rural areas. The collected research material concerned the effects of woodlands, in terms of the occurrence of these phenomena, on land used for agricultural purposes in Warmian-Masurian province. It was collected in the years 2010-2014. In order to accomplish the objectives of the study, analyses of trends, correlations and multiple regressions were performed. The studies demonstrated that there is a moderate correlation between the forestation rate and the loss rate per 10 ha of agricultural lands, while there is no correlation between the forestation rate and the phenomena number rate. Based on the constructed model of multiple regression equation it was estimated that in the case of the study area the increase in the forestation rate by 10% reduces financial losses caused by extreme weather phenomena by approximately 7%. The obtained results of the study indicate the important role of forests and woodlands in overcoming the results of climate change and the occurrence of financial losses caused by extreme weather phenomena.

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DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/sgem2017h/33/s14.082

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