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Table 3 Elements of the wetland landscape of the studied villages (Biebrza Valley, Poland) and their traditional use

From: Local traditional ecological knowledge about hay management practices in wetlands of the Biebrza Valley, Poland

Element of landscape

Meaning

Traditional use

No. of toponyms/village

I

II

III

IV/V

VI

VII

biele

All wet meadows in general

Various uses

1

1

1

1

1

1

biele, biele wytrzebowe (VII)

White meadows

Mown 1/y and grazed by cattle (I, II, VII); mown 1/y + grazed by cattle and horses (III, IV); mown 1/y or seldom 2/y + grazed by cattle and horses (V)

11

20

5

14

9

13

dołek (VII)

Small depression near mineral islands; generally hollow in wetlands (VII)

Cattle waded there (I); cows were milked here (III); mown 2/y + grazed by cattle (VII)

3

0

1

0

0

1

droga, grobel, drożyna (VI)

Road, causeway; generally unpaved, piled up roads in wetlands

Used for transporting logs to the river (I); used to get to distant meadows (I, II, IV, VI, VII); river crossing for livestock (III); used to get to the distant village (IV/V);

6

4

1

3

2

1

grądziki

Mineral islands; woody patches in wetlands with deciduous trees like Quercus robur, Carpinus betulus, Pyrus spp. etc

For drying of żaki (fyke nets) (I); grazed by cattle (I, II, V, VII) and horses (I); grazed in spring by cattle (II, VII); grazed smugi (III); mown 1/y (I, II, III); source of wooden material for faming tools and structures (all); source of wood for burning (II, VII)

13

7

2

4

1

8

jeziora, bajora

Lakes (oxbow lakes), swampy ponds

Fishing with niewód (seine) (VII), brodnia (type of drag net) (I, VI, VII), żaki (fyke nets), kozak (a type of a fyke net with ‘hearts’ on two sides [I]), kłomla (wooden landing net) (I, IV); soaking freshly cropped hemp (II); cleared with a scythe (I, II, III, IV, V, VII)

11

7

3

9

3

11

krzewina

Shrubs on wet meadows; usually applied to shrubby Salix spp. (e.g. Salix cinerea)

Source of material for farming tools and haystack structures (all); used for basket weaving (IV)

0

2

1

1

1

0

kultury

Cultivated forest fragments; freshly planted fragments of Alnus or Pinus sylvestris or Picea abies forest

A state property; they used to be fenced for some periods to prevent grazing

0

0

0

0

1

1

las, grąd

Forest, deciduous forest on hills and hollows (II,III,V)

Source of wood for burning (II, III, V); source of material for farming tools and structures (all); mown for hay (II); grazed by cattle (II, V)

0

2

3

2

3

0

las iglasty

Pinus sylvestris or Picea abies forest (I,V)

Source of material for farming tools and haystack structures (all); source of wood for burning (I, V, VI, VII);

2

0

0

4

1

1

łąki uprawne

Cultivated meadows

Generally not present during the time of traditional management but now present in the areas and in the narration of people

0

1

1

1

0

0

łąki torfowe (VI)

Peat meadows

Mown 1/y + grazed by cattle and horses

0

0

0

0

1

0

ogrody

Gardens

Growing of vegetables (I, III, IV, V, VI); grazed by sheep (I, VI); growing of vegetables and hemp (II); growing of flax (III)

1

1

1

1

1

0

olsyna; las olszynowy

Alnus glutinosa forest

Source of material for farming tools and haystack structures (all); grazed by cattle (II) + horses (III) + pigs (VI) + sheep (VII); source of wood for burning (VI, VII)

1

2

1

2

1

1

parowy, błota

Muddy meadow, muds

Used as a pasture for cattle (I); mown 1/y + freely grazed (II)

1

1

0

1

1

0

pola

Crop fields

Arable land used to grow cereals and potatoes (all); mixed in landscape with smugi (I)

9

1

1

1

1

1

rów, rowek

Ditch, small ditch

Local melioration (I, II); cattle would drink water here (II); general melioration in the 19th c. (IV/V, VI); fishing with brodnia (type of drag net [VI]); cleared with a scythe (I, II, IV, V, VI)

2

5

0

2

1

0

rzeka

Main river course

For fishing (II, III, IV, VII)

1

1

1

2

0

1

siedlisko

Settlements

Farm buildings

1

3

1

3

1

1

smugi

Typical pastures on wet meadows or between crop fields

Used for hay making + grazed by sheep and pigs (I); grazed by horses and cattle (II, V), grazed by geese, ducks, cattle, horses, sheep, pigs (III); grazed by cattle (IV)

1

19

3

1

0

0

torfy

Place with peat excavation

Peat was excavated for burning (I, II)

2

2

0

0

0

0

trawy rzeczne, łąki rzeczne, równe łąki (IV)

River grasses, river meadows, flat meadows; generally wet meadows directly by the river

Mown twice a year (I) + grazed by cattle (VII) + horses, sheep (IV); mown 1/y or 2/y + grazed by cattle (II); used as pasture or mown 1/y + grazed by cattle, horses (III)

3

8

1

3

1

5

  

In total

69

87

27

55

30

46

  1. The Roman numerals in parentheses indicate the village: I—Sośnia, II—Pluty, III—Brzostowo, IV—Rutkowskie, V—Kołodzieje, VI—Gugny, VII—Olszowa Droga. The landscapes of vil. IV and V overlap, hence the no. of toponyms are summed up