Małgorzata Strzelec (1955-2019) - obituary

"Professor Małgorzata Strzelec passed away prematurely on May 3rd, 2019, as a result of severe illness. She was a well-known and respected scientist, whose achievements place her among the prominent Polish malacologists. At the same time, she was a person of great modesty, with a high level of personal culture, and with an urge to help other people. She was always ready to give good advice and had a warm word for everyone. Being a person of great sense of humour, cheerful and very kind, she was friendly to everyone. She had very firm opinions and a righteous character. In recent time she has struggled with a severe and painful illness which she endured with dignity and immense humility." (fragm.

Freshwater alien species Physella acuta (Draparnaud, 1805) - a possible model for bioaccumulation of heavy metals

In this study we focused on Physella acuta, an alien snail species in order to determine their ability of bioaccumulation of heavy metals in their shells, bodies, the difference in accumulation in relation to age classes, and the influence of ecological variables on the community composition and density. On the basis of the results of ecological, toxicological, and experimental analyses we aimed to study the potential invasive features of P. acuta in comparision with the native species Stagnicola palustris. The content of Cu and Zn in the substratum and ammonia in the water was strongly related to the patterns of distribution of P. acuta. The content of Cd, Pb, and Cu in the shell fraction was always significantly lower than in the body fraction. A comparison of accumulation with respect to the size classes of P. acuta indicated that the lowest metal concentration in the body was typical for the largest individuals, except for Zn. Metal content in the bodies of the native species did not differ from the content measured in their analogous group of the largest individuals of P. acuta. The lowest value of bioaccumulation factor (BAF) was found for the large class of specimens of this species for each metal. A distinct decrease in the value of BAF in relation to the size of snails was found for cadmium. A 100% hatching success found in masses collected from pond confirmed the high reproductive potential of P. acuta which can be a factor that promotes its invasive features following its ability to occur in very high densities, but not necessarily the ability of metal accumulation in the body. Physella acuta can be used as a model organism in the studies on the accumulation of heavy metals however, the extend of accumulation can differ among the age classes. Because of the high tolerance of P. acuta to heavy metal pollution, in the future this species can be found in significantly polluted habitats, inhabiting free ecological niches, and occurring in high densities in snail communities

The colonization of a cold spring ecosystem by the invasive species potamopyrgus antipodarum (Gray, 1843) (gastropoda: Tateidae) (Southern Poland)

Springs are unique aquatic environments that support specific biota, including endemic species and rare species listed in Red Lists. Due to their usually small size, springs are highly sensitive to disturbance. Many of them are threatened by aquifer depletion, contamination, surface-water diversion, livestock trampling, recreation, and invasive species. The aim of this study was to assess the colonization success of the invasive New Zealand mud snail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) in a cold spring ecosystem in southern Poland. In Europe, this species has recently been added to the top “hundred worst” alien species due to its impact on invaded ecosystems. The study was carried out in two areas of the spring ecosystem—in the springhead and the springbrook—over a four-year period. Potamopyrus antipodarum dominated the benthic macroinvertebrate communities in both areas of the spring ecosystem. Nevertheless, its abundance in the springbrook was significantly greater, and increased noticeably during subsequent years compared to that in the springhead. The populations of P. antipodarum were exclusively composed of females. Smaller-sized New Zealand mudsnails were more abundant near the spring’s source than at the second site. The females at the springhead became fecund at sizes as small as 3.7 mm (the number of embryos was between 0 and 37), while at the springbrook, embryos were found in snails as small as 3.4 mm (the number of embryos was between 0 and 42). Our results suggest that the lower water temperature at the springhead may limit the population size of P. antipodarum, thus making its density too low to be able to affect the community structure of benthic macroinvertebrates, including the spring snail Bythinella cf. austriaca

Prospects for the dispersion of Sinanodonta woodiana (Lea, 1834) in inland waters of Poland

tekst w j. pol. i ang.Wykazanie dlaczego S. woodiana występuje częściej w pewnych regionach kraju w środowiskach w analogicznych środowiskach wodnych

Alien benthic macroinvertebrates – a threat to aquatic environments of Upper Silesia

tekst w j. pol. i ang.Celem wieloletnich badań prowadzonych w różnych środowiskach wodnych na Górnym Śląsku było gromadzenie danych o stanowiskach występowania obcych gatunków makrobezkręgowców bentosowych

Response of Cladocera Fauna to Heavy Metal Pollution, Based on Sediments from Subsidence Ponds Downstream of a Mine Discharge (S. Poland)

Mining is recognized to deeply influence invertebrate assemblages in aquatic systems, but di erent invertebrates respond in di erent ways to mining cessation. Here, we document the response of the cladoceran assemblage of the Chechło river, S. Poland (southern Poland) to the cessation of Pb-Zn ore mining. The aquatic system includes the river and associated subsidence ponds in the valley. Some ponds were contaminated during the period of mining, which ceased in 2009, while one of the ponds only appeared after mining had stopped. We used Cladocera to reveal how the cessation of mine water discharge reflected on the structure and density of organisms. A total of 20 Cladocera taxa were identified in the sediment of subsidence ponds. Their density ranged from 0 to 109 ind./1 cm3. The concentrations of Zn, Cd, Cu and Pb were much higher in sediments of the ponds formed during peak mining than in the ponds formed after the closure of the mine. Statistical analysis (CCA) showed that Alonella nana, Alona a nis, Alona sp. and Pleuroxus sp. strongly correlated with pond age and did not tolerate high concentrations of heavy metals (Cu and Cd). This analysis indicated that the rate of water exchange by the river flow and the presence of aquatic plants, a ect species composition more than pond age itself

Neo- and Paleo-Limnological Studies on Diatom and Cladoceran Communities of Subsidence Ponds Affected by Mine Waters (S. Poland)

Plankton assemblages can be altered to di erent degrees by mining. Here, we test how diatoms and cladocerans in ponds along a river in southern Poland respond to the cessation of the long-term Pb-Zn mining. There are two groups of subsidence ponds in the river valley. One of them (DOWN) was contaminated over a period of mining, which ceased in 2009, whereas the other (UP) appeared after the mining had stopped. We used diatoms and cladocerans (complete organisms in plankton and their remains in sediments) to reveal the influence of environmental change on the structure and density of organisms. The water of UP pond was more contaminated by major ions (SO4 2, Cl) and nutrients (NO3 , PO4 3) than the DOWN ponds. Inversely, concentrations of Zn, Cd, Cu and Pb were significantly higher in sediment cores of DOWN ponds in comparison to those in the UP pond. Ponds during mining had higher diversity of diatoms and cladocerans than the pond formed after the mining had stopped. CCA showed that diatom and cladoceran communities related most significantly to concentrations of Pb in sediment cores. Comparison of diatom and cladoceran communities in plankton and sediment suggests significant recovery of assemblages in recent years and reduction of the harmful e ect of mine-originating heavy metals. Some features of ponds such as the rate of water exchange by river flow and the presence of water plants influenced plankton communities more than the content of dissolved heavy metals

Kolekcje i dane przyrodnicze Instytutu Biologii, Biotechnologii i Ochrony Środowiska Uniwersytetu Śląskiego w Katowicach

The development of collections and databases in the field of animate nature at the University of Silesia is closely related to the over 50-years history of the development of biology at this university. Along with the development of the organizational structure, initially the Institute of Biology, and then the Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection (from 2020, the Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection - IBBiOŚ), botanical and zoological research teams were formed, which as part of the conducted research, as well as individual interests of researchers, have been collecting specimens and data that constitute research and documentation material. These collections come mainly from research conducted in the Upper Silesia region, but over time they were enriched with collections gathered in other regions of the country, Europe and the world. These collections are of great scientific and didactic value. According to the idea of modern scientific collections, the purpose of their activity is not only to collect and store collections, but to make this information available and disseminate to a wide group of interested recipients in Poland and around the world. As part of the IMBIO project, a total of 90,500 records will be made available from botanical and zoological collections, making it possible to use the resources of the IBBiOŚ UŚ collection at a distance

Morphological diversification of alien and native aquatic snails of the genus Physa and Aplexa (Gastropoda: Physidae) of Western and Central European range

Cieplok, Anna, Anderson, Roy, Gawlak, Magdalena, Kałuski, Tomasz, Spyra, Aneta (2022): Morphological diversification of alien and native aquatic snails of the genus Physa and Aplexa (Gastropoda: Physidae) of Western and Central European range. Zootaxa 5168 (2): 101-118, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5168.2.

The Role of Habitat Protection in Maintaining the Diversity of Aquatic Fauna in Rural and Industrial Areas

In Natural Landscape Complexes and Ecological Sites, local environmental protection is used to cover previous industrial activities, fragments of the cultural landscape, and habitats of both vertebrates and invertebrates. In water bodies within the different types of habitat protection, aquatic invertebrate fauna was studied to investigate whether it is a general rule that different forms of protection ensure the diversity of aquatic invertebrates in rural and industrial areas. The research revealed differences between invertebrate assemblages within complexes and between reservoirs. Compared with unprotected reservoirs located in the same area, in the majority of the studied water bodies, either no alien species were found or their relative abundance in assemblages was very low. Significant differences in the density, the number of taxa, the diversity, and the percentage of alien species were observed between different geographical locations. The location of water bodies within the protected area plays an important role in maintaining benthos diversity in industrial areas. These findings are useful for comparison with those of future research to document possible improvements or ongoing ecological regression in the quality of aquatic ecosystems in industrial areas. This study can help guide revisions of protected habitat networks for adequate protection of freshwater biodiversity in industrial areas