Floral biology of Senecio macrophyllus M. BIEB. (Asteraceae), a rare Central European steppe plant

Knowledge of the flowering phase and plant pollination ecology is very important for understanding the life history of long-lived perennials. In the case of rare species, the information may have implications for conservation practices. Our studies on flower morphology and blooming biology of the vulnerable plant Senecio macrophyllus M. BIEB. were conducted in situ (flowering, activity of insect visitors) in the largest population in SE Poland and in laboratory (light and scanning electron microscopy). The disc florets open diurnally with most intensive anthesis in the early afternoon and attract insect visitors with nectar and pollen. In highly protandrous disc florets, pollen viability decreases in time, whereas stigma receptivity increases. The upper part of the pistil forms a brush-like pollen presenter, covered with unicellular trichomes with chromoplasts. Pollen presentation lasts 4–11 hours per floret, and 8 days in a single head, the main function of which is to extend the availability of male gamets for reproduction. The number of florets per head, the head size, and the number of pollen grains produced per anther, and the pollen grain viability differed significantly between microsites. The finding indicates that, apart from the biotic factors, abiotic conditions may considerably influence generative reproduction of the species. In the study area, the principal visitors of S. macrophyllus flowers were Hymenoptera, with predominance of Apis mellifera (53.4% of visits). The remarkable share of butterflies (13.9%) recognized as the long-distance moving insects may improve the genetic variability of individuals within a fragmented population. A more detailed study is necessary to explain the role of insect visitors in effective pollination and in gene transfer between patches. The assessment of optimal conditions for the generative reproduction is fundamental for the in situ conservation of this rare species

The urban heat island and the features of the flora in the Lublin City area, SE Poland

Various forms of human activity in large cities contribute to the creation of a specific climate and new environmental conditions for plants. One of the most important results is the so-called atmospheric urban heat island (UHI). The aim of this study was to compare the thermal conditions in the Lublin City center with those of suburban areas, and so confirm the existence of the UHI and then analyze the influence of thermal conditions on features of the flora. The analysis of the air temperatures was based on data from 2000 to 2014 provided by meteorological stations in the Lublin City center and its nearest surroundings. Floristic data were collected during field studies between 2012–2014 and included species richness and frequency, life forms, and synecological groups of the flora and its elements. The thermal requirements of species were defined on the basis of ecological indicator values (EIVs). Our research confirmed the presence of the UHI in the Lublin City center. Over the study period, the mean temperature in the city center was by 0.87°C higher than that in the suburban areas. The largest differences in mean annual air temperature between the city center and the suburbs were recorded in 2007 and 2011–2013. In total, 552 species were recorded, including six life-form and synecological groups, 246 thermophilous and 436 heliophilous species. The species richness, proportion of therophytes, alien, thermo- and heliophilous species decreased with distance from the city center. The thermal conditions expressed by the EIV L and T ranged from L = 4.5, T = 3.8 in the city center, to L = 3.1, T = 3.4 in the suburbs. An ordination analysis facilitated determination of the relationships between characteristics of the flora, the EIV values, and land use classes. An increasing level of anthropopressure was found to be positively correlated with thermal conditions and the flora traits

How a river course influences the species richness and ecological requirements on two opposite riverbanks in a forest area

The goal of the present research was to find correlations between the topographic attributes of a river valley and local ground-floor vegetation and its habitat requirements expressed by ecological indicator values (EIV), using the geographical information systems (GIS), digital elevation model (DEM), and multivariate statistical analysis. We paid special attention to the river course, which determines the differentiation in slope aspects and the amount of solar radiation reaching the ground surface. The model object was an almost latitudinal, ca. 4-km-long break section of the Sopot river, crossing the escarpment zone of the Central Roztocze Highlands, southeastern Poland. The main material comprised species lists (with estimated abundance) for each ca. 200-m-long section, according to the river valley course, separately for the left and right riverbanks, 40 sections altogether, ca. 15 000 vegetation records, and physical and chemical soil measurements. A 3-meter resolution DEM was derived from a 1:10 000 topographic map. We calculated the correlations between the topographic attributes of the valley, species richness, and the EIVs for all the species recognized in each section of the valley. We found 241 herb plant species in the ground-floor vegetation of the study area. We did not find significant differences between the two riversides (61 ±13 species per one section for the left and 63 ±17 for the right side). Thus, the parallel course of the river valley does not change the species richness on a more “sunny” and more “shiny” riverbank. However, this factor “cooperating” with other topographic attributes of the valley significantly differentiates the shape of species showing various requirements for basic habitat resources: light, moisture, soil trophy, reaction, dispersion, and organic-matter content

“The Forest is Our Father…”. A Different View Upon the History of Polish Forests. Part I. General Forest-Derived Toponyms and Anthroponyms

Siedziby ludzkie od pradawnych czasów przejmowały nazwy od roślin, a szczególnie drzew i krzewów rosnących na danym terenie oraz budowanych przez nie drzewostanów. Autorka postawiła sobie za cel próbę oceny zróżnicowania i rozmieszczenia dawnych lasów Polski poprzez analizę nazw własnych miejscowości (toponimów), które wskazują na ich pochodzenie odleśne. Podstawą analizy był obowiązujący wykaz urzędowych nazw miejscowości z 2019 r. Wyróżniono 4 kategorie nazw miejscowych: I – ogólnoleśne (niezależnie od typu siedliskowego lasu, który nie zawsze można dziś ustalić); II – lasowe (wywodzące się od typów siedliskowych lasów liściastych i mieszanych); III – borowe (od typów siedliskowych lasów budowanych głównie przez gatunki iglaste); IV – pozostałe (utworzone od terminów związanych z działalnością gospodarczą prowadzoną w lasach oraz pożytkami płynącymi z lasów). Wśród 100 tys. nazw miast, miasteczek, wsi i różnych osad odnaleziono 15,1 tys. nazw odleśnych. W niniejszej pracy omówione zostały toponimy, które nawiązują do lasu (z rdzeniem Las-, Les-, Leś-, Lesz- itp.) oraz do określeń pradawnych lasów, tj. puszczy i kniei. Toponimy z tej kategorii w liczbie 2422 stanowią 16% całości. Frekwencję toponimów skonfrontowano z częstością występowania nazwisk (antroponimów) mieszkańców Polski o podobnym pochodzeniu, zawartych w bazie PESEL z początku 2022 r.Since ancient times, human settlements have taken their names from plants, especially trees and shrubs growing in a given area and tree stands formed by these plants. The author has attempted to assess the diversity and distribution of former Polish forests through analysis of proper names of localities (toponyms) indicating their forest etymology. The analysis was based on the current list of official place names compiled in 2019. Four categories of place names were distinguished: I – general forest-derived (regardless of the forest habitat type, which cannot always be determined at present); II – forest (derived from deciduous broadleaved mixed forest habitats); III – conifer (mainly from coniferous forest habitats); IV – other (derived from terms related to economic activity carried out in forests and benefits provided by forests). The analysis of 100,000 names of cities, towns, villages, and various settlements revealed 15,100 forest-related names. The toponyms presented in this paper refer to the forest (word stems: Las-, Les-, Leś-, Lesz-, etc.) and to ancient primeval forests and large woods. The 2,422 toponyms in this category account for 16% of the total number. The frequency of the toponyms was compared with the frequency of similar origin surnames (anthroponyms) of inhabitants of Poland available in the PESEL database since the beginning of 2022.This research was partially financed by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Poland as a part of statutory activities of the Department of Botany, Mycology and Ecology, University of Maria Curie-Skłodowska in Lublin and partially was self-financed by the author

“The Forest is Our Father…”. A Different View Upon the History of Polish Forests. Part II. Toponyms and Anthroponyms Motivated by Deciduous Forests

Lasy, zwłaszcza mieszane z przewagą gatunków liściastych, pokrywały pierwotnie niemal cały obszar dzisiejszej Polski. Od pradawnych czasów lasy oraz rosnące w nich drzewa i krzewy dawały podstawę onomastyczną rozwijających się ludzkich siedzib. Praca miała na celu ocenę zróżnicowania i rozmieszczenia dawnych lasów poprzez analizę nazw własnych miejscowości (toponimów), które wskazują na ich związek z siedliskami lasowymi, czyli różnymi typami lasów liściastych i mieszanych. W obowiązującym wykazie urzędowych nazw miejscowości z 2019 r. odnaleziono 15,1 tys. odleśnych nazw miast, miasteczek, wsi i różnych osad. W tym artykule uwzględniono toponimy wywodzące się od rodzimych drzew i krzewów liściastych (dąb, lipa, grab, jesion, jarząb, olsza, brzoza, buk, wierzba, topola, wiąz, czeremcha, dzika czereśnia/trześnia, leszczyna, kalina, kruszyna, głóg) oraz typów siedliskowych lasów liściastych i mieszanych (dąbrowa, grąd, łęg, ols, brzezina, buczyna, jaworzyna), jak też określeń kolektywnych, m.in. brzezie, bucze, dąbie, dębina, grabie, jasienie, lipie, olsze, wierzbie. Toponimy z tej kategorii w liczbie 6965 (46,2%) stanowią największą grupę wśród wszystkich odleśnych jednostek nazewniczych. Udział toponimów lasowych porównano z występowaniem nazwisk (antroponimów) mieszkańców Polski o podobnym pochodzeniu, zawartych w bazie PESEL z początku 2022 r.Forests, especially mixed forests with a predominance of deciduous species, originally covered almost the entire area of today’s Poland. Since ancient times, forests and their trees and shrubs have provided an onomastic basis for the developing human settlements. The study was focused on assessment of the diversity and distribution of ancient forests through analysis of the proper names of localities (toponyms) indicating their relationship with forest habitats, i.e., various types of deciduous broadleaved mixed forests. The current list of official place names from 2019 comprises 15,100 forest-derived names of cities, towns, villages, and various settlements. This article presents toponyms derived from native deciduous trees and shrubs (oak, linden, hornbeam, ash, rowan, alder, birch, beech, willow, poplar, elm, bird cherry, wild cherry, hazel, guelder rose, buckthorn, hawthorn), types of deciduous broadleaved mixed forests (oak forest, oak-hornbeam forest, linden-hornbeam forest, ash-linden forest, riverside carr, bog-alder forest, birch forest, beechwood, sycamore maple forests), and collective derivatives of common tree names. The 6,963 toponyms (46.2%) in this category constitute the largest group among all forest-derived names. The frequency of forest toponyms was compared with the frequency of similar origin surnames (anthroponyms) of inhabitants of Poland available in the PESEL database since the beginning of 2022.This research was partially financed by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Poland as a part of statutory activities of the Department of Botany, Mycology and Ecology, University of Maria Curie-Skłodowska in Lublin and partially was self-financed by the author

Temporal changes of meadow and peatbog vegetation in the landscape of a small-scale river valley in Central Roztocze

The Szum is a right-side tributary of the Tanew River crossing the southern escarpment zone of the Central Roztocze region (SE Poland). Downstream of the strict river break in a section between the 10th and 12th km of the river course in the Szum valley, meadow and peatbog complexes have developed, associated with semi-hydrogenic and marshy soils. In an area of approx. 13 ha of the most valuable non-forest habitats, a variety of plant communities have been identified, including habitats of the Natura 2000 network and habitats that are protected under the Regulation of the Minister of the Environment (2001). These are, for instance, meadow associations Lysimachio vulgaris-Filipenduletum, Lythro-Filipenduletum, Filipendulo ulmariae-Menthetum longifoliae, Angelico-Cirsietum oleracei, and Cirsietum rivularis. The moss–sedge and sphagnum bog communities comprise noteworthy associations Caricetum limosae, Rhynchosporetum albae, Caricetum lasiocarpae, Caricetum paniceo-lepidocarpae, Caricetum davallianae, and Sphagnetum magellanici. These communities are composed of ca. 160 vascular plant species and 40 moss and liverwort species. In 1999–2014, the greatest changes occurred within macroforb meadows, i.e. small Angelico-Cirsietum oleracei and Cirsietum rivularis patches have been transformed into Lysimachio vulgaris-Filipenduletum, while some patches of the latter association have been transformed into a Caricetum acutiformis rush. Several patches of bog-spring associations Caricetum paniceo-lepidocarpae and Carici canescentis-Agrostietum caninae have been irretrievably destroyed. Sphagnetum magellanici appears to be the least stable community among the preserved peatbogs. The changes of meadow and peatbog vegetation observed for the last 15 years are a consequence of natural processes that take place in the river valley and to a large extent human activity connected with the so-called small-scale water retention as well as the presence of a beaver colony in the area and later the abandonment of this area by beavers. Despite the multidirectional changes, the peatbogs of the Szum valley have retained their high species and phytocoenotic diversity, which indicates a substantial degree of naturalness

Necromass as seed reservoir in macroforb meadows with varied moisture conditions

Necromass, i.e., dead plant parts, has a great impact on the spatial patterns of populations and communities. Depending on its thickness and the degree of decomposition, it may constitute a space-blocking physical barrier and impede recruitment of individuals due to, e.g., autotoxication. The aim of the study was to determine the role of the necromass layer in formation of the soil seed bank of variously moist meadow communities and its influence on the efficiency of generative reproduction. The authors paid special attention to the possibility of capture and storage of seeds of species occurring in the vegetation cover by necromass. Additionally, selected features of seeds of species present on the necromass were analyzed in order to identify species that can potentially contribute to formation of the necromass seed bank. The plant cover comprised 52 species in total. Seedlings of 21 taxa appeared on the necromass and their number ranged from 10 to 13, depending on the patch. The density of the seedlings ranged from 339 to 4923 m−2. In all patches, Lythrum salicaria and Lysimachia vulgaris seedlings were most numerous. These two species were characterized by the highest frequency as well. The low values of Jaccard’s index (0.28–0.36) imply a low share of taxa that are common for the necromass and the vegetation cover. This result should be explained by the occurrence of large disproportions in the number of all species identified on the necromass and among the vegetation. The seeds are typically characterized by small sizes and usually have smooth or finely striated and/or ribbed surface texture. The presence of additional structures, e.g., pappus and hairs, in the largest and heaviest seeds (Crepis paludosa, Geum rivale, and Cirsium spp.) may help seeds capture in the necromass

Temporal changes of meadow and peatbog vegetation in the landscape of a small-scale river valley in Central Roztocze

The Szum is a right-side tributary of the Tanew River crossing the southern escarpment zone of the Central Roztocze region (SE Poland). Downstream of the strict river break in a section between the 10th and 12th km of the river course in the Szum valley, meadow and peatbog complexes have developed, associated with semi-hydrogenic and marshy soils. In an area of approx. 13 ha of the most valuable non-forest habitats, a variety of plant communities have been identified, including habitats of the Natura 2000 network and habitats that are protected under the Regulation of the Minister of the Environment (2001). These are, for instance, meadow associations Lysimachio vulgaris-Filipenduletum, Lythro-Filipenduletum, Filipendulo ulmariae-Menthetum longifoliae, Angelico-Cirsietum oleracei, and Cirsietum rivularis. The moss–sedge and sphagnum bog communities comprise noteworthy associations Caricetum limosae, Rhynchosporetum albae, Caricetum lasiocarpae, Caricetum paniceo-lepidocarpae, Caricetum davallianae, and Sphagnetum magellanici. These communities are composed of ca. 160 vascular plant species and 40 moss and liverwort species. In 1999–2014, the greatest changes occurred within macroforb meadows, i.e. small Angelico-Cirsietum oleracei and Cirsietum rivularis patches have been transformed into Lysimachio vulgaris-Filipenduletum, while some patches of the latter association have been transformed into a Caricetum acutiformis rush. Several patches of bog-spring associations Caricetum paniceo-lepidocarpae and Carici canescentis-Agrostietum caninae have been irretrievably destroyed. Sphagnetum magellanici appears to be the least stable community among the preserved peatbogs. The changes of meadow and peatbog vegetation observed for the last 15 years are a consequence of natural processes that take place in the river valley and to a large extent human activity connected with the so-called small-scale water retention as well as the presence of a beaver colony in the area and later the abandonment of this area by beavers. Despite the multidirectional changes, the peatbogs of the Szum valley have retained their high species and phytocoenotic diversity, which indicates a substantial degree of naturalness