Seedling recruitment in peat bogs in contrasting hydrologic conditions

The study examined the effect of variation in hydrology on seedling recruitment of shrubs, trees and herbs in peat bogs. The establishment of plants and hydrologic conditions were followed in two peatlands in the Polesie Zachodnie region, Eastern Poland. Meteorological conditions in the study sites ranged from very dry (2006) to very wet (2007) and strongly affected ground water level in the bogs. The emergence of woody species typical for advanced vegetation succession was higher in forest-bog, while the recruitment of typical peat bog plants was higher in open bog. Disturbance in the vegetation positively influencedemergence of typical peat bog species and Betula pubescens, but the effect was only foundin the dry year. Only in Pinus sylvestris did recruitment increase in wet seasons. The results suggested that an increase in the number of woody species in peat bogs may be enhanced during relatively wet seasons and that disturbance in the vegetation cover are not required for seedling recruitment of these plants

Stan troficzny płytkiego jeziora ze zredukowanym dopływem wód powierzchniowych

According to the general classification of shallow eutrophic lakes, two alternative types are distinguished: phytoplankton-dominated and macrophyte-dominated lakes. The latter type is rare and currently endangered by human activity. In order to determine the effect of reduced inflow of surface water by an earth dyke on the lake trophic state, certain biological and physico-chemical parameters were evaluated. This work focuses on two lakes of similar morphometric characteristics situated in the agricultural landscape. The effect of the earth dyke on the trophic state was positively verified. The lake situated in the catchment basin, in which the inflow of surface water was reduced, was defined as meso-eutrophic, with a small amount of phytoplankton and high water transparency. The reference lake was highly eutrophic, with low water transparency and a large amount of phytoplankton. The water body surrounded by the earth dyke was macrophytes dominated (65% of the lake area), whereas the reference lake was a phytoplankton-macrophyte type (42% of the lake area). The trophic evaluation of a lake can be underestimated because of a significant amount of biogenic compounds accumulated in plant tissues. Thus, the values of Carlson’s indices in macrophyte-dominated lakes may not account for the total amount of nutrients in the water body.W ogólnej klasyfi kacji płytkich jezior eutrofi cznych można wyróżnić dwa alternatywne typy zbiorników: zdominowane przez fitoplankton i zdominowane przez makrofity. Ten drugi typ jezior jest rzadki i obecnie zagrożony działalnością człowieka. W celu określenia wpływu zredukowanego dopływu wód powierzchniowych przez ziemną groblę na stan troficzny jeziora, poddano ocenie wybrane parametry biologiczne i fizyczno-chemiczne dwóch zbiorników o podobnej morfometrii, położonych w krajobrazie rolniczym. Efekt oddziaływania grobli na jakość ekosystemu jeziornego oceniono jako znaczący. Jezioro położone w zlewni, w której dopływ wód powierzchniowych był ograniczony, zostało zaklasyfikowane jako mezo-eutroficzne, z małą ilością fitoplanktonu i o dużej przezroczystości wody. Jezioro porównawcze było silnie eutroficzne, z dużą ilością fitoplanktonu i o niskiej przezroczystości wody. Zbiornik otoczony przez groblę reprezentował typ makrofitowy (65% powierzchni jeziora pokryta przez roślinność), a stan jeziora porównawczego, w którym roślinność zajmowała 42% misy jeziornej, mieścił się między typem fitoplanktonowym i makrofitowym. Ocena trofii jezior może być jednak niedoszacowana, ponieważ znaczna część nutrientów może być zakumulowana w tkankach roślin. Stąd, wartości wskaźników Carlsona w przypadku jezior makrofitowych mogą nie uwzględniać ogólnej ilości nutrientów w jeziorze

Genetic diversity of postglacial relict shrub Betula nana revealed by RAPD analysis

A sample of Betula nana from the Linie reserve near Dąbrowa Chełmińska, have been fingerprinted using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). The high level of genetic variation was detected. All individuals had unique genotypes, supporting the generally high resolving power of RAPD’s. For the conservation strategy, information about the distribution of the genetic variation within and among populations plays very important role. Thus, extensive study in other populations of dwarf birch is needed

Factors affecting the global distribution of Hydrilla verticillata

Hydrilla verticillata (Hydrocharitaceae) is a submerged freshwater flowering plant within the monotypic genus. Over the geological periods, fossils of this family and genus have shown distinct diversifications between warm and cool fluctuations with more adaptations occurring in warmer periods and suppressions during severely cold paleoclimate changes. Recently, H. verticillata has shown a wide range of adaptive plasticity, allowing successful proliferation into non-native regions, whilst also undergoing unexplained disappearance from its native localities, and this phenomenon has stimulated this inquiry. Against this somewhat complex background, particular interest for this investigation has been focussed on an understanding of which aspects of climate change have contributed towards global adaptations and distribution patterns of H. verticillata. Whilst it is recognised that some of these changes are natural, other aggravating impacts are due to anthropogenic influences. Identifying the appropriate combinations of these climatic factors (temperature, rainfall, photoperiod), in concert with environmental (water level, CO2, salinity, eutrophication), geographical (altitude, latitude) and other factors (UV-B) are necessary precursors for instituting appropriate management strategies. In this respect, control measures are needed in non-native regions and restoration of this plant in native habitats are essential for its ecologically balanced global distribution. © 2021 European Weed Research Societ