The ecological diversity of vegetation within Urban Parks in the Dabrowski Basin (southern Poland)

The aim of this work is to present the diversity of flora in terms of ecological requirements. The research was conducted in the area of two urban parks in the area of two cities in southern Poland: Bedzin and Czeladz. These parks were established in different historical periods, and were planned (and are managed) differently. The results of the investigation have shown that the occurrence of 192 vascular species has been observed in the Gora Zamkowa (Castle Hill) Park, while in the Grabek park, 334 such species are known to exist. Such disparity is the result of the occurrence of micro-habitats and of the differences between the ways the two parks are managed. It is also due to these parks’ different functions. In the first case, the park area is protected by law. In the latter case, human activity has created a new ecological niche for organisms with a high degree of ecological tolerance. Based on the ecological values, the following groups of plants were distinguished: saxifrages grasslands, xerothermic grasslands, beech forests, alder forests and artificial planted trees. Analysis has shown that urban parks are potential places for growth various type of vegetation and also for increasing biodiversity, and can constitute particularly important hotspots for biodiversity in the cityscape, even if their primary role is recreational. As the study shows, the environment of a highly urbanized and industrialized region can also have a positive influence on ecological and floristic diversity

Adaptive Management of Riverine Socio-ecological Systems

If ongoing change in ecosystems and society can render inflexible policies obsolete, then management must dynamically adapt as a counter to perennial uncertainty. This chapter describes a general synthesis of how to make decision-making more adaptive and then explores the barriers to learning in management. We then describe how one such process, known as adaptive management (AM), has been applied in different river basins, on which basis we discuss AM’s strengths and limitations in various resource management contexts

Identification of Salt Stress Biomarkers in Romanian Carpathian Populations of Picea abies (L.) Karst

The Norway spruce (Picea abies), the most important tree species in European forests, is relatively sensitive to salt and does not grow in natural saline environments. Yet many trees are actually exposed to salt stress due to the common practice of de-icing of mountain roads in winter, using large amounts of NaCl. To help develop strategies for an appropriate use of reproductive seed material on reforestation sites, ensuring better chances of seedling survival in salt-affected areas, we have studied the responses of young spruce seedlings to salt treatments. The specific aim of the work was to identify the optimal salt stress biomarkers in Picea abies, using as experimental material seedlings obtained by germination of seeds with origin in seven populations from the Romanian Carpathian Mountains. These responses included general, conserved reactions such as the accumulation of ions and different osmolytes in the seedlings needles, reduction in photosynthetic pigments levels, or activation of antioxidant systems. Although changes in the contents of different compounds involved in these reactions can be associated to the degree of stress affecting the plants, we propose that the (decreasing) levels of total phenolics or total carotenoids and the (increasing) levels of Na+ or K+ ions in Picea abies needles, should be considered as the most reliable and useful biomarkers for salt stress in this species. They all show very high correlation with the intensity of salt stress, independently of the genetic background of the seeds parental population, and relatively easy, quantitative assays are available to determine their concentrations, requiring simple equipment and little amount of plant material.Funding: Sorin Schiop is a PhD student at the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca. This paper was published under the frame of European Social Found, Human Resources Development Operational Programme 2007-2013, project no. POSDRU/159/1.5/S/132765. Mohamad Al Hassan is a recipient of an Erasmus Mundus pre-doctoral scholarship financed by the European Commission (Welcome Consortium).Schiop, ST.; Al Hassan, M.; Sestras, AF.; Boscaiu Neagu, MT.; Sestras, RE.; Vicente Meana, Ó. (2015). Identification of Salt Stress Biomarkers in Romanian Carpathian Populations of Picea abies (L.) Karst. PLoS ONE. 10(8). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0135419Se013541910