Wiek i sposób użytkowania terenu jako czynniki różnicujące hydrochemię i roślinność zbiorników astatycznych w krajobrazie porolnym

Small, astatic ponds are important features of post-glacial landscape, which support heterogeneity and biodiversity of agricultural areas. In the presented research we explored differences in hydrochemistry and plant cover of 20 small ponds located in Northeastern Poland, characterized by diverse age and developed in differently managed areas. According to our research, though changes in water level are under direct influence of water balance in the catchment, to which belonged the ponds, their hydrochemistry seemed to be shaped by processes at the level lower than the catchment scale. Age of the ponds appeared to be an important factor influencing density and species composition of vegetation developed on the studied ponds.Badania prowadzono przez dwa lata na małych zbiornikach wodnych w krajobrazie porolnym w Mazurskim Parku Krajobrazowym. Wybrano 20 zbiorników podzielonych na trzy grupy różniące się wiekiem, stopniem odizolowania i sposobem zagospodarowania otaczających je terenów. Regularnie monitorowano właściwości chemiczne wody w zbiornikach. W celu oszacowania różnic w pokrywie roślinnej zbiorników wykonano zdjęcia fitosocjologiczne metodą Brauna-Blanqueta. Wykazano, że nowopowstałe zbiorniki istotnie statystycznie różnią się od starych poziomem wody, jej odczynem i zawartością jonów wapnia. Najwyższy poziom wody zarejestrowano w starych zbiornikach położonych w otoczeniu półnaturalnych wilgotnych łąk, największą wartość pH i największe stężenie jonów wapnia – w nowopowstałych zbiornikach. We wszystkich badanych grupach zbiorników poziom wody i wartości badanych parametrów chemicznych podlegały zmienności sezonowej. Roczna dynamika właściwości chemicznych wody nie wykazywała związku z fluktuacjami poziomu wody. Parametry chemiczne wody w starych zbiornikach położonych wśród pól uprawnych nie różniły się od notowanych w starych zbiornikach położonych na obszarze łąk półnaturalnych. Na nowopowstałych zbiornikach dominowały zbiorowiska charakterystyczne dla otwartej toni wodnej. Brzegi młodych zbiorników charakteryzowały się znacznym udziałem błotnistych, luźno pokrytych roślinnością powierzchni. Różnorodność flory młodych zbiorników, wyrażona liczbą gatunków oraz współczynnikiem Shannona- Weavera, była istotnie mniejsza niż w starych zbiornikach. Zbiorniki stare na półnaturalnych łąkach cechował duży udział gatunków charakterystycznych dla rzędu Molinietalia caeruleae W. Koch 1926 oraz dla związku Magnocaricion Koch 1926. W grupie tych zbiorników zarejestrowano największe wartości wskaźników różnorodności biologicznej. Na starych zbiornikach otoczonych polami uprawnymi dominowały pałkowiska Typha latifolia. Zaobserwowano także liczne gatunki charakterystyczne dla siedlisk przekształconych przez człowieka (gatunki ruderalne, chwasty)

CNP stoichiometry and productivity limitations in high-altitude wetland ecosystems of the Eastern Pamir

We studied two wetland plant community types that occur on flat lake terraces in the Eastern Pamir mountains (Tajikistan, Central Asia). We selected 13 homogeneous patches of salt marsh vegetation dominated by Blysmus rufus (Huds.) Link, and 20 homogeneous patches of saline small sedge meadow. From each patch we took soil and biomass samples which were analysed in the laboratory. We used δ13C and δ15N values for plant biomass to determine the type of nutrient limitation and to characterise dominant species, and we assessed the impact of detrital input on the CNP stoichiometry of biomass. Biomass δ13C was typical for plants growing under low partial pressure of CO2; while δ15N was very high, especially in the leaves of Carex orbicularis Boott. N limitation was indicated for the majority of sampled sites, yet we found no significant correlation between δ13C or δ15N and N/P quotient. There were pronounced differences in δ15N between species, the lowest values being recorded for Carex microglochin Wahlenb. No significant influence of detrital inputs on the chemical composition of plant biomass was detected

Education for Resilience: How a Combination of Systemic and Bottom-Up Changes in Educational Services Can Empower Dryland Communities in Africa and Central Asia

We examined existing problems relevant for education in global drylands and discuss their potential solutions in four fields, crucial for properly functioning educational systems: (a) response to low population densities, (b) governance, (c) language of instruction and (d) mismatch between education and the labour market. Our analysis leads us to the formulation of nine policy recommendations that may help create an educational system that strengthens resilience of dryland communities in the face of ongoing climate change. Our recommendations underline the necessity to combine systemic solutions with bottom-up ideas and extrinsic help coming from involvement of diaspora and non-governmental organizations.Language Use in Past and Presen

Environment changes during Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition in southern Poland (Central Europe). A multiproxy approach for the MIS 3 sequence of Koziarnia Cave (Kraków-Częstochowa Upland)

Marine Isotope Stage 3 is considered a period with several climate oscillations that drove the environments to rapid changes. To understand how these stadial-interstadial cycles affected southern Poland, we combined the results of eight proxies analysed in the samples from the old excavations and a new 2017 trench of Koziarnia Cave (Ojców National Park, Kraków-Częstochowa Upland, Poland) in layers related to Middle Palaeolithic, Jerzmanowician, and Early Gravettian. Among the studied proxies were charcoals, pollen record, remains of malacofauna, and vertebrates (including rodents, birds and large mammals, and ZooMS analysis of fragmented bones). Moreover, sediment samples have been analysed for lipid composition (by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, GC–MS).Despite several taphonomic issues, it was possible to recognise two oscillations. The first one, reflected in pollen record and lipid analysis, took place during Dansgaard-Oeschger (DO) 14 to 8 and included Heinrich Stadial (HS) 4. The second one, recorded by rodents and bird proxies, was related to DO 8/7 to DO 6 and included HS 3. Charcoal and large mammal proxies provided the broad context of our study. The Jerzmanowician occupation was connected with a relatively cold episode in a landscape characterized mainly by grassland and periglacial environments, while the Late Middle Palaeolithic and Early Gravettian groups settled the cave during milder climatic conditions, where environments were open with sparse boreal woodlands. Such trends provide additional arguments in a broad discussion on Middle-Upper Palaeolithic transition in Central Europe

Fungal Planet description sheets: 154–213

Novel species of microfungi described in the present study include the following from South Africa: Camarosporium aloes, Phaeococcomyces aloes and Phoma aloes from Aloe, C. psoraleae, Diaporthe psoraleae and D. psoraleae-pinnatae from Psoralea, Colletotrichum euphorbiae from Euphorbia, Coniothyrium prosopidis and Peyronellaea prosopidis from Prosopis, Diaporthe cassines from Cassine, D. diospyricola from Diospyros, Diaporthe maytenicola from Maytenus, Harknessia proteae from Protea, Neofusicoccum ursorum and N. cryptoaustrale from Eucalyptus, Ochrocladosporium adansoniae from Adansonia, Pilidium pseudoconcavum from Greyia radlkoferi, Stagonospora pseudopaludosa from Phragmites and Toxicocladosporium ficiniae from Ficinia. Several species were also described from Thailand, namely: Chaetopsina pini and C. pinicola from Pinus spp., Myrmecridium thailandicum from reed litter, Passalora pseudotithoniae from Tithonia, Pallidocercospora ventilago from Ventilago, Pyricularia bothriochloae from Bothriochloa and Sphaerulina rhododendricola from Rhododendron. Novelties from Spain include Cladophialophora multiseptata, Knufia tsunedae and Pleuroascus rectipilus from soil and Cyphellophora catalaunica from river sediments. Species from the USA include Bipolaris drechsleri from Microstegium, Calonectria blephiliae from Blephilia, Kellermania macrospora (epitype) and K. pseudoyuccigena from Yucca. Three new species are described from Mexico, namely Neophaeosphaeria agaves and K. agaves from Agave and Phytophthora ipomoeae from Ipomoea. Other African species include Calonectria mossambicensis from Eucalyptus (Mozambique), Harzia cameroonensis from an unknown creeper (Cameroon), Mastigosporella anisophylleae from Anisophyllea (Zambia) and Teratosphaeria terminaliae from Terminalia (Zimbabwe). Species from Europe include Auxarthron longisporum from forest soil (Portugal), Discosia pseudoartocreas from Tilia (Austria), Paraconiothyrium polonense and P. lycopodinum from Lycopodium (Poland) and Stachybotrys oleronensis from Iris (France). Two species of Chrysosporium are described from Antarctica, namely C. magnasporum and C. oceanitesii. Finally, Licea xanthospora is described from Australia, Hypochnicium huinayensis from Chile and Custingophora blanchettei from Uruguay. Novel genera of Ascomycetes include Neomycosphaerella from Pseudopentameris macrantha (South Africa), and Paramycosphaerella from Brachystegia sp. (Zimbabwe). Novel hyphomycete genera include Pseudocatenomycopsis from Rothmannia (Zambia), Neopseudocercospora from Terminalia (Zambia) and Neodeightoniella from Phragmites (South Africa), while Dimorphiopsis from Brachystegia (Zambia) represents a novel coelomycetous genus. Furthermore, Alanphillipsia is introduced as a new genus in the Botryosphaeriaceae with four species, A. aloes, A. aloeigena and A. aloetica from Aloe spp. and A. euphorbiae from Euphorbia sp. (South Africa). A new combination is also proposed for Brachysporium torulosum (Deightoniella black tip of banana) as Corynespora torulosa. Morphological and culture characteristics along with ITS DNA barcodes are provided for all taxa