SELECTED GEOCHEMICAL CRITERIA IN MIRE PROFILES OF PORĘBY WOJSŁAWSKIE (SANDOMIERZ BASIN, POLAND SE)

The geochemical analysis of biogenic sediments was used to reconstruct environmental conditions and the impact of human activity from a small mire geo-system in the Sandomierz Basin (Poland SE). Changes in the nature of selected geochemical indicators show a significant impact on the transformation of the mire during the early stages of human activity. It is reflected in the geochemical record by means of a high proportion of heavy metals – cadmium, lead and copper. Evident variability of main geochemical components concentration is also visible in a vertical record of analysed cores. This is a consequence of the sedimentary basin asymmetric configuration and the ensuing variable biogenic sedimentary succession. Analizy geochemiczne stanową jedną z podstawowych metod badań osadów biogenicznych deponowanych w torfowiskach. W pracy wykorzystano analizę geochemiczną osadów biogenicznych z małego geosystemu torfowiskowego in the Sandomierz Basin (Poland SE) do odtworzenia warunków środowiskowych i wpływu działalności człowieka. Zmiany charakteru wybranych wskaźników geochemicznych zaznaczają znaczący wpływ na transformację torfowiska w najmłodszych fazach działalności człowieka. Rejestrowana jest ona w zapisie geochemicznym poprzez wysoki udział metali ciężkich – kadm, ołów i miedź. Zaznacza się także wyraźna zmienność koncentracji głównych składników geochemicznych w zapisie pionowym analizowanych rdzeni. Jest to konsekwencją asymetrycznej konfiguracji zbiornika sedymentacyjnego i wynikającej z niej zmiennej w czasie biogenicznej sukcesji osadowej

New methods applied to interpretations of pollen data in the Holocene - selected examples from the last decade

The results of palynological analyses of the Holocene deposits and modern pollen deposition in Poland and Finland are used to illustrate the progress in pollen analysis - the main palaeoecological method. The increased potential of modern palaeoecology for reconstruction of vegetation and for drawing conclusions on other environmental variables (climate, water conditions, landscape, anthropogenic disturbances) is demonstrated. Pollen analysis - develops at present interpretive tools for precise reconstruction of the structure and composition of vegetation and climate conditions. The progress consists in the quantitative presentation of pollenvegetation-climate relationships based on the examination of modern pollen deposition. The application of numerical analyses to pollen data allows correlating pollen spectrum features with the landscape/vegetation type. Special attention is paid to the Holocene vegetation changes of the transitional zone between boreal forest and tundra in the areas subjected to weak anthropopression (e.g. Lapland), which reflect climatic changes. Databases of modern pollen analogues are based on analysis of samples of surface mosses and contents of Tauber traps. These traps are used in Poland in investigations conducted as a part of the Pollen Monitoring Programme (http://pmp.oulu.fi). The correlation of Tauber-trap data with aerobiological ones contributes to understanding of the relationship between pollen production and climate elements. Additionally, the precise C 14 dating allows a near-annual resolution in fossil deposits to be obtained more frequently. Due to time scales comprising hundreds of years, pollen analysis can provide means to resolve questions inaccessible for direct observation

Annual pollen sums of alnus in Lublin and Roztocze in the years 2001-2007 against selected meteorological parameters

Alder (Alnus Mill.), as an anemophilous species, produces large quantities of easily dispersed pollen. Annual pollen sums recorded in south-eastern Poland (by the volumetric method - Lanzoni trap) and in the area of the village of Guciów in the Central Roztocze region (pollen deposition in Tauber traps) were compared. The height at which the respective trap sites were located as well as local and regional vegetation and the distance from the nearest alder communities differ in both cases, likewise, the climate of these two regions differ. The analysed pollen data series cover the years 1998-2007 in Roztocze and 2001-2007 in Lublin. Large differences have been noted in Alnus pollen deposition values between particular years. Among them, there were observed years of very high annual sums (2001, 2003, 2006), as well as years of very low pollen deposition values in both regions (2002, 2005, 2007). In the period in question, the mean value of annual Alnus pollen count for Lublin was 5372 alder pollen grains in m3 of air, and in Roztocze 1647 grains per cm2 of area. During the seven-year period of monitoring (2001-2007), very similar trends were noted with respect to airborne alder pollen concentrations at both trap sites. Pollen data have been analysed against meteorological factors affecting alder pollen production and deposition. These are total precipitation and mean monthly air temperature in June, July and August in the year preceding pollen emission and the same weather elements in January and February in the year of pollen emission. In Roztocze a statistically significant negative correlation has been found between Alnus pollen annual sums and total precipitation in August in the year preceding alder pollen emission and in February in the year of pollen emission. In both regions, the Spearman's correlation coefficient does not show any statistically significant values when comparing annual Alnus pollen sums with mean monthly temperatures of both January and February and summer months in the year preceding alder pollen emission

Airborne birch pollen in Poland and Latvia in the light of data obtained from aerobiological monitoring and tauber traps in relation to mean air temperature

Birch pollen contains allergens belonging to those with the strongest allergenic properties. In order to trace pollen season patterns of this taxon and pollen annual sums at a wider regional scale, cooperation was established with the University of Latvia in Riga (Latvia). A comparison of the results obtained in the years 2003-2008 in Lublin and in Riga, using volumetric samplers, shows that there was a similar trend in the abundance of birch pollen. The highest sums were noted at both sites in 2003. In all the study years, more birch pollen grains were recorded in Lublin than in Riga, on the average by 7110. The birch pollen seasons started earlier in Lublin than in Riga, on the average by 6 days, and they ended earlier in Lublin, on the average by 18 days. In Riga the birch pollen seasons were longer and less abundant than in Lublin. In addition, in both the regions, i.e. in SE Poland (the Roztocze area) and in Latvia (the area of Marupe near Riga, Taurene, Teici and Rucava), there is pollen data series available obtained from annual pollen deposition monitoring conducted using the modified Tauber traps. These pollen counts have been carried out under the Pollen Monitoring Programme (http://pmp.oulu.fi) since 1998. The 11- year data series in Roztocze and the 10-year data series in Latvia allowed the trends in the occurrence of years of abundant or poor birch pollen release to be traced. In Roztocze maximum Betula pollen deposition occurred in the year 2003, in Latvia - in 1999. The absence of a significant correlation between SE Poland and Latvia with regard to the trends in the occurrence of years of abundant Betula pollen deposition induced the authors to seek climatic factors responsible for increased birch pollen production. The analysis of the Spearman's rank correlation coefficients between annual Betula pollen sums in Roztocze and mean air temperature in June, July and August in the year preceding pollen emission as well as in spring (January-April) of the year of pollen emission showed a statistically significant negative correlation with air temperature in February of the year of pollen emission

Recent and fossil freshwater diatoms of Poland : taxonomy, distribution and their significance in the environmental reconstruction, Part 1, Coscinodiscophyceae, Mediophyceae and Fragilariophycidae

High-resolution diatom investigation from the Polish ecosystem is presented as a contribution to our knowledge of diatom floristics, ecology, biogeography, and their significance in environmental and climate reconstruction in Poland. The study is based on the analysis of 821 sediment samples taken from different lakes in northern Poland, besides 8 borehole-originated from the Eemian paleolakes sites in central Poland. The preceding diatom results in published papers included the diatom flora that were recorded from different habitats in Poland are mentioned in the present work to complete the Polish diatoms list. The current work is the first part in a series of monographs dealing with the diatom taxa belonging to classes Coscinodiscophyceae, Mediophyceae and subclass Fragilariophycidae. A total of 269 diatom species and varieties belonging to 38 genera are recognized. The checklist is comprising 86 entries of Coscinodiscophyceae that includes all radial centric diatoms and 183 taxa of Fragilariophyceae that includes araphid pennate diatoms. Of these 97 diatom taxa are represented as a new record for Poland and 12 new combinations and new varieties. A detailed diatom description, distribution in Poland, andautecological information are presented to round up the content of this volume and documented with 120 plates including 2423 excellent light micrographs of diatom taxa, which allows for a better understanding of morphology to aid in the identification. This work is proposed to contribute towards a general view of the high diatom biodiversity that characterizes Polish ecosystems and provides a revised diatom checklist from Poland. Additionally, it offers the first taxonomic and autecological catalog, which will be significant in the assessment of the water quality monitoring, paleoenvironmental interpretation, and construct the paleoclimate changes.This research was financially supported by the National Science Centre in Poland (NCN) throughout research project No. UMO-2016/21/B/ST10/03059 and research project No. 2017/27/B/ST10/01905. The authors acknowledge with deep gratitude and appreciation to the Faculty of Technical Sciences John Paul II University of Applied Sciences in Biala Podlaska and the Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Egypt for providing all available facilities in the environmental and paleobotany lab including slide preparation, microscopic observations, identification, and photography consequent work

From early pollen trapping experiments to the Pollen Monitoring Programme

Pollen monitoring has become a standard investigation method for researchers in several disciplines; among them are Quaternary palynologists, who conduct experiments in order to gain insights that will help to interpret the content of pollen in sediments. A review of the literature shows how these experiments diversified during the 1920s and 1930s with an array of different research questions, ranging from pollination biology to hay fever studies. Quaternary palynologists gained renewed interest with the possibility of radiocarbon dating late Quaternary sediments and obtaining accumulation rates. Also, the comprehensive model of pollen deposition and the pollen budget studies by H. Tauber encouraged researchers to conduct similar experiments using the same type of pollen trap, which became the main trapping device for Quaternary palynologists. The high precipitation in the tropics inspired the development of alternative designs. The equipment used to assess the pollen content in the air has evolved from simple gravity devices to different types of apparatus using a vacuum pump or revolving rods that collect the pollen on impact. Silicone impregnated filters exposed perpendicularly to the wind can also yield a volumetric assessment and have proven useful in areas with a low content of pollen in the air. The literature review is followed by a brief account of the developments which established the basis for the formation of a group of scientists monitoring the pollen deposition at a network of sites using standard pollen traps, the Pollen Monitoring Programme (PMP). Over the last 15 years the network has collected a large dataset, which is now available to answer a number of research questions. A summary of selected regions and environments, for which pollen monitoring results are available, is provided to serve as a complement to the investigations mentioned above and to provide an overview that may stimulate new research

Lake microbiome and trophy fluctuations of the ancient hemp rettery

Lake sediments not only store the long-term ecological information including pollen and microfossils but are also a source of sedimentary DNA (sedDNA). Here, by the combination of traditional multi-proxy paleolimnological methods with the whole-metagenome shotgun-sequencing of sedDNA we were able to paint a comprehensive picture of the fluctuations in trophy and bacterial diversity and metabolism of a small temperate lake in response to hemp retting, across the past 2000 years. Hemp retting (HR), a key step in hemp fibre production, was historically carried out in freshwater reservoirs and had a negative impact on the lake ecosystems. In Lake Slone, we identified two HR events, during the late stage of the Roman and Early Medieval periods and correlated these to the increased trophy and imbalanced lake microbiome. The metagenomic analyses showed a higher abundance of Chloroflexi, Planctomycetes and Bacteroidetes and a functional shift towards anaerobic metabolism, including degradation of complex biopolymers such as pectin and cellulose, during HR episodes. The lake eutrophication during HR was linked to the allochthonous, rather than autochthonous carbon supply—hemp straws. We also showed that the identification of HR based on the palynological analysis of hemp pollen may be inconclusive and we suggest the employment of the fibre count analysis as an additional and independent proxy