First record of Criomorphus williamsi China, 1939 (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Delphacidae) in Poland

The paper presents the information on Criomorphus williamsi China, 1939 – a species of Delphacidae family found in Poland for the first time. The single specimen of this species was collected in south-eastern part of country. In Europe this species is quite rare and with scattered distribution, in isolated populations in England, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, the European part of Russia, also it is distributed in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. C. williamsi is species connected with Poa spp. The paper presents data on its biology and diagnostic features

Ecophysiological responses to environmental pollution of selected plant species in an industrial urban area

The aim of the study was to determine the state of the environment in Sosnowiec (southern Poland) based on the ratio of air pollution tolerance index (APTI) and the determination of concentrations of selected metals in soil and plant material. The study was conducted in ten stands: five of them were identified as ‘polluted’ and five as ‘clean’ stands. The metal content was evaluated by the atomic absorption method. For APTI calculation, analysis of total chlorophyll concentration and relative water content, the pH of the extract from the leaves was used. Analysis of the bioaccumulation of metals in the leaves revealed excessive concentrations of Pb (32.4 mg kg-1) and Zn (129.78 mg kg-1) at the KWK (coal mine) and Las (forest) stands. Higher capacity accumulation of Pb and Fe was characteristic for Plantago lanceolata. The permitted content of Pb (762.6 mg kg-1) in the soil samples collected at the Cedler stand was exceeded. Elevated levels, higher than the permissible concentration of Cd, were documented in soil samples from most stands within the city. In soil samples collected at the Cedler stand, Cd concentration was almost 15 times higher than acceptable for soil (4 mg kg-1). Based on the scope of the APTI 4.4–9.42 index obtained for the studied species, they should be considered sensitive plants. All selected species can be used as bioindicators for environmental pollution

Using Plantago major and Plantago lanceolata in environmental pollution research in an urban area of Southern Poland

The aim of this study was to perform a complex assessment of changes in the elements of an ecosystem that are caused by environmental pollution in industrial and urban biotopes. The study focused on three sites: a park, a road and the site of the metallurgical plant “Pokój” in the city of Ruda Śląska (Southern Poland), which are each under a different level of anthropogenic load. Soil and plant material samples (Plantago major and Plantago lanceolata leaves) were investigated by performing biochemical, ecophysiological and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses. A significant difference was observed in all of the study samples. The content of Pb, Zn and Cd in the soil samples that had been collected at the site of the metallurgical plant exceeded the permitted limits (Cd > 4 mg kg−1, Pb > 100 mg kg−1, Zn > 300 mg kg−1). The content of Fe, Mn, Pb, Cd and Zn in the plant material was much higher in unwashed samples than in washed samples. The concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) were below the permitted level in the leaves of Plantago lanceolata for Cd (> 5 mg kg−1) and in the leaves of Plantago major for Zn (> 100 mg kg−1). The SEM observations revealed a significant decrease in the stomata pore length (SPL) in the Plantago lanceolata leaves that had been collected at the road site compared with the plants from the park site. The elemental content on the leaf surface was also determined using X-ray microanalysis. The total chlorophyll (Chl) content, ascorbic acid (AA), proline, guaiacol peroxidase (GPX) activity, pH, relative water content (RWC) and air pollution tolerance index (APTI) were evaluated. The APTI for the investigated species ranged from 5.6 to 7.4, which demonstrated that the studied plant species are sensitive to air pollutants

Are invasive species are good bioindicators of environmental pollution?

tekst w j. pol. i ang.Ocenić ekofizjologiczne parametry inwazyjnych gatunków na przykładzie Robinia pseudoacacia, Solidago canadensis i Reynoutria japonica i porównać ich z parametrami gatunków rodzimych (Achillea millefolium, Plantago major i Plantago lanceolata)

Betula pendula Roth and Robinia pseudoacacia L. as bioindicators of heavy metal pollution hazard in urban biotopes

tekst w j. pol. i ang.W przeprowadzonych badaniach analizowano potencjał bioindykacyjny drzew B. pendula oraz R. pseudoaccacia i określono zanieczyszczenie Cd, Zn, Pb, Fe, Cu i Mn wybranych biotopów miasta Dąbrowa Górnicza. Oceniono także zdolności akumulacji i tolerancji roślin dzięki wskaźnikom MAI (metal accumulation index) i APTI (air pollution tolerance index)