Zagrożenia biotopów w agroekosystemach

One of the conditions of the species continuity is a natural living space (habitat), in which the species achieves its basic needs. Large area of agriculture and forestry monoculture are not conducive to existence of game animals. Permanent devastation of game preserves, windbreaks, liquidation of foraging sites and shelterbelts force the wild animals to feed in the field and forest crops. In modern agrotechnique – the usage of plant protection products deprives the wild species (eg the hare) of forage, on the other hand it causes contamination of food absorbed by animals. Not only does it disorganise the trophic pyramide, but also can cause permanent damage to the organism – environment networks system, which is essential for proper circulation of matter and energy in ecosystems. The aim of the study is to draw attention to the effects of the changes in the biotypes caused by agriculture

The effect of bark stripping by deer (Cervus elaphus L.) on biometric parameters of the scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.)

Bark stripping by red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) is one of the most acute instances of damage wrought by these animals in a forest. Because of its location, bark stripping causes damage to the thickest and most valuable part of the tree trunk, which lowers the quality of the wood due to technical flaws. The research was conducted in 25 sampling sites of pine stands aged 35 years in a mixed, fresh forest habitat in south-western Poland. The study was aimed at assessing the influence of bark damage by deer on biometric parameters of pine stands (Pinus sylvestris L.). The assessment involved the diameter at breast height, height, basal area and volume of the tree stands. The results revealed a strong deer-specific pressure on the analysed pine stands. The share of bark stripped trees ranged from 65% to 96%. The number of bark damage instances (NBDI) on a given tree was found to significantly affect its diameter at breast height. The strip-damaged trees had breast height diameters lower by 23% on average, and their mean height was lower by 8.7% as compared with the trees without damage. The mean reduction in basal area increments (G1.3) of the trees was identified at 39%. In a similar way to the diameter at breast height and the basal area, the losses in tree stand volume growth caused by deer stripping were significant and oscillated at 41%

Assessment of the Mass and Surface Area of the Scots Pine (<i>Pinus sylvestris</i> L.) Needles

The assessment of the surface area of all leaves from a tree crown is regarded as one of the key parameters in scaling ecophysiological processes, such as growth, carbon budget, and water management. The purpose of this study was to investigate the variation of the mass and surface area of Scots pine needles, obtained from trees growing in the same habitat conditions but at different stock densities, therefore occupying different biosocial positions. The mass of needles and the leaf area index (LAI) were determined for an even-aged 33-year-old Scots pine stand located at a fresh mixed coniferous forest site in southwest Poland (50°32′ N; 17°42′ E). The needles, collected from all the sample trees, were subjected to a biometric analysis to determine the total mass of needles from each tree, the mass of 1000 needle pairs, the number of needles per crown, and the needle length distribution. Based on the actual measurements, we derived allometric equations for finding the fresh mass (FMN) and the surface area of the needles (SN), using the diameter at breast height (DBH) as an independent variable. The relationships between the mass of the needles and the DBH were significant (p p −1 to 11,102 kg·ha−1. The LAI was in the range of 3.2 to 5.4 m2·m−2. The mean value of the LAI for the Scots pine stand was 4 m2·m−2. Further studies are required and more algorithms need to be developed for the quantitative assessment of the LAI in Scots pine trees, using a larger number of sample trees with more varied biometric features

Significance of adding progesterone to the Risk of Ovarian Malignancy Algorithm for early stage ovarian cancer detection in patients with a pelvic mass : a single-center case-control study

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical significance of the combination of cancer antigen-125 (CA-125), human epididymis protein 4 (HE4), and progesterone for the identification of ovarian masses in patients with suspected early stage ovarian cancer (OC).Materials and methodsThis was a case–control, single-center study of 225 women with a pelvic mass of suspected ovarian origin, including 75 patients with Stage I/II OC and 150 controls. Diagnostic procedures included pelvic and rectal examinations, transvaginal ultrasound, evaluation of CA-125 and HE4 levels alone and in the Risk of Ovarian Malignancy Algorithm (ROMA), and a new algorithm combining ROMA and progesterone.ResultsMedian CA-125 and HE4 levels were significantly higher in patients with OC compared with women with benign ovarian tumors, irrespective of menopausal status. The highest median progesterone levels occurred in premenopausal women with benign ovarian tumors, compared with premenopausal women with OC with or without benign ovarian disease. The combination of ROMA and progesterone was significantly more accurate at detecting OC compared with ROMA or CA-125 or HE4 alone, but only in premenopausal patients.ConclusionDifferent algorithms should be used for diagnosing OC, and the addition of progesterone might improve the performance of ROMA for the diagnosis of pelvic masses in premenopausal women