Genetic variability in pitch pine (Pinus rigida Mill.) growing in the Niepołomice Forest as determined by ISSR markers

The study aimed to determine the genetic variability in pitch pine (Pinus rigida Mill.) growing in the Niepołomice Forest (southern Poland). In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, Adolf Cieślar of the Department of Forestry Research in Mariabrunn near Vienna, Austria established the experimental crops of pitch pine. During the study, 227 trees that grew in seven subunits were considered; an analysis of genetic polymorphism using the intersimple sequence repeats (ISSR) technique revealed that pitch pine is genetically variable. The average number of alleles at a given locus for all the pine trees was 1.649, while the effective number of alleles at the loci was 1.435. The value of expected heterozygosity was 0.254, while the percentage of polymorphic loci was 75.30%. The average genetic distance between the examined pines was 0.082. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) divided the examined pines into three groups, which was also confirmed by the structure-analysis results of the software STRUCTURE. The resulting division was mainly generated by the SR70 primer, which was indicated to be the primer that differentiated the examined populations of pitch pine. Affiliation of particular trees to selected groups was based on their occurrence in individual crops. This suggests a different origin of the seeds used to establish the research plots of pitch pine in the Niepołomice Forest

Analiza efektywności techniki MLPA w inwazyjnej diagnostyce prenatalnej najczęstszych aneuploidii

Cel badania: Ustalenie efektywności metody MLPA (multiplex ligation dependent probe amplification) w prenatalnej diagnostyce najczęściej występujących aneuploidii (chromosomów 21, 18, 13, X oraz Y) oraz porównanie wyników uzyskanych tą metodą z wynikami rutynowych technik prążkowych. Materiał i metoda: Przeprowadzono badanie metodą MLPA z zastosowaniem zestawu sond SALSA MLPA P095 (MRC – Holland) na 195 próbkach DNA wyizolowanego z materiału pochodzącego z inwazyjnych badań prenatalnych wykonanych w Pracowni USG SPSK im. Prof. Orłowskiego od października 2008 r. do lipca 2012 r. u pacjentek o podwyższonym ryzyku aberracji chromosomowych u płodu oraz 5 próbkach materiału po poronieniu indukowanym. Jednocześnie prowadzono hodowle komórkowe i oceniano kariotyp klasyczną metodą cytogenetyczną. Wyniki: Kariotyp oznaczono w 192 badaniach prenatalnych (98,5%; 192/195). W 52 przypadkach (26,8%) stwierdzono nieprawidłowy kariotyp płodu – w większości proste aneuploidie chromosomów 13, 18, 21, X i Y (86,5%, 45/52). Wynik metodą MLPA udało się uzyskać w 180 próbkach DNA z materiału pobranego prenatalnie (92,3 180/195). Bezwzględna czułość i swoistość metody MLPA wyniosła 100%. W dziewięciu próbkach pobranych prenatalnie metodą MLPA nie zidentyfikowano aberracji wykrytych klasyczną metodą prążkową lub FISH. W żadnym z tych przypadków nie było możliwe uzyskanie rzeczywistego wyniku stosowanym zestawem sond. We wszystkich próbkach materiału po poronieniu udało się przeprowadzić reakcję MLPA. Wnioski: MLPA jest skuteczną metodą wykrywania najczęstszych aneuploidii w diagnostyce prenatalnej. Ze względu na małą ilość przeprowadzonych reakcji na materiale po poronieniu, ocena przydatności metody w tych przypadkach wymaga dalszych badań

Data envelopment analysis models for the assessment of efficiency of sustainable forest management in Poland

The aim of the presented research was to analyse the efficiency of forest management as an approach to promote sustainable multifunctional forestry. A total of 17 Regional Directorates of State Forests (RDSFs) in Poland were studied with the use of data envelopment analysis (DEA). This method has been proposed and tested using criteria and indicators (C&Is) as inputs and outputs of the created models. The research process was divided into two stages: first, we analysed the efficiency of simple DEA models and models with additional variables, which allowed us to determine the major models providing the best combination of efficiency evaluation criteria. Second, we used these models to assess the efficiency of sustainable management of forests by RDSFs. According to our results, RDSFs were found to be highly efficient in converting resources into production and nonmarket results. Nevertheless, the implementation of sustainable development principles requires further actions, in order to fulfil all ecological, economic, and social functions in a more effective way. They are connected with the necessity to increase the areas of both protective forests and promotional forest complexes. Thus, the results of this study might be a valuable source of information for the planning process of forestry services at the strategic and operational levels

Data envelopment analysis models for the assessment of efficiency of sustainable forest management in Poland

The aim of the presented research was to analyse the efficiency of forest management as an approach to promote sustainable multifunctional forestry. A total of 17 Regional Directorates of State Forests (RDSFs) in Poland were studied with the use of data envelopment analysis (DEA). This method has been proposed and tested using criteria and indicators (C&Is) as inputs and outputs of the created models. The research process was divided into two stages: first, we analysed the efficiency of simple DEA models and models with additional variables, which allowed us to determine the major models providing the best combination of efficiency evaluation criteria. Second, we used these models to assess the efficiency of sustainable management of forests by RDSFs. According to our results, RDSFs were found to be highly efficient in converting resources into production and nonmarket results. Nevertheless, the implementation of sustainable development principles requires further actions, in order to fulfil all ecological, economic, and social functions in a more effective way. They are connected with the necessity to increase the areas of both protective forests and promotional forest complexes. Thus, the results of this study might be a valuable source of information for the planning process of forestry services at the strategic and operational levels

Data envelopment analysis models for the assessment of efficiency of sustainable forest management in Poland

The aim of the presented research was to analyse the efficiency of forest management as an approach to promote sustainable multifunctional forestry. A total of 17 Regional Directorates of State Forests (RDSFs) in Poland were studied with the use of data envelopment analysis (DEA). This method has been proposed and tested using criteria and indicators (C&Is) as inputs and outputs of the created models. The research process was divided into two stages: first, we analysed the efficiency of simple DEA models and models with additional variables, which allowed us to determine the major models providing the best combination of efficiency evaluation criteria. Second, we used these models to assess the efficiency of sustainable management of forests by RDSFs. According to our results, RDSFs were found to be highly efficient in converting resources into production and nonmarket results. Nevertheless, the implementation of sustainable development principles requires further actions, in order to fulfil all ecological, economic, and social functions in a more effective way. They are connected with the necessity to increase the areas of both protective forests and promotional forest complexes. Thus, the results of this study might be a valuable source of information for the planning process of forestry services at the strategic and operational levels

Growth traits of natural regeneration of Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris

In recent years, particular attention has been paid to enhancing the meaning of natural regeneration, which is a part of the implementation of the concept of sustainable development and is one of the pillars of the natural direction of forest silviculture. Since the middle of the last century, the contribution of natural regeneration in Poland has been steadily increasing

Growth traits of natural regeneration of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in south-eastern Poland

In recent years, particular attention has been paid to enhancing the meaning of natural regeneration, which is a part of the implementation of the concept of sustainable development and is one of the pillars of the natural direction of forest silviculture. Since the middle of the last century, the contribution of natural regeneration in Poland has been steadily increasing

Isozyme polymorphism and seed and cone variability of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in relation to local environments in Poland

Evolutionary processes lead to the survival of individuals best adapted to local environment. This gives rise to allele polymorphism and genetic diversity of populations. Isoenzyme proteins, which are the product of gene expression, are an effective tool for tracking these changes. On the other hand, the reproductive potential of a given population can be assessed based on its ability to produce viable and efficiently germinating seeds. The present results combine molecular analyses of isoenzyme proteins with anatomical and morphological studies of Scots pine seeds (Pinus sylvestris L.). The study was conducted in 6 populations that are characteristic of this species occurrence range in the country. The results confirm the correlation between seed weight and embryo size. They also show a population from northeastern Poland had a higher effective number of alleles and seed with lower germinative energy and capacity. There was genetic homogeneity in all except for the population from Woziwoda, which was significantly different based on the Fst test. The genetic characteristics of Scots pine from Woziwoda may be associated with the lower levels of rainfall that occur there during the growing season. The results improve our knowledge of Scots pine variability and contribute to the discussion of the impact of local environment on genetic variability