The occurrence and distribution of cellulolytic fungi and Fusarium in seven Montagu’s Harrier (Circus pygargus)

A total of 45 species of cellulolytic fungi and ten Fusarium species were identified. Three genera (&lt;em&gt;Chaetomium, Trichoderma, Fusarium&lt;/em&gt;) represented 80% of the frequency of cellulolytic fungi. Of them, &lt;em&gt;Chaetomium globosum, Trichoderma viride&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;T. koningii&lt;/em&gt; were some of the most frequent species. A high differentiation of the richness and frequency of species of cellulolytic fungi depending on the nest and its individual layers was observed. Reasons for the differences in the frequency and species composition of the fungi were discussed.</jats:p

Intra-clutch and inter-colony variability in element concentrations in eggshells of the black-headed gull, Chroicocephalus ridibundus, in northern Poland

Eggshells are good bioindicators of environmental contamination, and therefore, the concentrations of 17 trace elements in 87 eggshells of black-headed gulls, Chroicocephalus ridibundus, were determined in five breeding colonies in an area dominated by farmland in northern Poland. The intra-clutch variability in the eggshell concentrations of heavy metals and other elements was also investigated, and the concentrations of the elements showed the following pattern: Ca > Mg > Sr > Fe > Zn > Al > Cr > Se > Mn > Cu > Pb > As > Ni > Mo = V > Sc > Cd. The concentrations of Fe, Al, and Mn decreased with the order in which the eggs were laid, but Sr concentrations increased. In contrast, the concentration of Cu significantly increased with the laying date. The concentrations of all elements significantly differed among the studied colonies; the highest concentration of eight elements was found in the eggshells from the Kusowo colony, which may have resulted from the intensive use of fertilizers, manure, and slurry in the surrounding agricultural region. The concentrations of Mg, Sr, and Zn in the eggshells from Skoki Duże were higher than those of the other studied colonies, which may have occurred because the gulls were nesting in a functioning gravel pit; soil and the parent rock are natural reservoirs of these elements. The observed element levels indicate that the environment where the black-headed gull eggs were formed, i.e., primarily near the breeding colonies, remains in a relatively unpolluted state, which was reflected by the low levels of Cd, Ni, and Pb and the lack of measurable levels of Hg. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11356-017-8635-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Białowieża Primaeval Forest – a Conflict between the Polish Government and the European Commission

The article describes the natural background, the origin, the course and the outcome of the dispute between Poland and the European Commission which was going on in the years 2016–2018 regarding the forest management performed in the Białowieża Forest. The dispute took place on two interrelated levels: natural and legal. The main axis of the dispute between the Polish government and the European Commission was the difference of views as to what actions would prove effective in the fight against the latest gradation of the bark beetle, which occurred with exceptional intensity in the Białowieża Forest in 2015, and what actions would be most beneficial in the context of preserving rare species of birds and insects that make up the fauna of the Białowieża Forest. The article presents extensively the arguments raised by both parties to the conflict in the proceedings before the Court of Justice of the European Union, which were initiated by a complaint filed by the European Commission. As a commentary on these arguments, the views expressed in the scientific literature as to the proper reaction in response to a recurrent infestation of the bark beetle, usefulness and efficacy of the active forest management operations questioned by the European Commission, as well as an impact of these operations on the conservation of natural habitats, insects and birds are presented. The legal dimension of the dispute boiled down to the question of what actions in the situation were allowed, required or prohibited under Polish and EU law

The importance of rural parks for the occurrence of the Rook Corvus frugilegus in the eastern part of the Lublin region (E Poland) – ecological and social factors

AbstractKitowski I.: The importance of rural parks for the occurrence of the Rook Corvus frugilegus in the eastern part of the Lublin region (E Poland) - ecological and social factors. Ekologia (Bratislava), Vol. 32, No. 3, p. 283-298, 2013. This study deals with the population size and the distribution of breeding colonies of the rook in rural parks in the eastern part of the Lublin region (Eastern Poland). Large parks with a large number of tree species were appropriate sites for larger rookeries. Small, degraded parks, with few species of trees, were used by smaller rookeries, which showed tendencies to disappear more quickly. Small colonies were irrevocably abandoned if disturbed by man, whereas large ones had a very high reoccupation potential, even after a few years. Unfortunately, ownership changes concerning rural parks in Eastern Poland may endanger the rookeries located there.</jats:p

INTER-SEXUAL DIFFERENCES IN HUNTING BEHAVIOUR OF MARSH HARRIERS (CIRCUS AERUGINOSUS) IN SOUTHEASTERN POLAND

"Wollen wir erkennen, worin der gute Geschmack besteht, müssen wir zuerst den schlechten Geschmack beseitigen." Mit diesem Ziel eröffnete der Museumsdirektor Gustav E. Pazaurek 1909 im Stuttgarter Landesgewerbemuseum seine "Abteilung der Geschmacksverirrungen". Er entwickelte dafür eine komplexe Systematik zur Einordnung von Gestaltungsfehlern aller Art, um sie am Gegenstand selbst zu entlarven. Entsprechend der Philosophie des Deutschen Werkbunds ging Pazaurek von einem starken Einfluss der ..