Forests In Poland Research Articles

Biotechnological potential of red yeast isolated from birch forests in Poland

ObjectivesThis study aimed to isolate red yeast from sap, bark and slime exudates collected from Polish birch forests and then assessment of their biotechnological potential.Results24 strains of red yeast were isolated from the bark, sap and spring slime fluxes of birch (Betula pendula). Strains belonging to Rhodotorula mucilaginosa (6), Rhodosporidiobolus colostri (4), Cystrofilobasidium capitaum (3), Phaffia rhodozyma (3) and Cystobasidium psychroaquaticum (3) were dominant. The highest efficiency of carotenoid biosynthesis (5.04 mg L−1) was obtained by R. mucilaginosa CMIFS 004, while lipids were most efficiently produced by two strains of P. rhodozyma (5.40 and 5.33 g L−1). The highest amount of exopolysaccharides (3.75 g L−1) was produced by the R. glutinis CMIFS 103. Eleven strains showed lipolytic activity, nine amylolytic activity, and only two proteolytic activity. The presence of biosurfactants was not found. The growth of most species of pathogenic moulds was best inhibited by Rhodotorula yeasts.ConclusionSilver birch is a good natural source for the isolation of new strains of red yeast with wide biotechnological potential.

Does the State of Scientific Knowledge and Legal Regulations Sufficiently Protect the Environment of River Valleys?

The pressure of human activity in river valley environments has always been high. Even today, despite the increasing awareness of societies around the world regarding the need to protect water and biodiversity, there are concerns that the current river valley management systems are insufficient. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the state of knowledge about the soils and forest ecosystems of river valleys in terms of the possibility of protecting river valley environments. This study used data obtained from the Forest Data Bank (FDB) database, which focuses on forests in Poland. After analyzing 17,820 forest sections where the soils were described as fluvisols, it was found that forest areas associated with fluvisols (typical, fertile soils of river valleys) are quite well recognized and protected in Poland. Most (55%) forested fluvisols are located in Natura 2000 sites (an important European network of biodiversity hotspots), 4% in nature reserves, and 1% in national parks. Additionally, the main forest habitat type associated with fluvisols is riparian forest, composed mainly of Quercus, Ulmus, and Fraxinus, which is protected as Natura 2000 habitat type 91F0. Preserving the sustainability of the forest is also a form of soil protection. Despite the identification of soils and forests in river valleys, as well as appropriate legal tools, their protection may be ineffective due to the fragmentation of forms of protection and the lack of a coherent system for managing river valleys. Because the conservation status of the river valleys is also influenced by the management of areas located outside the river valleys, in order to protect river valley ecosystems, integrated conservation plans for entire catchments should be implemented. Due to potential conflicts related to the management of areas with diverse expectations of local communities, it would be advisable for such plans to be created by local experts but under the supervision of a specialist/specialists from outside the area covered by a given river basin.

Legal Consequences of the Judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union in Case C-432/21

This article synthetically discusses the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union of 2 March 2023 in case C-432/21. It aims to familiarise international readers with this issue, which might be a contribution to an academic, international discussion in this field, significant in the era of climate change. The author first indicates the role of forests in climate policy and considers the socio-economic conditions of the current situation of forests in Poland. Then, the international reader will be introduced to the most critical issues related to the judgment that concern the Polish legal order, i.e., forest management and the code of good practices in forests. In the next part, she moves on to the essential elements of the legal basis for the complaint filed by the European Commission against Poland and shows grounds of action and the operative part of the judgment. Then, the most important points of the parties’ arguments were briefly presented. In addition, reference will be made to the legal consequences of issuing the judgment in question.

“Sosny Taborskie” nature reserve as a refuge for rare and threatened forest lichens

Abstract The article presents the results of a lichenological inventory carried out in the “Tabórz Pine” nature reserve, which protects a unique old-growth forest dominated by Scots pine and European beech. The aim of the research was to document the taxonomic and ecological diversity of the lichen biota in the reserve and, on this basis, determine the role and importance of this site as a refuge for stenoecious forest lichens. In an area of 95.32 ha, 118 species of lichens were found, including 43 species included in the Polish national Red List along with 17 species having the status of lowland old-growth forests in Poland. These values allow the reserve to be included in the group of important forest lichen refuges in north-eastern Poland. The obtained results also prove that mixing tree species with complementary ecological features can modify the functioning of the forest not only in terms of its economic features, but also its ecological role in shaping and protecting the species diversity of forest lichens.

Simulated Herbivory Affects the Volatile Emissions of Oak Saplings, while Neighbourhood Affects Flavan-3-ols Content of Their Leaves.

To what extent particular plant defences against herbivorous insects are constitutive or inducible will depend on the costs and benefits in their neighbourhood. Some defensive chemicals in leaves are thought to be costly and hard to produce rapidly, while others, including volatile organic compounds that attract natural enemies, might be cheaper and can be released rapidly. When surrounding tree species are more closely related, trees can face an increased abundance of both specialist herbivores and their parasitoids, potentially increasing the benefits of constitutive and inducible defences. To test if oaks (Quercus robur) respond more to herbivore attacks with volatile emission than with changes in leaf phenolic chemistry and carbon to nitrogen ratio (C: N), and whether oaks respond to the neighbouring tree species, we performed an experiment in a forest in Poland. Oak saplings were placed in neighbourhoods dominated by oak, beech, or pine trees, and half of them were treated with the phytohormone methyl jasmonate (elicitor of anti-herbivore responses). Oaks responded to the treatment by emitting a different volatile blend within 24h, while leaf phenolic chemistry and C: N remained largely unaffected after 16 days and multiple treatments. Leaf phenolics were subtly affected by the neighbouring trees with elevated flavan-3-ols concentrations in pine-dominated plots. Our results suggest that these oaks rely on phenols as a constitutive defence and when attacked emit volatiles to attract natural enemies. Further studies might determine if the small effect of the neighbourhood on leaf phenolics is a response to different levels of shading, or if oaks use volatile cues to assess the composition of their neighbourhood.

Detection ranges of forest bird vocalisations: guidelines for passive acoustic monitoring

Passive acoustic monitoring has proven to have many advantages for monitoring efforts and research activities. However, there are considerations to be taken into account regarding the placement of autonomous sound recorders. Detection ranges differ among species and in response to variable conditions such as weather or the location of vocalising animals. It is thus important to the success of a research project to understand, with a certain degree of confidence, the distances at which birds might be detected. In two types of forests in Poland, we played back the vocalisations of 31 species of European forest birds exemplifying different singing characteristics. Based on recordings obtained along a 500-m transect, we estimated the probability of detection and maximum detection distance of each vocalisation. We broadcasted the recording at three heights of singing and repeated playbacks three times during the breeding season to evaluate the effect of vegetation growth. Our results revealed that environmental and meteorological factors had a significant influence on both detection probability and maximum detection distances. This work provides comprehensive measurements of detection distance for 31 bird species and can be used to plan passive acoustic monitoring research in Europe, taking into account species traits and individual characteristics of the study area.

From Reintroduction to Rewilding: Autonomy, Agency and the Messy Liberation of the European Bison

In the age of the sixth extinction, human interventions to save endangered species have become bigger, bolder and costlier than ever. Yet, policies of species conservation have also favoured non-intervention, furthering the idea that humans have tampered too much with wildness and wilderness. This article examines a reintroduction of European Bison ( Bison bonasus , also known as wisent) into the South-Western Carpathians of Romania in the 2010s. It compares it with longer-term recovery efforts in the Białowieża forest in Poland and reveals how interventions and non-interventions have been practised in the conservation history of this species. I trace the complexities of lived reintroduction processes, both contemporary and historical. I show that practices of recovering European bison have (slowly) shifted away from a controlling approach to reintroductions inspired by livestock breeding, and towards a hands-off rewilding approach. Yet, entangled human–wildlife histories, in which management has been paramount, challenge contemporary non-intervention rewilding paradigms that advocate for the autonomy and agency of wildlife. Reintroduction managers walk a fine line between intervention and relinquishment, care and containment, permanently recalibrating human–animal relationships. This article was published open access under a CC BY 4.0 licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Fertilisation with potato starch wastewater effect on the growth of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) forest in Poland

Fertilisation is often used to increase plant productivity in agriculture but has also been used in forestry. In our study, Scots pine forest growing in a nitrogen-poor environment was fertilised with NPK post-production wastewater from a potato starch factory. Our research aimed to investigate the dependence of tree growth on different NPK concentrations. Cell characteristics such as cell wall thickness (CWT), lumen diameter (LD) and tree-ring features such as ring width (RW), total number of cells in annual growth (nTotal), earlywood (EW) and latewood (LW) were investigated. Twenty-six years of regular fertilisation of the forest with different doses of wastewater rich in NPK elements have affected the anatomical structure of Scots pine trees. It is presumed that the reduction in CWT and LD on the fertilised site was due to deficiencies in plant water conductivity, which may have occurred due to physiological drought. The influence of nitrogen on unfertilised site from the wastewater area could contribute to the CWT thickening. The results confirm that the use of NPK in excessive doses is detrimental to trees' conductive system.

From Reintroduction to Rewilding: Autonomy, Agency and the Messy Liberation of the European Bison

In the age of the sixth extinction, human interventions to save endangered species have become bigger, bolder and costlier than ever. Yet, policies of species conservation have also favoured non-intervention, furthering the idea that humans have tampered too much with wildness and wilderness. This article examines a reintroduction of European Bison ( Bison bonasus , also known as wisent) into the South-Western Carpathians of Romania in the 2010s. It compares it with longer-term recovery efforts in the Białowieża forest in Poland and reveals how interventions and non-interventions have been practised in the conservation history of this species. I trace the complexities of lived reintroduction processes, both contemporary and historical. I show that practices of recovering European bison have (slowly) shifted away from a controlling approach to reintroductions inspired by livestock breeding, and towards a hands-off rewilding approach. Yet, entangled human–wildlife histories, in which management has been paramount, challenge contemporary non-intervention rewilding paradigms that advocate for the autonomy and agency of wildlife. Reintroduction managers walk a fine line between intervention and relinquishment, care and containment, permanently recalibrating human–animal relationships.

Nesting-tree preferences of the black woodpecker—the biggest cavity excavator in a conifer-dominated forests in Poland

The black woodpecker Dryocopus martius is an ecologically disproportionately important forest species owing to its abundance. Its large cavities provide breeding sites and shelter for many species—large birds, mammals, and social insects. I evaluated the nest tree preferences of black woodpeckers in the Augustów Forest, northeast Poland. Approximately 400 black woodpecker cavities were observed. The Scots pine, Pinus sylvestris, was the most commonly selected tree species, accounting for 90%. The cavity trees were 55–225 years old. All trees younger than 90 years were broadleaved tree species. The trees used to excavate the cavities had a larger diameter at the breast height (DBH) than the average of the stand. The trees selected by black woodpeckers were significantly shorter than the average height of the stands. Over 60% of the cavities were excavated 10–16 m above ground level. I found that the DBH and the first branch height were critical factors affecting the cavity entrance height. In pine-dominated forests, black woodpeckers preferred dead trees. Approximately 44% of new cavities were excavated from dead trees. Leaving dead or dying large trees in commercial forests benefits black woodpeckers and large secondary cavity nesters that depend on it and promotes biodiversity conservation. Birds excavate new cavities at a high rate yearly, in contrast with beech-dominated forests.

Influence of climatic conditions on Normalized Difference Vegetation Index variability in forest in Poland (2002–2021)

AbstractThe influence of climate change on forest condition is noticeable. Forest ecosystem stress caused by climate change has already been manifested in several parts of Europe, including Poland. Thus, the main objective of this paper is to investigate for the entire area of Poland a long‐term trend and variability of forest greenness expressed as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), derived from two decades (2002–2021) of remote sensing Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data. In the next step, selected meteorological elements – temperature (T), precipitation (P) and evapotranspiration (ETo), derived from ERA5‐Land reanalysis—were used to determine the influence of climatic conditions on the variability of NDVI in forests. The study documents the general greening of forests in Poland in 2002–2021. The greening is mostly visible in central‐eastern Poland, where the annual mean NDVI increased by 0.030 in 20 years, while it is weaker in the Baltic coast and in the southern edges of Poland (increase by 0.009 in 20 years). Overall, the positive, statistically significant trends in annual NDVI prevail over the negative, statistically significant trends and account for 32.5% of forest area, whereas the negative trends account for 3.9%. The study indicates an overall moderate impact of meteorological elements on variability of NDVI in forests in Poland. The most important factors affecting forest condition are P and ETo. The strongest correlations between NDVI and P and ETo reach 0.55 and are located in central Poland, in the form of a belt from western to eastern borders.

Effects of wood ash on the soil properties and fungal community structure in a beech forest in Poland

The aim of this study was to determine how wood-ash fertilization affects the basic properties of soil, including the pH and the carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus stoichiometric, and, consequently, the microbial activity, including the abundance and composition of the soil fungi. The studied plots were amended using 3, 4.5 and 6 t of wood ash per hectare, with control plots with no added wood ash also being designated. Analyses of the main physicochemical properties of the soils, enzymatic activity and microbial biomass of C and N were performed two years after the addition of the wood ash. The fungal communities were investigated using next-generation sequencing technology. We found that the use of wood ash increased the soil pH over a short time, with the highest dose having the strongest effect, and increased the abundance of nutrients, which in turn increased the microbiological activity. The addition of wood ash to the soil was also important in shaping the composition of the fungi.

Relationship between the compressive strength, density and the width of the annual rings in a high-guality part of timber of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) wood

Investigation of round Scots pine wood WC01 class using X-ray computer tomography. Scots pine is the most widespread type of wood in Poland with wide industrial use. The typical starting material used for the production of layered floor elements are logs of WC01 class (class according to the Polish Standard PN-D-95008: 1992 and Order no 72 - GM-900-5 / 2013 of General Director of the State Forests in Poland). Using X-ray computed tomography, tests of fresh wood in the bark were carried out, confirming the full suitability of this technique for the precise assessment of wood density as well as its grain and distribution of anatomical defects (knots). The different level of humidity of sapwood and heartwood in fresh wood is visible in tomographic images and translates into a much higher recorded density of the wetter zone of sapwood. Calibration of the tomograph used made it possible to convert the Hounsfield density scale into actual densities expressed in kg/m3.

Cyphelloporia bialoviesensis (Fungi, Agaricales)—a new genus and species for a giant cyphelloid fungus from Białowieża virgin forest in Poland

A striking species of cyphelloid fungus tentatively identified as a Henningsomyces or Rectipilus was collected in Białowieża virgin forest in Poland since 1962. After search in literature, morphological studies and phylogenetic analyses based on LSU and ITS rDNA sequences, the species turned out to be unknown to science with ≥ 5% difference in LSU rDNA sequence from nearest representatives of both cyphelloid and agaricoid fungi. We describe it here as a new genus Cyphelloporia and new species C. bialoviesensis. The species is still known only from the Białowieża forest, where it produces large basidiomata consisting of a well developed subiculum and densely aggregated, tubular receptacles up to 10 mm long on decaying trunks of Picea abies. A detailed morphological description accompanied by line drawings and photographs is provided, and differences from similar Rectipilus and Henningsomyces species are discussed. Phylogenies based on LSU and ITS sequences show that C. bialoviesensis belongs to the lineage formed by Rectipilus species together with Phyllotopsis nidulans and Pleurocybella porrigens, whereas true Henningsomyces species belong to a highly unrelated lineage labelled Niaceae or Cyphellaceae. Family position of C. bialoviesensis is discussed showing that Phyllotopsidaceae is well justified.

Results of a 57-Year-Long Research on Variability of Wood Density of the Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) from Different Provenances in Poland

This research was conducted in the forests of Poland between 2019 and 2022. The aim was to study Scots pine provenances and compare the wood density variability among the various provenances growing on one experimental plot (in situ). The experiment was established in 1962 in the Zielonka Forest Division, Potasze Forest District. In 2019, five model trees from each provenance, which grew on the experimental plot, were chosen. In total, 40 trees were cut down, from which samples were collected in order to determine their wood density variability. The results indicate significant differences among the Scots pine provenances. It is not necessary to repeat it in situ. It appears that genetic factors highly impact the process of forming the wood density of the Scots pine. The research revealed that the best-quality wood, as far as wood density is concerned, comes from the Zielonka provenance, whereas the lowest relative density comes from the Gleboki Brod provenance. Both the provenance experiments and the analyses allowed for the selection of the research material that indicated the best genetic properties. Moreover, the research provides analytical tools that will allow for the prediction of the Scots pine provenance with the best quality together with high resistance to exogenous factors, such as habitat conditions, which can be vital to improving wood quality.

Genetic resources of the oldest trees of Pinus sylvestris L. from the last natural forest in Europe

The last fragments of primeval forests in the European lowlands have survived in the Białowieża Forest (BF). A characteristic feature of its forest stands is a complex and multi-age structure. From a genetic perspective, old trees represent a genetic pool that is a product of the selection forces acting over centuries. Therefore, it is extremely important to make a genetic inventory of such old trees and preserve their genetic resources for future generations. The aims of this study were: 1) genotyping the oldest trees of Pinus sylvestris in the Sitki Reserve of the Białowieża Forest in Poland; and 2) characterisation of the genetic structure of this old Scots pine tree stand. In total, 98 old trees aged above 100 years were analysed using eight nuclear microsatellite markers. The first study on the genotyping of the oldest Scots pine trees in the BF, indicated that each of the trees has a unique genotype, so it can be unambiguously identified by a genetic profile. Overall, 85% of trees showed an individual heterozygosity of 0.5 or higher. We demonstrated, that eight polymorphic microsatellite loci of the nuclear genome are sufficient to create an individual genetic profile of each tree. Our results will provide necessary background information for the conservation of native genetic resources of Pinus sylvestris.

Management Accounting in The State Forestry: The Example of Poland

The majority of forests in Poland are owned by the State Treasury and managed by the State Forest Holding, referred to as the State Forests. This entity fulfills the statutory obligation of conducting sustainable forest management, aiming to preserve the sustainability of forests, maintain the multifunctional use of forests, and increase forest resources. Within this framework, State Forests incur specific costs for the implementation of environmental and social tasks. The current accounting system of State Forests, generating financial information, lacks tools to correlate the costs of economic activities with the specific natural, economic, and social conditions and the outcomes of their operations (revenues and financial results). This study aims to present the managerial accounting system, using the specific example of the State Forest Holding in Poland. Additionally, key elements of this system will be highlighted in the context of conducting forest management in line with the principles of sustainable development. To achieve the purpose of the study, the author used the technique of comparative content analysis of secondary data, literature review and direct observations.

Efficiency Assessment of Fully Mechanized Harvesting System through the Use of Fleet Management System

Nowadays the spread of precision forestry has led to the possibility of collecting data related to forest machines for an extended period and with enough precision to support decisions in the optimization of harvesting strategies in terms of technological and environmental efficiency. This study aims to evaluate the effective benefit of automatic data collection through the fleet management system (FMS) of two forest harvesters and two forwarders in pine forests in Poland. The study also aims to determine how the use of FMS can help forest companies to manage their fleet and take advantage of long-term monitoring. Focusing on performance indicators of fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, as well as on the engine parameters from the Can Bus data, the exploration of data was performed following a Big Data approach, from the creation of an aggregate dataset, pre-elaboration (data cleaning, exploration, selection, etc.) using GIS and R software. The investigation has considered the machine productivity, in the case of the harvesters, and the specific fuel consumption of each machine studied, as well as the time used by each of them during the different working cycle activities and the total amount of timber processed. The main results indicate an average emission of 2.1 kg of CO2 eq/m3 for the harvesters and 2.56 kg of CO2 eq/m3 for the forwarders, which equates in total to 0.24% of the carbon stored in one cubic meter of wood.

Do Large Herbivores Have an Important Role in Initiating Tree Cavities Used by Hole-Nesting Birds in European Forests?

Tree cavities are an essential resource for cavity-dwelling mammals, birds, invertebrates and fungi, and so are important for maintaining forest biodiversity. In North American forests, woodpeckers (Picidae) play a keystone role in cavity creation by excavating holes. However, in European forests many hole-nesting songbirds rely on non-excavated cavities that are formed by fungal decay and compartmentalization after tree damage. Several factors are recognised in initiating non-excavated cavities that are used by hole-nesting birds, including loss of a tree branch or stem breakage, but this topic is poorly studied. Here, we propose that bark stripping by large herbivores (e.g. Red Deer Cervus elaphus and European Bison Bison bonasus) could be another important, and previously overlooked, mechanism for initiating tree cavities that are used by hole-nesting birds. We suggest that, after the initial damage from herbivore bark-stripping, fungal decay can create specific elongated, slit-like cavities, which are particularly important as nest sites for some common forest songbirds. We outline this idea using original observations and evidence from the literature, primarily from the primeval forest in Poland's Białowieża National Park. We also use studies from elsewhere in Europe to show a generally low usage of slit cavities by birds where large herbivores are scarce or absent. We suggest that restoring such animals in European forests could help to restore the abundance and diversity of the tree cavity resource for hole-dwelling species. We encourage future research to investigate this proposal of large herbivores being important agents of tree cavity formation that could enhance biodiversity.

Bearing Capacity of Forest Roads on Poor-Bearing Road Subgrades following Six Years of Use

The research was conducted on a forest road on the territory of the State Forests in Poland, in the Brzeziny Forest District, where eight test sections with a total length of 422 m were created with different pavement system on a low-bearing soil substrate (clay, silt loam) as part of the road reconstruction in 2016. The bearing capacity of the pavement was evaluated based on the static strain modulus ME MN·m−2 by measuring with a statistic plate (VSS), the dynamic deformation modulus Evd MN·m−2 obtained from lightweight deflectometer measurements, and the elastic deflection of the pavement Us mm evaluated from Benkelaman beam measurements. It has been shown that pavements made of crushed aggregate and common gravel on timber roller substructure maintain good bearing capacity parameters, where the average values of secondary modulus of strain are above 130 MN·m−2, and in the case of pine rollers, this modulus has increased. Pavements on low-bearing soils reinforced with willow brushwood mattresses have low bearing capacity parameters, with averages of 26.09 ≤ MEII ≤ 53.93 and 22.1 ≤ Evd ≤ 39.1 MN·m−2, but the technical condition of the pavement makes it possible to continue carrying out forestry-related transportation. The research confirms the possibility of reinforcing soils with poor bearing capacity with wooden rollers, and in the case of willow mats for roads with light truck movements.