South Poland Research Articles

Degradation of dam reservoirs under the influence of mining subsidence in Upper Silesian Coal Basin, South Poland

AbstractExploitation of mineral resources can result in dramatic multidirectional changes in the natural environment in mining areas, with the changes being particularly evident in the form of land degradation. One of the consequences of underground mining is subsidence of the overlying surface of the land area. The greatest subsidence typically occurs when the mining operation is carried out with a longwall top coal caving process, which can result in subsidence basin deformation developing on the surface. This development can lead to a change in natural landforms. As a consequence of the development of subsidence basins in the present study, the maximum depth in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin may exceed 30‐m, which can also change the hydrological conditions of the area. Development of subsidence basins can often lead to changes in the morphometric parameters of the existing hydrographic objects, a phenomenon that also applies to dam reservoirs. As a result of land subsidence, the depth and surface area of hydrographic objects can increase, with the maximum depth point moving deeper into the reservoir outside the frontal barrage zone, with changes also occurring in the reservoir tank morphometry. In extreme cases, the barrage may stop water damming, being located outside the reservoir zone, meaning the tank's water management function is lost. All the reservoirs in the current study are located in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin in southern Poland, which is currently the only significant coal‐mining centre in Europe, with the surface area of the basin being 7490 km2.

Automatic Detection of Subsidence Troughs in SAR Interferograms Using Mathematical Morphology

In this paper, an automatic algorithm for the detection of subsidence areas in SAR interferograms is proposed. It is based on the analysis of spatial distribution of the interferogram phase, and its coherence and entropy. The developed method was tested for differential interferograms generated on the basis of Sentinel-1 SAR images covering mining areas in South Poland. The obtained results were compared with those achieved using a method based on circular Gabor filters. Performed analysis revealed that the detection rate for the proposed method varied from 34% to 83%. It is an improved method based on Gabor filters that achieved a detection rate from 30% to 53%.

Estimation of Prediction Error in Regression Air Quality Models

Combustion of energy fuels or organic waste is associated with the emission of harmful gases and aerosols into the atmosphere, which strongly affects air quality. Air quality monitoring devices are unreliable and measurement gaps appear quite often. Missing data modeling techniques can be used to complete the monitoring data. Concentrations of monitored pollutants can be approximated with regression modeling tools, such as artificial neural networks. In this study, a long-term set of data from the air monitoring station in Zabrze (Silesia, South Poland) was analyzed. Concentration prediction was tested for the main air pollutants, i.e., O3, NO, NO2, SO2, PM10, CO. Multilayer perceptrons were used to model the concentrations. The predicted concentrations were compared to the observed ones to evaluate the approximation accuracy. Prediction errors were calculated separately for the whole concentration range as well as for the specified concentration subranges. Some different measures of error were estimated. It was stated that the use of a single measure of the approximation accuracy may lead to incorrect interpretation. The application of one neural network to the entire concentration range results in different prediction accuracy in various concentration subranges. Replacing one neural network with several networks adjusted to specific concentration subranges should improve the modeling accuracy.

Riverbed Mapping with the Usage of Deterministic and Geo-Statistical Interpolation Methods: The Odra River Case Study

In this contribution, interpolation methods were assessed to build the bathymetry of 200 km of the Odra River in South Poland. The River Bed Mapping (RBM) was carried out surveying the depth of several reaches of the canalized part of the river using an Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) with an echo sounder as well as two navigation schemes. The values from the interpolation were compared with the data from a classical cross-sectional survey as part of the ISOK (Polish acronym for Information System of Country Protection Against Extraordinary Hazards) project. Two statistical errors between the interpolation values and the ISOK information were estimated, namely, the Mean Absolute Error (MAE) and the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE). Thanks to the presented analysis, it was possible to compare and analyze which interpolation method fits the best for the batymetric surveying of a shallow river. For this specific case study, the TIN (Triangular Irregular Network) and the NN (Natural Neighbor) methods generates the most accurate RBM.

Predicting plant species richness in forested landslide zones using geostatistical methods

Landslides, like most natural disturbances, facilitate the evolution of new plant species. Hence, a detail characterization of topographic conditions can improve the prediction and mapping of species in such complex terrains. Within the Outer (Flysch) Upper Carpathian region, south Poland, we analyze the role of convergence points prepared in a previous study from slope and slope exposition (aspect) data, derived from a 1 m digital elevation model. Convergence points reflected microscale variability in topographic conditions and were analyzed in this study as convergence point density (CPD). Our objective was to use CPD to predict species richness on forested landslides using three geostatistical methods; Ordinary kriging (OK), Ordinary cokriging (OCK), and regression kriging (RK). Our results showed a relatively high correlation (r ∼ 0.65) between species richness and CPD compared to slope or slope exposition or with both. OCK and RK generally improved prediction. However, the application of cokriging in such terrains remains challenging and will not be appropriate, particularly if species richness has a small sample size. RK outperformed OK and OCK, decreasing the root mean square error (RMSE) by 33% and 10%, respectively. RK was also more robust to topographic heterogeneity and the limited number of observations than OCK. We conclude that a denser sampling of species composition or a more robust indicator is needed to improve these results. Notwithstanding these limitations, our results can be used as the first step to support short-term conservation efforts, especially when time-dependent changes in species composition are unimportant.

The Noctuoidea of the Swietokrzyski National Park (Poland) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae, Nolidae, Noctuidae)

This paper presents the results of a long-term study (2008-2020) of the Noctuoidea (Erebidae, Nolidae, Noctuidae) inhabiting the various ecosystems in the Swietokrzyski National Park (S´NP) (South Poland). A total of 273 Noctuoidea species were recorded, i.e. 54% of all the Noctuoidea ever recorded in Poland; 127 of them were recorded for the first time in the study area. These results show unequivocally that the S´NP plays a major role in the preservation of Noctuoidea biodiversity in both Poland and Europe as a whole. A good number of stenotopic species occur here, which are rare and often endangered in both Poland and central Europe, for example: S. costaestrigalis (Stephens, 1834), S. taenialis (Hübner, [1809]), C. electa (Vieweg, 1790), N. cristatula (Hübner, 1793), N. degenerana (Hübner, [1799]), L. c-aureum (Knoch, 1781), A. asclepiadis ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), S. scrophulariae ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), A. perflua (Fabricius, 1787), H. respersa ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), A. furvula (Hübner, [1808]), P. scita (Hübner, 1790), I. contusa (Freyer, 1849), A. pulmonaris (Esper, 1790), D. convergens ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), A. syriaca Osthelder, 1933, E. ochroleuca ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), X. graminea (Graeser, 1889), H. ultima Holst, 1965, H. cavernosa (Eversmann, 1842), P. biren (Goeze, 1781), O. opima (Hübner, [1809]), N. interjecta Hübner, [1803], and A. bigramma (Esper, 1790).

Personality Type D, Level of Perceived Stress, Insomnia, and Depression Among High School Teachers in Poland.

Teaching is inherently connected with specific burdens that may imply stressful situations. The goal of this study was to explore the prevalence of type D (distressed) personality in teachers. This is known to cause depressive episodes and sleep disorders, which not only have direct physical health effects, but can also impact the wellbeing of individuals and hence adversely affect their job performance. The participants consisted of 412 high school teachers from the Silesian Province, located in the south of Poland. Using the following research tools: Type D Scale (DS14), Perceived Stress Scale, Athens Insomnia Scale, and Beck Depression Inventory, it was found that type D personality was observed in a large percentage of teachers (30.1%). It was reported that teachers with distressed personality suffered from insomnia and depression significantly more often. Findings from the current study indicate the need to implement preventive activities focused on reducing psychosocial risk factors in the work environment in order to reduce the frequency of depressive disorders among teachers.

Abundance of domestic mites in dwellings of children and adolescents with asthma in relation to environmental factors and allergy symptoms

Exposure to house dust allergens, mainly from domestic mites, is an important cause of allergic reactions in sensitized asthmatic patients. A total of 63 dust samples were collected from 16 flats in Bytom (south Poland); in each flat a person (age 4–17 years) suffering from bronchial asthma lived with his/her family. Mite density was calculated as the number of specimens per g of dust. The results were compared with household features and the data were statistically analyzed. In total 566 mite specimens were isolated, including 526 members of the family Pyroglyphidae (93%). The dominant species were Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (60% of the total count) and Dermatophagoides farinae (32%). Pyroglyphids were found in all mite positive samples (68%) of which 35% also contained non-pyroglyphids, including glycyphagids, cheyletids and gamasids. The results suggest associations between the density of some mite taxa (per g of dust) and the following indoor environmental factors: presence of pets, number of inhabitants, coal-stoves as a type of heating, cleaning frequency, higher relative humidity, presence of flowers and PVC windows. The severity of asthma seems to be associated with the numbers of D. farinae, total domestic mites and live mites per g of dust.

Revalidation of the stygobiotic species Haber zavreli (Hrabĕ, 1942) (Clitellata, Naididae, Tubificinae) with discussion on the closely related species Haber speciosus (Hrabĕ, 1931) and Haber monfalconensis (Hrabĕ, 1966)

During studies of aquatic fauna in wells situated near Kraków (South Poland), many specimens of clitellates were found. The detailed description of the setal formula and genital organs of the collected individuals made it possible to distinguish Haber zavreli (Hrabĕ, 1942) from the related species: H. speciosus (Hrabĕ, 1931) including synonymized H. simsi and its forms known from the USA (H. speciosus simsi and H. speciosus fluminialis) and H. monfalconensis (Hrabĕ, 1966). In addition, remarks concerning the morphologically similar Haber vetus (Semernoy, 1982) described from Lake Baikal and the stygobiotic species H. turquinae (Juget & Lafont, 1979) are included.

Hybrid electrostatic filtration system for fly ash particles emission control

The paper presents results of the tests of a novel type, semi-industrial scale hybrid electrostatic filtration system, called HYBRYDA+. The hybrid system comprised of conventional electrostatic precipitator, kinematic electrostatic agglomerator and bag filter. In this system, the bag filter, can remove not only microparticles but also submicron and nanoparticles attached to larger particles in the process of agglomeration. The system was installed at a by-pass of an exhaust gas conveying duct downstream of a 225 MWe power plant unit with coal-fired boiler, in a power plant South Poland. HT ELPI®+ impactor was used for the measurement particle size distribution. The collection efficiency of this system for PM2.5 particles was increased by the reduced pressure drop across the filter. The frequency of bag filter regeneration was reduced by about 82%. The rate of increase of the pressure drop across bag filter was about five times lower than for the same bag filter operating without electrostatic precipitator and electrostatic agglomerator, and the regeneration period of the filter increased from about 7 min to 35 min. The energy consumption required for filter regeneration can be reduced and the lifetime of bags can be longer in this system.

Analysis of the influence of rapid filter cycle interruption on filtrate quality

The article presents research carried out on a sand/anthracite filter in a water treatment plant in Cracow in the south of Poland. These studies show that shutting down the filter after only three hours of operation, setting it aside for four hours and restarting without backwashing did not cause any visible deterioration in the quality of the produced filtrate. Stopping the same filter for four hours, however, after 68 h of operation, visible deterioration in the quality of the filtrate can be observed. After a significant initial deterioration, the quality of the filtrate slowly improved and after a few hours, it reached a level comparable to that before the filter was taken out of service. This was probably the result of characteristic changes in shear stress at the boundary of the deposit and flowing water in the capillaries, which accompanied changes of filtration rate. Decrease in the removal efficiency of coarser particles lasted longer and was greater than that of finer particles. Decrease in particle removal efficiency after restarting the dirty filter was difficult to identify by turbidity measurements, but clearly identifiable by measuring suspended solid concentration and the number of coarser particles. Interrupting the operation of a rapid filter shortly after it has been backwashed should not significantly reduce its efficiency, but after prolonged operation, it may adversely affect the quality of the filtrate.

Study of the second-generation of CdTe and CIGS thin film PV modules under natural sunlight conditions

There is a significant amount of research in the literature concerning the performance of solar panels operating during outdoor exposure, but the full topic is not yet exhausted. One of the reasons is that the photovoltaic cell technology is constantly evolving. In this paper, a comparison of two types of CdTe and CIGS modules operated with a nominal power of 80 W and 140 W, respectively is studied. The module tests were performed under external conditions during autumn, winter, spring, and summer from October 2019 to July 2020 in the temperate climate of Miękinia, South Poland. The photovoltaic panels were connected to the electric grid via microinverters. During the tests, the temperature of the panels was monitored. To determine the influence of solar radiation on the energy conversion efficiency of photovoltaic panels, a pyranometer installed in the plane of the panels was used. Based on the monitoring of the atmospheric conditions and the measurement of instantaneous power, the efficiency of the modules is determined.

The role of expansion joints for traditional buildings affected by the curvature of the mining area

The work presents the impact of mining exploitation on residential buildings located in Bytom - in Silesian Voivodeship, in the south of Poland. This is one of the most interesting mining areas in the country. Exploitation works performed here for several decades still give the opportunity to study in a wide range the negative impact of mining activities on buildings. The research focused mainly on the impact of the variable curvature of the mining area on two multi-family residential buildings with similar construction characteristics, erected at the beginning of the last century in traditional brick technology. These objects similar in terms of construction details differ essentially in that the first one is divided by expansion joints while the second one is built continuously, without expansion joints. Both buildings were monitored geodesically during the passage of the exploitation front under them. The measuring work lasted over two years. Based on the observations carried out, the time-varying, real dependence between the size of building deformations and the surface area in their vicinity was obtained. The obtained results were the source data for numerical analyzes capturing the impact of the deforming mining area on the state of stress in the structure of objects. The main purpose of the analyzes was to illustrate the role of expansion joints in buildings subjected to the influence of curvature of the mining origin.

Virulence Structure of Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae and Effectiveness of Pc Resistance Genes in Poland During 2017-2019.

Crown rust caused by Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae is one of the most destructive diseases of oat, regularly occurring worldwide and leading to significant yield losses. This article characterizes the pathotype structure of P. coronata in Poland and evaluates the potential of crown rust race-specific resistance genes for use in practical breeding conditions in this region. A total of 466 isolates were derived from four locations of intensive oat breeding in Poland in 2017 to 2019, representing P. coronata populations from West, East, South, and Central Poland. Their virulence structure was determined on 35 Pc differential lines in laboratory conditions. In each year and location, high pathotype diversity was observed. In total, 347 (75%) pathotypes were detected. On average P. coronata isolates collected in 2017 and 2018 were virulent to 11% of the oat differentials. In 2019 isolates from East and South of Poland were able to overcome 18.3 and 18.5% of the oat differentials, respectively. There was no isolate virulent against Pc51, Pc52, and Pc91 crown rust resistance genes. P. coronata isolates displayed modest virulence levels, high diversity, and no prevailing pathotype. The information provided here may be helpful for development of resistance breeding strategies and in choosing the most effective major genes for pyramiding into cultivars.

Variational regional inverse modeling of reactive species emissions with PYVAR-CHIMERE-v2019

Abstract. Up-to-date and accurate emission inventories for air pollutants are essential for understanding their role in the formation of tropospheric ozone and particulate matter at various temporal scales, for anticipating pollution peaks and for identifying the key drivers that could help mitigate their concentrations. This paper describes the Bayesian variational inverse system PYVAR-CHIMERE, which is now adapted to the inversion of reactive species. Complementarily with bottom-up inventories, this system aims at updating and improving the knowledge on the high spatiotemporal variability of emissions of air pollutants and their precursors. The system is designed to use any type of observations, such as satellite observations or surface station measurements. The potential of PYVAR-CHIMERE is illustrated with inversions of both carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions in Europe, using the MOPITT and OMI satellite observations, respectively. In these cases, local increments on CO emissions can reach more than +50 %, with increases located mainly over central and eastern Europe, except in the south of Poland, and decreases located over Spain and Portugal. The illustrative cases for NOx emissions also lead to large local increments (> 50 %), for example over industrial areas (e.g., over the Po Valley) and over the Netherlands. The good behavior of the inversion is shown through statistics on the concentrations: the mean bias, RMSE, standard deviation, and correlation between the simulated and observed concentrations. For CO, the mean bias is reduced by about 27 % when using the posterior emissions, the RMSE and the standard deviation are reduced by about 50 %, and the correlation is strongly improved (0.74 when using the posterior emissions against 0.02); for NOx, the mean bias is reduced by about 24 % and the RMSE and the standard deviation are reduced by about 7 %, but the correlation is not improved. We reported strong non-linear relationships between NOx emissions and satellite NO2 columns, now requiring a fully comprehensive scientific study.

Improving methods to calculate the loss of ecosystem services provided by urban trees using LiDAR and aerial orthophotos

In this paper we propose a methodology for combining remotely sensed data with field measurements to assess selected tree parameters (diameter at breast height (DBH) and tree species) required by the i-Tree Eco model to estimate ecosystem services (ES) provided by urban trees. We determined values of ES provided by trees in 2017 in Racibórz (a city in South Poland) and estimated the loss of ES from January 1, 2017 to March 5, 2017, a period of changing legislation that temporarily allowed removal of trees on private property without any permission from city authorities. We applied Canopy Height Models (CHM; GSD 1.0 m) generated from two sets of ALS LiDAR point clouds (acquisitions on June 11, 2011 and March 5, 2017) and performed tree crown segmentations using the GEOBIA approach. Physical attributes were estimated for each tree using predictive models, developed based on field tree inventory . The reference areas for parameterizing the segmentation algorithm and assessing tree species composition were established in Racibórz, while reference data required for assessment of DBH were obtained from the MONIT-AIR project (from Municipality of Kraków). We found that in 2017, 988.79 ha of Racibórz (13.2 % of city area) was covered by the crowns of 264 471 trees, providing ES structural values worth over 384 mil €. The structural value of ES lost in the first months of 2017 (during which 5 075 trees were removed) was about 3.5 mil €. We concluded that in the face of information on tree crown cover that is often missing from city databases, tree inventories require application of a combination of multi-source and multi-resolution spatial analyses, including: administrative decisions for tree removal with exact location, predictive modelling of selected biometrical tree information, automatic crown segmentation on CHM and interpretation of regularly updated color infrared (CIR) aerial orthophotos.

Sequence variation analysis of the E1 and E2 genes of human papillomavirus type 16 in cervical lesions in women from the south of Poland

The E1 and E2 genes of the human papillomavirus encode the so-called early proteins, their sequences are conserved, and regulatory functions are associated with the viral oncoproteins. The purpose of this study is to determine the HPV16 E1 and E2 mutations appearing in the female population of southern Poland, depending on the severity of cervical pathological changes. We also take into account the number of E1 and E2 mutations detected in the E6 gene variant (350G or 350T). This publication is one of the first in the Central and Eastern Europe to deal with this topic. We identified 4 mutations in the E1 gene and 24 mutations in the E2 gene that have not been described so far. In three cases of squamous cell carcinoma a C3409T mutation occurred, which is widely described as oncogenic. This mutation lies in the 3243-3539 area of the E2 hinge region. Statistical analyses show a possible relationship of mutations in this area with oncogenesis. The discovered dependencies may be important in the context of oncogenesis, however, a study with a larger group of patients is needed in order to confirm this view.

The impact of precipitation on the groundwater of coal waste dump

The aim of the study was to assess the effect of climate change, mainly higher and lower precipitation, on the intensity of the impact of a coal waste dump on groundwater. The analysis used meteorological data for the Katowice region in 2002-2020 as well as data on the height of the groundwater table in the vicinity of the coal waste dump, and data on physicochemical parameters and chemical composition of groundwater in 2004-2020. Based on the analyses, it was found that the periods of drought in the Silesian Voivodeship, located in the south of Poland, occurred mainly in spring, while periods of excessive short-term rainfall in summer. The period of excessive annual precipitation occurred between 2007 and 2010, followed by a long period of dry or very dry years that lasted until 2016. During the period of excess annual precipitation, the leachate from the waste dump caused a decrease in groundwater pH to 2.50, while an increase in electrolytic conductivity (EC) and the concentration of sulphates and zinc to 5100 µS/cm, 3890 mg/L, 18.5 mg/L, respectively.

Healthcare-Associated Laboratory-Confirmed Bloodstream Infections-Species Diversity and Resistance Mechanisms, a Four-Year Retrospective Laboratory-Based Study in the South of Poland.

Introduction: Regardless of the country, advancements in medical care and infection prevention and control of bloodstream infections (BSIs) are an enormous burden of modern medicine. Objectives: The aim of our study was to describe the epidemiology and drug-resistance of laboratory-confirmed BSI (LC-BSIs) among adult patients of 16 hospitals in the south of Poland. Patients and methods: Data on 4218 LC-BSIs were collected between 2016–2019. The identification of the strains was performed using MALDI-TOF. Resistance mechanisms were investigated according to European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing, EUCAST recommendations. Results: Blood cultures were collected from 8899 patients, and LC-BSIs were confirmed in 47.4%. The prevalence of Gram-positive bacteria was 70.9%, Gram-negative 27.8% and yeast 1.4%. The most frequently isolated genus was Staphylococcus (50% of all LC-BSIs), with a domination of coagulase-negative staphylococci, while Escherichia coli (13.7%) was the most frequent Gram-negative bacterium. Over 4 years, 108 (2.6%) bacteria were isolated only once, including species from the human microbiota as well as environmental and zoonotic microorganisms. The highest methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) prevalence was in intensive care units (ICUs) (55.6%) but S. aureus with resistance to macrolides, lincosamides and streptogramins B (MLSB) in surgery was 66.7%. The highest prevalence of E. faecalis with a high-level aminoglycoside resistance (HLAR) mechanism was in ICUs, (84.6%), while E. faecium-HLAR in surgery was 83.3%. All cocci were fully glycopeptide-sensitive. Carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacilli were detected only in non-fermentative bacilli group, with prevalence 70% and more. Conclusions: The BSI microbiology in Polish hospitals was similar to those reported in other studies, but the prevalence of MRSA and enterococci-HLAR was higher than expected, as was the prevalence of carbapenem-resistant non-fermentative bacilli. Modern diagnostic techniques, such as MALDI-TOF, guarantee reliable diagnosis.

The ecology of ponds in the context of human activity and geography – environmental DNA and beyond

Pond ecosystems are hotspots of freshwater biodiversity, often containing many rare and protected species that are not commonly found elsewhere (Harper et al. 2018;Harper et al. 2019). However, even if they constitute c.a. 30% of freshwaters by area, still not enough effort has been put into pond monitoring and management and pond ecosystems are hence relatively poorly understood. Results of ECOPOND project will lead to add valuable knowledge upon pond diversity in geographic gradient taking for consideration human impact by comparing rural and urban areas. The sample design in ECOPOND includes six geographic regions, spanning from the south of Poland to the middle of Norway, where we will sample five replicates of urban and rural ponds in close geographic proximity, making it possible to test the impact of urbanization on biodiversity and biotic homogenization across latitude. We will sample all ponds at spring and late summer, making it possible to assess also seasonality in biodiversity. ECOPOND will utilize environmental DNA and RNA to perform biodiversity screening. The extracted eDNA and eRNA fragments will be amplified with the use of several selected markers for vertebrates, invertebrates, fungi and bacteria. Comparisons between eDNA and eRNA metabarcoding are hypothesized to allow inference between present and past diversity, as eRNA is thought to be only available from live organisms in the community. Moreover, ECOPOND aims at testing the effects of selected invasives species that can have on whole ecosystems. By sampling a range of biotic and abiotic parameters describing studied ponds, we will incorporate the available data for the ponds and employ occupancy modelling methods to assess the habitat preferences of selected invasive alien species. Then we will develop a method that can contribute towards an earlywarning system of evaluating threats to ecosystem status. One of the focus species will be the parasitic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), an infectious fungal pathogen that has caused a number of amphibian declines and extinctions. The European amphibians seem less affected by the parasite at present. However, the fungi could be a direct driver of reduced genetic variation due to selection, or directly reduce the infected amphibian’s overall fitness by reducing the microbiotic diversity on their skin, which in many cases acts as a second immune system. ECOPOND will therefore provide data on genomic variation (using RADseq) for two amphibian species: the smooth newt (Lissotriton vulgaris) and the common toad (Bufo bufo). We will investigate populations of these species inhabiting ponds that are infected and not infected by Bd as well as collect data on their skin microbes (identified using metabarcoding). We will also contrast the genomic diversity between the replicated urban/rural setup and look for repeatable genomic changes. This setup will also be compared for the genomic variation for a potential native prey, the blue-tailed dragonfly, as will ponds with and without fish and/or amphibians (possibly also comparing between native and IAS top-predators) in order to look for predatory selective sweeps in the genome and transcriptome (experimental setup). All ponds will also be analyzed for over 20 water quality parameters and include data on a range of site characteristics that will be used as explanatory variables in all models. ECOPOND will compare large datasets across large geographic regions and will provide detailed knowledge of biodiversity patterns in vertebrates, invertebrates, fungal and microbial species, as well as genomic composition and skin biodiversity for animals inhabiting the same ponds set in an urban context. As a total, ECOPOND will obtain data on the location and status of biodiversity interests, gather data that can help in preventing the establishment of invasive alien species, and eradicating or controlling species that have already become established. And finally, ECOPOND will work closely with stakeholders and develop statistical techniques that can be used for monitoring, detection and protection of biodiversity.