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Question: Changes caused by climate warming and nitrogen pollution are observed in forest, grassland and alpine ecosystems worldwide. However, still little is known about the impact of these globally influencing factors on natural rocky plant communities. Has species composition of natural rocky communities changed over time? What is the role of large‐scale and fine‐scale environmental factors in shaping the compositional, functional and habitat patterns in studied plant communities over time? Location: Sudetes Mountains, southwestern Poland. Methods: We used 214 pairs of replots (collected between 1989 and 2022) of rocky plant communities, with a mean timespan of 14.2 years. The changes in species composition, environmental conditions and functional traits were analysed using ordination techniques and generalised additive models (GAMs) and with reference to large‐scale factors (mean maximum temperatures, actual evapotranspiration, N deposition) and fine‐scale factors (light availability, bedrock type, initial site conditions) for each locality. Results: Species composition of the studied communities has not changed significantly over time. Only for 11 out of 258 species, statistically significant increases (from 2% to 8%) in their proportion were recorded. The changes in environmental conditions were significantly influenced mainly by fine‐scale factors such as changes in light availability and baseline site conditions. Plots that were initially less thermophilic or nitrophilic showed stronger signals of thermophilisation and eutrophication in the resurvey. The influence of large‐scale factors was considerably less pronounced. Similarly, the key role in explaining changes in plant traits for the data set under study falls to local factors, particularly changes in light availability. Conclusions: Our study confirms the validity of considering both large‐ and fine‐scale factors as well as initial site conditions in research on long‐term changes in plant communities. Rocky plant communities respond to global changes in a different way than other types of phytocoenose, showing high stability of species composition and functional traits over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Progressive industrialisation and urbanisation in recent decades have dramatically affected the soil cover and led to significant changes in its properties, which inevitably affect the functioning of other components of the forest ecosystems. The total content of Pb, Cd, Zn, Fe, Cr, Cu, Ni, As, and Hg was studied in twenty-five plots at different heights in the topsoil (organic and humus horizons) formed from the Carpathian flysch in the area of the Silesian Beskids (Western Carpathians). The aim of this article is to analyse the spatial distribution of potentially toxic elements in the mountain forest topsoil in different types of plant communities and to determine the relationship between altitude and potentially toxic elements contamination. The soils studied are acidic or very acidic, with an average range of 3.8 (H2O) and 2.9 (KCl). Concentrations of the metals Cd, Zn, Fe, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Hg on the plots that were analysed are within the range of permissible standards for forest ecosystems in Poland, while Pb and As exceed the permissible standards for this type of ecosystem. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient showed a high correlation between Fe–Cr (r(32) = 0.879, Pb-Hg r(32) = 0.772, Ni–Cr r(32) = 0.738, Zn-Cd r(32) = 0.734, and Cu-Hg r(32) = 0.743, and a moderate statistically significant positive correlation between Cu-Pb r(32) = 0.667 and As-Pb r(32) = 0.557. No correlation was found between altitude and the occurrence of potentially toxic elements. The geo-accumulation index (Igeo) index, on the other hand, indicates that Pb, As, and Cd have the highest impact on soil contamination in all study plots: it classifies soils from moderately to strongly polluted. The enrichment factor (EF) obtained for As and Hg indicates significant-to-very high enrichment in all areas studied. The potential ecological risk index (PLI) calculated for the sites indicates the existence of pollution in all areas examined. The highest risk categories (considerable to very high) are associated with cadmium and mercury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological invasions are one of the major challenges to the restoration of post-mining sites. Most postmining sites are under technical reclamation with only a few left to spontaneous vegetation processes. Therefore, we know little about alien plant species on spontaneously-vegetated post-coal mine heaps and how native community characteristics predict their establishment. To fill the knowledge gap, we aimed to determine the drivers of alien species colonisation on post-coal mine heaps. Specifically, we asked: (i) Which alien species are the most successful on post-coal mine heaps and why? (ii) What are the drivers of alien species richness and cover, and how are they affected by the native community? (iii) What does it mean for predicting threats from alien species and management? We recorded vascular plant species and their abundance across 400 plots on post-coal mine heaps in Upper Silesia, Poland. We calculated plant community taxonomic and functional characteristics and, using mixed-effects models, we estimated predictors of alien species richness and cover. We found 65 alien species on post-coal mine heaps, comprising 20.4% of all recorded species, including 36 neophytes and 29 archaeophytes. Amongst them -- Erigeron canadensis, Solidago gigantea, Solidago canadensis, Erigeron annuus and Impatiens parviflora -- were the most frequent on the studied heaps. We showed that native functional richness significantly predicts alien species richness and cover. Similarly, native community-weighted mean (CWM) seed mass and plant height predict alien species cover. However, CWM of specific leaf area for native species marginally predicts alien species richness. We showed that alien species cover decreases with native species cover. Our findings revealed the ecological significance of niche-filling and the biotic acceptance hypotheses on post-coal mine heaps. We demonstrated how exploring native community characteristics can help in understanding the invasibility and management of post-industrial vegetation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the main directions and range of man-made changes to the vascular flora and their effects at the vegetation level. The native flora of Poland, located in the temperate zone of Central Europe, comprises approximately 2639 species. The effect of human pressure, which began in the Neolithic and has intensified in the last 200 years, has caused changes in the native flora and has included an inflow of 975 alien species, 560 of which have become permanently established. Currently, at least 704 native species are recognized as endangered, and only 623 are recognized as being able to occupy habitats that were created or strongly transformed by humans. Native species (apophytes) and aliens (anthropophytes) have co-created completely new plant communities in these habitats. Among the alien plants, neophytes (399 species) outnumber archaeophytes (161 species). Additionally, many neophytes (123 species) can penetrate seminatural and natural communities. Research has shown that the proportions of apophytes, alien plants, and declining species can be used to clearly differentiate plant communities and be used as an indicator of anthropogenic changes. A comparison of the man-made changes in Polish flora and vegetation in other countries showed that the changes in Poland are part of the global process of environmental degradation and are aggravated by the country's economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genus Wolfia Horkel ex Schleiden (Araceae, former Lemnaceae) includes 11 species that are the smallest of known flowering plants. The genus is widespread in the world. In Europe, the only native species is Wolffia arrhiza. In Poland, it is considered to be relatively rare and until the end of the 20th century it was known from small number of populations dispersed throughout the country Poland. Our research focused on Lower Silesia population of Wolffia arrhiza. The study included the verification of historical sites of this species known from the literature and an inventory of the contemporary occurrence. It also aimed to explain the pattern of W. arrhiza occurrence in selected habitats and determine the ecological conditions and phytocoenoses of the reservoirs it inhabits. The research of the species showed extinction of historical sites and the current presence in 12 water reservoirs of different origin, size, depth and management method. The share of W. arrhiza in phytocoenosis patches in the individual reservoirs is very diverse and ranges from 15 to 80%. Presented data supplement the information on the occurrence of W. arrhiza in western Poland as well as provide new information on its biology and ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peatlands have their own, specific insect fauna. They are a habitat not only for ubiquistic but also stenotopic moths that feed on plants limited to wet, acid and oligotrophic habitats. In the past, raised bogs and fens were widely distributed in Europe. This has changed since 20th c. Due to irrigation, modern forestry, and increasing human settlement, peatlands have become isolated islands in an agricultural and urban landscape. Here, we analyze the flora in a degraded bog situated in a large Lodz city agglomeration in Poland in relation to the diversity and composition of moth fauna. Over the last 40 years since the bog has become protected as a nature reserve, birch, willow, and alder shrubs replaced the typical raised bog plant communities due to the decreased water level. The analysis of moth communities sampled in 2012 and 2013 indicates dominance of ubiquistic taxa associated with deciduous wetland forests and rushes. Tyrphobiotic and tyrphophile moth taxa were not recorded. We conclude that the absence of moths typical of bog habitats and the dominance of common, woodland species are associated with hydrological changes, the expansion of trees and brushes over typical bog plant communities, and light pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ecological indicator values are the most common and sufficiently effective method of habitat assessment. The aim of our research review is to analyze current studies from 2020 to 2022 in which researchers have used Ellenberg indicator values to address a variety of problems. We limited the study to papers that are published in journals indexed by Scopus and Web of Science. The total number of records examined was 358. The number of records selected was 98. Visualization of the distribution of studies by country is based on the GeoCharts library. The results revealed that about half of the studies were conducted in Germany and Poland, and the most common objects were forests and grasslands. Almost half of the studies were devoted to ecological niches, habitat analysis, assessment of vegetation dynamics, and influence of various factors on plants. The analyzed articles are actively cited. In general, our research analysis revealed the effectiveness of Ellenberg indicator values for solving a wide range of urgent problems for a variety of plant communities, and different climate zones. The results of our research confirmed the advisability of actively using this approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abandoned railway areas are places for the spontaneous spread of plants and the formation of specific plant communities. However, only limited information on this subject is available in the literature. The study aimed to determine the direction and the rate of forest formation, taking into account selected environmental factors. A floristic, phytosociological, and soil survey was carried out on a set of abandoned railway lines in the Silesia Province (southern Poland). For this purpose, 30 plots of vegetation were selected: 15 located in the vicinity of forests (F) and 15 surrounded by ruderal or segetal communities (NF). As a result, a total of 132 species (121 vascular plants and 11 mosses) were recorded, including 83 species at F plots and 78 species at NF plots. During the research, 13 syntaxa were distinguished. It was found that silt content, nitrate nitrogen (N-NO3), pH, and phosphorous have a significant impact upon which species dominated in the surveyed areas. It was found that the proximity of the forest was a crucial factor in determining the development of forest communities on abandoned railway areas. These results can be helpful for understanding how environmental conditions shape the forest structure on these types of habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The remains of fungi from a wetland environment have been found during palynological investigations of the middle Miocene lignite seam of the Adamów Lignite Mine (central Poland). One new fossil-genus Pleosporomyces and five new fossil-species (Canalisporium lignitum, Dictyosporites muriformis, Dictyosporites zeaformis, Microthyriacites radiatus, and Pleosporomyces adamowensis) are described. Fungal biota accompanying middle Miocene wetland plant associations from Adamów are represented by remains of ascomycetes and anamorphic fungi (hyphomycetes) saprophytic on decaying wood and on fallen leaves in a very humid, periodically flooded environment. These fungi most probably represent remains of fungal taxa of pocosin-like wetland communities, as suggested by the results of the palynological investigations and have grown during the accumulation of peat deposits from which the discussed lignite seam was formed. Epiphyllous taxa along with ascospores of Potamomyces sp. indicate a warm and humid climate with a high mean annual precipitation in central Poland during the formation of the 1st mid-Polish lignite seam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Southern Poland exhibits a diverse array of habitats for fungi; however, little is known about the richness and diversity of macrofungi occurring in xerothermic grasslands known as dry grasslands. Xerothermic grasslands with their unique flora and fauna are among the most valuable and, at the same time, most severely threatened habitats of Europe's natural environment. Studies on such habitats were conducted in southern Poland during the period of 2010 to 2013. Macrofungal communities were investigated in seven plant associations of xerothermic grasslands in the Nida Basin located in the Małopolska Upland of southern Poland. Designation of associations at selected study sites was based on phytosociological relevés using the Braun-Blanquet method. During the years 2010–2013, we studied the diversity and distribution of macrofungi in dry grasslands, where 164 species of basidio- and ascomycetes were recovered. We determined the properties of the studied fungal communities and habitat preferences of individual species found in the analyzed xerothermic plant associations using ecological indicators for macrofungi according to Ellenberg indicator values. Diversity patterns of fungal communities in xerothermic grasslands are strongly influenced by various environmental factors. In our study, we focused on recording the fruiting bodies of all macrofungi and the proportion of each species in the study communities, as well as possible identification of the most likely indicator species for particular habitats. We found significant differences for two of the seven associations analyzed, namely Thalictro-Salvietum pratensis and Inuletum ensifoliae. However, based on Ellenberg indicator values for fungi, it is not possible to clearly define fungi as indicator species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phelipanche bohemica (Čelak.) Holub is a species with a narrow geographic range that is limited to Central Europe and a few regions in western and southern Europe. Taxonomic complexities within the Phelipanche purpurea s. l. group (to which the species belongs) cause difficulties in fully describing its range. In Poland, to date, this species has been known only from two verified localities in the Lower Oder Valley and Kraków-Częstochowa Upland. A new site was found in 2020 in Korzecko near Chęciny (Świętokrzyskie Mountains, Małopolska Upland, southern Poland). According to the present state of knowledge, this is the easternmost locality of this species. This species was found in xerothermic grasslands of the Festuco-Brometea class. In 2020, 18 individuals were found. However, in 2021 only two individuals were present, and in 2022 only one. Thus, the population showed the dynamics typically observed in this group of plants. As a population of a globally very rare species, located at the edge of it range in an unstable phytocoenosis, it should be subject to monitoring and special protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Żabieniec mire is located in central Poland. Its high thickness of organic sediments enabled paleoecological analyses and a description of environmental history during the Late Glacial and the Holocene. This article presents the record of vegetation development during the Younger Dryas in terms of pollen analysis. It is divided into three phases and the chronology is determined by radiocarbon dating. The first phase lasted ca 900 years and shows a cooling, the development of colddemanding plant communities, deforestation and an increase in trophy. The second phase lasted not longer than 230 years and shows the preservation of cold-demanding vegetation and high trophy of the lake. The third phase lasted ca 120 years and shows a decrease of cold- and light-demanding tundra and steppe taxa. Trophy was clearly decreasing. Pollen analysis results for several other sites in Poland suggest that vegetation succession driven by macro-climatic features is significantly modified by local factors such as geomorphology, topography and physico-chemical properties of the ground. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tradeoffs between intra and interspecific distances of individual plants determine the spatial distributions of local plant communities and small‐scale community assembly. Here we use an individual based approach and null model standardization to compare intra‐ and interspecific nearest neighbour distances of plant ramets as well as mean differences in functional trait expression to nearest heterospecifics within local communities of temperate forest understorey plants in northern Poland. We found a general tendency towards clustered intraspecific and segregated interspecific ramet distributions. Spatial distribution patterns of understorey plants differed considerably between two nearby forest sites that mainly differed in the age structure of trees. Individuals of clonal species tended to have significantly smaller intraspecific and larger interspecific nearest neighbour distances than seed dispersing species. Our results indicate a major influence of dominant plant species on the spatial distributions of subdominants. Trait expressions related to plant growth (specific leaf area and leaf mass) and reproduction (seed mass) were significantly segregated in comparison to the spatial distribution of conspecific individuals and less so in comparison to heterospecific individuals. We argue that spatially explicit analyses of plant community assembly need to consider respective distributions of important traits and that the tradeoffs of contrasting trait distributions trigger small scale plant community composition and species distributions. We present a general framework for the analysis of plant community assembly based on the spatial distributions of individual plants and functional traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, the results of studies conducted in the Łagiewnicki Forest in the city of Łódź (central Poland) in 2010--2012 are presented. These were the first long-term observations into myxomycetes in the Łagiewnicki Forest and in central Poland. Investigations were conducted using the route method for the entire forest complex (2010--2012). Additionally, twelve logs were selected in the "Las Łagiewnicki" forest reserve for detailed observations in 2011--2012; these logs belonged to four tree species: Betula pendula Roth, Carpinus betulus L., Quercus sp., and Picea abies (L.) H. Karst. In total, 1,561 specimens were collected and were classified into 96 taxa (91 species and five varieties). Three species (Diderma saundersii, Oligonema flavidum, and Didymium eximium) are new to the biota of Poland, while five (Arcyria stipata, Hemitrichia calyculata, Oligonema schweinitzii, Physarum flavicomum, and Physarum robustum) are included on the red list of rare myxomycetes in Poland. Stemonitopsis amoena is also classified as a rare species; to date, this species has been reported in one locality in Poland. The scale by Stephenson et al. was used to determine the frequency of occurrence of individual taxa; 55 taxa were classified as rare, nine as sporadic, 26 as common, and six as abundant taxa. Three ecological groups of slime molds were identified based on the type of substrate they colonized: lignicolous (54 taxa), foliicolous (seven taxa), and corticolous (two taxa). No preference for the substrate was noticed in a group of 33 taxa that occurred on different substrate types. The phenology of myxomycete occurrence was also analyzed; 49 taxa occurred throughout the entire vegetative season, while only single records of species that were found in specific months were noted. The biota collected in the "Las Łagiewnicki" forest reserve and that in a Łagiewnicki Forest segment outside it (of the same size and the same occurrence of plant communities as in the reserve) in 2011--2012 were also compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Plant communities can serve as biogeomorphological indicators in river reaches. • Random forest models were fitted to classify plant communities of the Vistula River. • Hyperspectral and LiDAR data were merged and used as predictors. • High-correlated and discriminating features were selected after a ridge regularization. The seasonal occurrence of plant communities in rivers' reaches has a direct impact on the flow resistance and sediment dynamics. Monitoring the occurrence of plant communities and their habitats can be of great importance to understand bio-geomorphological changes and hydrological processes and to assess human-induced changes. This work focuses on combining different remote sensors' data acquired from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to feed Random Forest models for the recognition of plant communities in reaches of the Vistula River. Botanical surveys were carried out on more than two thousand field plots along the reaches, each being manually classified into nine different communities. Hyperspectral and RGB (Red-Green-Blue) images were collected with UAV over the botanical plots and merged with a LiDAR-based (Light Detection and Ranging) canopy height model. The modelling strategy consisted of fitting Random Forests using uncorrelated scores of principal components. A novel approach is presented to select discriminant features in the presence of high correlations after applying a ridge regularization on the inverse of the covariance matrix. We show how specific combinations of sensors' features can impact the model's accuracy, which reached more than 90% for dominating shrubs and trees such as Salicetum triandro-viminalis , Salicetum albo-fragilis and Chelidonio-Aceretum. On the other hand, the fitted model was not as accurate to classify plant communities such as Agropyretalia and Calamagrostietum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The biodiversity of grassland communities significantly affects their forage value. • The pattern of H'-UVS relationships depends on the type of plant community. • It is difficult to achieve high biodiversity and high forage value at the same time. Floristic diversity in agricultural landscapes results primarily from the diversity of semi-natural grasslands. Due to economical reasons, farmers are interested in agricultural intensification, while semi-natural grasslands are associated with low productivity. Therefore, 10 semi-natural grassland plant communities that are widespread across Central Europe and have different habitat requirements were studied: 4 from the Phragmitetea class, 4 from Molinio-Arrhenatheretea , and 2 from Festuco-Brometea. The study answers the following: (1) What is their floristic diversity and utilization value? (2) Is there a significant relationship between the diversity of vascular plant species and the utilization value of the examined communities? (3) If yes, what is the character of this relationship? The highest floristic diversity was shown by the Festuco-Brometea communities: Adonido-Brachypodietum pinnati and com. Brachypodium pinnatum. The average utilization value of the analyzed semi-natural plant communities was poor or very poor, but it varied within the plant communities, and the percentage of the relevés of at least a good utilization value was high for some communities. For most of the analyzed communities, the linear and statistically significant relation of H' index with utilization value score (UVS) was observed. H' index was positively related with UVS for Phragmitetum australis , Caricetum gracilis , Caricetum ripariae , and Deschampsietum caespitosae. H' index was negatively related with UVS for Phalaridetum arundinaceae , Alopecuretum pratensis , Lolio-Cynosuretum , and Adonido-Brachypodietum pinnati. The study showed that the relationship between floristic diversity and utilization value depends on the type of plant community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]