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1. The American mink Neogale vison is an invasive alien species in Europe that threatens endemic biodiversity and can transmit zoonotic diseases, including the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The last attempt to map the geographic range of this species in Europe, at continental scale, dates back to 2007. 2. We aimed to update the distribution map of the feral American mink and assess its temporal trends. The information we collected was critically analysed with the aim of improving future monitoring protocols and data collection. 3. We gathered and standardised data from 34 databases, covering 32 countries. Through 3 five-year periods from 2007 to 2021, changes in range size, hunting bags and capture statistics were analysed. We also reviewed the current situation of mink farming in the different European countries and recorded population control schemes. 4. The American mink is now widespread in the Baltic States, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Poland, Scandinavia, Spain and the UK. The species is reported to be absent in some areas (e.g. parts of the UK, Iceland and Norway). Data are deficient for several countries, mainly in south-eastern Europe. These findings indicate that, during the last 15 years, the species has continued to spread across the continent, increasing its potential extent of occurrence in most countries. Our effort to collect and harmonise data across international borders highlighted information gaps and heterogeneity in data quality. 5. Updated distribution data on the species provided here will aid risk assessment and risk management policies. These actions require a coordinated effort for population monitoring at continental level. Monitoring effort and data collection should be intensified in south-eastern Europe to improve data on the current distribution of this invasive species.

W dniach 15–17 marca 2022 r. w Instytucie Badawczym Leśnictwa odbyła się XII Sesja Zimowej Szkoły Leśnej, której tematem był „Wpływ zmian klimatu na środowisko leśne”. Spośród licznych propozycji, o wyborze powyższego tematu przesądziło obserwowane od wielu lat systematyczne pogorszanie się stanu zdrowotnego drzewostanów na skutek synergicznego oddziaływania wielu czynników abiotycznych i biotycznych w warunkach zmian klimatu. Współorganizatorem Sesji była Dyrekcja Generalna Lasów Państwowych. Merytoryczne aspekty XII Sesji zostały przygotowane i opracowane przez Radę Programową Zimowej Szkoły Leśnej w składzie: dr hab. Krzysztof Stereńczak, prof. IBL (przewodniczący), prof. dr hab. Bogdan Brzeziecki, mgr inż. Michał Graczyk, prof. dr hab. Andrzej Grzywacz, prof. dr hab. Andrzej Jagodziński, prof. dr hab. Janusz Olejnik, mgr inż. Jan Tabor, mgr inż. Krzysztof Rostek, prof. dr hab. Iwona Skrzecz, dr inż. Klaudia Ziemblińska. Rada Programowa określiła nie tylko zakres problematyki XII Sesji, ale także propozycje tematyczne referatów zamawianych oraz ich autorów. W trakcie trzech dni obrad prelegenci przedstawili 33 referaty. Referaty wygłosili również zaproszeni goście zagraniczni reprezentujący: Uniwersytet w Helsinkach, Czeski Uniwersytet Przyrodniczy w Pradze, Instytut Badań nad Zmianami Globalnymi (Czechy), Uniwersytet Wspólnoty Wirginii, Łotewski Państwowy Instytut Badawczy Leśnictwa oraz Integrated Carbon Observation System. W XII Sesji, która odbyła się w wersji online, wzięło udział niemal 200 osób reprezentujących m.in.: Ministerstwo Klimatu i Środowiska, jednostki organizacyjne Lasów Państwowych, ośrodki uniwersyteckie i instytuty badawcze. Liczne grono stanowili również przedstawiciele ośrodków naukowych oraz polskich uczelni leśnych.

The Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber L.) populations are considered to have reached densities causing substantial damage to forestry, e.g., in the south eastern Baltic Sea countries. The project Water Management in Baltic Forests WAMBAF of the Interreg Baltic Sea Region started in March 2016 and lasted for three years. WAMBAF committed to water management in Baltic forests and aimed to reduce nutrient and mercury export from forestry to streams, other water bodies towards the Baltic Sea. Three main topics like riparian forests, drainage system and beaver population / dam management that strongly related to mentioned issues. Protection of the Baltic Sea catchment is based on the protection of inland waters because the Sea gains the main inflow of nutrients and toxic compounds from inland watersThe Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber L.) populations are considered to have reached densities causing substantial damage to forestry, e.g., in the south eastern Baltic Sea countries. The project Water Management in Baltic Forests WAMBAF of the Interreg Baltic Sea Region started in March 2016 and lasted for three years. WAMBAF committed to water management in Baltic forests and aimed to reduce nutrient and mercury export from forestry to streams, other water bodies towards the Baltic Sea. Three main topics like riparian forests, drainage system and beaver population / dam management that strongly related to mentioned issues. Protection of the Baltic Sea catchment is based on the protection of inland waters because the Sea gains the main inflow of nutrients and toxic compounds from inland waters

The aim of this study was to analyse the damage caused by wild boar Sus scrofa to crop fields located in the central-eastern Poland in relation with the crop composition. A significant increase in the grassland area and in the area under cultivation of total cereals, vegetables, fruit, and root crops (p ≤ 0.05) was revealed on the study area. The volume of damage caused to legumes, industrial plants, vegetables, and fruit increased simultaneously with the increase in the surface area under these plant groups (p ≤ 0.05). The compensation payment has markedly positively correlated with the damaged area of grassland, cereals, maize, root crops, legumes and an increase in the total damage (p ≤ 0.05). The number of compensations has a significant effect on the number of wild boars harvested on the studied areas (p ≤ 0.05). The number of wild boars and the number of harvested wild boars were strongly negatively correlated with the area of maize cultivation (p ≤ 0.05). The level of wild boar hunting increased markedly simultaneously with the increase in the damage caused by these animals (p ≤ 0.05). Moreover, it was shown that the number of harvested wild boars increased considerably with the increase in the number of wild boars on the study area (p ≤ 0.05). The level of damage to cereals, maize, and industrial plants decreased significantly with an increase in the total area and forest area in the study territory (p ≤ 0.05). Keywords: Sus scrofa, impact on crops, damage, recommendations

Abundant ungulate populations are considered ecosystem drivers that affect forestry and agriculture. Their management is ecologically and economically based on game density regulations, considering the balance between density and carrying capacity of the territory, population status and dynamics, as well as hunting needs. Although the population status and dynamics are not new questions, it is still unclear how to manage populations properly depending on the hunting intensity. We aimed to analyse and compare the ungulate population status like moose, red deer, roe deer and wild boar in the Punia pine forest, where the commercial hunting is conducted, and in the hunting grounds managed by hunter clubs in Prienai forest. We performed the study during four hunting seasons of 2009-2010, 2010-2011, 2011-2012, and 2012-2013. The data on harvesting and abundance were obtained from the field works and using the official statistics of the Ministry of Environment. The moose local populations are not abundant, or animals occur occasionally, and their density does not reach the minimum permissible rate. At the same time within the study area, moose hunting is remained to be insufficient. The red deer population is rather stable in the hunting grounds used by hunter clubs while hardly reaches the minimum density rate. On the commercial hunting area, the population density 2-3 times exceeds the permissible density rate. The red deer population should be harvested more intensively. The wild boar is used intensively in the grounds of hunter clubs, while animal density is close to the permissible rate. Unfortunately, on the areas of commercial hunting, wild boar is not actively managed that is why their density exceeds permissible rate even four times. The main harvested species are red deer and wild boar in both hunting grounds. Their abundant populations stay close to permissible density rate. However, gamekeepers keep the larger animal numbers on the areas of commercial hunting. As the main aim is the trophy hunting, the stags and boars are most used when compared to females and young. Therefore, on the areas of commercial hunting, use of wild boar and red deer is unreasonable and their density exceeds permissible rate several times. Keywords: commercial hunting, hunting clubs, population, status, ungulate

We assessed the effect of the investigated felling types on the abundance of the wild boar population in south Lithuania. The study was carried out in the southern part of Prienai forest, Punia pine forest, and Kalviai forest, all located in southern Lithuania. The data on the number of the wild boar population and the hunting dynamics were gathered from six hunting seasons, from 2008 to 2014. Our results highlighted that some types of felling had negative effects on the density of the wild boar population in south Lithuania. We observed that changes in the wild boar population were not only affected by the felling of the current year, but also by that of the previous year. Further analysis of data collected over a larger area is needed to check these findings.

We analyse the relationships between the main Cervidae [moose (Alces alces), red deer (Cervus elaphus) and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus)] species and a complex of environmental factors in an extensive fragmented landscape of Central Lithuania. The highest determining positive influence on moose density was the proportions of wet forest sites. In forest complexes with fewer proportions of wet sites, the most important factor was the total forest area. The proportion of shrub cover, upland and dense undergrowth area, and road density also has significant effect on moose density. The total area of forest complexes has the highest determining positive influence on red deer density. The highest density of red deer was calculated in large forest complexes (>2,745 ha) with a 51 m ha−1 of edges in wet forest (>25.4 %) dominating areas. The proportion of deciduous, coniferous mixed and pine forest, also shrub and density of edges also had significant effect.