The aim of this study was to identify cyanobacteria diversity in rock communities from the cold desert ecosystem in Eastern Pamir Mountains (Tajikistan) and assess if the rock type and rock`s porosity can be indicators of microbial diversity in this extreme environment. Seven samples were collected in July 2015 from hillsides (ca 4000–4500 m a.s.l.) of the Eastern Pamir Mountains. Petrographic and scanning microscopy (SEM) allowed for the characterization of the rocks inhabited by endolithic communities as granite, gneiss and limestone with variable porosity. Based on next-generation sequencing (NGS) of amplicon of V3–V4 hypervariable region of 16S rRNA gene, we established that Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria and Cyanobacteria dominated the endolithic communities of microorganisms in the rocks studied, which distinguishes these communities from those described for other cold arid regions. Chroococcidiopsis and Leptolyngbya were dominant genera in the cyanobacterial communities according to culture-dependent analysis, as well as microscopic analyses of endoliths scraps from the rocks. Culture-independent metagenomic analyses revealed that Microcoleus, Acaryochloris, Chroococcidiopsis and Thermosynechococcus reads were the most abundant from all reads and dominated interchangeably in the samples. Endolithic communities of microorganisms in the rocks from the cold desert shrubland of Eastern Pamir Mts. appear to be diverse and different from communities described for other cold deserts.

Understanding the factors affecting the species richness of alien and native plant is a key issue for predicting the spread of alien species and protecting rare and endangered native species in nature reserves. To investigate the factors affecting alien and native species richness in temperate nature reserves of China, we used a database of 25 nature reserves in Shandong Province of northern China, and studied the relationship of alien and native plant species richness with climatic and anthropogenic factors, as well as area and elevation range. We found that most of the nature reserves in Shandong Province have been invaded by alien plant species. The distribution of alien and native species responds to the same climatic factors, and temperature and precipitation exert strong effects on both groups. Alien and native plant species richness are positively correlated. Human activity is more effective for explaining richness of alien than for native species. Simultaneously, human activity has stronger effects on alien herbaceous than on alien woody plants. Our results suggest that native species richness is mainly explained by climatic factors, whereas alien species richness is mainly explained by climatic factors and human activity together.

Artificial grassland establishment is one of the fastest and most effective ways to restore the productivity of degraded grasslands. Little is known about the effect of different types of artificial grassland establishment (i.e., single- and mixed-sowing grassland establishment with perennial grasses) on soil seed bank in degraded grassland ecosystems. Single-sowing population of a high yield species usually has a great standing biomass causing shading that may inhibit germination of seeds in soil seed bank. Thus, we hypothesized that there is higher species richness and seed density in the soil seed bank of single-sowing than mixed-sowing grasslands. Here, we investigated the soil seed bank in four-year old single-sowing and mixed-sowing and control (degraded) grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. We found that the autumn seed bank of mixed-sowing grasslands had lower species richness and seed density than single-sowing grasslands, while the summer soil seed bank (persistent seed bank) showed little differences. There were differences in biomass among the three grasslands (single-sowing > mixed-sowing > control), but there was no differences in species richness of vegetation. In sum, our results of the autumn seed bank support our hypothesis. Greater above-ground biomass in single-sowing grasslands could generally cause low light availability preventing seeds in soil from germinating and support more seed output, which both may indirectly or directly result in the relatively higher species richness and seed density in the soil seed bank. Our results also suggest that artificial grasslands usually returning to native grasslands in terms of production and species composition after several years is likely due to stability of the persistent soil seed bank.

Changing localized environmental conditions along altitude gradients could modify the responses of tree xylem structures to climate variations. To explore how trees adapt to local environment and respond to climate variants, we analysed the variation of Picea meyeri xylem tracheid features and the relationships with climate variables along an altitude gradient (1970, 2240, 2490 and 2650 m above sea level) of the Luyashan Mountains in the North China. The results mainly indicated the following: (1) tracheid number and diameter of P. meyeri showed significant differences among the four sites along the altitude gradient; (2) trees at site 2 (2240 m) and site 3 (2490 m) are similar in age, but the xylem tracheid number and diameter of these trees were significantly different, which may indicate different functional adaptation; (3) the relationships between xylem features' residual chronologies and the monthly climate data were inconsistent along altitude gradients, which indicated that the limiting factor of P. meyeri growth along the altitude gradients, shifted from drought stress at lower altitudes to low-temperature stress at higher altitudes.

The body size is one of the main attributes of living organisms. The knowledge of body size patterns of co-occurring species and the related factors can contribute to the understanding of many ecological processes. The aim of the study was the analysis of the distribution of the spider species of different size in heterogeneous forest habitats: ground, herbaceous vegetation, tree trunks and leaves. The research was conducted in deciduous stands of the Białowieża Forest (eastern Poland). Spiders were collected by: a) pitfall traps and sieving the litter through an entomological sieve for the ground layer; b) sweep-netting for herbaceous vegetation; c) bark traps for tree trunks and d) shaking the branches of trees and shrubs for leaves. In total, 247 spider species belonging to 22 families were recorded: 195 species in the ground layer, 122 in herbaceous vegetation, 60 on trunks, and 48 on leaves. The analysis revealed that ground layer was inhabited by the small sized species (mean 5.2 ± 0.11 mm) while larger species inhabited herbaceous vegetation (mean 6.6 ± 0.26 mm), trunks (7.2 ± 0.20 mm) and leaves (6.8 ± 0.41 mm). Moreover, the mean species body size decreased with the increasing number of collected species. Several potential mechanisms are discussed as those determining the preference of various sized spider species in particular habitats like different microclimatic conditions, the nutritional quality of prey and predation. Moreover, the very likely reason of differences in the size of spider species between the ground layer and other habitats is the most complex structure of the former habitat.

The ecological niche of a species is determined by its tolerance to environmental factors and by interactions with other species, particularly those using the same resource. We assessed spatial niches of four rodent species coexisting in one meadow habitat within the Białowieża Primeval Forest. Niche characteristics were based on the valorisation of the habitat around live-trapping sites visited by rodents during seven years of the study. The population size of each species was monitored and expressed as an average annual density. The root vole Microtus oeconomus was the most numerous and dominant species, with its density widely fluctuating due to the temporal increases of predation pressure exerted by the weasel Mustela nivalis. During the study period, the spatial niche of the root vole was nearly constant, with only significantly increased tolerance towards shrub covered sites at times of its high population density. However, even a slight niche expansion of the highly abundant root voles displaced accompanying species: the bank vole Myodes (Clethrionomys) glareolus, the yellow necked mouse Apodemus flavicollis and the striped field mouse A. agrarius, from their preferred sites and efficiently decreased rodent species diversity in the studied habitat. This study illustrates a possible mechanism of the direct effect of predation on the dominant prey species population and indirect one on the species diversity changes over ecological time.

The wild boar is an omnivorous animal, and by foraging (rooting) disturbs the top soil layer. In some regions of Poland and Europe seasonal fluctuations in rooting have been observed. Wild boars not only eat plants, but also strongly modify their habitat. In Białowieża National Park wild boar most frequently visit oak-hornbeam forests on fertile soil. On sites where the forest floor is covered with dense vegetation the germination of seeds is difficult, and wild boar rooting can promote the removal of diaspores from deeper layers of the soil seed bank. Within a 3-year observation on 30 subplots about 10,000 seedlings emerged representing 38 species. Our study revealed that rooted patches are characterised by a very rich and diverse flora of seedlings representing mostly forest species, but their density is low. The dominant species germinating in the disturbed ground vegetation is Urtica dioica, a species forming the persistent soil seed bank. There is a possibility that seedlings of herbaceous plants emerging on permanently rooted patches are of exogenous origin, since the seeds germinating there were in many cases damaged by repeatedly rooting animals and had no chance for further growth and reaching the generative phase. However, the soil seed bank in the rooted area has to be analysed to confirm this theory, that they have exogenous or endogenous origin. Seedling density in a repeatedly rooted oak-hornbeam forest is determined by factors other than those related to rooting. In this context the present study did not demonstrate a negative impact of rooting intensity on seedling emergence.

In this study, the comparative effects of the two disturbances (aquaculture and water level fluctuations) on macroinvertebrate communities were explored in two waterbodies connected with the reservoir system of Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) in China. One water body called Gaoyang Bay which suffered organic pollution from intensive aquaculture. Another named Hanfeng Lake, where the effects of water-level fluctuations are obvious. The results showed that aquaculture could significantly affect the chemical forms of nutrients, decrease the α-diversity and increase the β-diversity of macroinvertebrates although the communities in the treatment area in Gaoyang Bay were not fundamentally changed comparing to the control area in the same bay. The densities of macroinvertebrates in the treatment area were significantly lower than that of the control area. The composition of functional feeding groups in the treatment area was close to that in Hanfeng Lake, but obviously different from that in the control area in Gaoyang Bay and the collectors and predators dominated the communities in this control area with the highest percentages. Although water-level fluctuations had negative effects on the communities by decreasing the α-diversity and increasing the β-diversity, which were confirmed by the values of Simpson index, Shannon-Wiener index and Harrison's index in the control area of Gaoyang bay and Hanfeng Lake, the adverse effects were relative low compared to aquaculture. In the bays of TGR, the small-scale disturbance (aquaculture activities) had more significant negative effects compared to the big-scale disturbance (water-level fluctuations related to dam operation of TGR).

Azolla filiculoides Lam. is the second most widely distributed alien aquatic plant in Europe. A native of America, it has become — on account of human mediation — a cosmopolitan species. In Poland, it has been known so far from a few stands in ponds and old river beds. In 2016, it was recorded at six new sites in-between the groynes at the main Oder river bed between Maszewko near Krosno Odrzańskie (52°3′10.69″N, 14°57′13.56″E) and Owczary (52°28′53.59″N, 14°37′30.43″E). The assemblages containing the fern were identified as representing the association Ceratophyllo-Azolletum filiculoidis Nedelcu 1967. Azolla has also entered the phytocoenoses of other floating plant communities. Mean values of several chemical parameters of the water like conductivity, salinity, total dissolved solids and nitrate content at the fern stations were significantly higher than the mean values found in the Azolla-devoid sites while the values for hardness (Ca), pH and visibility (Secchi Disc depth) were lower at Azolla sites. In 2017, this alien fern was found to had successfully overwintered in the main bed of Oder river, and its further spread down the river was observed. The appearance of Azolla filiculoides in the Oder may be associated with an exceptionally warm winter; its emergence may also accelerate the species' invasion in Poland.

The European wildcat Felis silvestris silvestris is one of the most endangered mammals in Poland. In 1954, when the Tatra National Park (TNP) was established in the highest part of the Polish Carpathians, the wildcat was considered a rare species but nevertheless present in this region. However, its occurrence was never properly recorded there. The aim of this study was to verify whether wildcats occur in the TNP using genetic methods to distinguish wildcats from domestic cats F. s. catus. Between March and May 2015, hair samples were collected from 40 lure sticks treated with valerian, a cat attractant, in a region of the park with presumed high habitat suitability for wildcats. Neither wildcats nor hybrids with domestic cats were identified using control region haplotype sequencing and analysis of different nuclear markers. However, thirteen samples indicating the presence of the domestic cat in the protected area were collected. The Bayesian clustering analyses of microsatellite and SNP genotypes revealed no evidence for any admixture with wildcats. While our study cannot prove the absence of wildcats in the study area, it strongly suggests that wildcats are at least very rare in the region and a continued rigorous monitoring is recommended.

In Poland, the Aesculapian snake, critically endangered at the edge of its European range, inhabits the lower parts of the Bieszczady Mts. in the SE of the country. This research, carried out between 2009 and 2014, included fieldwork in areas selected on the basis of historical literature data and the results of interviews. 51 breeding mounds were deployed at historical and potential sites of this snake's occurrence on the forested area of 220,886 ha as a supportive tool for detecting these reptiles. The 371 records of the Aesculapian snake obtained are displayed on maps showing its historical distribution in two periods (1958–1989 and 1995–1998) for comparison. Most records were collected in the centre of the species' range in the Bieszczady Mts. Most of the breeding mounds (17 out of 29) in this area were colonized by the snake, whereas only two sites were colonized in the outside. The results show that the Aesculapian snake's range in the Bieszczady Mts has been shrinking. However, most current single records outside the species' centre of occurrence are from localities close to its historical range; this suggests that relict populations may be surviving there. The proportion of records on the breeding mounds grew in consecutive years. This suggests that breeding mounds deployed near the snake's existing localities may be a useful tool for monitoring endangered oviparous snakes and their active conservation.

A new locality of the Asian thermophilic aquatic oligochaete Branchiura sowerbyi Beddard, 1892 (Oligochaeta, Naididae) was recorded in the Upper Oder River. Until now, this species has been only noted in a few localities in Poland: in the Szczecin Lagoon at the mouth of Oder River to Baltic Sea, in the heated Konin lake system (West Poland) and in the middle course of the Oder River. In our study, B. sowerbyi was found on one site (108 km of the river course) that is located more than 400 km from its previous recordings in the Oder River. This finding may show that B. sowerbyi has spread upstream. It should be noted that, as a rule, low abundance of this species may be the reason for the small number of its recordings, so further studies related to distribution and impact of B. sowerbyi on native oligochaetes are needed.