The aim of this study was to investigate the temporal trends and geographical differences in
90
Sr and stable element (Ba, Ca, Mn, Sr, Pb, Zn) levels in the bones of Croatian and Polish brown bear (
...Ursus arctos
) populations. Experimental data suggest that in the decades after nuclear weapon tests and the Chernobyl accident,
90
Sr bone activity concentrations decreased from 352 to 11 Bq kg
−1
in the Croatian bear population (period 1982–2015) and from 831 to 27 Bq kg
−1
in Polish bears (period 1962–2020). Calculated effective and ecological half-lives were 9 and 13 years for Croatian bears, and 15 and 31 years for Polish bears, respectively. Different temporal trends were noted in levels of Ba, Mn, Pb and Zn between the two countries with majority of bones having lower Pb, Sr and Zn in Croatian than in Polish bears. Estimated values for the soil-to-bear transfer of
90
Sr were the same order of magnitude in the studied populations. Contrary to this, the estimated transfer of stable Sr was an order of magnitude lower for the Croatian bear population compared to Polish bears. The observed differences in soil-to-bear transfer between stable Sr and
90
Sr found for Croatian bears might suggest the need for careful consideration on the use of stable Sr data as an analogue for
90
Sr. To our knowledge, this is the first study that analysed
90
Sr activity in tissue of brown bears. As such, it provides insight into the fate and behaviour of one of the most relevant anthropogenic radionuclides at the top of the food chain.
Culturable Fungi in Brown Bear Cave Dens Pusz, Wojciech; Baturo-Cieśniewska, Anna; Zwijacz-Kozica, Tomasz
Polish Journal of Environmental Studies,
01/2018, Letnik:
27, Številka:
1
Journal Article
The Swiss stone Pine (
Pinus cembra
L.) is an alpine species, fairly commonly occurring in the Alps and the Carpathians, close to the timberline. Natural sites of the Swiss stone pine in Poland are ...found exclusively in the Tatra Mountains, within the area of the Tatra National Park (TNP). In 2017, the health status of the needles of
P. cembra
was determined and their mycological analysis was carried out. As a result, 11 species of fungi were isolated from the needles showing disease symptoms, manifested by various shades of discoloration. The most frequently observed species was
Fusarium oxysporum
. It probably does not bring on disease symptoms, but may affect the development of other frequently isolated species (such as
Sydowia polyspora
,
Lophodermium
sp. and
Lophodermium conigenum
) that are pathogenic to
Pinus
spp.
The natural consequences of introducing alien species can be significant. This is particularly a concern where the taxa have an invasive nature of spreading or in those that freely crossbreed with ...native species. The hybridization process may lead to impoverishment or even loss of the native gene pool. This is especially dangerous in unique areas that stand out due to their special natural characteristics, such as the Tatra National Park. The determination of the scale of occurrence of alien larch species in the national park and the evaluation of the genetic diversity of the native population is crucial for the conservation of genetic resources and strictly adheres to the latest conservation genetics trends. We evaluated the possibility of effective use of molecular markers for taxonomic identification of the native European larch (Larix decidua Mill.), as well as the alien Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi Lambert Carriere) and the hybrid form (Larix × eurolepis Henry). Microsatellite markers were used to analyse the genetic diversity of individuals identified as European larch from natural refuges and artificial plantings. Of the 148 trees analysed, 105 were identified as the European larch, 38 as Japanese larch, and five as hybrids. The analysis of the molecular variability of two European larch groups of indigenous and artificial origin showed comparable level of diversity. This study confirmed the effectiveness of the use of selected molecular markers in identification of larch species, which is difficult based on morphological traits. The results indicate the possibility for the effective use of genetic tools in the creation of protection programmes, especially for naturally valuable sites, based on genetic taxonomic identification and richness verification of protected gene pools.
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