Various studies have established possible threats posed due to pollution using ecological risk indices, but most have focused strictly on anthropogenic areas, so the data from these studies are less comparable with those obtained from natural forest sites, which was the focus of this current study. The main reason for this focus could be attributed to the commonly agreed reference provided by natural forest parks, which are assumed to be uncontaminated. The aim of this research was to determine if the Kampinoski National Park (Poland) could be considered a geochemical referencing ecosystem for Pb, Cd, and Ni levels. The specific purpose was to conduct a soil-background-based evaluation of metal contamination with a focus on geochemical indices as normative tools for assessing similar forest ecosystems at local and international levels. The toxicity response factors indicated some specific metal features that seemed highly magnified for Cd compared with Pb and Ni. The use of geochemical indices when assessing the contamination status of various ecosystems, either natural or strongly anthropogenic, is recommended to enable worldwide comparison, rather than only assessing metal contents. This approach considers the background metal concentrations for local on-site targets as well as pre-industrial reference levels for international referencing.

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) is a widespread species in Eurasia, but its natural range can be significantly altered by a variety of stressors. The ability of pine to regenerate naturally is significantly reduced by its occurrence in unsuitable habitats. The processes of natural selection of pine from select habitats can be followed in stands of national parks where forestry activities are excluded. The possibility of pine regeneration is influenced by the following factors: characteristics of produced seeds, competition, and genetic characteristics. In the present study, selected factors associated with limiting the natural regeneration potential of pine were analysed. The present work generated important information related to the natural regeneration potential of pine in Central and Eastern Europe. The main objective of the analyses was to discuss the possibility of the natural regeneration of pine stands without human intervention. In addition, the genetic diversity of naturally germinating seedlings was analysed. The obtained results confirmed the high reproductive potential of pine despite the advanced age of the studied trees. The obtained seeds produced by old growth Scots pine trees had high viability, while a significant difference was observed in terms of the average number of cones per dominant tree between studied stands. Thus, the number of cones was the main element determining the regeneration potential of the stands. It should be emphasised that the number of cones did not influence the occurrence of natural regeneration. Based on the obtained results, the regeneration potential of pine stands depends mainly on the habitat and the competitive pressure. In addition, a correlation between genetic parameters and the regeneration potential of stands should be established, which may be the beginning of further research on the process discussed in this publication.

In order to determine the adaptive potential of silver fir in the southeast of Poland, the stability of the height of its five-year-old progeny was analyzed. The study was conducted in two different population groups in a total of four environments, including one ecologically marginal environment. The linear mixed model was used to evaluate the differentiation of populations in terms of height growth. The genotype and genotype-by-environment interaction biplot (GGE) were used to verify the stability of height. The climate of populations origin, in relation to actual fir distribution in Poland, was verified based on principal components analysis (PCA) of bioclimatic parameters. The highest total variability was explained by the genotype-environment interaction effect (GE) (54.50%), while the genotype effect (G) explained 41.27% and only 4.23% was explained by the site effect. The result of height growth variations revealed the Komańcza site as the most representative among study sites, while the Lesko site characterized the highest discriminating ability. The progeny occurring in climatic conditions most different from the average testing conditions showed a heterogeneous growth reaction, only adapting to the marginal environment, while the progeny of the second population in this region as well as the northernmost one was characterized by a mean but stable growth. The westernmost population revealed maladaptation. The assessment of the adaptability of silver fir depends on the broad spectrum of test conditions considering the ecologically marginal environments.

Combining different diverse data on human and environmental history during the Anthropocene is an extremely challenging task, particularly, if one wants to compare written or cartographic data with a whole range of environmental data recorded for more than the past 200–300 years. In this article, our objective was to demonstrate that one of the keys to facilitating syntheses for the study of forest landscape dynamics was to conduct a thorough investigation into the historical phenomena of modernization. We believe that a comprehensive understanding of the advancements in post-enlightenment thought and contextualizing them within the evolution of the state apparatus during the 18th and 19th centuries will empower us to formulate new research questions and broaden our understanding of the mutual relations between nature and humans in the past.

We investigated the occurrence and pathogenicity of Beauveria spp. (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae) in forest soils in Poland, in outbreak areas of cockchafers (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae): Melolontha melolontha L. and M. hippocastani F. We also examined the occurrence of Beauveria in relation to soil pH. Beauveria spp. isolates were characterised at species and genotype levels using ITS and microsatellite markers. Beauveria spp., which were detected at over 80% of sites, were sensitive to pH, preferring neutral or alkaline soils. This suggests that the acidity of forest soils in Poland can affect their efficacy as biological control agents (BCAs). B. brongniartii (Sacc.) Petch as a pathogen of cockchafers occurred at 41% of sites, but often at densities below the threshold values for infection, and it infected only 1.3% of cockchafer grubs. Our results suggest that B. brongniartii genotype isolated from cockchafers in forest soils can potentially expand the pool of BCAs in this environment.