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Prof. Dr. Axel Schwerk
Institute of Environmental Engineering, Department of Landscape Art, Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland

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0 Conservation Biology
0 Population Ecology
0 Ecological succession
0 Biology of carabid beetles
0 Landcape ecology

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Journal article
Published: 23 July 2021 in Ecosystem Services
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Urban green spaces have been widely recognized for their ecosystem services (ES) provisioning, but their resources are insufficient. Informal green spaces (IGS), the neglected areas whose maintenance was abandoned, can complement existing greenery, generating minimal costs for the managers. In this transdisciplinary study, we investigate the role of IGS in the ES provisioning and preserving biodiversity compared to urban parks. We conducted measurements in locations that represent IGS in two varying habitat types (upland and riparian) compared to recently established parks on the upland. We measured biophysical indicators related to ES and performed a social study to assess cultural ES. We used multivariate analysis to find the significant indicators related to ES and biodiversity and analyzed interrelations among them. We found comparable ES provisioning for dust removal, cooling benefits, water storage and biodiversity preservation in IGS and urban parks. The differences were mainly due to the canopy development stage rather than cultivation. Despite the lack of infrastructure, IGS with dense vegetation were perceived more positively than traditionally cultivated parks. We found differences in how the ES and biodiversity were interrelated, in IGS, the most important links were between regulating and supporting services, while in parks, cultural services prevailed.

ACS Style

Piotr Sikorski; Beata Gawryszewska; Daria Sikorska; Jarosław Chormański; Axel Schwerk; Agata Jojczyk; Wojciech Ciężkowski; Piotr Archiciński; Maciej Łepkowski; Izabela Dymitryszyn; Arkadiusz Przybysz; Marzena Wińska-Krysiak; Barbara Zajdel; Jarosław Matusiak; Edyta Łaszkiewicz. The value of doing nothing – How informal green spaces can provide comparable ecosystem services to cultivated urban parks. Ecosystem Services 2021, 50, 101339 .

AMA Style

Piotr Sikorski, Beata Gawryszewska, Daria Sikorska, Jarosław Chormański, Axel Schwerk, Agata Jojczyk, Wojciech Ciężkowski, Piotr Archiciński, Maciej Łepkowski, Izabela Dymitryszyn, Arkadiusz Przybysz, Marzena Wińska-Krysiak, Barbara Zajdel, Jarosław Matusiak, Edyta Łaszkiewicz. The value of doing nothing – How informal green spaces can provide comparable ecosystem services to cultivated urban parks. Ecosystem Services. 2021; 50 ():101339.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Piotr Sikorski; Beata Gawryszewska; Daria Sikorska; Jarosław Chormański; Axel Schwerk; Agata Jojczyk; Wojciech Ciężkowski; Piotr Archiciński; Maciej Łepkowski; Izabela Dymitryszyn; Arkadiusz Przybysz; Marzena Wińska-Krysiak; Barbara Zajdel; Jarosław Matusiak; Edyta Łaszkiewicz. 2021. "The value of doing nothing – How informal green spaces can provide comparable ecosystem services to cultivated urban parks." Ecosystem Services 50, no. : 101339.

Journal article
Published: 26 April 2021 in Forests
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Manor parks are characteristic objects in the agricultural landscape of Poland. Lack of proper management after World War II, however, led to their devastation from a cultural point of view, but may allow the regeneration of rare and endangered species. The aim of our study was to determine if the presence of forests in the vicinity of manor parks will work as an accelerator of the regeneration process of oak-hornbeam and ancient forest species. Phytosociological analyses were conducted in manor parks adjacent to forests and not adjacent to the forest as well as natural forests. The total number of plant species, number and percentage share of ancient forest species, and plant species consistent with oak-hornbeam habitat were analyzed using a GLM model. Characteristic species were identified using detrended correspondence analysis. Parks adjacent to forests and natural forests showed higher numbers of total species, ancient forest species, and oak-hornbeam species compared with parks not adjacent to forests, but there were no differences in percentage shares of ancient forest species and oak-hornbeam species. For all three types of studied objects, characteristic species could be identified. We conclude that adjacent forests allow greater regeneration of ancient forest species and oak-hornbeam forest species in manor parks.

ACS Style

Beata Fornal-Pieniak; Marcin Ollik; Axel Schwerk. Do Adjacent Forests Affect the Regeneration of Oak-Hornbeam and Ancient Forest Plant Species in Manor Parks in Poland? Forests 2021, 12, 538 .

AMA Style

Beata Fornal-Pieniak, Marcin Ollik, Axel Schwerk. Do Adjacent Forests Affect the Regeneration of Oak-Hornbeam and Ancient Forest Plant Species in Manor Parks in Poland? Forests. 2021; 12 (5):538.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Beata Fornal-Pieniak; Marcin Ollik; Axel Schwerk. 2021. "Do Adjacent Forests Affect the Regeneration of Oak-Hornbeam and Ancient Forest Plant Species in Manor Parks in Poland?" Forests 12, no. 5: 538.

Journal article
Published: 20 April 2021 in Insects
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The American red flat bark beetle, Cucujus clavipes, is a wide distributed saproxylic species divided into two subspecies: ssp. clavipes restricted to eastern regions of North America and ssp. puniceus occurring only in western regions of this continent. Unique morphological features, including body shape and body coloration, make this species easy to recognize even for amateurs. Surprisingly, except some studies focused on physiological adaptations of the species, the ecology of C. clavipes was almost unstudied. Based on over 500 records collected by citizen scientists and deposited in the iNaturalist data base, we studied phenological activity of adult beetles, habitat preferences and impact of future climate change for both subspecies separately. The results clearly show that spp. clavipes and ssp. puniceus can be characterized by differences in phenology and macrohabitat preferences, and their ranges do not overlap at any point. Spp. clavipes is found as more opportunistic taxon occurring in different forests as well as in urban and agricultural areas with tree vegetation always in elevations below 500 m, while elevational distribution of ssp. puniceus covers areas up to 2300 m, and the beetle was observed mainly in forested areas. Moreover, we expect that climate warming will have negative influence on both subspecies with the possible loss of proper niches at level even up to 47–70% of their actual ranges during next few decades. As the species is actually recognized as unthreatened and always co-occurs with many other species, we suggest, because of its expected future habitat loss, to pay more attention to conservationists for possible negative changes in saproxylic insects and/or forest fauna in North America. In addition, as our results clearly show that both subspecies of C. clavipes differ ecologically, which strongly supports earlier significant morphological and physiological differences noted between them, we suggest that their taxonomical status should be verified by molecular data, because very probably they represent separate species.

ACS Style

Radomir Jaskuła; Marta Kolanowska; Marek Michalski; Axel Schwerk. From Phenology and Habitat Preferences to Climate Change: Importance of Citizen Science in Studying Insect Ecology in the Continental Scale with American Red Flat Bark Beetle, Cucujus clavipes, as a Model Species. Insects 2021, 12, 369 .

AMA Style

Radomir Jaskuła, Marta Kolanowska, Marek Michalski, Axel Schwerk. From Phenology and Habitat Preferences to Climate Change: Importance of Citizen Science in Studying Insect Ecology in the Continental Scale with American Red Flat Bark Beetle, Cucujus clavipes, as a Model Species. Insects. 2021; 12 (4):369.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Radomir Jaskuła; Marta Kolanowska; Marek Michalski; Axel Schwerk. 2021. "From Phenology and Habitat Preferences to Climate Change: Importance of Citizen Science in Studying Insect Ecology in the Continental Scale with American Red Flat Bark Beetle, Cucujus clavipes, as a Model Species." Insects 12, no. 4: 369.

Journal article
Published: 05 February 2021 in Biology
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Currently we are observing a drastic decline in insect fauna on a large scale. Grazing is regularly used as an ecological method of protecting or restoring special biotopes that are important for species conservation. The European bison (Bison bonasus (L.)) is the largest living wild terrestrial animal in Europe; therefore, a large impact on flora and fauna as a result of its grazing activity can be assumed. There might be potential for implementing conservation measures that employ active grazing. Therefore, a study on a free-ranging European bison population and captive herds in enclosures was carried out in order to determine whether European bison grazing has an impact on carabid beetle assemblages and whether the degree of this impact (if any) depends on the intensity of grazing. No notable influence on numbers of individuals of carabid beetles could be detected, but there was an indication that high-intensity grazing may cause an increase in the number of species. Increased intensity of grazing seems to have only a weak impact on the species assemblage structure, but it has a stronger impact on the composition of functional traits in the assemblage, as demonstrated in particular by the significant impact of captive herds. The stronger relation between grazing intensity and the functional traits of the carabid beetle assemblages than between grazing intensity and assemblage structure indicates that using European bison grazing as a method of ecological engineering in the context of nature conservation may have more potential in regulating properties and functions of the ecosystem than in the conservation of specific species or species assemblages of carabid beetles.

ACS Style

Axel Schwerk; Daniel Klich; Elżbieta Wójtowicz; Wanda Olech. Impact of European Bison Grazing (Bison bonasus (L.)) on Species and Functional Traits of Carabid Beetle Assemblages in Selected Habitats in Poland. Biology 2021, 10, 123 .

AMA Style

Axel Schwerk, Daniel Klich, Elżbieta Wójtowicz, Wanda Olech. Impact of European Bison Grazing (Bison bonasus (L.)) on Species and Functional Traits of Carabid Beetle Assemblages in Selected Habitats in Poland. Biology. 2021; 10 (2):123.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Axel Schwerk; Daniel Klich; Elżbieta Wójtowicz; Wanda Olech. 2021. "Impact of European Bison Grazing (Bison bonasus (L.)) on Species and Functional Traits of Carabid Beetle Assemblages in Selected Habitats in Poland." Biology 10, no. 2: 123.

Journal article
Published: 28 December 2020 in Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae
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Long-term data on carabid beetles assemblages on differently managed study sites in forests and open areas were analysed to study the impact of selected environmental factors on the carabid assemblages of both the individual study sites over the years and the set of all study sites in selected years.Ordination separated forest stands from open areas along with the first, and samples of 2011 from those of 2015 along the second axis. For study sites in forest stands in most cases, precipitation was a significant factor, especially precipitation in the year before the inventory. However, for the youngest forest site, the year of the study was most important, indicating a succession process. For study sites in open areas, both precipitation and temperature showed most often significant results. Analysing the impact of environmental factors on carabid assemblages in the full set of study sites in 2011 and 2015 revealed carbon content in the organic layer and distance from the nearest forest as significant factors. The results of the study extend our knowledge on the impact of environmental factors on the formation of carabid beetle assemblages in rural landscapes, which is essential in the framework of developing biodiversity conservation strategies.

ACS Style

Axel Schwerk; Agata Jojczyk; Izabela Dymitryszyn. Impact of different habitat parameters on carabid beetle assemblages in selected areas of a forest-field landscape in Poland – 10 years of data. Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 2020, 66, 169 -184.

AMA Style

Axel Schwerk, Agata Jojczyk, Izabela Dymitryszyn. Impact of different habitat parameters on carabid beetle assemblages in selected areas of a forest-field landscape in Poland – 10 years of data. Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae. 2020; 66 (Suppl.):169-184.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Axel Schwerk; Agata Jojczyk; Izabela Dymitryszyn. 2020. "Impact of different habitat parameters on carabid beetle assemblages in selected areas of a forest-field landscape in Poland – 10 years of data." Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 66, no. Suppl.: 169-184.

Journal article
Published: 21 December 2020 in Sustainability
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Urban wasteland is of special interest to city planners. However, to integrate such areas into city space management with consideration of nature conservation aspects, a sound assessment of their ecological potential is necessary. The aim of this paper was to analyze whether carabid beetle assemblages of the wastelands are affected by soil parameters, particularly trace element contamination. Therefore, we studied the carabid fauna in relation to selected soil parameters on 56 sampling plots situated in 24 wastelands located in the city of Warsaw (Poland). The results have confirmed our assumptions that the number of species, as well as the number of individual carabid beetles, are negatively affected by an increasing amount of pollutants in the soil. Particularly, the trace elements Pb, Cu, and Cd showed a significantly negative impact. The results are of value when it comes to the use of urban wastelands in the context of sustainable city development. Future use of urban wastelands will be faced with trade-offs between the use for public interests (e.g., housing space) and ecological interests. Phytoremediation and entomoremediation may be included in decontamination measures. The results of studies, such as the one conducted by us, may help to select the respective wastelands for certain purposes.

ACS Style

Axel Schwerk; Marzena Wińska-Krysiak; Arkadiusz Przybysz; Ewa Zaraś-Januszkiewicz; Piotr Sikorski. Carabid Beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Response to Soil Properties of Urban Wastelands in Warsaw, Poland. Sustainability 2020, 12, 10673 .

AMA Style

Axel Schwerk, Marzena Wińska-Krysiak, Arkadiusz Przybysz, Ewa Zaraś-Januszkiewicz, Piotr Sikorski. Carabid Beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Response to Soil Properties of Urban Wastelands in Warsaw, Poland. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (24):10673.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Axel Schwerk; Marzena Wińska-Krysiak; Arkadiusz Przybysz; Ewa Zaraś-Januszkiewicz; Piotr Sikorski. 2020. "Carabid Beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Response to Soil Properties of Urban Wastelands in Warsaw, Poland." Sustainability 12, no. 24: 10673.

Research article
Published: 15 December 2020 in Landscape Research
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Urban forests are basic elements in the ecological structure of cities. The dendroflora and herb species of oak-hornbeam forests in a medium-sized city type was studied and compared with nature reserves located outside the city, based on phytosociological analysis using the Braun-Blanquet percentage-of-cover scale. More inconsistent trees and shrubs occurred in the urban forests and some tree species showed poor renewal. The herb plant species have become more frequent in nature reserves, but we were not able to detect significant differences regarding species inconsistent with the habitat. Herb plants in urban forests preferred more light and fertile habitats. Myrmecochory was the most common seed dispersal. Nowadays, the conservation of urban biota is of great importance and more sustainable approaches towards management of nature are needed. To implement such approaches, results of studies focused on ecology of urban forests may serve as an important tool.

ACS Style

Beata Fornal-Pieniak; Marcin Ollik; Axel Schwerk. Vascular flora of urban forests in a medium-sized city in Poland: comparison with nature reserves in the city’s surrounding. Landscape Research 2020, 46, 246 -260.

AMA Style

Beata Fornal-Pieniak, Marcin Ollik, Axel Schwerk. Vascular flora of urban forests in a medium-sized city in Poland: comparison with nature reserves in the city’s surrounding. Landscape Research. 2020; 46 (2):246-260.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Beata Fornal-Pieniak; Marcin Ollik; Axel Schwerk. 2020. "Vascular flora of urban forests in a medium-sized city in Poland: comparison with nature reserves in the city’s surrounding." Landscape Research 46, no. 2: 246-260.

Conference paper
Published: 16 September 2019 in ARPHA Conference Abstracts
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In south-eastern Europe, especially in lowland areas located close to the sea coast, the diversity of Cicindelidae is one of the highest in the entire Palaearctic realm. This is both because of geological history of the region and the presence of large mosaic of habitats attractive for these beetles. As a result in the region about 25% of all Palaearctic species of tiger beetles can be found, including endemics. Many of them can be characterized by narrow or very narrow habitat preferences occurring only in one or two types of macrohabitats. In the present study sexual dimorphism of six species of tiger beetles (Calomera littoralis, C. fischeri, Cephalota circumdata, C. chiloleuca, Cylindera trisignata trisignata, Myriochila melancholica) collected along the sea coast of the Black and Mediterranean Seas was studied based on eight body parameters (right mandible length, length of head, width of head, length of pronotum, maximum pronotum width, length of elytra, maximum elytra width, and total body length.). Moreover, patterns of species co-occurrence on the basis of body size were investigated. As results we found significant sexual dimorphism indicated by larger body size of females and longer mandibles in males of the studied Cicindelidae species, what can be explained by different roles of the particular sexes in courtship (females invest much more energy in the reproduction process than males, e.g. to produce eggs or to find a good place to deposit them, as a result bigger size is much more beneficial for this sex). Moreover, we discovered that in the studied area tiger beetle species characterized by similar body size avoid each other and do not occur in the same areas.

ACS Style

Radomir Jaskuła; Mateusz Płóciennik; Axel Schwerk. Body size in tiger beetles (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) in the south-eastern European biodiversity hotspot: sexual dimorphism and patterns of co-occurrence. ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2019, 2, e46568 .

AMA Style

Radomir Jaskuła, Mateusz Płóciennik, Axel Schwerk. Body size in tiger beetles (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) in the south-eastern European biodiversity hotspot: sexual dimorphism and patterns of co-occurrence. ARPHA Conference Abstracts. 2019; 2 ():e46568.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Radomir Jaskuła; Mateusz Płóciennik; Axel Schwerk. 2019. "Body size in tiger beetles (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) in the south-eastern European biodiversity hotspot: sexual dimorphism and patterns of co-occurrence." ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2, no. : e46568.

Conference paper
Published: 16 September 2019 in ARPHA Conference Abstracts
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Lophyra flexuosa is one of only several eurytopic tiger beetles species known from Palearctic realm. Its geographical distribution shows several populations that are spread from the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco, across some regions of south-western Europe and northern Africa to Israel and Syria. The species is characterized by long phenological activity, wide altitudinal distribution, and occurs in the highest number of habitats among all Cicindelidae known from Maghreb region. In the present study the geographical variation in morphology and sexual dimorphism in north African populations of L. flexuosa was studied. In total 52 samples with over 700 specimens were collected including 20 samples in Morocco and 32 in Tunisia. To test the variation in morphometric traits measurements of eight body parameters were taken from all males (383) and females (352) including right mandible length, length of head, width of head, length of pronotum, maximum pronotum width, length of elytra, maximum elytra width, and total body length. We discovered significant sexual dimorphism expressed by larger body size of females and longer mandibles in males, what can be explained by different roles of particular sexes in courtship. Moreover, we recorded significant differences in body sizes between western and eastern Maghreb populations which can suggest genetic isolation between these populations. As the species is related to habitats placed close to water reservoirs, which in the desert countries are under significant human pressure (including climate change), we expect an reduction of habitats occupied by this taxon. Therefore, the geographic morphological variability that we observe today in the tiger beetle Lophyra flexuosa may lead to speciation and creation of separate species in the future.

ACS Style

Radomir Jaskuła; Axel Schwerk; Mateusz Płóciennik. Lophyra flexuosa (Fabricius, 1787) (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) in desert countries: morphological variability in geographic aspect as potential beginning of speciation? ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2019, 2, e46569 .

AMA Style

Radomir Jaskuła, Axel Schwerk, Mateusz Płóciennik. Lophyra flexuosa (Fabricius, 1787) (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) in desert countries: morphological variability in geographic aspect as potential beginning of speciation? ARPHA Conference Abstracts. 2019; 2 ():e46569.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Radomir Jaskuła; Axel Schwerk; Mateusz Płóciennik. 2019. "Lophyra flexuosa (Fabricius, 1787) (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) in desert countries: morphological variability in geographic aspect as potential beginning of speciation?" ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2, no. : e46569.

Conference paper
Published: 12 June 2019 in ARPHA Conference Abstracts
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Species diversity in a given landscape depends to a high degree on its habitat diversity. However, the specificity of different environmental factors may play a different role and individual habitats may undergo changes in time (succession). Moreover, some large-scale environmental factors may affect the habitats in the same way but differ from year to year. A long-term study was carried out with the aim to study the impact of selected environmental factors on the carabid assemblages of individual study site over the years and the impact of selected environmental factors on the carabid assemblages of the set of all study sites in selected years. the impact of selected environmental factors on the carabid assemblages of individual study site over the years and the impact of selected environmental factors on the carabid assemblages of the set of all study sites in selected years. In order to deal with this task, the carabid beetles assemblages on different study sites in a forest-field landscape in Poland were collected using pitfall traps over a period of ten years (2009-2018). The sites were a planted pine forest (12 years old in 2009), a planted pine forest (31 years old in 2009), a naturally-regenerated pine stand (about 10 years old in 2009), a naturally-regenerated pine forest (about 67 years old in 2009), an naturally regenerated pine forest with a share of oak, beech and birch (about 82 years old in 2009), two irregularly-mown sites without biomass removal, and a regularly-mown site with biomass removal. With respect to individual study sites the impact of the factors age (year of the study), temperature and rainfall in the year of inventory, and temperature and rainfall in the preceding year was tested. The impact of the factors age (stand age in the respective year), carbon in the organic layer, carbon in the mineral soil and distance from the nearest forest was analyzed for the set of all study sites in the years 2011 and 2015. Altogether, 9208 individuals belonging to 77 species were collected. Redundancy Analyses (RDA) indicated that on the individual study sites the year of study was generally positively correlated with temperature and negatively with rainfall, indicating increasing temperatures and decreasing amount of rainfall over the years. For study sites in forest stands in most cases the rainfall was a significant factor, especially the rainfall in the year before the inventory. For study sites in open areas both rainfall and temperature showed significant results. Using Canonical Correspondence Analyses (CCA) for analyzing the impact of the factors on carabid assemblages of the full set of study sites in 2011 and 2015, it was shown that age was positively correlated with carbon in the organic layer, but not with carbon in the mineral soil. Significant factors were carbon in the organic layer and distance from the nearest forest. The results of the study enlarge our knowledge on the impact of different predictable and stochastic environmental factors on the formation of carabid beetle assemblages in rural landscapes.

ACS Style

Axel Schwerk; Agata Jojczyk; Izabela Dymitryszyn. Impact of different habitat parameters on carabid beetle assemblages in selected areas of a forest-field landscape in Poland – 10 years of data. ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2019, 2, e37134 .

AMA Style

Axel Schwerk, Agata Jojczyk, Izabela Dymitryszyn. Impact of different habitat parameters on carabid beetle assemblages in selected areas of a forest-field landscape in Poland – 10 years of data. ARPHA Conference Abstracts. 2019; 2 ():e37134.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Axel Schwerk; Agata Jojczyk; Izabela Dymitryszyn. 2019. "Impact of different habitat parameters on carabid beetle assemblages in selected areas of a forest-field landscape in Poland – 10 years of data." ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2, no. : e37134.

Conference paper
Published: 12 June 2019 in ARPHA Conference Abstracts
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The European bison (Bison bonasus (L.)) is the biggest living wild terrestrial animal in Europe. Because of its grazing feeding type, it has a strong impact on the flora and fauna. In 2017 a study was started with the aim to analyze the impact of European bison grazing on carabid beetle assemblages over the years 2017-2020 in Poland using pitfall traps. The study consists of basically two main experimental parts: a study on five meadow sites located in Augustowska forest complex (northeastern Poland), and a study on ten sites (two meadows, eight forests) in two enclosures (southern Poland). a study on five meadow sites located in Augustowska forest complex (northeastern Poland), and a study on ten sites (two meadows, eight forests) in two enclosures (southern Poland). The plots in Augustowska forest complex were studied in 2017, before release of new population (reintroduced in 2018), and will be studied again in 2019 (after two year presence of the new population). The plots in enclosures were studied in 2018. In the present paper the results from two enclosures will be presented. In the enclosure “Jankowice”, situated in Kobiór forest District (south of Katowice), two meadow sites (one grazed, one non-grazed) and four forest sites (two grazed, two non-grazed) were located. Grazing intensity was about 0.06 individuals per ha. The enclosure “Niepołomice”, situated in Niepołomice Forest District (east of Kraków), had four forest sites (two grazed, two non-grazed). Grazing intensity was about 0.4 individuals per ha. Altogether, 9615 individuals belonging to 61 species were collected. Correspondence analysis (CA) and Cluster analyses showed that, independently from bison grazing, the meadow sites significantly differed from the forest sites. Regarding the forest sites the enclosures were separated from each other. Bison grazed sites were not separated from non-grazed sites in the enclosure “Jankowice”, but they were separated in the enclosure “Niepołomice”. Even if habitat type seems to be of major importance, depending on grazing intensity (individuals per ha) bison grazing may have an impact on formation of carabid assemblages, too. However, the preliminary results presented here have to be verified and complemented during the next years of the study.

ACS Style

Axel Schwerk; Daniel Klich. Comparison of carabid assemblages in European bison grazed and non-grazed areas – first results. ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2019, 2, 1 .

AMA Style

Axel Schwerk, Daniel Klich. Comparison of carabid assemblages in European bison grazed and non-grazed areas – first results. ARPHA Conference Abstracts. 2019; 2 ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Axel Schwerk; Daniel Klich. 2019. "Comparison of carabid assemblages in European bison grazed and non-grazed areas – first results." ARPHA Conference Abstracts 2, no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 09 April 2019 in PeerJ
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BackgroundTiger beetles (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) are predatory insects usually occurring in various sandy habitats. In south-eastern Europe, especially in lowland areas located close to the sea coast, the diversity of Cicindelidae is one of the highest in the Palaearctic realm. Although previous studies conducted in different areas of the world show that many species are habitat specialists, unfortunately little is known about environmental factors affecting the diversity and distribution of tiger beetles in this region.Material and MethodsHabitat preferences for 12 tiger beetles taxa were analysed. Over 100 samples collected in eight countries located in coastal areas of the Black and Mediterranean Seas were studied, for which climate data, macrohabitat types, and soil parameters (soil humidity, salinity, pH, and structure) were investigated.ResultsMost studied Cicindelidae were characterised by narrow or very narrow habitat specialisation and did not co-occur with other ones, including 11 taxa found as habitat specialists occurring only in one or two types of macrohabitat. The most eurythopic species wasCalomera littoralis nemoraliswhich occupied four macrohabitat types. The climatic zone, altitude, and humidity were found as the most important factors in the distribution of the studied tiger beetle species. Salt marshes and sandy sea beaches were noted as the most diverse macrohabitat types.DiscussionTiger beetle fauna of south-eastern Europe consists mainly of habitat specialists sensitive to environmental changes, which makes these beetles perfect bioindicators. Moreover, as a great number of studied Cicindelidae taxa occur in habitats which are under a significant human impact, we suggest that in the studied area the group can be successfully used as a flagship taxon for insect and nature conservation.

ACS Style

Radomir Jaskuła; Mateusz Płóciennik; Axel Schwerk. From climate zone to microhabitat—environmental factors affecting the coastal distribution of tiger beetles (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) in the south-eastern European biodiversity hotspot. PeerJ 2019, 7, e6676 .

AMA Style

Radomir Jaskuła, Mateusz Płóciennik, Axel Schwerk. From climate zone to microhabitat—environmental factors affecting the coastal distribution of tiger beetles (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) in the south-eastern European biodiversity hotspot. PeerJ. 2019; 7 ():e6676.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Radomir Jaskuła; Mateusz Płóciennik; Axel Schwerk. 2019. "From climate zone to microhabitat—environmental factors affecting the coastal distribution of tiger beetles (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) in the south-eastern European biodiversity hotspot." PeerJ 7, no. : e6676.

Journal article
Published: 23 January 2019 in Urban Forestry & Urban Greening
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Urban forests constitute very important green elements in the metropolitan areas. Comparing the plant species composition of urban forests and other woodland habitats across varying degrees of anthropogenic influence may provide important information for management of such areas. Therefore, each 90 study plots were studied in urban forests, manor parks and nature reserves with the aim to analyse the impact of the different levels of anthropogenic pressure on the overall plant species composition of these forest types. We compared total species numbers, types of vegetation, share of Tilio-Carpinetum class species and ancient forest species, life forms and ecological characteristics of the plants. The highest total numbers of species were detected in the urban forests. However, as expected, regarding different types of vegetation - the lowest number of forest species and highest numbers of synanthropical species were observed in the urban forests. Tilio-Carpinetum class species were the lowest in the urban forests and the highest in the nature reserves. Ancient forest species were also the lowest in the urban forests and had a comparable share in manor parks and nature reserves. Geophytes were the lowest in urban forests, but contrary to our expectations hemicryptophytes were the highest. Species characteristic for half-shadow and moderate light on fertile soils dominated in the urban forests. We conclude that it is important to keep urban forest patches with valuable plant species in the city structure, thus some proper guidelines for their management are necessary. Nature conservation and management cannot be restricted only to protected areas like nature reserves but must integrate urban forests involving the enhancement of species migration between isolated habitat fragments. Management strategies should furthermore take into account urban land use types and the recreational values of the forests.

ACS Style

Beata Fornal-Pieniak; Marcin Ollik; Axel Schwerk. Impact of different levels of anthropogenic pressure on the plant species composition in woodland sites. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 2019, 38, 295 -304.

AMA Style

Beata Fornal-Pieniak, Marcin Ollik, Axel Schwerk. Impact of different levels of anthropogenic pressure on the plant species composition in woodland sites. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening. 2019; 38 ():295-304.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Beata Fornal-Pieniak; Marcin Ollik; Axel Schwerk. 2019. "Impact of different levels of anthropogenic pressure on the plant species composition in woodland sites." Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 38, no. : 295-304.

Journal article
Published: 20 April 2018 in PeerJ
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BackgroundThe carabid beetle speciesPterostichus oblongopunctatusis common in different types of forests in Poland and Europe. With respect to this species, some unclarities exist concerning the morphological feature of punctures on the elytra.P. oblongopunctatushas dorsal pits in the third interval of the elytra, the available identification keys, however, provide inconsistent information concerning the puncture in other intervals. During long-term studies at different study sites in Poland, the first author rarely but regularly discovered individuals with unusual dorsal puncture patterns, i.e., pits in the fifth and even in the seventh interval of the elytra. Since such rare patterns might be connected with special habitat characteristics, and thus have a potential as an indicator, the aim of the study was to test if they are connected with specific subpopulations (interaction groups), if they are related to the sex or size of the beetles, and if they are related to specific habitat conditions.Material and MethodsWe counted the pits on the elytra, determined the sex, and measured the length of the right elytron of individuals ofP. oblongopunctatuscollected at numerous study sites located within the borders of the Regional Directory of National Forests in Piła (Western Poland) over the period 2014–2016.ResultsAltogether, 1,058 individuals ofP. oblongopunctatuswere subjected to statistical analysis. Almost 19% of the individuals had a dorsal puncture in the fifth interval of the elytra and about 0.7% had a dorsal puncture in the seventh interval of the elytra. In 2014 and 2015, significantly more females exhibited such unusual patterns of dorsal puncture than males. Even if not statistically significant, in 2016 also relatively more females showed such a pattern. Neither males nor females of the analysed individuals with usual puncture patterns showed a significant difference in the length of the right elytron from those with unusual puncture patterns, and neither for males nor for females a significant correlation of the percentage share of the individuals with unusual puncture patterns with the age of the study sites could be detected. However, both males and females with unusual patterns had more dorsal pits than those without. Moreover, males as well as females showed in all those years a trend that the individuals with unusual patterns have more pits in the third interval of the elytra.DiscussionThe results indicate that females are more likely to exhibit unusual patterns. Since individuals ofP. oblongopunctatuswith a higher number of pits on the elytra are supposed to prevail in more wet habitats, such patterns might be related to moisture conditions. The possibility of pits in the seventh interval of the elytra should be added to identification keys.

ACS Style

Axel Schwerk; Radomir Jaskuła. Rare patterns of dorsal puncture inPterostichus oblongopunctatus(Coleoptera: Carabidae). PeerJ 2018, 6, e4657 .

AMA Style

Axel Schwerk, Radomir Jaskuła. Rare patterns of dorsal puncture inPterostichus oblongopunctatus(Coleoptera: Carabidae). PeerJ. 2018; 6 ():e4657.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Axel Schwerk; Radomir Jaskuła. 2018. "Rare patterns of dorsal puncture inPterostichus oblongopunctatus(Coleoptera: Carabidae)." PeerJ 6, no. : e4657.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2018 in Applied Ecology and Environmental Research
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B Fornal-Pieniak; M Ollik; A Schwerk. IMPACT OF SURROUNDINGS LANDSCAPE STRUCTURE ON FORMATION OF PLANT SPECIES IN AFFORESTRATED MANOR PARKS. Applied Ecology and Environmental Research 2018, 16, 6483 -6497.

AMA Style

B Fornal-Pieniak, M Ollik, A Schwerk. IMPACT OF SURROUNDINGS LANDSCAPE STRUCTURE ON FORMATION OF PLANT SPECIES IN AFFORESTRATED MANOR PARKS. Applied Ecology and Environmental Research. 2018; 16 (5):6483-6497.

Chicago/Turabian Style

B Fornal-Pieniak; M Ollik; A Schwerk. 2018. "IMPACT OF SURROUNDINGS LANDSCAPE STRUCTURE ON FORMATION OF PLANT SPECIES IN AFFORESTRATED MANOR PARKS." Applied Ecology and Environmental Research 16, no. 5: 6483-6497.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2017 in Applied Ecology and Environmental Research
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ACS Style

A Schwerk; I Dymitryszyn. MOWING INTENSITY INFLUENCES DEGREE OF CHANGES IN CARABID BEETLE ASSEMBLAGES. Applied Ecology and Environmental Research 2017, 15, 427 -440.

AMA Style

A Schwerk, I Dymitryszyn. MOWING INTENSITY INFLUENCES DEGREE OF CHANGES IN CARABID BEETLE ASSEMBLAGES. Applied Ecology and Environmental Research. 2017; 15 (4):427-440.

Chicago/Turabian Style

A Schwerk; I Dymitryszyn. 2017. "MOWING INTENSITY INFLUENCES DEGREE OF CHANGES IN CARABID BEETLE ASSEMBLAGES." Applied Ecology and Environmental Research 15, no. 4: 427-440.

Journal article
Published: 30 September 2016 in Periodicum Biologorum
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ACS Style

Axel Schwerk. Influence of mowing measures on carabid beetle fauna (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in a post-agricultural area. Periodicum Biologorum 2016, 118, 163 -169.

AMA Style

Axel Schwerk. Influence of mowing measures on carabid beetle fauna (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in a post-agricultural area. Periodicum Biologorum. 2016; 118 (3):163-169.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Axel Schwerk. 2016. "Influence of mowing measures on carabid beetle fauna (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in a post-agricultural area." Periodicum Biologorum 118, no. 3: 163-169.

Journal article
Published: 01 June 2016 in Polish Journal of Ecology
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The informative power of species surrogacy with respect to ecological processes and anthropogenic influences has been rarely studied. Thus, five datasets on carabid beetles collected using pitfall traps were analysed in order to study the impact of changing the taxonomic resolution from species to genus level on their indicatory information: a dataset of eight study sites in differently managed habitats sampled in 2013, a dataset tracing successional changes from 2004 to 2013 in a naturally regenerated pine forest, a dataset of three sites on a heap of power plant ashes and a dataset of four sites on a colliery spoil heap, both sampled from 2004 to 2011, and a dataset of six sites along the roadside of a highway being renovated in 2009, sampled in 2008 and from 2010 to 2012. The datasets were analysed by studying correlations of species numbers with genus numbers and species based Shannon diversity with genus based Shannon diversity, testing compliance between species based and genera based similarity matrices, and comparing the information provided by ordination diagrams based on species information or genus information respectively. The results indicate that at least in our study a substantial amount of information provided by species data is still contained in the genus data, but information about fine graded differences between study sites gets lost. We conclude that, even if carabid genus information might be useful in some cases (e.g. preliminary biodiversity assessment), the limitation to higher taxonomic levels like the genus level has to be done with caution.

ACS Style

Axel Schwerk; Izabela Dymitryszyn. Impact of Taxonomic Resolution on the Indicatory Information: Studies on Carabid Beetles in Poland. Polish Journal of Ecology 2016, 64, 255 -267.

AMA Style

Axel Schwerk, Izabela Dymitryszyn. Impact of Taxonomic Resolution on the Indicatory Information: Studies on Carabid Beetles in Poland. Polish Journal of Ecology. 2016; 64 (2):255-267.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Axel Schwerk; Izabela Dymitryszyn. 2016. "Impact of Taxonomic Resolution on the Indicatory Information: Studies on Carabid Beetles in Poland." Polish Journal of Ecology 64, no. 2: 255-267.

Journal article
Published: 10 December 2014 in European Journal of Entomology
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ACS Style

Axel Schwerk. Changes in carabid beetle fauna (Coleoptera: Carabidae) along successional gradients in post-industrial areas in Central Poland. European Journal of Entomology 2014, 111, 677 -685.

AMA Style

Axel Schwerk. Changes in carabid beetle fauna (Coleoptera: Carabidae) along successional gradients in post-industrial areas in Central Poland. European Journal of Entomology. 2014; 111 (5):677-685.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Axel Schwerk. 2014. "Changes in carabid beetle fauna (Coleoptera: Carabidae) along successional gradients in post-industrial areas in Central Poland." European Journal of Entomology 111, no. 5: 677-685.

Book chapter
Published: 01 August 2012 in International Seminar on Nuclear War and Planetary Emergencies — 44th Session
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The following sections are included:

ACS Style

Jan Szyszko; Axel Schwerk; Izabela Dymitryszyn; Katarzyna Szyszko; Magdalena Bodzenta; Agata Jojczyk; Jaroslaw Malczyk; R Ragaini. FORESTS AS A CHANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL AREAS IN THE LIGHT OF UN CLIMATE CHANG CONVENTION AND UN CONVENTION ON BIODIVERSITY. International Seminar on Nuclear War and Planetary Emergencies — 44th Session 2012, 91 -95.

AMA Style

Jan Szyszko, Axel Schwerk, Izabela Dymitryszyn, Katarzyna Szyszko, Magdalena Bodzenta, Agata Jojczyk, Jaroslaw Malczyk, R Ragaini. FORESTS AS A CHANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL AREAS IN THE LIGHT OF UN CLIMATE CHANG CONVENTION AND UN CONVENTION ON BIODIVERSITY. International Seminar on Nuclear War and Planetary Emergencies — 44th Session. 2012; ():91-95.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jan Szyszko; Axel Schwerk; Izabela Dymitryszyn; Katarzyna Szyszko; Magdalena Bodzenta; Agata Jojczyk; Jaroslaw Malczyk; R Ragaini. 2012. "FORESTS AS A CHANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL AREAS IN THE LIGHT OF UN CLIMATE CHANG CONVENTION AND UN CONVENTION ON BIODIVERSITY." International Seminar on Nuclear War and Planetary Emergencies — 44th Session , no. : 91-95.