Based on field research in south-central Poland, supplemented with a review of herbarium materials, we identified a stable bramble biotype with a range large enough (190 km distance between the outermost stands) to be described as a new regional agamic species, Rubus kaznowskii sp.nov. It belongs to the series Subthyrsoidei(sect. Corylifolii). Although R. kaznowskii has a unique combination of features, it can be potentially mistaken for R. gothicus. It differs from the latter species in many aspects, including: pruinose primocanes, denser indumentum of the abaxial leaf surface, and more curved prickles on the petiole. R. kaznowskii has mainly been observed on rusty soils, in habitats of mixed coniferous and mixed broadleaf forests, usually in sunny places, along forest margins and roads, in clearings and roadside thickets.

Scots pine is one of the most widely occurring pines, but future projections suggest a large reduction in its range, mostly at the southern European limits. A significant part of its range is located in the Caucasus, a global hot-spot of diversity. Pine forests are an important reservoir of biodiversity and endemism in this region. We explored demographic and biogeographical processes that shaped the genetic diversity of Scots pine in the Caucasus ecoregion and its probable future distribution under different climate scenarios. We found that the high genetic variability of the Caucasian populations mirrors a complex glacial and postglacial history that had a unique evolutionary trajectory compared to the main range in Europe. Scots pine currently grows under a broad spectrum of climatic conditions in the Caucasus, which implies high adaptive potential in the past. However, the current genetic resources of Scots pine are under high pressure from climate change. From our predictions, over 90% of the current distribution of Scots pine may be lost in this century. By threatening the stability of the forest ecosystems, this would dramatically affect the biodiversity of the Caucasus hot-spot.

Sorbus torminalis is a rare forest tree species in Poland. Allelic and genotypic structures at 25 isozyme gene loci were observed in 20 populations from Poland, situated mainly along a latitudinal gradient. Levels of genetic diversity were high both at the species level (P = 44%, He = 0.435) and within populations (mean P = 40.8%, mean H_e= 0.373). Levels of differentiation among populations were relatively high (F_ST= 0.17) and a noticeable geographic structure of this differentiation was detected. The population in the ‘Brekinia’ reserve had a unique genetic structure of a clonal population and was the most distinct from the other populations.