In birds, vector-borne parasites invading the bloodstream are important agents of disease, affect fitness and shape population viability, thus being of conservation interest. Here, we molecularly identified protozoan blood parasites in two populations of the threatened Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola, a migratory passerine nesting in open marsh. We explored whether prevalence and lineage diversity of the parasites vary by population and whether infection status is explained by landscape metrics of habitat edge and individual traits (body mass, fat score, wing length and sex). Aquatic Warblers were infected by genera Plasmodium, Leucocytozoon and Trypanosoma, with seven, one and four lineages, and 29.9, 0.7 and 12.5% prevalence, respectively. No Haemoproteus infections were detected. Prevalence did not vary between the populations, but lineage diversity was higher in Polesie than in Biebrza for all the lineages pooled and for Plasmodium. Infection by Trypanosoma decreased with patch core area and increased with density of habitat edge. Infection status was not predicted by the individual traits. Our study is the first to show an association between edge-related landscape features and blood parasitism in an open habitat bird. This finding will support informed conservation measures for avian species of the globally shrinking marshland and other treeless habitats.

The king penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) is a pelagic species that breeds on sub-Antarctic islands relatively close to the Antarctic polar front. After a significant decline at the beginning of the twentieth century because of widespread exploitation by sealers, the species’ numbers are currently increasing, with observed local fluctuations. There has also been an increase in the number of sightings in the Antarctic, and recorded breeding attempts in this area. Here we present the history of observations of king penguins from 1977 to 2017 in two Antarctic Specially Protected Areas: ASPA No. 128 Western Shore of Admiralty Bay, and No. 151 Lions Rump, King George Island, South Shetland Islands (Western Antarctic). Additionally, we report on a new breeding site at Lions Rump, the third known breeding site for this species in the South Shetland Islands. Together with observations from other parts of the archipelago, the information in this study supports earlier suggestions of a southerly expansion of this species and of attempts to colonise the Antarctic Peninsula region.

The order Passeriformes is the most successful group of birds on Earth, however, its representatives are rare visitors beyond the Polar Front zone. Here we report a photo-documented record of an Austral Negrito (Lessonia rufa), first known occurrence of this species in the South Shetland Islands and only the second such an observation in the Antarctic region. This record was made at Lions Rump, King George Island, part of the Antarctic Specially Protected Area No. 151 (ASPA 151). There is no direct evidence of how the individual arrived at Lions Rump, but ship assistance cannot be excluded

W artykule dokonano oszacowania wpływu pozyskiwania drewna na wybrane procesy naturalne i elementy środowiska w 15 nadleśnictwach w Karpatach Wschodnich, w tym na strukturę gleby i tempo erozji oraz na reakcję hydrologiczną w skali stoku i zlewni. Główny nacisk położony został na oszacowanie gęstości i przestrzennego układu dróg leśnych i szlaków zrywkowych oraz intensywności ich wykorzystania, ponieważ z przeglądu literatury wynika (por. Affek, 2019), że zrywka jest tym elementem procesu pozyskiwania drewna, który w największym stopniu oddziałuje na glebę i reakcję hydrologiczną zlewni górskich. Do badań wykorzystano wysokorozdzielcze dane LiDAR i dane leśne. Uzyskane wyniki wskazują, że ok. 5% analizowanego obszaru ma naruszoną strukturę gleby na skutek stosowanej naziemnej zrywki, przeważająca część powierzchni analizowanych oddziałów leśnych może być zagrożona skutkami efektu brzegowego powodowanego przez drogi, a gęstość dróg leśnych, z uwzględnieniem szlaków zrywkowych, należy do najwyższych notowanych w literaturze.