Collecting arthropod samples is usually very invasive because these organisms die during sampling, and it is hard to obtain a statistically robust sample. The availability of arthropods is critical for the survival of the youngest White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) nestlings and impacting the productivity of this species populations; thus, the species is a strong predator of a variety of epigeic insects. At the time of progressive drying of climatic conditions due to climate change or/and in dry habitats replacing wetlands, the role of termophilic taxa as certain Coleoptera in nestling diet is often underestimated. Here, we evaluated the Coleopteran component of the diet of the White Stork nestlings using the nest lining material consisting of fragmented remains of regurgitated pellets and soil-like material, and related the community indices of Coleopteran fauna to the landscape structure within a radius of 2.5 km around nests. In eight nests collected in SE Poland, we found a massive accumulation of beetle remains representing 32,277 individual Coleopteran prey items, from which 17,252 were identified to the family level. Our analysis showed a significant relationship between the landscape structure and beetle communities, as well as the abundance of dominant prey taxa and the share of three major functional guilds (herbivores, scavengers, and predators). The significant contribution of scavengers was associated with a high proportion of forests around the nest and decreased with increasing proportion of arable lands and mixed crops, while the high proportion of herbivorous and predatory beetles was associated with a high share of arable lands. We showed that the analysis of nest lining material, mainly the remains of pellets, provides taxonomically informative data on beetle communities and can be a valuable tool in bioindicative assessments of Coleopteran biodiversity. Given the widespread nesting of White Stork near landfills (increasing the productivity of their local populations), further studies assessing the role of the Coleopteran component, particularly the contribution of necrophagous or saprophagous beetles, in the diet of early nestlings of this bird species are essential.

In this study, a relationship between climate indices (local - air temperatures, and wide-scale - North Atlantic Oscillation) and first arrival dates (FAD) of a short-distant migratory bird, the Common Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus) at a breeding site in SE Poland (Lublin) was investigated. Temporal patterns of FAD on a multi-year scale (20 years within 39 years between 1982 and 2020) were also studied. Additionally, correlations between mean air temperature at Lublin and sites along the spring migration route with various distances from the breeding site and various time lags were searched for. A significant temporal trend in arrival dates was found, indicating the advancing of FADs by 9.5 days compared to the 1980s. It was found that FAD in the studied period was affected by North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) in February and among daily indices by mean air temperature in Lublin 12 days and by NAO − 7 days before arrival. As expected, the highest correlation between air temperatures in Lublin and sites along the spring migration route of the studied population for locations < 500 km from Lublin and a few days’ travel before arrival were found. Studying FADs and climatic indices in the breeding areas and en route of migration helps to understand factors affecting the phenology of spring avian migration.

During late autumn and winter, raptors in the western Palearctic face challenges due to food scarcity and dropping temperatures. That time they can be exposed to various elements including toxic ones ingested with food. Kidney samples from 22 females and 19 males of a medium-sized raptor, the Common Buzzard Buteo buteo found dead in farmland of Eastern Poland in winter were analyzed for a concentration of 21 elements. Elemental concentrations were analyzed regarding the age and sex of birds. Results revealed that only 4.9

During migration, birds explore various habitats at stopover sites that differ in food resources and contamination levels. In this study, hepatic concentrations of 21 elements (metals and metalloids) in 11 species of birds, representing various foraging habitats (such as aquatic, aquatic/terrestrial, and terrestrial) and migration modes (migratory and sedentary) representing various foraging guilds (omnivores, piscivores, and molluscivores), were analyzed. The samples ( N = 84) were collected during the autumn migration period in Poland. The concentrations of elements determined in this study exhibited high inter-species variability, reflecting the diversity in contamination levels depending on food resources used by specific bird groups. Many of the investigated individuals from different species showed exceeded levels of subclinical toxicity and moderate clinical poisoning due to Cd and Hg. Higher concentrations of As, Hg, and Ba and lower V concentrations were found in migratory birds as compared to sedentary birds. Species foraging in terrestrial habitat had different concentrations of some elements compared to aquatic and aquatic/terrestrial species. Some specific inter-species differences in hepatic elemental concentrations were found. Differences in elemental concentrations among various groups can primarily be attributed to their foraging guilds, with certain elements, particularly As, V, and Hg, playing a significant role in the dissimilarity of elemental concentrations between foraging habitat groups and migratory mode groups. The data collected confirmed the limited ability of As to enter ecosystem pathways. The results of this study contribute to understanding the year-round exposure of migratory birds to environmental contamination, which can have carry-over effects on their performance in wintering and breeding grounds.

The transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria among wild animal species may hold significant epidemiological implications. However, this issue is seldom explored due to the perceived complexity of these systems, which discourages experimental investigation. To address this knowledge gap, we chose a configuration of birds and mammals coexisting in an urban green area as a research model: the rook Corvus frugilegus and the striped field mouse Apodemus agrarius. The indirect transmission of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria between these species is possible because rodents inhabiting rook colonies frequently come into contact with the birds’ faeces and pellets. The study was conducted in two cities in eastern Poland (Central Europe) – Lublin and Chełm. Among 71 Escherichia (E.) coli isolates studied, 19.7% showed resistance to from one to six of the antibiotics tested, with much higher prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the birds (32%) than in the rodents (7%). Whole genome sequencing was performed on 10 selected E. coli isolates representing similar resistance phenotypes. The following antimicrobial resistance genes were detected: blaTEM-1b, tet(A), tet(B), aph(6)-Id, aph(3'')-Ib, aadA1, aadA2, catA1, floR, cmlA, sul2, sul3, dfrA14, and dfrA2. Birds from the same city and also from both neighbouring cities shared E. coli bacteria with the same sequence types, whereas isolates detected in birds were not found to have been transferred to the mammalian population, despite close contact. This demonstrates that even intensive exposure to sources of these pathogens does not necessarily lead to effective transmission of antibiotic-resistant E. coli strains between birds and mammals. Further efforts should be dedicated to investigating actual transmission of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in various ecological systems, including those that are crucial for public health, such as urban environments. This will facilitate the development of more accurate models for epidemiological threats and the formulation of well-balanced decisions regarding the coexistence of humans and urban wildlife.

The gut microbiome of wild animals is subject to various environmental influences, including those associated with human-induced alterations to the environment. We investigated how the gut microbiota of a synurbic rodent species, the striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius), change in cities of varying sizes, seeking the urban microbiota signature for this species. Fecal samples for analysis were collected from animals living in non-urbanized areas and green spaces of different-sized cities (Poland). Metagenomic 16S rRNA gene sequencing and further bioinformatics analyses were conducted. Significant differences in the composition of gut microbiomes among the studied populations were found. However, the observed changes were dependent on local habitat conditions, without strong evidence of a correlation with the size of the urbanized area. The results suggest that ecological detachment from a more natural, non-urban environment does not automatically lead to the development of an "urban microbiome" model in the studied rodent. The exposure to the natural environment in green spaces may serve as a catalyst for microbiome transformations, providing a previously underestimated contribution to the maintenance of native gut microbial communities in urban mammals.

The article describes the natural background, the origin, the course and the outcome of the dispute between Poland and the European Commission which was going on in the years 2016–2018 regarding the forest management performed in the Białowieża Forest. The dispute took place on two interrelated levels: natural and legal. The main axis of the dispute between the Polish government and the European Commission was the difference of views as to what actions would prove effective in the fight against the latest gradation of the bark beetle, which occurred with exceptional intensity in the Białowieża Forest in 2015, and what actions would be most beneficial in the context of preserving rare species of birds and insects that make up the fauna of the Białowieża Forest. The article presents extensively the arguments raised by both parties to the conflict in the proceedings before the Court of Justice of the European Union, which were initiated by a complaint filed by the European Commission. As a commentary on these arguments, the views expressed in the scientific literature as to the proper reaction in response to a recurrent infestation of the bark beetle, usefulness and efficacy of the active forest management operations questioned by the European Commission, as well as an impact of these operations on the conservation of natural habitats, insects and birds are presented. The legal dimension of the dispute boiled down to the question of what actions in the situation were allowed, required or prohibited under Polish and EU law.

In areas of Europe where water is scarce under global climate change, it can be used as a tool of pressure. The article illustrates the multidimensionality of this problem using the example of Russia's conflict with Ukraine with a particular focus on the weaponization of water in the period 2014-2022. Sustainable water management is not a local problem but it refers to the situation of any conflict in the entire post -Soviet area. It presents cases and analyses chronologically the course of action in which water is used as a trigger, weapon, and casualty. We operate at the interface between ecohydrology, the politics and the functioning of the human population. We point out that many of the environmental problems that occurred during the Russian Federation's invasion of Ukraine are the result of the exploitative policies adopted during the Soviet Union era in relation to water resources. The article's conclusions also discuss post-war scenarios.& COPY; 2023 European Regional Centre for Ecohydrology of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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The process of dispersal of the potentially disease-causing, geophilic and keratinolytic fungal strain Aphanoascus keratinophilus (the perfect, sexual stage of Chrysosporium keratinophilum) by the rook Corvus frugilegus was studied. The source of A. keratinophilus strains was pellets of the rook, thus far not considered a carrier of this particular opportunistic pathogen. Pellets collected from breeding colonies of rooks were analysed in terms of the occurrence of keratinolytic fungi with the application of the native keratin bait method. Among the 83 rook pellets analysed, 24 (29%) were infected by keratinophilic fungi. Pure cultures of the fungi were identified to species based on traditional morphological features. Traditional mycological identification was verified by the PCR-RFLP molecular identification method as well as DNA sequencing. The obtained results showed the presence of 90 Aphanoascus keratinophilus strains, 6 Chrysosporium tropicum strains, and 3 Chrysosporium pannicola strains. The PCR melting profile (PCR-MP) method was used to identify intraspecies variations of the 90 analysed A. keratinophilus strains. The dispersal of genotypes and possible pathways of A. keratinophilus dispersal and infection via rook pellets were analysed.

The golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) and the white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), being apex predators and facultative scavengers, can bioaccumulate different environmental contaminants, including toxic elements that may adversely affect their health. We analyzed the levels of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and other metals and metalloids, including arsenic (As), barium (Ba), beryllium (Be), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), selenium (Se), thorium (Th), thallium (Tl), uranium (U), vanadium (V), and zinc (Zn) in liver samples taken from three golden eagles and 36 white-tailed eagles that were found dead across Poland to verify their exposure. We also used a systematic review to summarize the available literature data on Cd, Pb, and other studied elements in the liver of both eagle species. Analyses of trace elements in the liver samples of the Polish eagles revealed interspecific differences in Cd, Cu, and Mn and differences in Co, Mn, Tl, and Zn among study regions. All elements tested except Pb were below the suggested thresholds linked with adverse health effects in birds. The hepatic Pb found in almost half of all the tested individuals suggests environmental exposure to this toxic element. One of the tested white-tailed eagles had hepatic Pb above the threshold of sublethal poisoning. Although our results seem optimistic, as previous Polish studies showed a higher prevalence of birds with hepatic Pb exceeding the toxicity threshold, they indicate that exposure to this toxic metal could still pose an additional threat to the health of Polish eagles.

Artificial Neural Networks are used to find the influence of habitat types on the quality of the environment expressed by the concentrations of toxic and harmful elements in avian tissue. The main habitat types were described according to the Corine Land Cover CLC2012 model. Eggs of free-living species of a colonial waterbird, the grey heron Ardea cinerea, were used as a biological data storing media for biomonitoring. For modeling purposes, pollution indices expressing the sum of the concentration of harmful and toxic elements (multi-contamination rank index) and indices for single elements were created. In the case of all the examined indices apart from Cd, the generated topologies were a multi-layer perceptron (MLP) with 1 hidden layer. Interestingly, in the case of Cd, the generated optimal topology was a network with a radial basis function (RBF). The data analysis showed that the increase in environmental pollution was mainly influenced by human industrial activity. The increase in Hg, Cd, and Pb content correlated mainly with the increase in the areas characterized by human activity (industrial, commercial, and transport units) in the vicinity of a grey heron breeding colony. The decrease in the above elements was conditioned by relative areas of farmland and inland waters. Pollution with Fe, Mn, Zn, and As was associated mainly with areas affected by industrial activities. As the location variable did not affect the quality of the obtained networks, it was removed from the models making them more universal.

Ecological datasets often contain gaps, outliers or even incorrect data. Ignoring the problem of missing data can lead to reduction in the statistical power of the models used, estimation of biased parameters and incorrect conclusions about the phenomenon studied. In this study, using simulated and real ecological data (seven-year monitoring of offspring production in 239 white stork (Ciconia ciconia) nests), we show how results differ when ignoring missing data, filling the gaps using single methods (including fuzzy methods) and using multiple-imputation and aggregation techniques. Based on simulation data, we showed that data gaps can be filled with high accuracy if the appropriate method (model) is used (96.5% of perfectly matched cases). Based on empirical data, we showed how results can differ when accepting or filling the missing data. These differences concerned both general indicators of breeding success (e.g. total number of offspring, mean annual productivity per nest), differences in trends (e.g. increase or decrease in productivity between years) and more detailed analyses, such as ranks of the most productive nests. The observed differences in the results could lead to formulation of incorrect conclusions about the state of the stork population, the condition of its habitat or conservation guidelines. We highlight that well-developed set of data-imputation methods dedicated to monitoring the white stork could increase the accuracy of modern estimates and re-analyse rich historical data. Similar data pre-processing solutions to fill data gaps should also find wider application in other ecological research.

Globally, wildlife is affected by unprecedented changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this paper, the lockdown effect on the traffic-related mortality in hedgehogs in an urban area was studied. Comparing the pre-pandemic (2018 and 2019) and pandemic (2020) years, we showed that hedgehog roadkill levels during the lockdown period were over 50% lower (which means a decrease greater than the decrease in road traffic in the same period measured by the number of accidents or the average number of vehicles per day). Based on literature data, we showed that this may mean at least tens of thousands of hedgehogs have survived on a national scale. We report the need to start intensive research on the possible demographic and genetic effects of this unique phenomenon. We also ask how stable the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic will be on wildlife and whether the lockdown (which is an anthropause) may reverse the negative trends in the decline in the number of wild species, including hedgehogs.

Abstract We investigated temporal changes in diet composition of the Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus breeding in natural habitat (calcareous peat bog) in SE Poland. We characterized diet composition in a three‐year period (2007–2009), based on pellet analyses. We investigated whether diet composition was affected by years or stage of breeding. We compared diet of the studied population between 2000s and 1990s and with other populations. We found that the food of the studied population was dominated by insects and mammals (by number) and mammals and birds (by biomass). Biomass and abundance of main prey items differed between studied years because of different air temperatures. We found some interannual differences in contribution of some prey items including higher number of thermophilic prey (insects and amphibians) in warmer years. Comparison of pellet composition in the 1990s and 2000s revealed significant increase in the abundance of thermophilic prey (insects and reptiles) and decrease of mammals including Microtus voles and birds. Those changes may be linked to habitat changes in areas neighboring peat bogs and climate change‐induced changes in prey communities. The studied population was able to respond to changes in foraging habitats and prey composition by opportunistic foraging on easily available prey. The diet of the studied population is the most similar to the geographically closest populations foraging in similar habitats and characterized by high contribution of insects.

The selection of an appropriate method of data analysis is a key problem for researchers from various fields of applications. They consider different methods of data classification, often based on the thematic scope of the data at their disposal. However, various data characteristics, such as data set size, data type and quality, gaps, outliers and other anomalies, can make proper selection significantly difficult. Therefore, in this study we propose a method based on a very universal classifier designed on the basis of calculations using information granules. The main objective of the work is to present and comprehensively verify the effectiveness of the classifier. As an example of application, we propose complicated yet currently important data coming from widely understood ecological research. Detailed numerical experiments indicate the high efficiency of the proposed method and the possibility of easy application to data appearing in other fields. In addition, various types of aggregation functions of the classification results are considered in order to obtain the most reliable results for the discussed problems,

Carbofuran is a highly toxic carbamate pesticide used in agriculture for pest control (1). The European Union banned its use in 2008 (2). However, because the pesticide is still available in countries outside the European Union, it continues to threaten vulnerable species. The European Union should work with neighboring countries to enact consistent policies that limit the use of toxic pesticides such as carbofuran.

Summary The prevalent pesticide carbofuran was banned in the European Union (EU) in 2008; however, the extent of its actual elimination from the environment has been little studied. The presence of this pesticide in the livers of the protected raptors the white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) and the common buzzard (Buteo buteo) was monitored in Poland from 2008 to 2019 using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry analysis and data from government institutions. Carbofuran residues were detected in the liver samples of the analysed raptors throughout the period studied. In total, carbofuran was detected in the livers of 33% of the eagles and 54% of the buzzards; concentrations were in the ranges of 11–699 and 14–1890 μg kg–1 of dry matter, respectively. Effective measures to eliminate banned pesticides from the market more efficiently are required.