The attitude towards the forest and satisfaction with life of Polish students.

The aim of the study is to determine the connection between the attitude towards the forest and life satisfaction of students. The study was conducted on a sample of 650 students from Polish universities using The Satisfaction With Life Scale and an original questionnaire measuring the approach towards the forest-LAS scale. There are 3 subscales which measured: the perceived benefits from spending time in the forest; the degree of involvement in exploring the forest and working to its advantage; fears connected with the forest. The scale indicated good psychometric properties. Its reliability expressed by Cronbach's alpha coefficient is at the level of 0.90 (0.93 for Benefits scale; 0.87 for Involvement and 0.79 for Fears). The results of the statistical analysis have led to conclusions confirming the relationship between life satisfaction and the results of LAS scale. People satisfied with their lives are more involved in exploring the forest, they enjoy more benefits connected with forest recreation and express fewer fears. Forestry students are characterised by the highest involvement and the lowest level of fears connected with the forest. As far as life satisfaction is concerned, they are in the lead among Polish students just behind students of medical and artistic studies.

Sociodemographic Determinants of Poles' Attitudes towards the Forest during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Attitudes towards forest ecosystems have been changing together with human needs, which is amplified with society's increasing need to spend recreation time in the forest. The phenomenon has been particularly visible during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to determine the attitude of Poles to forests during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research was based on (1) a sociodemographic background questionnaire that consisted of questions about the independent variables and (2) the LAS scale-an independently prepared tool for measuring attitudes towards the forest. In the survey, 1025 people participated (673 women). The age of the subjects was between 19 and 68. The attitude towards the forest was analysed in three dimensions: Benefits, Involvement, and Fears. The Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance by ranks were used for statistical analysis. Women and people with primary education expressed the most fears connected with going to the forest. Men and people living in the countryside and in small towns, as well as respondents who were professionally active and performing work connected with forests were the most involved in exploring the forest and working for its benefit. Concerning the forest, concerned women, people from the highest age group, respondents with university education, and white-collar workers notice the most benefits from recreational activities in the forest.

Airborne fungi in Longyearbyen area (Svalbard, Norway) - case study.

Studies on the presence of atmospheric fungi in both Arctic and Antarctic polar areas are rare, and many of them were carried out briefly. Currently, when climate change is a fact, polar areas may be subject to various changes and fluctuations, negatively affecting sensitive polar ecosystems. The paper presents the results of tests on presence of fungi in the air over 30 years after the last investigations at the Svalbard Archipelago. A total of fifteen taxa of fungi were isolated in area of Longyearbyen, the majority of which were saprotrophic fungi of the genus Cladosporium that are associated with dead organic matter. Therefore, the presence of this taxon may be a good bioindicator of changes occurring in the Arctic environment, indirectly indicating the melting of glaciers and exposing increasingly larger areas inhabited by microorganisms, including fungi, which increase in number in the air. Additionally, the number of tourists visiting Longyearbyen is increasing, which may significantly affect the number and type of fungi in the air.

Comparative analysis of airborne bacteria and fungi in two salt mines in Poland.

The aim of this work was to determine the genera or species composition and the number of colony forming units of airborne bacteria and fungi, respectively, in two salt mines in Poland "Wieliczka" (Lesser Poland) and "Polkowice-Sieroszowice" (Lower Silesia). Both of them are working environments characterized by extreme conditions, and additionally "Wieliczka," officially placed on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites' list, plays a role of tourist attraction. There are also some curative chambers located in this mine. Air samples were taken once in December 2015, between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. There were nine measurement points located about 200 m underground in "Wieliczka" and six measurement points located in the working shafts about 400 m underground in "Polkowice-Sieroszowice." The total volume of each air sample was 150 L. Air samples, collected in individual measurement points of both salt mines, were inoculated on two microbiological media: potato dextrose agar and tryptic soy agar using the impact method. We identified 10 and 3 fungal genera in the "Wieliczka" Salt Mine and in "Polkowice-Sieroszowice," respectively. The most common were fungi of the Penicillium genus. In both mines, the Gram-positive bacteria of genus Micrococcus were detected most frequently. Among identified microorganisms, there were neither pathogenic fungi nor bacteria. The most prevalent microorganisms detected in indoor air were Gram-positive cocci, which constituted up to 80% of airborne microflora. Our results showed that microorganisms recorded in the air samples are not a threat to workers, tourists or patients. Neither pathogens nor potentially pathogenic microorganisms, listed as BSL-2, BSL-3 or BSL-4, were detected. The microbes identified during our analysis commonly occur in such environments as the soil, water and air. Some of the detected bacteria are component of natural microflora of human skin and mucous membranes, and they can cause only opportunistic infections in individuals depending on their health condition.

Airborne fungi as indicators of ecosystem disturbance: an example from selected Tatra Mountains caves (Poland).

We report on the determination of the spore concentration and the species composition of the airborne fungi in selected caves of the Tatra Mountains, Poland. The following caves were surveyed: Mylna, Oblazkowa, Mrozna, Zimna and Naciekowa. The sampling was carried out in July 2015 and in January 2016. The aeromycological analyses were performed with the impact method, using the Air Ideal 3P apparatus and potato dextrose agar (PDA, Biocorp) culture medium. In the course of the July 2015 analysis, 17 species of fungi were isolated and 11 species were isolated in January 2016. In Mylna and Naciekowa caves, the dominant species were Cladosporium cladosporioides and Stachybotrys cylindrospora. In Oblazkowa cave, Rhizoctonia predominated and in Zimna cave-the colonies of the yeast-like fungi, along with S. cylindrospora. In Mrozna cave, Penicillium notatum was the most abundant taxon. In the winter time, in the majority of the caves Penicillium spp. predominated, with the exception of Mrozna and Naciekowa caves where Aspergillus niger was dominant. We propose that aeromycological monitoring be performed regularly in the following caves: Mrozna, Naciekowa and Zimna.

Analysis of selected fungi variation and its dependence on season and mountain range in southern Poland-key factors in drawing up trial guidelines for aeromycological monitoring.

The aim of the study was to identify fungal spores, in particular plant pathogenic fungi, occurring in the air in selected mountain ranges. The results revealed not only the array of fungal species migrating with air currents from the Czech Republic and Slovakia but also how the season of the year affects the distribution of spores. Such studies may lay a foundation for future aeromycological monitoring, in accordance with the requirements for integrated plant protection. Aeromycological research was carried out between 2013 and 2016 at 3-month intervals in mountainous areas along the southern borders of Poland: the Bieszczady, the Pieniny, the Giant Mountains (Karkonosze) and the Babia Góra Massif. The research relied on impact method employing Air Ideal 3P sampler, which, by drawing in atmospheric air, also collects fungal spores. Regardless of altitudinal zonation, the changing weather conditions appeared to be the main reason for the variations in the number of the fungal spores under study in those years.

Biomineralization of gold by Mucor plumbeus: The progress in understanding the mechanism of nanoparticles' formation.

This contribution describes the deposition of gold nanoparticles by microbial reduction of Au(III) ions using the mycelium of Mucor plumbeus. Biosorption as the major mechanism of Au(III) ions binding by the fungal cells and the reduction of them to the form of Au(0) on/in the cell wall, followed by the transportation of the synthesized gold nanoparticles to the cytoplasm, is postulated. The probable mechanism behind the reduction of Au(III) ions is discussed, leading to the conclusion that this process is nonenzymatic one. Chitosan of the fungal cell wall is most likely to be the major molecule involved in biomineralization of gold by the mycelium of M. plumbeus. Separation of gold nanoparticles from the cells has been carried out by the ultrasonic disintegration and the obtained nanostructures were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy and transmission electron micrograph analysis. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:1381-1392, 2017.

Bats Increase the Number of Cultivable Airborne Fungi in the "Nietoperek" Bat Reserve in Western Poland.

The "Nietoperek" bat reserve located in Western Poland is one of the largest bat hibernation sites in the European Union with nearly 38,000 bats from 12 species. Nietoperek is part of a built underground fortification system from WWII. The aims of the study were (1) to determine the fungal species composition and changes during hibernation season in relation to bat number and microclimatic conditions and (2) evaluate the potential threat of fungi for bat assemblages and humans visiting the complex. Airborne fungi were collected in the beginning, middle and end of hibernation period (9 November 2013 and 17 January and 15 March 2014) in 12 study sites, one outside and 11 inside the complex. Ambient temperature (T a) and relative humidity (RH) were measured by the use of data loggers, and species composition of bats was recorded from the study sites. The collision method (Air Ideal 3P) sampler was used to detect 34 species of airborne fungi including Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd). The density of airborne fungi isolated from the outdoor air samples varied from 102 to 242 CFU/1 m(3) of air and from 12 to 1198 CFU in the underground air samples. There was a positive relationship between number of bats and the concentration of fungi. The concentration of airborne fungi increased with the increase of bats number. Analysis of other possible ways of spore transport to the underground indicated that the number of bats was the primary factor determining the number of fungal spores in that hibernation site. Microclimatic conditions where Pd was found (median 8.7 °C, min-max 6.1-9.9 °C and 100 %, min-max 77.5-100.0 %) were preferred by hibernating Myotis myotis and Myotis daubentonii; therefore, these species are most probably especially prone to infection by this fungi species. The spores of fungi found in the underground can be pathogenic for humans and animals, especially for immunocompromised persons, even though their concentrations did not exceed limits and norms established as dangerous for human health. In addition, we showed for the first time that the air in bats hibernation sites can be a reservoir of Pd. Therefore, further study in other underground environments and wintering bats is necessary to find out more about the potential threat of airborne fungi to bats and public health.

Plants' healthiness assessment as part of the environmental monitoring of protected mountainous area in the example of Karkonosze (Giant) Mts. (SW Poland).

The aim of phytopathological monitoring is to check the healthiness of plants and observe the changes that occur in their populations. In the vast majority, these types of observations are conducted in agriculture and forestry. An interesting aspect of phytopathological monitoring is the assessment of the origin of the plant species. The research of fungal communities (including pathogens) in plants may, for example, indicate the relic nature of the plant species. Reduction of the occurrence or disappearance of fungi species associated with its host plant can evidence slow decline of their habitats. This applies mainly to arctic-alpine fungal species. On the other hand, for some plant hosts, colonization of their organs by polyphagous fungi is being recorded. One such example is the downy willow, on which six species of fungi were found in the Karkonosze Mts. In 2014, there were no fungi found on this plant. However, comparing the species composition of fungi associated with downy willow given by Schroeter (1908) to the contemporary one and to the study results of other researchers, a decrease in the number of fungi species is clearly visible. This may be related to the environmental pollution, which took place in the Sudetes in the second half of the twentieth century. For instance, the species of the genus Rhytisma colonize the leaves of trees and shrubs and are particularly sensitive to the concentration of SO2 in the air, but nobody has looked for this fungus on this host in the past. Yet, presently, we were able to find Rhytisma fungus in Karkonosze Mts. Phytopathological monitoring was conducted in the years of 2014-2015 in the sub-alpine zone of the Karkonosze (Giant) Mts. It has been shown that, compared to similar studies conducted in the 1990s of the twentieth century, the species composition of fungi infesting Rubus chamaemorus and Betula carpactica has changed. Is this the beginning of changes that will occur in populations of plants?