Z dorobku ekologii polskiej w 25-leciu powojennym

Kajak, Zdzisław

doi:ISSN 0013-2969

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Title: Z dorobku ekologii polskiej w 25-leciu powojennym

Abstract:

The vastness of the fields covered by ecology, the way in which it is linked with so great a number of other fie1ds of activity, including the practical ones such as agriculture, forestry, water management etc, and the continuing extension of its range in connection with the problems of Man and Biosphere, make it impossible to give a representative review of achievements in one paper. Almost every agricultural or forestry study is to a certain degree ''ecological'' (review Polish Ecological Bi1bliography and reports of various institutes and comprehensive elaborations from different fields). In the science of populations important information has been obtained on the regularities and mechanisms relating to structure and function, the role of alien individuals, differentiation and adaptation of numbers to conditions, the relations between amount of space and numbers of inhabitants etc. The result of research on population dynamics of plants and animals are imposing but not as yet generalized results obtained from inter alia studies on protection and conservation of plants, agriculture, forestry etc.). For a considerable time studies in the field of biocenology proceeded independently in relation to phyto-and zoocenotic questions. The enormous amount of descriptive work done in ration to phytosociology has made it possible to classify associations and simultaneously habitat factors as a whole, obtaining in this way a basis for studies on management and organization of large areas of land and on the engineering of ecosystems. The most important achievement of zoocenology consists of studies on animal communities, predation and competition, and also descriptive studies on the composition and quantitative relations of the fauna of various halbitats. In the field of research on whole biocenoses and ecosystems it is perhaps hydrobiology which can boast the earliest and greatest achievements - studies on lakes, fish ponds and rivers made by the Warszaw-Olsztyn, Cracow and Wrocław research centres. The International Biological Programme, in which Poland intensively participated, has played an important part in the development of ecology, by bringing about:1) considerable increase in real cooperation and coordination of research in Poland and abroad: carrying out complex studies, including connections between ecology of plants and animals, the separation of which had always been a weak spot in ecology,2) functional view of the ecosystem essential to an understanding of and consequently to directing processes in nature: an evaluation -closer to the natural situation of the role and significance of different groups of organism and processes in the functioning of ecosystems,3) enormous development of methods for quantitative estimates of organisms and processes in ecosystems and ensuring that results from different ecosystems and different research centres were comparable. ; Comprehensive pictures were obtained of the structure and function of over 20 aquatic and land ecosystems, and description of energy flow through some of them. The bioenergetical trend formed and developed very intensively mainly in the Cracow and Warsaw centres. Valuable results have tbeen obtained relating to the feeding of organisms unoer natura and laboratory conditions, ecological productivity and complete energy balances for a large number of groups. Intervention in ecosystems has been intensively developed. As previously mentioned, the achievements of phytosociology are of particularly great importance in this connection, since they make rational planning for utilization and management of an area possible. Information on the flora of special .habitats: such as dunes, salt flats, land-slides etc. and on successions, are of great use in questions of recultivation of biotopes destroyed by human activities. Using phytosociological data as a basis rational use of meadows and forests is either being planned or is in hand, and recreational areas are being designed taking into consideration nature conservation understood in its modern sense, etc. Considera1ble achievements in the field of intervention in ecosystems have been attained in hydrobiology -changes in the species composition and production of plankton in ponds and lakes due to the effect of 1ange fish stocks, oligotrophization of lakes by means of removing fertile bottom waters, changes in the structure and functioning of biocenosis due to heating water, attempts at utilizating wastes in pond management. Ecological problems connected with agricultural purification of wastes are also of great interest. The focal-complex method of forest conservation has now been introduced on a wide scale. We have obtained a large number of results in relation to the ecological role of tree belts, but this question requires further studies and must be given far more comprehensive treatment this including management of large tracts of land, taking into consideration the requirements of plant protection, water management, the microclimate etc.Some results have already been obtained in respect of soil improvement by planned use of plants. Considerable progress has been made in complex methods of plant protection from the aspect of limitation of the use of chemical preparations, protection of biocenoses and the environment. A large number of autecological data have been obtained and several monographs elaborated on species of plants and animals of economic importance. It is, however, an unfortunate fact that significant achievements in Polis'h ecology are frequently insufficiently utilized as a result ·f the lack of generalizing and summaring up elaborations, for which there is urgent need. In view of the important and growing demands made on ecology in connection with problems of protection of mans environment it is necessary to undertake expert surveys and issue ecological opinions in matters concerned with landscape organization and spatial planning, on the basis of the results so far obtained, and also possible new studies involving a large number of specializations. In this connection it is essential to train a sufficient number of ecologists specialists on landscape ecology and ecosystem engineering.