Not everyone had a break this summer. We had our hands full. Fieldwork, which we have been conducting since spring this year at several sites in Kraków and Katowice, has become particularly intense in recent months, at the height of the growing season. We mowed the study plots (some once, others several times), listed the plant species growing in them, and collected soil samples. These samples are currently being analyzed in our laboratory – the Laboratory of Ecochemistry and Environmental Engineering of the Institute of Botany PAS. We measure a number of soil physicochemical parameters, including pH, macroelement content, and accumulation of various pollutants, including heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and petroleum derivatives. We also study soil microbiological properties, e.g. the activity of enzymes involved in the decomposition of dead organic matter, or the biomass of fungi and bacteria. This year’s autumn field and laboratory work is still ahead of us. After it is completed, we will already have the first set of data for analysis.
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