Department of Ecology

Staff:

  • Head of the Department:
    • Professor Zofia Piotrowska-Seget (curator)
  • Academic Teachers:
    • Professor Stanisław Cabała (Emeritus Professor);
    • Professor Stanisław Wika (Emeritus Professor);
    • Professor Piotr Skubała
    • Zbigniew Wilczek, PhD, DSc
    • Ryszard Ciepał, PhD, DSc
    • Izabella Franiel, PhD, DSc
    • Aleksandra Nadgórska-Socha, PhD, DSc
    • Anna Orczewska, PhD, DSc
    • Bernard Palowski, PhD, DSc
    • Aldona Uziębło, PhD, DSc
    • Gabriela Barczyk, PhD
    • Karolina Bierza, PhD
    • Marta Kandziora-Ciupa, PhD
    • Joanna Kohyt, PhD
    • Wojciech Zarzycki, PhD
  • Technical Staff:
    • Alicja Barć, PhD
    • Dorota Kopeć, MSc
    • Ewa Skipirzepa, MSc

Main field of research:

  • ecological processes and the diversity of vegetation in natural ecosystems and subjected to strong anthropogenic pressure;
  • the influence of anthropogenic factors on the structure and dynamics of ecosystems and plant and animal populations;
  • structure and dynamics of vegetation communities;
  • processes and mechanisms driving the biotic diversity in forest communities;
  • secondary succession and regeneration of the herb layer in post-agricultural and post-fire forest communities;
  • age an origin of forests and their importance for biodiversity of forest communities;
  • climate change and current transformation of forest communities;
  • geobotanical apects of nature conservation;
  • the impact of invasive plants on the formation of communities of soil mites (Acari);
  • communities of soil mites in the gradient of contamination;
  • bioaccumulation of heavy metals in different species of mites;
  • succession of mites in dead wood;
  • behavior and vocal communication in bats (Chiroptera);
  • macro- and microelements content in plants at organic and conventional tillage systems;
  • biomonitoring and selected trace metals accumulation in the soil and in plants on industrial sites and protected areas;
  • oxidative stress enzymes and the antioxidants accumulation in plants grown under different levels of anthropogenic stress;
  • soil enzymatic activities of polluted and relatively pollutants free ecosystems;
  • methods in comparative plant population ecology;
  • environmental education and environmental ethics.

For students:

  • Erasmus +:
    • Bioethics
    • Vegetation ecology
    • Statistical methods in natural sciences
    • Environmental education
    • Ordination methods in vegetation science with CANOCO package
    • Restoration ecology
    • Human impact on the Białowieża Forest
    • Ecology and behaviour of bats
    • Contemporary methods in monitoring the history of contamination of the natural environment
    • Methods in ecophysiological research
    • Nature of the Upper Silesia
  • PhD studies on Advanced methods in biotechnology and biodiversity:
    • Advanced statistical methods in natural sciences;
    • Contemporary methods monitoring the history of contamination of the natural environment;
    • Population and succession studies ofCentral Europeanlowland ecosystems;
    • Advanced methods in ecophysiological research.