ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Ecological Characteristic of Pesticide Tomb
in the Warmia Region on the Basis
of Index Numbers of Vascular Plants
M. Grzybowski 1, J. Szarek 2*, I. Zmysłowska 3, J. Guziur 4, Z. Endler 1, K. Skibniewska 5
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1 Chair of Evolutionary Ecology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn,
Oczapowskiego St. 5, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
2 Department of Forensic and Administration of Veterinary Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn,
Oczapowskiego St. 13, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
3 Chair of Environmental Microbiology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn,
Oczapowskiego St. 5, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
4 Department of Fish Breeding and Rearing, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn,
Oczapowskiego St. 13, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
5 Institute of Commodities Science and Food Quality Evaluation, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn,
Plac Cieszyński St. 1, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2004;13(6):683-692
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
An ecological characteristic of the surrounding of the pesticide tomb in the Warmia Region was prepared
on the basis of index numbers of Poland’s vascular plants in May and June 2002. The results lead to
the conclusion that indicators of tropism, the organic matter content of the soil and nitrophylity denote high
soil poverty, which are inconsistent with the history of this location. This area used to be a waste disposal
site of residues generated in the process of managing post-slaughter waste and carcasses. Presumably some
other factor determines such low values of the indicators mentioned above. The indicators analyzed were:
lower than expected tropism indicator and a low indicator of organic matter content and particularly the
dispersion of values of the nitrophylity indicator denote the existence of a new factor, which modifies the
content of species in the communities that we analyzed.
The humidity indicator and the indicator of soil mechanical composition confirm the presumed direction
of rainwater flow and probable leakage from the pesticide tomb. The flow stays in agreement with the
topographic features and the characteristics of the soils that occur in the analyzed area. Soil acidity ranges
from: 5.5 to 6.5 pH.
Climatic indicators are quite stable, the continentality indicator in particular, and they are typical of
North-Eastern Poland. The diversity of the thermal indicator is caused by surface features. A large participation
of weeds from the upper plant layer and topographic diversity, both influence the diversity of the
luminous indicator.
Further research is recommended in order to exclude or confirm the emerging hypothesis of the modifying
influence of pesticides deposited in the tomb on the characteristics of the flora and the fauna of the
nearby ecosystems.