Abstract: The aim of this article is to present a comparative analysis of survey results on the assessment of the work and image of foresters and the State Forests National Forest Holding in Poland, conducted in 2019 and 2021/2022. The first survey, involving 1,000 respondents, was conducted in 2019 using the quantitative CAPI (Computer−Assisted Personal Interview) method. In 2021/2022, the survey was repeated and expanded to include questions about the impact of restrictions imposed on society due to the COVID−19 pandemic. Therefore, the entire study period was assumed to be 2019−2022. Again, 1,000 respondents participated. This survey was conducted using an electronic questionnaire, with data collected via the CAWI (Computer−Assisted Web Interviewing) method. The survey included sociodemographic variables (such as age, gender, education, place of residence, and respondents’ acquaintance with foresters) and time variables relating to the year of data collection (2019 vs. 2021/2022). We examined whether respondents surveyed in 2021/22 assessed the work of foresters more favourably than those surveyed in 2019, and how interactions with the forest and foresters shape these assessments. The survey results indicated increased public awareness of the role played by foresters, particularly in nature conservation, environmental education, and sustainable forest resource management. The differences in acquaintance and perception of the role of foresters between respondents who knew a forester personally and those who did not were especially significant. In addition to positive changes in the perception of the State Forests, the survey analysis also highlighted challenges facing the State Forests, such as the limited visibility of foresters’ work and controversies related to economic activities. We argue for the need for further public education, not only to broaden knowledge of the functioning of the State Forests, but also because acquaintance (and not just personal experience) strongly influences public attitudes and opinions. The results present a time−specific comparative picture of public perceptions during the period before and during the COVID−19 pandemic. They serve as a baseline for future longitudinal analyses and do not directly reflect current public sentiment.
Key words: forest management, opinion poll, organisational image, professional image, survey research

Abstract: The urbanisation process fragments forest remnants and exposes them to multiple anthropogenic pressures, yet some urban woodlands can still function as important refuges for mammals. This study presents an inventory of mammals in Kabaty Forest, a 1,000 ha forest complex in southern Warsaw. The area, protected as a nature reserve since 1980 but increasingly isolated by surrounding development, is intensively used for recreation. Between 2012 and 2025 (with historical and published records added), we applied a broad set of methods, including direct and nocturnal observations, camera trapping, winter snow tracking, systematic den searches, small−mammal/red squirrel live trapping, analysis of owl pellets/fox scats, bat netting/detector surveys, and municipal wildlife incident data. Altogether, we confirmed the presence of 40 mammal species, representing six orders: Eulipotyphla (4 species), Chiroptera (10 species), Lagomorpha (2 species), Rodentia (13 species), Carnivora (8 species), and Cetartiodactyla (3 species). Among ungulates, camera traps revealed a strong dominance of wild boar and roe deer. Moose was shown to have started recolonizing the area. Pellet analysis and live−trapping data revealed that, despite isolation, the small−mammal community still resembled that of non−urban forests, with forest species prevailing and open−habitat or synanthropic rodents occurring only marginally. Compared with other Warsaw reserves, Kabaty Forest harbours one of the richest urban mammal communities, approaching that of much larger peri−urban areas. However, the progression of isolation, high visitor loads, and the free−ranging dogs pose growing risks. Maintaining connectivity to surrounding green areas, enforcing visitor regulations, and continuing long−term monitoring are essential to preserve this unusually diverse mammal community within a rapidly urbanising metropolis.
Key words: biodiversity conservation, camera trapping, long−term monitoring, pellet analysis, snow tracking, urban fauna, urban reserve

Abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the productivity of harvesters operating in coniferous and broadleaved stands under different silvicultural treatments and to identify the main factors affecting work efficiency under Polish forest conditions. The research was conducted in Scots pine Pinus sylvestris and European beech Fagus sylvatica stands subjected to final felling and late thinning. Productivity analyses were based on detailed time studies and expressed as harvested timber volume per operational working hour. A total of 2,042 trees with a total volume of 924.68 m³ were harvested during 29 h 12 min of operational working time. The mean volume of harvested trees in final felling stands of both species was similar, at approximately 0.6 m³, although greater variability in tree volume was observed in beech stands. Effective working time constituted the majority of operational time, ranging from 68.7 to 75.6%, with higher values recorded in final felling stands than in thinning operations. Harvester productivity varied significantly depending on tree species and cutting type. Productivity was higher in pine stands than in beech stands, regardless of cutting type. In final felling operations, productivity in pine stands was about 30% higher than in beech stands, while in late thinning the difference increased to nearly 65%. Operational productivity exceeded 45 m³·h^–1 in pine final felling stands and 35 m³·h^–1 in beech final felling stands, whereas in thinning operations it was approximately 33 m³·h^–1 in pine stands and over 19 m³·h^–1 in beech stands. Regression analyses confirmed a linear relationship between harvester productivity and the mean volume of harvested trees. Tree species and cutting type were also identified as significant factors influencing work efficiency. The results provide valuable, region−specific data on mechanised timber harvesting efficiency and confirm the need for productivity analyses under local operational conditions.
Key words: cut−to−length (CTL), European beech, Scots pine, timber harvesting, time study

Abstract: The European mistletoe Viscum album is an evergreen hemiparasitic plant that negatively affects the vitality, growth, and stability of its host trees by extracting water and mineral nutrients through specialized haustorial structures. Under current climatic conditions, particularly increasing drought frequency, mistletoe infestation has intensified in many forest ecosystems, including stands of European silver fir Abies alba. While interactions between mistletoe and associated microorganisms have attracted growing interest, knowledge of fungal communities colonizing fir mistletoe V. album subsp. abietis remains limited. Understanding the diversity and composition of these fungi is essential for assessing their ecological role and potential influence on mistletoe development. This study investigated the diversity of fungi associated with necrotic tissues of fir mistletoe collected from silver fir stands in southeastern Poland. Leaves and shoots showing symptoms of necrosis were sampled and subjected to fungal isolation under laboratory conditions. In total, 242 tissue fragments were plated on malt extract agar, yielding 88 fungal isolates. The isolates were grouped into morphotypes based on colony characteristics and subsequently identified using molecular analyses of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of ribosomal DNA. The obtained isolates were assigned to 11 fungal species representing a diverse assemblage of taxa with different ecological roles. The most abundant species was Sphaeropsis visci, accounting for 67% of all isolates, indicating its strong association with necrotic mistletoe tissues. Other frequently isolated taxa included Phoma herbarum and Sordaria fimicola, while several additional species were recovered at lower frequencies, such as Plenodomus visci, Coniothyrium genistae, Cladosporium sp., Nemania diffusa, Fusarium tricinctum, Epicoccum nigrum, Hypoxylon howeanum, and Colletotrichum godetiae. Most fungal growth originated from leaf tissues, with only a single species isolated exclusively from shoots. Sequence similarity to reference data in the GenBank database ranged from 99.59% to 100.00%, confirming reliable species identification. The results demonstrate that necrotic tissues of fir mistletoe provide a habitat for a diverse fungal community comprising both potential pathogens and saprotrophic species. The dominance of Sphaeropsis visci suggests its possible role in influencing mistletoe vitality and development. These findings contribute to a broader understanding of mistletoe−fungus associations and provide a basis for future studies on the ecological significance of fungal colonization of mistletoe and its potential implications for forest health and management.
Key words: Abies alba, fir mistletoe, forest pathology, fungal diversity, mycobiota, Sphaeropsis visci, Viscum album subsp. abietis

Abstract: The study aimed to assess the occurrence of entomopathogenic fungi in forest soils, thereby evaluating one soil microenvironmental factor that contributes to resistance to insect pests that overwinter in the soil. Soils from coniferous, mixed and deciduous stands located in 54 forest districts were analysed. The trapping method used Tenebrio molitor larvae as traps. Entomopathogenic fungi occurred in 39% of the samples. In each case, extensive T. molitor larval infestation and rapid mortality were observed. In most cases (97%), only one entomopathogen species was present in the soil. There were identified Beauveria bassiana, B. caledonica, Cordyceps farinosa, C. fumosorosea, Lecanicillium lecanii, and Metarhizium anisopliae. It has been shown that forest soils are a habitat for entomopathogenic fungi, although their presence is uneven and species−diverse. T. molitor larvae are suitable for use as so−called ‘trap insects’ used to obtain entomopathogenic fungi.
Key words: entomopathogenic fungi, forest soil, soil microenvironment resistance