Background The significance of tick-borne diseases has increased considerably in recent years. Because of the unique distribution of the tick species Dermacentor reticulatus in Poland, comprising two expanding populations, Eastern and Western that are separated by a Dermacentor-free zone, it is important to conduct studies on the process of tick expansion and emergence of canine babesiosis. The main aim of the current study was to monitor the expansion of D. reticulatus populations from spring 2016 to autumn 2018 to determine (1) the actual geographical range of this tick species, and (2) and the seasonal/annual shift in range limits and changes in distance between Western and Eastern populations of ticks (the size of the non-endemic area). Methods Ticks were collected in spring/autumn during a 3-year study. From each season and year at least three pairs of sites from the Western and Eastern populations were selected. Then the mean distance between paired sites was calculated for each season and year. We collected and analyzed data from veterinary clinics on the number of canine babesiosis cases treated in the clinic during a whole year (2018). Results Accordingly, further expansion of the two D. reticulatus populations was recorded, mainly along river basins. Marked colonization of the gap zone was observed, with a mean annual shift in the range of 2.5–10 km and a steadily decreasing distance between the two tick populations. The occurrence of babesiosis in different regions revealed low numbers of cases in Western Poland (19 cases/year) and the gap area (only 7 cases/year) and high incidence (up to 250 cases/1000 dogs) and fatality (total 3.65%) in Central and Eastern Poland. Strong associations were found geographically between tick and babesiosis occurrence and temporally in the seasonal patterns of occurrence of ticks and outbreaks of babesiosis. Conclusions We documented the shift in range limits and continued process of colonization of the gap zone accompanied by the emergence of canine babesiosis in the Eastern expansion zone. Updated maps of the distribution of ticks and occurrence of babesiosis in different regions of Poland have allowed us to predict of the emergence of pathogens vectored by D. reticulatus. Graphic Abstract

Background: Rodents constitute an important part of the diet of many carnivore species. This predator-prey food chain is exploited by helminth parasites, such as cestodes, whose larval stages develop in rodents and then mature to the adult stage in predators. The main aim of our study was to use molecular techniques for identification of cestode species recovered from both intermediate and definitive hosts, with a particular focus on the genus Mesocestoides. Methods: Larval cestodes were obtained during our long-term studies on rodent helminth communities in the Mazury Lake District in the northeast Poland in 2000-2018. Cestode larvae/cysts were collected from body cavities or internal organs (e.g. liver) during autopsies. Adult tapeworms were derived from nine red foxes, three Eurasian badgers and one Eurasian lynx. PCR amplification, sequencing and phylogenetic analyses were conducted employing three genetic markers: 18S rDNA, mitochondrial (mt) 12S rDNA and the mt cytochrome c oxydase subunit 1 (cox1) gene fragment. Results: Altogether 19 Mesocestoides samples were analyzed, including 13 adult tapeworms from definitive hosts and six larval samples from 4 bank voles and 2 yellow-necked mice. Phylogenetic analyses revealed three well-supported trees of similar topology. In each case the Mesocestoides samples formed two separate clades. All isolates from foxes, the lynx isolate and two isolates from rodents grouped with Mesocestoides litteratus. Four isolates from rodents and all three isolates from Eurasian badgers were resolved in a separate clade, most similar to North American M. vogae (syn. M. corti). Examination of fixed, stained adult specimens from Eurasian badgers revealed consistency with the morphology of Mesocestoides melesi. Therefore, this clade is likely to represent M. melesi, a species first described in 1985 from the Eurasian badger Meles meles. Molecular analysis allowed also the identification of Taenia crassiceps, Hydatigera kamiyai and Cladotaenia globifera among larvae derived from rodents.

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Silver fir is an important forest-forming species in the mountain and upland parts of Poland. It was determined that fir lost the possibility of spontaneous return to the forests of the region. That is why the Polish State Forests has launched a programme to restore its resources in the Sudetes. Until now, fungi and their relationship with fir have not been fully addressed in the Sudetes Restitution Programme, therefore this study was undertaken. The aim of this study was to determine the species composition of soil fungi from quarters producing silver fir seedlings. The research material was rhizosphere soil collected from 3-year-old saplings produced in forest nurseries of the Międzylesie Forest District. Fungal composition was determined by Next-Generation sequencing (Illumina NextSeq 500). The total number of OTUs obtained (638 435) included sequences of cultivated horcultured fungi (433 412 OTUs = 52.7%), non-cultivable fungi, that is which cannot be cultured (97 108 OTUs = 22.41 %) and potential fungi with no reference sequence in UNITE (73 419 OTUs = 16.93%) and non-fungal organisms (34 496 = 7.96%). The following taxa as Mortierella sp. (8.23%). Tylospora sp. (6.68%) and Russula sp. (3.76%) had the largest share in the soil fungal communities. The results of the study indicate the dominance of saprotrophic and mycorrhizal fungi in the communities of fir roots, which proves that saplings are of good quality. Small share of pathogens sequences suggests that soil-born fungal pathogens are not a major threat to fir seedlings in nurseries. Key words: mycorrhizal fungi, nursery, Abies alba, seedlings, Międzylesie Forest District.

The western red cedar (Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Don), an important forest-forming species in the Western part of the North American continent, is an alien species naturalised in Europe. It is popular and highly valued in horticulture. While considering the progressing climate change, it may also be a potential alternative to native species in European forests. The community of soil fungi associated with the western red cedar in forested areas of Europe has not been fully determined. Thus, this study is aimed to identify the community of soil fungi associated with the western red cedar. The experimental plots are located in the Kościan Forest District (51°98’87″ N; 16°23’54″ E). All soil samples were taken from the topsoil layer at a depth of 25 cm with a trowel, three from the centre of natural regeneration (1G, 2G, 5G) and three from the centre stand under the canopy of old-growth western red cedar (3G, 4G, 6G). Fungi were identified directly from the soil based on the ITS1 rDNA region. The derived product was sequenced using Illumina’s sequencing by synthesis (SBS) technology. Sequences were referred to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database applying the BLAST algorithm. The fungal counts were defined based on the number of operational taxonomic units (OTU) in the sample. The OTU number was 835 206, with fungal isolates accounting for 683 095 (81.79%). A total of 8 591 taxa belonging to the Kingdom Fungi were identified. The species with the greatest shares in the community included Mortierella spp. (10.5%), Russula spp. (5.6%), Hydnum spp. (3.44%), Solicoccozyma spp. (3.1%) and Penicillium spp. (2.2%). Results showed that saprotrophs and mycorrhizal fungi predominated in the community. The dominance of ectomycorrhizal fungi over arbuscular ones, quite impressive natural regeneration was shown in T. plicata stands in Kościan. Subsequent research should take into account tree stands in Poland in which natural regeneration does not occur or occurs sporadically.