Aerobiology, biodiversity and environmental monitoring: department researchers at a conference in Rzeszów

Researchers from the Department of Biology and Ecology took part in the II International Conference “Emerging Environmental Contaminants – Current Status, Challenges and Perspectives” in Rzeszów, Poland. The university team included Myroslava Mylenka, Director of the International Scientific Centre “Observatory”; Nadiia Riznychuk; Halyna Melnychenko; and Uliana Semak.

The participants presented work on aerobiology, biodiversity in agricultural landscapes, medicinal plants and research infrastructure for monitoring natural processes in the Ukrainian Carpathians. Halyna Melnychenko and Uliana Semak delivered a joint presentation entitled “Aerobiological Monitoring for the Development of a Regional Pollen Calendar in Ivano-Frankivsk (Western Ukraine)”, addressing pollen monitoring and the use of bioindicators.

The poster presentations included Myroslava Mylenka’s paper on the Observatory’s infrastructure, “Developing Integrated Research Infrastructure for Environmental Monitoring and Conservation Decision Support in the Ukrainian Carpathians: The Experience of the International Scientific Centre ‘Observatory’”; Nadiia Riznychuk’s work on Arnica; and Uliana Semak’s study of pesticide impacts within the AGROBIO-MONITOR project.

The conference hosts, including Idalia Kasprzyk and Julia Brewka, also arranged a visit to the pollen laboratory. The participants discussed opportunities for joint aerobiological studies and environmental monitoring.