Waste heaps - the biologist's laboratory.pdf - KOSMOS 2002 Tom 51, Numer 2 (255) - fungurius

Tom 51, 2002

Numer 2 (255)

Strony 125–126

M A£GORZATA W IERZBICKA

Zak³ad Morfogenezy Roœlin

Instytut Biologii Eksperymentalnej Roœlin

Wydzia³ Biologii

Uniwersytet Warszawski

Miecznikowa 1, 02-096 Warszawa

e-mail: wierzbicka@biol.uw.edu.pl

WASTE HEAPS — THE BIOLOGIST’S LABORATORY

Once upon a time...

Prof. Krystyna Grodziñska and Dr. Gra¿yna

Szarek-£ukaszewska begin their article like a fa-

iry-tale. The first text in this issue of “KOSMOS”

leads the Reader into theworld of oldwaste he-

aps, antiquated mines, artifacts worthy of mu-

seums, and surprisingly interesting research in

the field of natural sciences.

A waste heap?! What in the world can be in-

teresting about a waste heap? a Reader might

ask. We usually think of a waste heap as a

dump, a dusty pile of dirt contaminating every-

thing around it, a place where the local ho-

odlums gather, in other words, a generally

unsavory place.

Reality, however, can be completely diffe-

rent. Waste heaps (more precisely, post-indu-

strial and post-mining deposits) can be the site

of fascinating studies of nature. All one has to

do is find areas exploited by the mining and

smelting industries over 100 years ago and vo-

ila! A research laboratory is waiting!

Like a detective, here one can deduce ans-

wers to questions about the way Nature has co-

ped with waste heaps over the last 100 years.

Postindustrial waste heaps are usually charac-

terized by extremely difficult conditions. It is

possible to see if, after dozens of years, any spe-

cies have begun to establish themselves in such

uninviting places. Are these organisms capable

of reproducing? Have they adapted in any way?

Are these adaptations only physiological or

have geneticmodifications taken place leading

to the development of new ecotypes or varie-

ties? How fast are these processes occurring?

All of these questions can be answered by

studies conducted on waste heaps. These

exceptional places make it possible to observe

the adaptation of various organisms (through

microevolution) to conditions of extreme pol-

lution. They enable the identification of chemi-

cal compounds that are particularly toxic (this

is how thallium contamination of the Olkusz

area was discovered). And, finally, they permit

conclusions to be drawn about how to reclaim

waste heaps and other polluted sites most

effectively.

In the longer time-scale, studies like these

will open the doors to reflection. What will

happen to our planet if we cover it with waste

heaps? How much can Nature stand? Is it true

that cockroaches will be the last to die out? And

on and on...

The number of newwaste heaps is unfortu-

nately growing fast. If we are able to identify

the direction in which natural processes are

going, wemay be able to intensify and accelera-

te them. This is the best way to reclaimnewwa-

ste heaps.

Up to nowwe have posed many fascinating

questions, but answers to them still require

more study.

This issue of “KOSMOS” presents the re-

sults of the work of specialists from various

fields. Waste heaps are their main object of in-

terest, but there is also an article about the

126

M A£GORZATA W IERZBICKA

“concrete jungle” — where life is difficult (as

every one of its inhabitants knows). We pre-

sent the results of studies conducted (and con-

tinued) by specialists fromvarious areas: zoolo-

gists, botanists, ecologists, physiologists, myco-

logists, specialists dealing with algae and with

flowers.

An interdisciplinary meeting of specialists

(the so-called waste-heap group) in fact did

take place. We met for the first time on June 2,

2001 at the University of Warsaw’s Faculty of

Biology. Amonth later the sessionwas continu-

ed in the field. We went on a “tour” of zinc-lead

waste heaps, which are particularly toxic. They

can be found in Upper and Lower Silesia. For a

whole day we looked at various types of “biolo-

gical deserts”. This was no doubt a tour of the

ugliest places in Poland. But this trip also sho-

wed us how much there is still to be done in

this field in Poland. The tour was ironically

dubbed “Under the Smokestacks”.

The initiators and organizers of both of the-

se meetings were the Warsaw and Silesian

Branches of the Polish Botanical Society. The

pictures of the waste heaps in the Katowice

area shown in this issue were taken during the

field session.

This year the waste-heap group is planning

to meet again. We want to close ranks to bring

together all of the research being done in this

field in Poland with the aim of uncovering and

understanding the laws of nature even better

and using them more effectively in practice to

save the increasingly polluted environment.

Activities like these are very important at the

local level since they are closely connected

with the flora and fauna of a given country and

region and its prevailing climatic conditions.

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