Short rotation coppices (SRCs) are a relatively new type of crop stand that is usually established on agricultural land in intensively used landscapes. However, SRCs also offer services other than the production of renewable energy. We evaluated the more complex significance of SRCs by including the other important potential ecosystem services of these stands. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the ecosystem services and disservices of SRCs by inductive (bottom-up) methods moving from the species-level to the ecosystem services on the basis of the spontaneous vascular plants diversity in SRCs. We also compared the plant-diversity-based potential ecosystem services and disservices of field SRCs, crops and forests in the same landscape in southwestern Slovakia. It was found that SRCs had an intermediate vascular plants species composition between those of forest ecosystems and agroecosystems. Among the ten evaluated ecosystem services and disservices, considering the sum of the positive and negative evaluations, SRCs had an intermediate position between the forests and arable-land vegetation. When comparing the ecosystem services of the SRCs with those of the forest ecosystems and agroecosystems, the SRCs achieved the best rating for species richness, remediation and collectables. SRCs had the worst rating for providing pasture and had the highest proportion of toxic and allergenic plants. Interestingly, SRCs achieved positive values in ecosystem services and mainly recorded the worst values in the ecosystem disservices. The direct utilization of these services and the economic balance of ecosystem services and disservices require further study.

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of gas transit pipeline temperature on soil moisture, soil temperature and yield of harvest crops. The study area was located in the village Ivanka pri Nitre (Nitra District, Southwestern Slovakia). Soil type in the site is Orthic Brown Chernozem. Temperature of the transported gas increased the soil temperature in the range of 2.07°C to 3.4°C measured in a depth ranging from 250 mm to 350 mm above the gas lines. The temperature also reduced soil moisture by 1.27‒3.18 percentiles of weight. Yield of the winter wheat grown above the gas lines was higher by 9.40% in 2004 and by 13.06% in 2006. Yield of the sunflower grown above the gas lines was higher by 8.05% in 2005. In treatment 1, organic fertilisation in a dose of 50 t/ha affected the yield of the winter wheat above the gas pipeline and the yield increased by 13.95% in 2004.

Assessment of an impact of mechanical regulation on selected morphometric and productive parameters of invasive Solidago canadensis population in agricultural land.

Invasive plants are introduced multicellular organisms of the kingdom Plantae, which produce their food by photosynthesis. An invasive plant has the ability to thrive and spread aggressively outside its native range. A naturally aggressive plant may be especially invasive when it is introduced to a new habitat. The basic literature emphasizes mainly the ecological and environmental effects of invasive plants. Impacts of these plants on the food production have never been studied in details. The direct and indirect or potential effects of occurrence of invasive plants on food production have been analysed on basis of published data according to eight selected criteria: food, fodder for animals, food and drink additives, indirect support for food production, weeds on arable lands, meadow weeds, allergenic plants in food and toxic plants. The principal components analysis of habitat preferences of invasive plants in the Nitra river basin showed that the majority of invasive plants growing along rivers is edible (Fallopia spp., Helianthus tuberosus, Impatiens glandulifera) and invasive plants preferring drier agricultural fields or grasslands are toxic and/or allergenic with low or zero level of edibility (Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Heracleum mantegazzianum). The plants living in drier conditions may produce more toxins to protect the sources (eg. water) in their tissues than plants near water flows where there is abundance of sources.

The aim of our study was to investigate the temperature effects of a transit gas pipeline on soil and harvested crop over the years 2004 -2006. The study area was located in the village Veľký Cetín (Nitra District, South-Western Slovakia) soil type is Mollic Fluvisols calcaric. The temperature of the transported gas increased the soil temperature in the range of 1.1 to 1.75 °C (average ) above the gas lines. It also reduced soil moisture by 0.07 -2.67 weight per cent (average). The wheat yields above the gas pipelines decreased by 3.

This paper evaluates the potential and perspectives of wild plant species and macrofungi from short rotation coppice. The research was conducted during the years 2014 – 2018 in stands of short rotation coppice willow and miscanthus grass in southwest of Slovakia. Evaluated wild plant species and macrofungi were divided into four groups (green vegetables, fruits and seeds, flowers and nectar, subterranean parts). The results showed that ground flora of short rotation coppice consisted of 74 edible species from 34 botanical families. Asteraceae, Rosaceae, Poaceae, Polygonaceae and Cichoriaceae families were represented the most. From the evaluated categories the most species belonged to the category with consumable aerial parts like leaves and shoots (59 species). The similar representation of species was found in the category of wild fruits and seeds consumed in the raw or preserved state and in category of edible subterranean parts (27 species and 22 species respectively). Principal component analysis showed that the edible parts with the strongest effect on the functional group differentiation were the fruits, seeds and subterranean parts.

The paper focuses on a research carried out during two consecutive growing seasons (2011 and 2012) in a willow tree stand (Salix schwerinii × S. viminalis, variety Tordis) and a grass stand of miscanthus (Miscanthus × giganteus Greef et Deuter). Both of the species can be used for energy production. The evaluation was carried out in a research centre located in Kolíňany (Nitra district area, SW Slovakia). Biodiversity of the ground flora within the two crops stands was jointly assessed through the multivariate statistical method of Principal Components Analysis (PCA). The results showed that almost all spontaneous vascular plant species have a weedy character, they have no specific environment requirements, they are stress tolerant, and their propagules are often present in agricultural ecosystems or in vegetation of rural landscape (field margins, strip boundaries, abandoned fields, orchards, etc.). Good examples of synanthropic species observed in the stands are Cirsium arvense, Equisetum arvense, Convolvulus arvensis etc., while several other typical species of usually non-synanthropic, habitats, e.g. Symphytum officinale, Persicaria lapathifolia, Calystegia sepium were also observed. Many juvenile shrub and wood species occurring in E1 and E2 layers also belonged to the semi-natural vegetation, e.g. Sambucus nigra, Rosa canina agg., Crataegus laevigata. The presence of potentially invasive and expansive plant species is evaluated as a negative factor.

This study provides some knowledge about content of total polyphenols, antioxidant activity and chosen macroelements in selected varieties of garlic (Allium sativum L.). Five garlic cultivars (Anton, Slavín, Gardos, Mirka and Flavor) were analyzed. The content of the total polyphenols (TPC) was determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent (FCR) at 765 nm using spectrophotometer. Macroelements content was determined by the AAS method on Varian AA 240 FS. Antioxidant activity (AA) was measured using a compound DPPH˙ (2.2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl). The content of (TPC) in fresh samples of garlic ranged from 401.25 ±8.54 mg.kg-1 FM to 595.00 ±9.00 mg.kg-1 FM and the values of antioxidant activity in garlic samples were in range from 9.05 ±0.93% to 18.68 ±1.35%. Statistically significant highest content TPC and AA was recorded in cultivar Slavín and the lowest in cultivar Flavor (p