International Conferencentific Conference
" Protection of agricultural soils against joint stress of natural and anthropogenic factors"

IUNG PIB Pulawy, 13-16 June 2011

organized within the PROFICIENCY project

The Conference was organised by the IUNG Department of Soil Science, Erosion and Land Protection in cooperation with the Institute of Environmental Sciences of Jagiellonian University. The main objective of the Conference was to overview the key directions in contemporary studies on the joint effects of natural and anthropogenic stressing factors on basic soil functions. The Conference concentrated on soils with strong emphasis on agricultural land use, but it included also water studies with wider agro-environmental implications.

The Conference, besides introductory part on general issues of soil protection on European and national level, included four sessions focused on join effects of natural and anthropogenic factors on soil production, soil habitat and soil retention functions. The basic factors taken into account were related to main soil threats and included soil and water contamination with inorganic and organic substances (nitrogen compounds, metals, PAHs, organichlorides), climate changes, water deficiency, carbon stocks and soil compaction.

The programme of the Conference embraced over 35 oral presentations (including 10 key lectures presented by the highest grade EU specialists in the relevant topics) and over 80 poster presentations. The best presentations of young participants were rewarded with diploma. An half-day field trip enabled the participants to be acquainted with the problems of erosion in the Kazimierski Landscape Park characterised by the most dense net of loess ravines in Europe. Nearly 140 participants represented 13 European countries including 15 Polish research units (universities and institutes) of highest scientific reputation. Abstracts of all presentations were edited as Conference Materials (ISBN 978-83-7562-086-3).

Conference Committee: Wiesław Oleszek (IUNG), Barbara Maliszewska-Kordybach (IUNG), Maria Niklinska (UJ), Ryszard Laskowski (UJ), Bozena Smreczak (IUNG) Agnieszka Klimkowicz-Pawlas (IUNG).
Secretariat: Rafał Gałązka (IUNG), Beata Suszek (IUNG), Monika Kowalik (IUNG).