Best Practices in Earth Sciences: The National and International Experience of the Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences
The Institute of Geophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences is the natural successor to the glorious tradition of geophysical research in Poland. It plays the leading role in exploration of the Earth, beginning from the atmosphere across hydrosphere to the lithosphere at the end. This chapter is prepared on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of establishment of this Institution and it shows its activities in the past and nowadays.
Sixty Years of Publishing with the Institute of Geophysics
The main publications written by people associated with the Institute of Geophysics PAS are outlined. Presently, the major titles are Acta Geophysica and the GeoPlanet Book Series. The journal Acta Geophysica, formerly Acta Geophysica Polonica, is of the same age as the Institute. The GeoPlanet Book Series evolved from Monographic Volumes of the Publications of the Institute of Geophysics. Also many significant, pioneering monographs are recalled, along with some remarks on the Institute’s history.
Can climate and soil conditions change the morpho-anatomy among individuals from different localities ? A case study in Aldama grandiflora ( Asteraceae )
Vegetative aerial organs are considerably more exposed to environmental conditions and can reflect the specific adaptations of plants to their local environment. Aldama grandiflora species are known to be widely distributed in Brazil; therefore, individuals from different populations of this species are thought to be exposed to different abiotic and biotic conditions. Several anatomical studies conducted on Brazilian Aldama species have mainly focused on the qualitative anatomical characters or traits of these species, but not on their quantitative traits. In this study, we evaluated whether climate and soil conditions can change the morphometry among individuals of A. grandiflora collected from six sites in the Goiás State, Brazil, by assessing their anatomical characters. Further, soil sampling was performed, and climate data were collected from all the six sites. The analysis indicated few statistical differences among the populations evaluated, showing that A. grandiflora presented consistent leaf and stem anatomical characteristics. The small morpho-anatomical differences found among individuals of the different populations evaluated, reflected the soil conditions in which these populations were grown. Therefore, environmental factors have a significant influence on the morpho-anatomy of Aldama grandiflora.