Current study topics

• Carbon sequestration by submerged macrophytes and burial in bottom sediments


• Ecology and world-wide distribution of the rare charophyte Lychnothamnus barbatus


• Stable C and O isotope composition of carbonates precipitated by extant charophytes as a tool for palaeoreconstructions of environmental conditions in a lake


• Charophyte ecology and importance for water quality


• Intrabiocoenotic interactions in lakes, with a special role of aquatic vegetation

Educational projects

• 2018 - 2020

  Grant NCBiR POWR.03.01.00-00-U069/17 Adventure with nature - Wielkopolska National Park as a research laboratory for the Young Explorer (principal investigator)

Research projects

• 2017 - 2023

  Grant NCN, OPUS 12 no. 2016/23/B/NZ8/00635 The role of aquatic vegetation in the carbon accumulation and deposition in bottom sediment: a comparative analysis of charophyte and vascular vegetation (principal investigator)

• 2016 - 2020

  Grant of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (Diamond Grant DI2015017045) Recovery of the population of an endangered charophyte species Lychnothamnus barbatus in the light of climate change (supervisor)

• 2015 - 2016

  International project of the Foundation for Polish-German Cooperation (00042/2015/MP) The program of cooperation for the protection of Chara-lakes of Ziemia Lubuska region (Poland) and Brandenburg (Germany) (co-coordinator)

• 2015

  International project: European Multi-Lake Survey, summer 2015 (EMLS) financed within Cyanocost and Netlake (ES1105 and ES1201) programs, (co-investigator)

• 2010 - 2013

  Grant MNiSW - Ministry of Science and Higher Education (Nr N N304 042539) The role of macrophyte communities in spatial and temporal differentiation of abiotic conditions and structure of phytoplankton of the lake ecosystem (co-investigator)

• 2008 - 2010

  Grant MNiSW - Ministry of Science and Higher Education (N N305 337534) Analysis of stable isotope composition (δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C) of carbonate encrustation of modern charophytes and its environmental conditioning in the context of the possibility of application for reconstructions of palaeoenvironment and palaeoclimate (principal investigator)

• 2004 - 2007

  Grant KBN – Committee for Scientific Research (2 P04G 113 27) Charophyte vegetation on the background of the trophic status of lakes of Lubuskie Lakeland (central-western Poland) (principal investigator)

Chosen publications

Books

• Pukacz A., Pełechaty M., Schubert H., Blindow I., Raabe U. 2016. The protection of Chara-lakes of Ziemia Lubuska region (Poland) and Brandenburg (Germany) (Schutz von Characeen-Seen im Lebuser Land und in Brandenburg). Polsko-Niemiecki Instytut Badawczy, VEGA Studio Adv. Tomasz Müller, Słubice – Kwidzyn, Monograph, ISBN 978-83-8056-088-8, in Polish and German 


• Pełechaty M., Pukacz A. 2008. Key to the determination of charophyte species (Characeae) in rivers and lakes. Biblioteka Monitoringu Środowiska, Warszawa, ISBN 978-83-7217-200-5, in Polish 


• Pełechaty M., Pełechata A., Pukacz A., 2007. Charophyte flora and vegetation of Lubuskie Lakeland lakes (mid-western Poland) on the background of the lakes trophic status. Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu. Bogucki Wydawnictwo Naukowe, Poznań, 137pp. Monograph, ISBN 978-83-60247-71-6, in Polish

Papers

2024

• Brzozowski M., Pełechaty, M. 2024. Different seasonal dynamics of contrasting aquatic plants and the consequences for the submerged macrophyte biodiversity. Ecohydrology & Hydrobiology (in press).


• Wilk-Woźniak E., Krztoń W., Budziak M., Walusiak E., Žutinič P., Udovič M.G., Koreivienė J., Karosienė J., Kasperovičienė J., Kobos J., Toporowska M., Bańkowska-Sobczak A., Budzyńska A., Domek P., Dunalska J., Frąk M., Gołdyn R., Grabowska M., Jakubowska-Krepska N., Jasser I., Karpowicz M., Kokociński M., Kozak A., Mazur-Marzec H., Mądrecka-Witkowska B., Messyasz B., Napiórkowska-Krzebietke A., Niedźwiecki M., Pawlik-Skowrońska B., Pasztaleniec A., Pełechata A., Pełechaty M., Pęczuła W., Rosińska J., Szeląg-Wasielewska E., Mankiewicz-Boczek J., Wasilewicz M., Stević F., Špoljarić Maronić D., Žuna Pfeiffer T. 2024. Harmful blooms across a longitudinal gradient in central Europe during heatwave: Cyanobacteria biomass, cyanotoxins, and nutrients. Ecological indicators 160: 111929.


• Strzałek M., Kufel L., Apolinarska K., Becher M., Biardzka E., Brzozowski M., Kiełczewski R., Kowalewski G., Pukacz A., Woszczyk M., Pełechaty, M. 2024. Recycling and deposition of inorganic carbon from calcium carbonate encrustations of charophytes. Limnology and Oceanography 69: 279-289.



2023

• Gruszka P., Brzeska-Roszczyk P., Pełechaty, M. 2023. Alien or endangered? Historical development of Chara connivens in the Baltic coastal waters and its implication for the species management. Journal for Nature Conservation 73: 126416.


• Pełechata A., Kufel, L., Pukacz, A., Strzałek, M., Biardzka, E., Brzozowski, M., Kaczmarek, L., Pełechaty, M. 2023. Climate features or the composition of submerged vegetation? Which factor has a greater impact on the phytoplankton structure in temperate lakes? Ecological Indicators 146: 109840.


• Biberdžić, V., Marković, A., Brzozowski, M., Pełechaty, M. 2023. Lychnothamnus barbatus (Meyen) Leonhardi 1863, A New Species to the Flora of Montenegro. Aquatic Botany 184: 103601.



2022

• Brzozowski M., Pełechaty M., Bogawski P. 2022. A winner or a loser in climate change? Modelling the past, current, and future potential distributions of a rare charophyte species. Global Ecology and Conservation 34: e02038.


• Brzozowski M., Pełechaty M. 2022. Overwintering of an endangered charophyte during milder winters in Central Europe enhances lake water quality. Limnologica 92: 125944.


• Pełechaty M., Zhapparova B., Brzozowski M., Pukacz A. 2022. Impact of Nitellopsis obtusa (Desv.) J. Groves, a regionally alien and invasive charophyte, on macrophyte diversity in the species native range. Hydrobiologia 849: 63-76.



2021

• Donis D., Mantzouki E., […], Ibelings B.W. 2021. Stratification strength and light climate explain variation in chlorophyll a at the continental scale in a European multilake survey in a heatwave summer. Limnology and Oceanography 66: 4314-4333 .


• Apolinarska K., Pleskot K., Pełechata A., Migdałek M., Pełechaty M. 2021. Seasonal deposition of authigenic calcite out of isotopic equilibrium with DIC and water, and implications for paleolimnological studies. Journal of Paleolimnology 66: 41-53.


• Brzozowski M., Kowalewski G., Szczuciński W., Kaczmarek L., Pełechaty M. 2021. Preliminary evidence of an endangered species benefiting from moderate climate warming: A paleolimnological study of the charophyte Lychnothamnus barbatus. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 31: 2673-2689.


• Brzozowski M., Pełechata A., Kaczmarek L., Pełechaty M. 2021. Transformation and simplification of aquatic vegetation structure along with re-oligotrophication of the lake during the last 40 years. Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae 90: 905.



2020

• Pełechata A., Pukacz A., Kaczmarek L., Pełechaty M. 2020. Do charophytes influence biomass and species composition of phytoflagellates?. Aquatic Botany 165: 103240.


• Apolinarska K., Pleskot K., Pełechata A., Migdałek M., Siepak M., Pełechaty M. 2020. The recent deposition of laminated sediments in highly eutrophic Lake Kierskie, western Poland: 1 year pilot study of limnological monitoring and sediment traps. Journal of Paleolimnology 63: 283-304.


• Zalewska T., Brzeska-Roszczyk P., Danowska B., Pełechaty M. 2020. Heavy metals and ¹³⁷Cs levels in macrophytes and temporal distribution in sediments – Application for estuarine environment status assessment (Vistula Lagoon – Southern Baltic). Oceanological and Hydrobiological Studies 49: 68-80.


• Brzozowski M., Pełechaty M. 2020. Broad morphological and reproductive variability of the endangered macroalgae Lychnothamnus barbatus in the depth gradient. Aquatic Botany 165: 103239.



2019

• Brzozowski M., Palomares Cabanilles M., Kowalewski G., Pełechaty M. 2019. Environmental factors responsible for the gyrogonite formation by an endangered macroalga, Lychnothamnus barbatus, a fertility indicator of past and present lacustrine ecosystems. Limnologica 77: 125686.


• Wilk-Woźniak E., Walusiak E., Burchardt L., Cerbin S., Chmura D., Gąbka M., Glińska-Lewczuk K., Gołdyn R., Grabowska M., Karpowicz M., Klimaszyk P., Kołodziejczyk A., Kokociński M., Kraska M., Król W., Kuczyńska-Kippen N., Ligęza S., Messyasz B., Nagengast B., Ozimek T., Paczuska B.M., Pełechaty M., Pęczuła W., Pietryka M., Piotrowicz R., Pociecha A., Pukacz A., Richter D., Żbikowski J. 2019. Effects of the environs of waterbodies on aquatic plants in oxbow lakes (habitat 3150). Ecological Indicators 98: 736-742.


• Budzyńska A., Rosińska J., Pełechata A., Toporowska M., Napiórkowska-Krzebietke A., Kozak A., Messyasz B., Pęczuła W., Kokociński M., Szeląg-Wasielewska E., Grabowska M., Mądrecka B., Niedźwiecki M., Alcaraz Parraga P., Pełechaty M., Karpowicz M., Pawlik-Skowrońska B. 2019. Environmental factors driving the occurence of the invasive cyanobacterium Sphaerospermopsis aphanizomenoides (Nostocales) in temperate lakes. Science of the Total Environment 650: 1338-1347.



2018

• Mantzouki E., Campbell J., van Loon E., […], Pełechaty M. et al. 2018. A European Multi Lake Survey dataset of environmental variables, phytoplankton pigments and cyanotoxins. Scientific Data 5: 180226.


• Mantzouki E., M., Lürling M., Fastner J., […], Pełechaty M. et al. 2018. Temperature Effects Explain Continental Scale Distribution of Cyanobacterial Toxins. Toxins 10: 156.


• Brzozowski M., Pełechaty M., Pietruczuk K. 2018. Co-occurrence of the charophyte Lychnothamnus barbatus with higher trophy submerged macrophyte indicators. Aquatic Botany 151: 51-55.


• Pronin E., Pełechaty M., Apolinarska K., Pukacz A. 2018. Oxygen stable isotope composition of carbonate encrustations of two modern, widely distributed, morphologically different charophyte species. Hydrobiologia 809: 41-52.


• Schubert H., Blindow I., Bueno N. C., Casanova M. T., Pełechaty M., Pukacz A. 2018. Ecology of charophytes – permanent pioneers and ecosystem engineers. Perspectives in Phycology 5: 61–74.



2017

• Pełechaty M., Brzozowski M., Pietruczuk K. 2017. Overwintering and gyrogonite formation by the rare and endangered indicative macroalga Lychnothamnus barbatus (Meyen) Leonh. in eutrophic conditions. Aquatic Botany 139: 19-24.



2016

• Pełechata A., Pełechaty M., Pukacz A. 2016. Factors influencing cyanobacteria community structure in Chara-lakes. Ecological Indicators 71: 477-490.


• Pukacz A., Pełechaty M., Frankowski M. 2016. Depth-dependence and monthly variability of charophyte biomass production: consequences for the precipitation of calcium carbonate in a shallow Chara-lake. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 23: 22433-22442.


• Pronin E., Pełechaty M., Apolinarska K., Pukacz A., Frankowski M. 2016. Sharp differences in the δ13C values of organic matter and carbonate encrustations but not in ambient water DIC between two morphologically distinct charophytes. Hydrobiologia 773: 177-191.


• Apolinarska K., Pełechaty M., Pronin E. 2016. Discrepancies between the stable isotope compositions of water, macrophyte carbonates and organics, and mollusc shells in the littoral zone of a charophyte-dominated lake (Lake Lednica, Poland). Hydrobiologia 768: 1–17.

2015

• Pełechata A., Pełechaty M., Pukacz A. 2015. Winter temperature and shifts in phytoplankton assemblages in a small Chara-lake. Aquatic Botany 124: 10-18.


• Apolinarska K., Pełechaty M., Kossler A. 2015. Within-sample variability of δ13C and δ18O values of freshwater gastropod shells and the optimum number of shells to measure per sediment layer in the Paddenluch palaeolacustrine sequence, Germany. Journal of Paleolimnology 54: 305-323.


• Pełechaty, M., Ossowska, J., Pukacz, A., Apolinarska, K., Siepak, M. 2015. Site-dependent species composition, structure and environmental conditions of Chara tomentosa L. meadows, western Poland. Aquatic Botany 120: 92-100.


• Brzeska P., Woźniczka A., Pełechaty, M. Blindow I. 2015. New records of Chara connivens Salzmann ex A. Braun 1835 - An extremely rare and protected species in Polish brackish waters. Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae 84: 143-146.



2014

• Pełechaty M., Pronin E., Pukacz A. 2014. Charophyte occurrence in Ceratophyllum demersum stands. Hydrobiologia 737: 111-120.



2013

• Pełechaty M., Pukacz A., Apolinarska K., Pełechata A., Siepak M. 2013. The significance of Chara vegetation in the precipitation of lacustrine calcium carbonate. Sedimentology 60: 1017–1035.



2010

• Pełechaty M., Apolinarska K., Pukacz A., Krupska J., Siepak M., Boszke P., Sinkowski M. 2010. Stable isotope composition of Chara rudis incrustation in Lake Jasne, Poland. Hydrobiologia 656: 29-42.


• Pełechata A., Pełechaty M. 2010. The in situ influence of Ceratophyllum demersum on a phytoplankton assemblage. Oceanological and Hydrobiological Studies 39: 95-101.



2009

• Pełechaty M., Gąbka M., Sugier P., Pukacz A., Chmiel S., Ciecierska H., Kolada A., Owsianny P.M. 2009. Lychnothamnus barbatus in Poland: habitats and associations. Charophytes 2: 13-18.

Career History

• 2021 – to date

  Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Wielkopolski National Park

• 2019 – to date

  Titular professor in the Department of Hydrobiology, AMU

• 2017 – 2022

  Head of the Ecological Station AMU in Jeziory, AMU

• 2009 – 2019

  Associate professor in the Department of Hydrobiology, AMU

• 1999 – 2009

  Professor assistant in the Department of Hydrobiology, AMU

• 1995 – 1999

  PhD student in the Department of Hydrobiology, AMU (PhD thesis: Habitat conditioning of phytocoenoses of Phragmitetum communis (Gams 1927) Schmale 1939 in anthropogenically varied lakes of Great Poland, supervisor: Professor Lubomira Burchardt)

• 1990 – 1995

  Student at the Faculty of Biology, AMU, subject: biology, specialty: environmental biology (Master thesis: The role of shoreline vegetation of oligotrophic Lake Jeleń in Western Pomerania, supervisor: Professor Marek Kraska)

• 1999 – 2009

  Professor assistant in the Dept. of Hydrobiology, AMU

Lectures (and classes/seminars)

• Ecohydrology (lecturer and coordinator)


• Environmental monitoring in practice - study tour in Jeziory (lecturer and coordinator)


• Preparation for professional career (lecturer and co-coordinator)


• Hydrobiology in Polish (lecturer and coordinator)


• Investment planning in environmentally valuable areas in Polish (lecturer and coordinator)


• Ecosystem under environmental stress – in Polish and in English for AMU-PIE students

Teaching – Bachelor and Master theses

For students of biology and environmental protection (topics: aquatic vegetation in the assessment of lakes water quality, ecology of charophytes and higher aquatic plants, biotope-biocoenosis and interabiocoenotic interactions in lakes)

Administrative Posts and External Activities

• Representative of Dean of the Faculty of Biology for student vocational training, for students of Environmental Protection


• Member of Programme Council for the Environmental Protection (2012 - 2020)


• Vice-Chairman of the Poznań Branch of the Polish Hydrobiological Society


• Member of Editorial Board for journals Aquatic Botany and Polish Journal of Environmental Studies


• Chairman of the Group of European Charophyte Specialists (2011 - 2014)