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Faculty of Biology Uniwersity of Warsaw
Research Team
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P Czortek

Patryk Czortek

Job position :
Assistant Professor
Email:
p.czortek@uw.edu.pl
Phone number:
795617635
Academic degrees
  • Doctorate: 2018, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, “Changes in vegetation of the Tatry Mountains related to climate change and change in land use”
  • Master’s degree: 2012, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, “The diversity of the Wda Valley flora in terms of habitat conditions and forms of anthropopressure”
  • Bachelor’s degree: 2010, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz, “Characteristics of the Wda River valley flora near Świecie”
Scientific interests

My research interests include the ecology of vascular plants in various types of ecosystems, with particular emphasis on natural (e.g. alpine and forest) as well as anthropogenically transformed (e.g. urban, ruderal and segetal) ecosystems. In my research work, I attempt to assess the impact of biotic and abiotic environmental factors on changes in the taxonomic and functional diversity of ecosystems and to learn about the mechanisms shaping the coexistence of species in environmental gradients. Among the environmental factors whose impact on biodiversity is taken into account in my research, climate warming, urbanization, biological invasions, as well as changes in the type of land use in terms of time and space occupy take a special place.

Projects
  • 2023-2024, 2023/07/X/NZ8/01324, MINIATURA 7: How Impatiens parviflora invasion shapes relationships between soil nutrients pools and soil biota diversity in the ecosystem of the Białowieża Primeval Forest?, National Science Centre; project leader
  • 2014-2017, Pol-Nor/196829/87/2013, KlimaVeg: The impact of climate change on species ranges and composition of plant communities in temperate, boreal and alpine regions, Norway Financial Mechanism; project executor
Latest publications
  • Czortek P., Adamowski W., Paź-Dyderska S., Puchałka R., Dyderski M.K. 2026. Projected niche shifts of invasive Prunus cerasifera under climate change scenarios and its consequences. Plant Ecology 227(1): 6. DOI: 10.1007/s11258-025-01576-0
  • Czortek P., Olesik B., Puchałka R. 2026. Context-dependent effects of community assembly on Parthenocissus inserta invasion along a canopy cover gradient in early successional forests. Forest Ecology and Management 617: 123933. DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2026.123933
  • Czortek P., Rawlik M., Koprowski M., Sewerniak P., Puchałka R. 2026. Non-native shrub overrides understory assembly rules through ecosystem engineering. Forest Ecosystems 15: 100412. DOI: 10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100412
  • Czortek P., Święcicki S. Dyderski M.K., Mazurkiewicz M.T., Kisło K., Kurek P., Morawski K.K., Zalewski A., Komar E. 2026. Raccoon dogs surpass invasive cherry plum Prunus cerasifera Ehrh. fruit removal over native mammals in the Białowieża Forest. Dendrobiology 95: 142-155. DOI: 10.12657/denbio.095.010
  • Kisło K., Wrzosek M., Mazurkiewicz M.T., Kuberski Ł., Rawlik K., Czortek P. 2026. Fungal community assembly during Solidago canadensis shoot decomposition is driven by the plant’s invasion gradient. Neobiota 106:215-233. DOI: 10.3897/neobiota.106.165880
  • Mazurkiewicz M.T., Czortek P., Olesik B., Wierzcholska S., Jaroszewicz B. 2026. Forest management shapes functional and taxonomic diversity of bryophytes in temperate forests. Forest Ecology and Management 615: 123856, DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2026.123856
  • Paradysz J.J., Zawadzki G., Czortek P. 2026. Not all trees host alike: Does the diversity of tree-related microhabitats differ between invasive Acer negundo and native trees? Forest Ecology and Management 619: 124044. DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2026.124044
  • Puchałka R., Adaszewski P., Dyderski M.K., Mazurkiewicz M.T., Czortek P. 2026. When two engineers meet: contrasting impacts of non-native Prunus spp. on understory assembly. Forest Ecology and Management 619: 124060. DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2026.124060
  • Puchałka R., Czortek P. 2026. Community assembly shapes the performance of Solanum nitidibaccatum, an emerging ruderal non-native. NeoBiota 107:63-87. DOI: 10.3897/neobiota.107.179191
  • Czortek P., Adamowski W., Dyderski M. 2025. Invasive Prunus cerasifera alters understory diversity in the early successional oak-hornbeam forests. Biological Invasions 27(8): 185. DOI: 10.1007/s10530-025-03640-2
  • Czortek P., Depczyński M., Puchałka R. 2025. How does Acer negundo invasion shape plant species diversity in the understory of early oak-hornbeam forests in proximity to a primeval ecosystem? Forest Ecology and Management 597: 123164. DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2025.123164

All publications

Participation in conferences, symposia and scientific seminars
  • Czortek P., Łubek A., Adamowski W., Dyderski M.K. “Invasive Prunus cerasifera is a specific tree host for epiphytic lichens in the initial stages of oak-hornbeam forest succession”. Międzynarodowa konferencja naukowa “Białowieża Ecology Conference – Forests in the Anthropocene”, Białowieża, 15-21.09.2024. Oral presentation
  • Czortek P., Kukwa M., Jaroszewicz B., Łubek A. “Lichen hosts or microhabitats – factors determining diversity of lichenicolous fungi in the Białowieża Primeval Forest”. Międzynarodowa konferencja naukowa “Forests at risk: Białowieża and beyond”, Warszawa-Białowieża, 12-15.02.2019. Oral presentation
  • Orczewska A., Czortek P., Jaroszewicz B., Kantor A. “Is salvage logging a proper tool for restoration of forest ecosystems effected by bark beetle outbreak?”. Międzynarodowa konferencja naukowa „5th European Congress of Conservation Biology”, Jyväskylä, Finlandia, 12-15.06.2018. Oral presentation
  • Czortek, P., Delimat, A., Dyderski, M.K., Zięba, A., Jagodziński, A.M., Jaroszewicz, B. „Competition and tourism drive trade-off between vegetative and generative reproduction of rare mountain species Carex lachenalii Schkuhr”. Ogólnopolska Konferencja Użytkowników R, Warszawa, 27-29.09.2017. Poster
  • Orczewska A., Czortek P. “The impact of salvage logging after bark beetle outbreak on the herb layer composition and forest natural values. A Białowieża Forest case”. Międzynarodowa konferencja naukowa „2nd International Conference on Forests: Temperate and Boreal Forest Conservation in a rapidly changing world – New scientific findings and implications for future management, Neuschönau, Niemcy, 26-29.04.2017. Oral presentation
  • Czortek, P., Kapfer, J., Ratyńska, H., Eycott, A., Delimat, A., Zięba, A., Orczewska, A., Grytnes, J.-A., Jaroszewicz, B. „Long-term plant species composition shifts in Rybi Potok Valley and Morskie Oko Lake Region (High Tatra Mts) as a response to changes in environment”. Międzynarodowa Konferencja Naukowa „Impact of climate change on the ranges of species and species composition of plant communities”, Chęciny, 24-26.01.2017. Oral presentation
  • Czortek, P., Eycott, A.E., Grytnes, J.-A., Kapfer, J., Delimat, A., Jaroszewicz, B. “Climate change drives plant species composition shift in the flora of the Tatry Moutains summits over past 100 years”. Międzynarodowa Konferencja Naukowa “Impact of climate change and pollution on vegetation distribution and condition in the temperate, boreal, alpine and polar zones”, Warszawa 26-27.10.2016. Oral presentation
  • Eycott, A.E., Czortek, P., Grytnes, J.-A., Zięba, A, Delimat, A., Kapfer, J., Jaroszewicz, B. “Grazing abandonment drives community compositional shift in the Tatras mountains over the past 90 years”. Międzynarodowa Konferencja Naukowa “Nordic Oikos Conference”, Turku, Finlandia 02-04.02.2016. Poster
  • Czortek, P., Grytnes, J.-A., Delimat, A., Jaroszewicz, B. “Impact of tourism and cessation of grazing on changes in the flora of summits in the Tatra Mountains”. Międzynarodowa Konferencja Naukowa “IAVS – Annual Symposium of the International Association for Vegetation Science: Understanding broad-scale vegetation changes”, Brno, Republika Czeska 19-24.07.2015. Poster
Courses at the University of Warsaw
  • Ecology and Environmental Protection (lecture)
  • Field Ecology (class)
  • Dendrology (class)
  • Functioning of Nature and Ecosystem Services (class)
  • Informatics (class)
Training courses
Membership, awards, distinctions

Nagrody:

  • 2020, Individual award of the Rector of the University of Warsaw for scientific achievements
  • 2020, 2019, 2018, Team award (Jaroszewicz B., Czortek P.) award of the Rector of the University of Warsaw for scientific achievements

Wyróżnienia:

  • 2017, Congratulatory diploma of the Rector of the University of Warsaw for scientific achievements
Participation in editorial boards

2020-2021 Member of the Editorial Board of the special issue “Effects of Forest Management and Climate Change on Forest Vegetation” of the Forests journal

Outreach activities
  • 2017-present Licensed guide in the area of the Białowieża National Park