Uniwersytet Jagielloński
Uniwersytet Jagielloński (Jagiellonian University, JU), founded in 1364, is Poland’s oldest university, guided by the motto Plus ratio quam vis – reason before force. Today it is a research-intensive community of over 35,000 students across 16 faculties, spanning medicine and life sciences to physics, data science, law, and the humanities. Building on a heritage that includes Copernicus, JU combines tradition with interdisciplinary research, strong international partnerships, and a vibrant academic environment in the heart of Kraków. The Faculty of Biology at JU explores life from cells to ecosystems, advancing research and education in the biological and environmental sciences, supported by modern laboratories and a botanical garden. Its researchers explore how biodiversity and ecosystem processes sustain pollinators and other wildlife, demonstrating that effective conservation depends on high-quality, diverse resources and resilient habitats, and informing smarter design of green spaces from campus to European living labs.
Role within ProPollSoil
Within ProPollSoil, JU plays a leading role in filling knowledge gaps on biology, ecology and threats (WP4), anchoring the project’s experimental understanding of how soils shape pollinator persistence. Within the framework of WP4, the JU coordinates and contributes to experimental and analytical work that addresses critical knowledge gaps concerning the impact of soil conditions, management and environmental stressors on pollinator biology, physiology and functioning. This involves quantifying the nutritional constraints of lesser-known soil-associated pollinators. It also involves conducting a large-scale greenhouse study to test how agrochemicals affect key host plants of pollinators. Finally, within WP4, JU is responsible for summarising the impact of soil conditions and management on pollinator health and survival. JU also contributes to WP2 by participating in an expert survey that captures unpublished field knowledge on soil nesting pollinators and their nest site cues—information that is rarely represented in formal datasets. JU further contributes to the integration of empirical and experimental findings into broader threat analyses, supporting the development of evidence-based mitigation and management recommendations (WP6).
