K. Sękiewicz - INSTYTUT DENDROLOGII

Represented disciplines:

Biological sciences
Forestry sciences

Research focus:
The scope of my research includes population and conservation genomics, comparative phylogeography, and molecular taxonomy of woody species. Currently, I am focusing on adaptive genomics and the role of hybridisation as a mechanism enhancing the adaptive potential of forest trees in the face of climate change. To investigate this, I selected two closely related species, Fagus orientalis and F. sylvatica, which hybridize in a narrow contact zone in southeastern Europe.
In my research, I integrate genomics and ecological approaches with advanced spatial modelling techniques to explore how forest trees respond to global climate change.

Keywords:
evolutionary biology, hybridisation, landscape genomics, local adaptation, phylogeography

Publications

Sękiewicz K., Sós J., Walas Ł., Dering M. 2025. High genetic connectivity of common juniper in Scandinavia: Implication for management of genetic resources. Forest Ecology and Management 585, 122604. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122604
Thomas P.A., Dering M., Iszkuło G., Kujawska M., Łukowski A., Rabska M., Sękiewicz K., Tomaszewski D., Walas Ł., Giertych M.J. 2025. Biological Flora of Britain and Ireland: Cytisus scoparius. Journal of Ecology 113, 1877–1933. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.70057
Walas Ł., Sękiewicz K., Ganatsas P., Barina Z., Tashev A., Iszkuło G., Dering, M., 2025. Tracing back the history of introducing horse-chestnut in Europe. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 105, 128715. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2025.128715
Capblancq T., Sękiewicz K., Dering M. 2024. Forest genomics in the Caucasus through the lens of its dominant tree species - Fagus orientalis. Molecular Ecology 33: 16. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.17475
Sękiewicz K., Salva-Catarineu M., Walas Ł., Romo A., Gholizadeh H., Naqinezhad A., Farzaliyev V., Mazur M., Boratyński A. 2024. Consequence of habitat specificity: a rising risk of habitat loss for endemic and sub-endemic woody species under climate change in the Hyrcanian ecoregion. Regional Environmental Change 24(2): 68. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10113-024-02222-7
Walas Ł., Tung D.Q., Sękiewicz K., Pietras M., Bravo F., Kozlowski G., Van Sâm H. 2024. Risk assessment of habitat suitability decline for the endangered riparian tree Pterocarya tonkinensis (Juglandaceae): conservation implications. European Journal of Forest Research 143(4): 1057-1068. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10342-024-01679-9
Beridze B., Sękiewicz K., Walas Ł., Danelia I., Farzaliyev V., Kvartskhava G., Szmyt J., Dering M. 2023. Niche modelling suggests low feasibility of assisted gene flow for a Neogene relict tree, Castanea sativa Mill. Dendrobiology 90: 58-75. https://doi.org/10.12657/denbio.090.005
Beridze B., Sękiewicz K., Walas Ł., Thomas P.A., Danelia I., Farzaliyev V., Kvartskhava G., Sós J., Dering M. 2023. Biodiversity protection against anthropogenic climate change: Conservation prioritization of Castanea sativa in the South Caucasus based on genetic and ecological metrics. Ecology and Evolution 13(5): e10068.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10068
Beridze B., Sękiewicz K., Walas Ł., Thomas P.A., Danelia I., Kvartskhava G., Farzaliyev V., Bruch A.A., Dering M. 2023. Evolutionary history of Castanea sativa in the Caucasus driven by Middle and Late Pleistocene paleoenvironmental changes. AoB Plants 15(5): plad059. https://doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/plad059
Lewandowska A., Marcysiak K., Gómez D., Jasińska A.K., Romo A., Didukh Y., Sękiewicz K., Boratyńska K., Boratyński A. 2023. Inference of taxonomic relationships between Rhododendron ferrugineum and R. myrtifolium (Ericaceae) from leaf and fruit morphologies. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 201(4): 483-497. https://doi.org/10.1093/botlinnean/boac060
Sękiewicz K., Danelia I., Farzaliyev V., Gholizadeh H., Iszkuło G., Naqinezhad A., Ramezani E., Thomas P.A., Tomaszewski D., Walas Ł., Dering M. 2022. Past climatic refugia and landscape resistance explain spatial genetic structure in Oriental beech in the South Caucasus. Ecology and Evolution 12(9): e9320. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9320
Beridze B., Walas Ł., Iszkuło G., Jasińska A. K., Kosiński P., Sękiewicz K., Tomaszewski D., Dering M. 2021. Demographic history and range modelling of the East Mediterranean Abies cilicica. Plant and Fungal Systematics, 66(2), 122-132.
Dering M., Baranowska M., Beridze B. Chybicki I.J., Danelia I., Iszkuło G., Kvartskhava G., Kosiński P., Rączka G., Thomas P.A., Tomaszewski D., Walas Ł., Sękiewicz K. 2021. The evolutionary heritage and ecological uniqueness of Scots pine in the Caucasus ecoregion is at risk of climate changes. Scientific Reports 11, 22845. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-02098-1
Litkowiec M., Sękiewicz K., Romo A., Ok T., Bou Dagher-Kharrat M., Jasińska A.K., Sobierajska K., Boratyńska K., Boratyński A. 2021. Biogeography and relationships of the Abies taxa from the mediterranean and central Europe regions as revealed by nuclear DNA markers and needle structural characters. Forest Ecology and Management 479: #118606. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2020.118606
Sękiewicz K., Walas Ł., Beridze B., Fennane M., Dering M. 2020. High genetic diversity and low future habitat suitability: will Cupressus atlantica, endemic to the High Atlas, survive under climate change? Regional Environmental Change 20: #132. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-020-01711-9
Sobierajska K., Wachowiak W., Zaborowska J., Łabiszak B., Wójkiewicz B., Sękiewicz M., Jasińska A.K., Sękiewicz K., Boratyńska K., Marcysiak K., Boratyński A. 2020.Genetic consequences of hybridization in relict isolated trees Pinus sylvestris and the Pinus mugo complex. Forests 11: #1086. https://doi.org/10.3390/f11101086
Taib A., Morsli A., Chojnacka A., Walas Ł., Sękiewicz K., Boratyński A., Romo À., Dering M. 2020. Patterns of genetic diversity in North Africa: Moroccan-Algerian genetic split in Juniperus thurifera subsp. africana. Scientific Reports 10: 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-61525-x
Kosiński P., Sękiewicz K., Walas Ł., Boratyński A., Dering M. 2019. Spatial genetic structure of the endemic alpine plant Salix serpillifolia: genetic swamping on nunataks due to secondary colonization? Alpine Botany 129: 107-121. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00035-019-00224-4
Dering M., Sękiewicz K., Iszkuło G., Chojnacka A., Tomaszewski D., Pers-Kamczyc E., Karolewski P. 2018. Spatial genetic structure and clonality of Prunus serotina during invasive spread into Scots pine forests. Silva Fennica 52: #9987. https://doi.org/10.14214/sf.9987
Sękiewicz K., Dering M., Romo A., Bou Dagher-Kharrat M., Boratyńska K., Ok T., Boratyński A. 2018. Phylogenetic and biogeographic insights of long-lived Mediterranean Cupressus taxa with a schizo-endemic distribution and Tertiary origin. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 188: 190-212. https://doi.org/10.1093/botlinnean/boy049
Jasińska A., Boratyńska K., Sękiewicz K., Gristina E.D., Boratyński A. 2017. Relationships among Abies nebrodensis, A. alba and A. cephalonica in the morphological and anatomical needle characteristics. Plant Biosystems - An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology 151: 775-782. https://doi.org/10.1080/11263504.2017.1311960
Jasińska A.K., Sękiewicz K., Ok T., Romo A., Boratyński A., Boratyńska K. 2017. Taxonomic position of Abies equi-trojani on the basis of needle characters by comparing with different fir species. Turkish Journal of Botany 41: 620-631. https:// doi:10.3906/bot-1612-1
Sękiewicz K., Boratyńska K., Dagher-kharrat M.B., Ok T., Boratyński A. 2016. Taxonomic differentiation of Cupressus sempervirens and C. atlantica based on morphometric evidence. Systematics and Biodiversity 15(5): 494-508. https://doi.org/10.1080/14772000.2016.1171260
Boratyńska K., Sękiewicz K., Jasińska A.K., Tomaszewski D., Iszkuło G., Ok T., Bou Dagher-Kharrat M., Boratyński A. 2015. Effect of geographic range discontinuity on taxonomic differentiation of Abies cilicica. Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae 84(4): 419-430. https://doi.org/10.5586/asbp.2015.037
Sękiewicz K., Dering M., Sękiewicz M., Boratyńska K., Iszkuło G., Litkowiec M., Ok T., Dagher-Kharrat M.B., Boratyński A. 2015. Effect of geographic range discontinuity on species differentiation—East-Mediterranean Abies cilicica: a case study. Tree Genetics & Genomes 11: #810. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11295-014-0810-5
Boratyński A., Wachowiak W., Dering M., Boratyńska K., Sękiewicz K., Sobierajska K., Jasińska A.K., Klimko M., Montserrat J.M., Romo A., Ok T., Didukh Y. 2014. The biogeography and genetic relationships of Juniperus oxycedrus and related taxa from the Mediterranean and Macaronesian regions. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 174(4): 637-653. https://doi.org/10.1111/boj.12147
Dering M., Sękiewicz K., Boratyńska K., Litkowiec M., Iszkuło G., Romo A., Boratyński A. 2014. Genetic diversity and inter-specific relations of western Mediterranean relic Abies taxa as compared to the Iberian A. alba. Flora 209(7): 367-374 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.flora.2014.03.011
Sękiewicz K., Sękiewicz M., Romo A., Didukh Y., Fennane M., Boratyński A. 2014. Chorological and conservation status of the endemic cypress, Cupressus atlantica Gaussen, in the High Atlas (Morocco). Dendrobiology 71: 3-13. http://dx.doi.org/10.12657/denbio.071.001
Sękiewicz K., Sękiewicz M., Jasińska A.K., Boratyńska K., Iszkuło G., Romo A., Boratyński A. 2013. Morphological diversity and structure of West Mediterranean Abies species. Plant Biosystems 147(1): 125-134. https://doi.org/10.1080/11263504.2012.753130

Katarzyna Sękiewicz

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