Seasonal changes in the numbers of sulphate-reducing bacteria in water, soil, the surface of sedge (Carex acutiformis Ehrb.) immersed in waler and roots (dead and live) were studied. The study on one of larger wetland near Olsztyn (Masurian Lake District) was carried out in two annual cycles. Sulphate-reducing bacteria in the studied ecosystems occurred sporadically and generally in inappreciable count. Their count did not exceed 20 cells in I cm3 ofwaler; in the soil and in di ffercnt parts of sedge the number of bacteria ranged from several lo over dozen thousands cells in I g of dry weight. In the first year of studies these bacteria were the most numerous in June, July and during first days of December, bul in the second - in April (in soil and sedge immersed in water), in August (in soil and dead and live roots), in November (in waler, soil, sedge immersed in water and dead roots) and exceptionally in other months.

Pyrite framboids occur in loose blocks of plant−bearing clastic rocks related to volcano−sedimentary succession of the Mount Wawel Formation (Eocene) in the Dragon and Wanda glaciers area at Admiralty Bay, King George Island, West Antarctica. They were investigated by means of optical and scanning electron microscopy, energy−dispersive spectroscopy, X−ray diffraction, and isotopic analysis of pyritic sulphur. The results suggest that the pyrite formed as a result of production of hydrogen sulphide by sulphate reducing bacteria in near surface sedimentary environments. Strongly negative δ34SVCDT values of pyrite (−30 – −25 ‰) support its bacterial origin. Perfect shapes of framboids resulted from their growth in the open pore space of clastic sediments. The abundance of framboids at cer− tain sedimentary levels and the lack or negligible content of euhedral pyrite suggest pulses of high supersaturation with respect to iron monosulphides. The dominance of framboids of small sizes (8–16 μm) and their homogeneous distribution at these levels point to recurrent development of a laterally continuous anoxic sulphidic zone below the sediment surface. Sedimentary environments of the Mount Wawel Formation developed on islands of the young magmatic arc in the northern Antarctic Peninsula region. They embraced stagnant and flowing water masses and swamps located in valleys, depressions, and coastal areas that were covered by dense vegetation. Extensive deposition and diagenesis of plant detritus in these environments promoted anoxic conditions in the sediments, and a supply of marine and/or volcanogenic sulphate enabled its bacterial reduction, precipitation of iron mono− sulphides, and their transformation to pyrite framboids.