Haldy (odvaly), které na Ostravsku vznikaly jako průvodní jev dolování černého uhlí v první polovině 20.stol, se již staly typickým krajinným prvkem této oblasti. Později zde byly snahy dolováním pozměněnou krajinu „uzdravit“ finančně nákladnými technickými rekultivacemi. Výstupy z našich studií prokázaly, že spontánní sukcese na nerekultivovaných haldách probíhá rychleji a společenstva bezobratlých jsou zde lépe strukturovaná. Navíc nerekultivované haldy podporují populace ochranářsky cenných druhů bezobratlých. Jednoznačně proto doporučujeme haldy ponechat spontánní sukcesi, před finančně náročnými technicky vedenými rekultivacemi., The spoil heaps in Ostrava were created during mining of black coal in the first half of the 20th century. Later, there were efforts to “heal” the landscape by technical reclamations, which are rather expensive. Our studies showed that spontaneous succession on non-reclaimed spoil heaps is faster then succession on their reclaimed counterparts. The communities of invertebrates on non-reclaimed spoil heaps are also more mature and contain rare species in comparison with the reclaimed ones., and Jiří Hodeček, Tomáš Kuras.
Giant rosettes are ones of the most striking features of the vegetation in the high tropical Andes, with Coespeletia moritziana reaching the highest altitudes up to 4,600 m a.s.l. Different from other giant rosettes, this species grows on rock outcrops with poorly developed soils and where water availability may be limited. Two questions are addressed in this study: How does this species respond in terms of water relations to maintain favorable gas-exchange conditions? Considering that adult plants rely on a water-reserving central pith, how do early stages respond to this environment’s extreme conditions? Water relations and gas-exchange studies were carried out on juveniles, intermediate and adult C. moritziana plants during wet and dry seasons in Páramo de Piedras Blancas at 4,200 m a.s.l. Adult plants maintained higher leaf water potentials (ΨL) during the wet season, however, no differences between stages were found for the dry season. Minimum dry season ΨL were never near the turgor loss point in any of the stages. Juveniles show a more strict stomatal control during the dry season to maintain a favorable water status. Net photosynthesis significantly decreased in intermediate and juvenile stages from wet to dry seasons. Our results suggest that
C. moritziana resists more extreme conditions compared to other Andean giant rosettes., F. Rada, A. Azócar, A. Rojas-Altuve., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Among various epiphytic ferns found in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, we studied Vittaria lineata (L.) Smith (Polypodiopsida, Pteridaceae). Anatomical characterization of the leaf was carried out by light microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. V. lineata possesses succulent leaves with two longitudinal furrows on the abaxial surface. We observed abundant stomata inside the furrows, glandular trichomes, paraphises, and sporangia. We examined malate concentrations in leaves, relative water content (RWC), photosynthetic pigments, and chlorophyll (Chl) a fluorescence in control, water-deficient, and abscisic acid (ABA)-treated plants. Plants subjected to drought stress (DS) and treated by exogenous ABA showed significant increase in the malate concentration, demonstrating nocturnal acidification. These findings suggest that V. lineata could change its mode of carbon fixation from C3 to the CAM pathway in response to drought. No significant changes in RWC were observed among treatments. Moreover, although plants subjected to stress treatments showed a significant decline in the contents of Chl a and b, the concentrations of carotenoids were stable. Photosynthetic parameters obtained from rapid light curves showed a significant decrease after DS and ABA treatments., B. D. Minardi, A. P. L. Voytena, M. Santos, Á. M. Randi., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Responses to drought were studied using two maize inbred lines (B76 and B106) and a commercial maize hybrid (Zea mays L. cv. Silver Queen) with differing resistance to abiotic stress. Maize seedlings were grown in pots in controlled environment chambers for 17 days and watering was withheld from one half the plants for an additional 11 days. On the final treatment date, leaf water potentials did not differ among genotypes and were -0.84 and -1.49 MPa in the water sufficient and insufficient treatments, respectively. Greater rates of CO2 assimilation were retained by the stress tolerant maize inbred line, B76, in comparison to the other two genotypes 11 days after watering was withheld. Rates of CO2 assimilation for all three genotypes were unaffected by decreasing the measurement O2 concentration from 21 to 2% (v/v). Activities of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC), NADP-malic enzyme (NADP-ME), and NADP malate dehydrogenase were inhibited from 25 to 49% by the water deficiency treatment. Genotypic differences also were detected for the activities of NADP-ME and for PEPC. Changes of transcript abundance for the three C4 pathway enzymes also varied among watering treatments and genotypes. However, examples where transcripts decreased due to drought were associated with the two stress susceptible genotypes. The above results showed that enzymes in the C4 photosynthetic pathway were less inhibited by drought in stress tolerant compared to stress susceptible maize genotypes., R. Sicher, J. Bunce, J. Barnaby, B. Bailey., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Ostrov La Gomera je součástí Kanárského souostroví a patří k výjimečným místům ve světovém měřítku. Jde o jeden z nejstarších a nejmenších ostrovů souosroví s velmi pestrou a bohatou endemickou faunou. V článku představíme faunu nosatcovitých brouků (Curculionoidea), kteří nejsou zajímaví pouze svou obrovskou radiací v rámci nik, které využívají, ale také svými životními strategiemi., La Gomera is an island in the Canaries archipelago and an extraordinary location on a worldwide scale. It belongs among the oldest and smallest islands, with highly varied and rich endemic fauna. This article presents the local fauna of weevils (Curculionoidea). These beetles are of interest not only because of their enormous radiation within the niches they inhabit, but also due to their life strategies., and Filip Trnka.
Srí Lanka je tropický ostrov ležící na severu Indického oceánu, který je topograficky velice různorodý a komplexní. Tyto faktory ve spojitosti s jeho historickou izolovaností od indického subkontinetu vedly k vývoji zcela unikátní fauny a flóry. Přibližne 80 % druhů obojživelníků a 60 % plazů je pro ostrov endemických, přičemž nejvyšší míra endemismu byla zatím zaznamenána u žab rodu Pseudophilautus nebo gekonů rodu Cnemaspis. Mezi hotspot bioty v megahotspot lze označit lesní rezervaci Sinharaja nacházející se v jihovýchodní části ostrova, jejíž diverzitě obojživelníků a plazů se věnuje předkládaný článek. and Sri Lanka is the tropical island located in the northern Indian Ocean which is topographically a very heterogeneous and complex area. These factors in connection with historical isolation of the island resulted in the development of unique fauna and flora. Approximately 80% of amphibian species and 60% of reptiles are endemic to the island. The highest value of endemism was recorded in frogs of the genus Pseudophilautus or geckos of the genus Cnemaspis. The Sinharaja forest reserve is a hotspot in the Sri Lankan megahotspot.Hence the species diversity of amphibians and reptiles in the reserve is the main topic of the present article.
Využití nových metodických přístupů přineslo důležité informace o fylogenezi živočichů a tím i změny v jejich systému. Recentně byly popsány i nové kmeny, např. mořští vířníkovci. Řada kmenů živočichů byla radikálně přesunuta v rámci systému a bylo prokázáno, že mnohé skupiny dříve považované za samostatné kmeny jsou pouze vnitřní skupinou kmenů jiných (totéž platí např. u některých řádů). Tato výrazná změna se týká hlavně parazitických skupin: vrtejši jsou endoparazitickými vířníky, jazyčnatky jsou vysoce endoparazitičtí korýši, vši jsou ektoparazitické pisivky a zdá se, že ani blechy nejsou samostatnou skupinou, ale jde o ektoparazitické srpice. Změny v zařazení do systému se týkají i řasníků, hmyzu jejichž samice žijí celý život endoparaziticky u jiného hmyzu. Jsou blízce příbuzní broukům. Změny však jistě nekončí a náš pohled na fylogenezi a systém živočichů se bude dál vyvíjet., Our hypotheses about animal phylogeny and the resulting systematics have changed rapidly over the last few decades due to new methods, including the molecular ones, and the information obtained. Even new phyla have been described. Some phyla were removed dramatically within the system of animals. Most changes have concerned several taxa of parasitic organisms which are now accepted only as in-groups of other phyla., Jitka Vilímová., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Článek volně navazuje na příspěvek v Živě 2015, 6: 311-315, věnovaný Helskému poloostrovu na pobřeží Polska a okolnímu Baltskému moři obecně, vegetaci a vybraným skupinám živočichů. Toto pokračování přináší několik oddílů pojednávajících o výzkumech - pěti studentských projektech, na nichž jsme pracovali během čtrnáctidenního pobytu na Mořské stanici Oceánografického institutu Gdaňské univerzity v Helu v r. 2013. Nejprve vás zavede do mořských hlubin a tresčích žaludků, poté do mělkých vod mezi koljušky a jejich parazity a na závěr se věnuje blešivcům, broukům a rovnokřídlým z písečných pláží Helu., The paper provides basic information on the biology and ecology of some interesting animals living in the Baltic Sea or on the surrounding sandy beach. The marine isopod Saduria entomon inhabiting deep water habitats is the dominant prey of Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua), while an amphipod Talitrus saltator occupies sandy beaches in close proximity to the sea. The Three-spined Stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) is a fish native to most inland coastal waters, however, its population is usually heavily infected with cestode Schistocephalus solidus. Among beetles and grasshoppers our attention focuses on the tenebrionid beetle Phaleria cadaverina living on sandy beaches. Our findings confirm the historically dubious records of this species in Poland., and Martin Rulík, Adam Bednařík, Radim Gabriš, Filip Trnka, Kateřina Kuřavová, Zdeněk Mačát.