The article is based on the importance of the political culture in czech public opinion. Following the data obtained at Public Opinion Research Centre´s polls the author analyse how critical are czech citizens when talking about political culture of most of politically active people. The fi rst part of the article is devoted to the explanation of the concept of political culture and its use in sociological and politological theory., Markéta Škodová., and Seznam literartury
The impact of predation by alien American mink (Mustela vison) on endangered stone crayfish (Austropotamobius torrentium) was examined in middle-sized streams in central and western Bohemia for the duration of two years. The most frequent food source of the American mink were crustaceans, followed by mammals, amphibians and fish. Crustaceans consisted entirely of one species, the stone crayfish, which was represented in 82% of all collected mink droppings. Analysis of the relative composition of summer and winter diet showed no significant differences between these periods. The identification of predation of the American mink on stone crayfish was based on the collection of prey remains during the period monitored. Predation rates at particular localities were highly variable (0.85–21.5%, average = 7.4%), and decreased significantly in winter periods. The use of crayfish seems to reflect their spatial availability, suggested by the good correspondence between the population density and the number of prey remains. Minks preyed selectively on sexually mature individuals, which increases the seriousness of their predation impact. This study suggests that alien mink could be an important mortality factor for stone crayfish populations on a local scale.
The article focuses on representatives of the regional (and most recently established) level of government in the Czech Republic. It describes the context behind the emergence of regional governments and how they differ from the local and national political levels. It notes the close personnel connection between local and regional political elites. Experience gained in local politics helps elites to succeed at the regional level. The presence of local politicians in regional government varies with the level of residential fragmentation and the degree of urbanisation in the given region. Unlike local politics, which is consistently comprised of a significant proportion of independents, regional representatives are almost exclusively members of political parties and movements. This situation on the one hand serves to increase the politicisation of local politics and on the other leads to greater competition within political parties, whose programmes and national leadership regional politicians wish to influence.
Roe deer diet was studied in the floodplain forest of South Moravia, Czech Republic, by analysis of faecal samples collected in six different parts of the study area. Woody plants were the main component of roe deer diet, and they were supplemented with bramble, forbs and grasses through the year. The composition of roe deer diet agreed with its foraging strategy and consisted mainly of browse. Floodplain forest is optimal for roe deer and offers sufficient food sources. Food sources from nearby fields have no influence on the diet of roe deer. The great potential of roe deer to influence the shrub layer is evident. The intensity of impact of roe deer was not affected by availability of other food sources in the floodplain forest. The impact of roe deer on woody plants in this habitat depended mainly on its population density. Therefore, protection and management of floodplain forest is related to the regulation of densities of ungulate species, and not on additional feeding.
The article looks at the issue of Roma migration from Slovakia and places it in the context of European post-communist migration in the 1990s and migration from eastern to western Europe in the early 21st century. The article is based mainly on qualitative data that the author and his colleagues collected in the form of migration biographies. The author shows that unlike Roma migration from Bulgaria and Romania to western states, migration from the Czech Republic and Slovakia was a delayed occurrence and culminated eight to ten years after the migration from the Balkan states. However, migration between the Czech Republic and Slovakia was continuous, even after the break up of the Czechoslovak state. This form of migration has been a significant migration flow since 1945. It was initially a form of chain migration, with continuous flows that resulted in the creation of linked networks of relatives in both the source and target countries. The migration bridge that was formed as a result now serves a two-way flow of Roma short-term and long-term migration. The author demonstrates that the formation of migration bridges between Slovakia and western European countries within the European Union is similar in nature to the Roma migration from Slovakia to the Czech Republic after 1945. It is a continuous form of chain migration creating transnational bridges for two-way short-term and long-term migration based on family relationships. The author states that individual settlements in Slovakia choose different migration strategies and there are business activities that make migration from Slovakia easier. He notes that many Roma from Slovakia do not conceive migration from Slovakia as permanent migration. The majority of them continue to see their future in connection with their birthplace in Slovakia. It is only the generation of the children of current migrants who have begun to consider emigrating permanently out of Slovakia.
The proteocephalid tapeworm Proteocephalus torulosus (Batsch, 1786) exhibited a marked seasonality in its occurrence and maturation in barbel (Barbus harhus L.) from the Jihlava River, South Moravia, Czech Republic. Recruitment took place in winter and early spring, growth and maturation in spring and gravid worms left the fish hosts in May; during summer and autumn, the parasite was almost absent from the fish population. Parasite burden was related to fish size, with larger barbel being more heavily infected than smaller ones.
The article focuses on the development of the labour market in the Czech Republic from the perspective of employment and unemployment between 1998 and 2004. Using data from the Czech Statistical Office, and within a reference framework of EU countries, the authors discuss and analyse the factors that determine unemployment and employment in Czech society. The authors use latent logistic regression to verify the assumption that the odds of unemployment are not evenly distributed across the entire Czech population and to identify three segments of the labour market in the Czech Republic. In each of these three segments the employment and unemployment odds differ, and the factors that determine these odds function differently in each segment.
The goal of this paper is (1) to describe the history and the most recent development of social housing system in the Czech Republic and (2) critically assess earlier and recent attempts to solve missing social housing strategy in this country. In general, the paper intends to contribute to literature on housing policy formulation in countries in transition from planning to market economy and thus provide insight into main factors that may explain unsustainability and weakness of housing strategies in post-socialist environment. Lack of competence, constrained discussion during programme/strategy preparation and the dominance of ideology over rational argument are found to be critical factors for the past and possibly future social housing policy failures in the Czech Republic.
The article deals with the topic of migration from cities to villages in the Czech Republic and Austria and the opportunities for the social integration of newcomers. It relates partly to the problems of suburbanisation but is not limited to just migration to suburban villages. The analysis is based on a qualitative study conducted in 2003-2004 using grounded theory, and it examines the subjective viewpoints of the incomers and their assessments of their situation. The author reveals two different patterns of motivation for migration, presents a typology of relationships between the incomers and the village community, and distinguishes three basic 'orientations' among the incomers: a village orientation, a city orientation, and an orientation towards self-sufficiency. These specific orientations emerge in the process of mutual interaction between the preferences of the incomers and the integration opportunities offered by particular villages; they are not exclusive and can change over time. The author closes with a summary of the differences between the situation in the Czech Republic and Austria, which may be a result of different structural conditions and different historical backgrounds.
Sorbus omissa is described as a new hybridogenous triploid (2n = 3x = 51) species belonging to the Sorbus latifolia group. This species is considered to be of hybrid origin, with S. danubialis and S. torminalis being its putative parental species. It is a stenoendemic whitebeam occurring in central Bohemia (Czech Republic) in the vicinity of the towns of Roztoky and Libčice nad Vltavou (Praha-západ district) in the valley of the lower Vltava river, where it grows primarily in oak forests (Viscario-Quercetum). The only two known populations contain approximately 150 individuals. This species differs from other similar Czech species of the S. latifolia group in having broadly elliptical to rhomboidal leaves with very shallowly lobed laminas, predominantly with 9–11 lateral leaf veins on each side, and is orange to orange-red fruit at maturity. Observation, morphological comparison and karyological (chromosome counts, DAPI flow cytometry) methods were used to identify this new species. A character-comparison table and a determination key including all taxa of the S. latifolia agg. endemic in the Czech Republic are provided. An illustration, a photograph and a distribution map of this new species are also presented.