Na konci 20. stol. došlo na našem území k výraznému úbytku lokalit ponořené vodní rostliny rdestu dlouholistého (Potamogeton praelongus). Z původních asi 18-20 historických lokalit na Českolipsku, Písecku, Chlumecku a v nivě Orlice na Královéhradecku se dochovalo jediné místo. V květnu 2003 schválilo Ministerstvo životního prostředí Záchranný program (ZP) pro rdest dlouholistý. Následné aktivity realizované v rámci ZP zahrnovaly jak ochranu druhu a jeho biotopu in situ, tak mnoho činností realizovaných ex situ - záchrannou kulturu (od r. 1998), záložní populaci v chráněné krajinné oblasti Kokořínsko (od r. 2000), testy klíčivosti a růstové experimenty (od r. 2006), experimentální kulturu (od r. 2010) i průběžně probíhající pokusy o vysazování na nové lokality a posilování současné populace výsadbou. V článku jsou shrnuty výsledky těchto dosavadních aktivit., The Long-stalked Pondweed (Potamogeton praelongus) is a critically endangered aquatic plant species in the Czech Republic, surviving at its last native site in an oxbow lake of the Orlice River in Malšova Lhota near the city of Hradec Králové. The site has been under protection as a temporarily protected area by the Stříbrný rybník pond during 1998-2017. The conservation programme for P. praelongus was approved by the Ministry of Environment in 2003, and the following in situ or ex situ activities have been implemented: monitoring of the abundance and vitality of the last population and the state of its habitat, management at the sites (including those with rescue micropopulations in the protected landscape area of Kokořínsko), ex situ rescue cultivation, analysis of the genetic variability of the micropopulations, sterile in vitro culture, seed germination tests and growth experiments. Suitable sites for outplanting in the Poorličí and Českolipsko regions have been selected as a part of the conservation programme. Norwegian and southern Swedish sites with P. praelongus populations have also been observed and compared with the Czech localities and micropopulations during expeditions., and Romana Prausová.
The ant genus Cardiocondyla is characterized by wingless, ergatoid males, which in some species replace the typical winged male. Depending on species, ergatoid males engage in lethal fighting for access to sexual females, establish territories within their nests, or are mutually tolerant. Here we investigate, whether the morphology of ergatoid males and in particular the shape of their mandibles reflect phylogeny or male behaviour. In contrast to the worker mandible, which is relatively similar in shape in the ten species examined, mandibles of ergatoid males show a great variation in size and shape not only between the two clades of Cardiocondyla but also among species belonging to Cardiocondyla clade A. This diversity appears to reflect the diverse reproductive tactics of ergatoid males of different species, with extremely long, anteriorly oriented mandibles associated with indirect killing of adult competitors, while particularly short mandibles possibly constitute an adaptation to a tactic in which ergatoid males crush the cuticle of young rivals., Christine V. Schmidt, Jürgen Heinze., and Obsahuje bibliografii
This study explores the biological validation of markers of acute stress in pigs subjected to transportation for slaughter. The stress markers selected for monitoring were neopterin and cortisol. Their levels in pig serum were measured for two porcine stress syndrome genotypes, NN and Nn, after a 30-min transport to a slaughterhouse. Blood samples were withdrawn before transport (control group) and immediately after the animals' arrival (experimental group). The values of neopterin and cortisol measured before the transport were 5.60±1.65 nm ol/l and 273.54±66.17 nmol/l respectively. After the transfer, the concentration of cortisol rose significantly compared to the control (355.69±85.13 nmol/l, p<0.01). Neopterin concentrations in the serum (8.25±1.60 nmol/l) were also significantly higher (p<0.01) after transportation. The elevated concentrations of both analytes were found to be independent of the genotype. These results document the stimulation of the endocrine system and the immune system that develops in animals undergoing transportation for slaughter., K. Breineková, M. Svoboda, M. Smutná, L. Vorlová., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
Vodní toky v ČR jsou v posledních sto letech vystaveny intenzivnímu antropogennímu tlaku. Tyto činnosti se projevují také na populaci druhu marše pobřežní (Tetrix tuerki), který se vyskytuje se pouze na štěrkových lavicích podhorských potoků a řek. Národní přírodní památka Skalická Morávka je ideálním místem pro tento druh. Dynamika štěrkových lavic je velmi důležitá pro existenci tohoto druhu., Water flows have been under intensive anthropogenic pressure over the last 100 years. These activities also influenced populations of Tetrix tuerki, which only occurs on gravel benches of streams and rivers (dynamics of the benches are crucial for its existence). The National Natural Monument Skalická Morávka provides an ideal habitat., and Kateřina Kuřavová.