Czech botanists have participated in research into the taxonomy, diversity and ecology of plants in the equatorial high Andes since the mid 90s. The results include a description of new species of vascular plants and lichens, a contribution to generic flora, one monography and publication of several dozen original papers. and Petr Sklenář.
The virgin forests of the Krkonoše Mts. have been transformed into less stable spruce monocultures due to economic activities in the past. The objective of the current management of forest ecosystems is to create a compact core area of a sufficient size capable of autoregulation processes. Surrounding areas should be managed in ways that protect and conserve native biodiversity. Conservation efforts should be coordinated between the Czech and Polish sides of the Krkonoše Mts. and Otakar Schwarz.
Korbikula asijská (Corbicula fluminea) je jedním z nepůvodních a zároveň invazních druhů mlžů, které postupně dobývají území Evropy včetně České republiky. Korbikula pochází z jihovýchodní Asie, odkud byla introdukována zřejmě asijskými přistěhovalci do Severní Ameriky a z té po několika desítkách let (kolem r. 1980) doputovala lodní dopravou (pravděpodobně s balastní vodou) do Evropy. Na naše území pronikla Labem z Německa a byla zde poprvé zjištěna v r. 1999. V současnosti je známa z Labe, prozatím po Týnec nad Labem. Byla však již zaznamenána také v dolním toku Vltavy (po Nelahozeves, včetně plavebního kanálu Vraňany – Hořín) a Ohře (po Terezín) a překvapivě pozorována v některých menších přítocích Labe, jakým je např. potok Vlkava u Kostomlat nad Labem. Od r. 2009 je sledována neobvyklá lokalita na rozhraní středních a severních Čech, kde korbikula dosahuje zatím největší známé koncentrace na našem území. Jde o betonový kanál vedoucí vodu z odkališť Elektrárny Mělník do Labe jižně od obce Horní Počaply. Byla měřena koncentrace korbikuly na této lokalitě na několika plochách o rozměrech 50 × 50 cm a v přepočtu na 1 m2 kolísala hustota v rozmezí 1 045–4 224 živých jedinců, tedy výrazně vyšší než na jiných místech České republiky a srovnatelná s nejvyššími hustotami tohoto mlže nalezenými v Evropě., The Asian Clam (Corbicula fluminea) is native to the south-eastern part of Asia and has been introduced to other continents including Europe. In the Czech Republic it was found in 1999 and is currently known from the Elbe River and lower parts of several tributaries (Ohře, Vltava). An unusual site with the occurrence of this invasive bivalve was found in 2009. A concrete canal conducting water from the sedimentation basin of the Mělník coal power station is inhabited by a large population. The density of its population was estimated to 1 045 – 4 224 living specimens/1 m2., and Luboš Beran.
Od vyhlášení první chráněné krajinné oblasti (CHKO) v České republice v loňském roce uplynulo 60 let, od formulování prvního uceleného návrhu na zřízení soustavy velkoplošných chráněných území dokonce 100 let. V září 2014 byla vyhlášena nová CHKO Kokořínsko - Máchův kraj, přesněji řečeno dosavadní CHKO Kokořínsko byla rozšířena o přírodovědecky pozoruhodné Dokesko. V současnosti probíhá vyhlašování CHKO Brdy. Je tedy na místě si položit otázku, zda poté bude soustava CHKO v ČR již úplná., Sixty years passed in 2014 since the announcement of the first landscape park in the Czech Republic and a hundred years since the formulation of the first integrated plan to set up a system of large-scale landscape parks. In September 2014 a new Kokořínsko-Mácha country landscape park was announced, or to be more precise the former Kokořínsko landscape park was expanded to include the Doksy district, which is of interest from a natural-sciences viewpoint. At present the preparations for the Brdy landscape park are nearing completion. This article presents these two landscape parks and discusses whether or not the landscape park system in the Czech Republic will now be complete., and Pavel Pešout.
The factors that affect oviposition and consequently spatial distribution of the galls of many gall makers are poorly understood. Knowledge of these factors could result in a better understanding of the mechanisms that initiate and regulate the development of galls. We tested the hypotheses that, regardless of tree height, galls of Cynips quercusfolii L. produced agamically are distributed randomly in the crowns and on the veins of leaves of oak trees. This study was done in Poland on 15 pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) trees of various heights. We measured the areas of 1659 leaves, including 192 leaves with galls, and the distances along a vein from a gall to the petiole and from gall to leaf edge. The number of galls did not depend on tree height but depended on the position of the leaf within the crown (upper or lower). Regardless of the position in the crown, leaves with galls were significantly larger than those without galls. We conclude that galls were located at a fixed distance from the edge of leaves irrespective of leaf size, but the distance from the gall to the leaf petiole depended significantly on leaf size. We conclude that agamic females of C. quercusfolii prefer large leaves and choose the site on a leaf on which to deposit their eggs. This probably ensures that the developing gall obtains the required amount of nutrients and assimilates., Marian J. Giertych, Andrzej M. Jagodzinski, Piotr Karolevski., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Although the sizes of the geographical ranges of plant and animal species are of major interest to macroecologists, the spatial distributions and environmental correlates of only a small group of animals and plants are well studied. Here data on the spatial distributions of 116 European clearwing moths (Sesiidae) was used to determine the patterns in spatial distribution, postglacial colonization and endemism. The spatial distributions of sesiids are significantly more coherent and there are fewer isolated occurrences and unexpected absences than predicted by a random sample null model. After correcting for environmental correlates, islands and mainland countries did not differ significantly in the number of species with small ranges. Polyphagous wood attending species were more widespread than those with other life histories. Species of Siberian origin had wider ranges than those of Mediterranean origin. Nestedness and species co-occurrence analysis did not support a unidirectional postglacial colonization from a Southern European refuge but colonization from both Southern and Eastern Europe. and Werner Ulrich, Marek Bąkowski, Zdeněk Laštůvka.
1_Prey preferences and feeding-related behaviour of a Central European species of Scydmaeninae, Euconnus pubicollis, were studied under laboratory conditions. Results of prey choice experiments involving 50 species of mites belonging to 24 families of Oribatida and one family of Uropodina demonstrated that beetles feed mostly on ptyctimous Phthiracaridae (over 90% of prey) and only occasionally on Achipteriidae, Chamobatidae, Steganacaridae, Oribatellidae, Ceratozetidae, Euphthiracaridae and Galumnidae. The average number of mites consumed per beetle per day was 0.27 ± 0.07, and the entire feeding process took 2.15–33.7 h and showed a clear linear relationship with prey body length. Observations revealed a previously unknown mechanism for capturing prey in Scydmaeninae in which a droplet of liquid that exudes from the mouth onto the dorsal surface of the predator’s mouthparts adheres to the mite’s cuticle. Morphological adaptations associated with this strategy include the flattened distal parts of the maxillae, whereas the mandibles play a minor role in capturing prey. Mechanisms for overcoming the prey’s defences depended on the body form of the mite. When attacking oribatids that adopt the ptychoid defence (encapsulation) Euconnus opened the prodorsum and pressed the anal and genital plates deeply into the idiosoma, whereas it fed on all other mites by entering their bodies through small gnathosomal or/and genital openings, after breaking off mouthparts or/and genital plates., 2_The preferential feeding of a specialized and locally abundant ant-like stone beetle on one family of Oribatida, documented here for the first time, has implications for the population dynamics of the prey and raises questions about predator-prey co-evolution and costs of an unusually prolonged period spent feeding when at risk from competition and attack by larger predators, typical of the habitats where Scydmaeninae occur., Pawel Jaloszynski, Ziemowit Olszanowski., and Obsahuje seznam literatury