Římské vojenské tažení proti Marobudovi v r. 6 po Kr. představuje nejstarší přesně datovanou historickou událost vztahující se k České kotlině. Při příležitosti dvoutisíciletého výročí této události se autor zamýšlí nad metodickými problémy bádání o starší době římské v Čechách. Na příkladech chronologie archeologických horizontů, migrace etnických jednotek, římských importů a právě římského tažení v r. 6 je v článku poukázáno na fakt, že česká archeologie tradičně upřednostňuje písemné prameny před archeologickými. Mnohé údaje, o které se badatelé opírají, však nejsou v písemných pramenech doložitelné. Často se jedná pouze o domněnky a interpretace historiků. Článek upozorňuje na metodologickou neúnosnost vytváření archeologických konstrukcí, které jsou závislé na takovýchto domněnkách. and The Roman military campaign against Maroboduus in the year 6 AD is the earliest accurately dated historical event linked to the Bohemian Basin. On the occasion of its 2000th anniversary, the author considers the methodological problems attendant upon research into the early Roman period in Bohemia. Taking examples from the chronology of archaeological horizons, the migrations of ethnic units, Roman imports and the Roman campaign of 6 AD itself, the article demonstrates the fact that Czech archaeology has traditionally prioritised written over archaeological sources. Much if the data on which researchers rely, however, cannot be proven in the written record: often, they are merely the conjectures and interpretations of historians. This article highlights the methodological unjustifiability of creating archaeological constructs that are dependent on such conjectures.
Achillea asplenifolia Vent. is one of three central European diploid species (together with A. setacea Waldst. et Kit. and A. roseoalba Ehrend.) of the A. millefolium group. Its taxonomic and phytogeographic account from the central European perspective is given mainly on the basis of herbarium and field studies. The synonymy of A. asplenifolia includes A. millefolium var. crustata Rochel and A. scabra Host; both names are typified here. No variation deserving taxonomic recognition was observed. From the taxonomic point of view, A. asplenifolia is a clearly delimited species. It grows in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, and Romania. From the phytogeographic point of view, it can be classified as a Pannonian geoelement with overlaps to Transylvania and to the marginal parts of the eastern Mediterranean. Within the Czech Republic, its distribution range includes only the warmest and driest part of southern Moravia, with the northernmost site situated near the town of Vyškov. In southern Moravia, A. asplenifolia was confined to extrazonal habitats, mainly to islands of halophilous vegetation such as moist saline meadows (formerly used as pastures) and lowland fens rich in mineral nutrients, but most of the sites were destroyed. Out of six or seven localities preserved up to present, only two host vital populations.
Eleven plants of Asplenium platyneuron (ebony spleenwort) were found in disturbed serpentine woodland in south-central Slovakia (Central Europe). This find represents a new addition to the fern flora of Europe. It is probably the result of long-distance spore dispersal. The nearest known sites for this species are those in eastern North America, about 6500 km away. The important determination characters of A. platyneuron are described, the Slovakian locality characterized and an overview of the ecology and a map of the worldwide distribution of this species provided.
Cyperus eragrostis Lam. was first recorded in the Czech Republic in an empty water reservoir at Jablonec nad Nisou (N Bohemia) in 1999. In this study, herbarium specimens of C. eragrostis in large herbaria in the Czech Republic were revised and the invasion of Europe by this species was reviewed. A brief description of C. eragrostis is given, distribution map of the temporal course of its invasion is presented and the species’ ecology in Europe characterized. Accompanying vegetation and results of the analyses of soil from the site are described. How the plant reached this locality remains unknown. The occurrence was only ephemeral as the only tussock was destroyed when the water reservoir was refilled.
The formation and maintenance of polyploids (via the development of various reproductive barriers) rank among the central questions of studies on polyploid evolution. However, the long time scale of most evolutionary processes makes the study of the dynamics of diploid-polyploid groups difficult. A suitable candidate for a targeted comparative study is Vicia cracca (Fabaceae), which in the late 1960s was subjected to a detailed cytotype screening in Central Europe. Re-sampling the original localities offers a unique opportunity to assess changes in the ploidy structure of the populations, which should reflect the cumulative effect of all the evolutionary forces acting on the plants. Using flow cytometry, the DNA ploidy levels of more than 6,500 individuals of V. cracca collected at 257 localities in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany and the Slovak Republic were estimated. Three different cytotypes (2x, 3x and 4x) were detected. While tetraploids predominated in the western part of the area investigated (179 populations), the diploids had a more easterly distribution (62 populations). There is a secondary zone of cytotype contact near the boundary between the Czech and Slovak Republics. Sixteen populations (~6%) consisted of a mixture of 2x and 4x cytotypes. Triploids are very rare; only seven individuals were found in two otherwise diploid populations, indicating the existence of breeding barriers between diploids and tetraploids. The distribution of cytotypes is similar to that determined four decades ago using chromosome counts. Nevertheless, there are some discrepancies, namely the current absence of: (i) the diploid cytotype in southern Bohemia and (ii) the altitudinal segregation in the distribution of cytotypes, including two formerly recognized chromosomal races of diploids, perhaps a result of more representative sampling. Identical monoploid genome sizes (1Cx-values) of both the majority ploidy levels support an autopolyploid origin of the tetraploids.
A detailed study of Taraxacum sect. Ruderalia for the 8th volume of the Flora of the Czech Republic revealed five new agamospermous species, viz. T. atroviride Štěpánek et Trávníček, T. clarum Kirschner, Štěpánek et Trávníček, T. moldavicum Chán, H. Ollgaard, Štěpánek, Trávníček et Žíla, T. urbicola Kirschner, Štěpánek et Trávníček and T. violaceifrons Trávníček. These species are formally described, thoroughly characterized morphologically and compared with similar taxa. They are known from numerous localities in Central Europe; T. moldavicum, in addition to the Central European distribution, is known to occur in two regions in Denmark. All these species are also documented by photographs of their general habit and important features.
The invasion of Paulownia tomentosa (Paulowniaceae), a new alien tree species in Central Europe, native to China, is analysed. By using its distribution in Austria, the invasion of this country is analysed in detail. The first reports of P. tomentosa in Austria were in the 1960s in Vienna. Since then, the number of sites has increased exponentially, with a total of 151 sites in 27 grid cells of the Floristic Mapping project of Austria. The number of sites per grid cell is strongly positively correlated with the minimum residence time in grid cell, which explains 86% of the deviance in the general linear model (GLM). The localities are confined to warm lowland areas (below 450 m altitude) and are concentrated in cities, with 90% of all localities recorded in cities with > 100,000 inhabitants. Paulownia tomentosa typically occurs in small populations of less then 10 individuals (83% of all records) and behaves as a pioneer species colonizing mainly disturbed urban habitats. Near-natural habitats, e.g. forest clearings and riparian shrubberies are rarely colonized. In extremely disturbed areas, the average number of vascular plant species is low (8.9 species), as is total plant cover (17%). As P. tomentosa is currently mostly confined to synanthropic habitats in urban areas, the invasion is not yet a nature conservation issue. In the future, predicted climate change might allow P. tomentosa to spread beyond its current distribution. The habitat preference in the eastern USA indicates that further spread of P. tomentosa in Central Europe might be accompanied by a switch to more natural habitats, e.g. forest clearings and forest margins. Thus, the future spread of this species should be closely monitored.
The agamosporous and taxonomically critical Dryopteris affinis group was investigated as part of a cytogeographic and morphometric study of ferns in Central Europe. Material from 27 localities in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Austria was sampled and evaluated using both morphometric multivariate and karyological analyses. Chromosome counts and flow cytometric analyses revealed the existence of two distinct triploid taxa (2n = 123) of differing genome size, which correspond to D. borreri and D. cambrensis, and of a rare pentaploid hybrid (2n = 205) D. ×critica (D. borreri × D. filix-mas). Morphometric analyses confirmed a clear separation between both triploid taxa. New quantitative characters were selected based on a discriminant analyses, and a key for the identification of the species is presented.
Dry calcareous grassland is one of the most species-rich and endangered ecosystem in Central Europe. Despite the dramatic loss of grassland in the second half of the 20th century due to abandonment of agricultural land or afforestation, new grasslands developed on former arable land. The main objective of this studywas to assess the effect of age on the vegetation and habitat properties of calcareous grasslands. We found that the history (former land use, age of habitats) of grassland localities has had a fundamental effect both on the species composition of the vegetation and habitat properties. Significant differences were found, especially in soil reaction and water-holding capacity. Therefore, we can state that both history and habitat properties determine the recent species composition pattern. Consequently, it was possible to identify species indicating the historical status of the grasslands. Indicators of ancient grassland (i.e., patches continuously used as pastures at least since 1830) could be assigned to typical Festuco-Brometea species but also more widespread grassland species such as Carex flacca, Buphthalmum salicifolium, Carlina vulgaris, Cirsium acaule, Hippocrepis comosa and Scabiosa columbaria. Indicators of recent grasslands (i.e., patches temporarily farmed as arable fields after 1830) belong to different phytosociological classes: Festuco-Brometea, Molinio-Arrhenatheretea, Trifolio-Geranietea sanguinei and Secalietea cerealis. Festuco-Brometea species restricted to recent grasslands were e.g. Thymus pulegioides subsp. carniolicus, Stachys alpina, Rhinanthus alectorolophus and Onobrychis viciifolia. The two latter species are survivors from the former arable cultivation, the first was an arable weed and the second a widespread fodder plant, but are now considered to be characteristic species of calcareous grasslands. Therefore, we claim that the occurrence of these species indicate calcareous grasslands that were previously arable fields and that recent grasslands are a monument to historical land use. Rare and/or endangered species were not only found in ancient but also in recent grasslands. Furthermore, recent grasslands have a high species diversity. Thus both, ancient and recent calcareous grasslands should be considered equally valuable from a nature-conservation point of view.
Text shrnuje archeologické prameny pro studium hrnčířské výroby na území České republiky, Slovenska a Polska v raném středověku. Zaměřuje se na nálezy z hrnčířských dílen, včetně hrnčířských pecí shromážděných v samostatném katalogu na konci práce, a výběrově také na doklady distribuce keramiky. Nálezy jsou pojednány nejen z důvodů bilance archeologických pramenů, ale také se zřetelem k otázce specializace a organizace výroby v raných státech sledované části Evropy. and The text summarizes archaeological sources for the study of pottery production in the territory of the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland in the early medieval period. The text focuses on finds from pottery workshops, including pottery kilns, collected in a separate catalogue at the end of the work, as well as on selected evidence on the subject of the distribution of ceramics. Finds are discussed not only for reasons of reviewing archaeological sources, but also with regard to the question of the specialization and organization of production in the early states in the studied parts of Europe.