The distribution of Galeopsis ladanum in Germany and adjacent regions was determined by a revision of specimens of Galeopsis subgen. Ladanum in major Central European herbaria. This distribution was compared with that indicated in plant atlases. For the west of Germany, beyond the range of G. ladanum, plant atlases are often misleading as they indicate the presence of this species throughout two German states and Luxembourg, but no herbarium records could be found for these regions. In other federal states, herbarium material indicated a historical distribution that is not reflected in plant atlases. Some Red Data Books give wrong assessments of the degree of endangerment. Exaggerated ranges are mapped if (i) guide books are misleading, (ii) recorders are unfamiliar with the species and (iii) similar species exist.
The question whether the European wildcat, adapted to cooler climate than other small to medium sized felids, shows changes in body mass or size in response to climate change as indicated for other animals is addressed. The literature yielded body mass data of individual specimens covering the time span from about 1860 to 1960. Also the records of collections were accessed to record weight and body length. These mainly cover the time after 1950. Additionally, three cranial measures, gsl, cbl and zw were measured as indicators of size in the collections representing Germany and Slovakia. Museum records of weight from the last 60 years alone do
not show a statistically significant change over time or mean annual temperature. But they do so for body length. The combined data from literature and collections from both regions show a statistically significant decrease in weight over time. As the samples from the literature and museum records represent different time periods, prior to and after 1950, it is difficult to decide if the literature data might be unrealistically high or if there was a real decrease in weight. The German and Slovakian samples differ statistically in the studied parameters, which complicates the picture. Overall the indications of changes in size of wildcats with time or mean annual temperature are not consistent in the studied regions and therefore difficult to assess. Even though there is ample material and substantial literature the collected specimens in the collections do mainly represent relatively short time periods and the available data on weight are also
unevenly distributed in time. This supports the necessity to collect large series of specimens over time.
In addition to providing subsistence and consumable resources, one of the most important features of water is the ability to provide transport and communication between geographically separated areas. In both uses, vehicles play a key role. While current research into boats and ships on the seas is relatively well recognised, recent results in the area of inland waterways seem to be barely taken into account in current investigations. Too foten scientist have to rely on an otdate state of research, but in fact several findings have laterl been re-edited and presented. This article provides an updated look at the subject of inland navigation in the Early and Hig Middle Ages and focuses especially on current pbuliactions or those that are difficult to obtain. Further, an overview on the state of research in neighbouring countries is offered, thereby presenting a fuller view of the subject´s potentional., Lars Kröger., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Chromosome numbers for 239 plants from 84 localities in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Germany and Poland are given. Most of the populations were pentaploid (2n = 45), while hexaploid (2n = 54) and tetraploid (2n = 36) populations were rarer. A long marker chromosome was observed in plants from 8 pentaploid populations. Tetraploid plants occurred mainly in Slovakia and Hungary. In the Czech Republic and Germany, most populations were pentaploid. Hexaploid populations (2n = 54) were rare but scattered over the entire study area. The co-occurrence of two different cytotypes was documented at 7 sites. Most tetraploids were fully sexual and only a few tetraploid plants from Poland were apomictic; pentaploid and hexaploid plants were apomictic. Two morphotypes of H. bauhini were distinguished: tetraploid and hexaploid plants from Slovakia and Hungary, and some hexaploid plants from the Czech Republic were assigned to the H. magyaricum group, while tetraploids and hexaploids from the Czech Republic and Poland plus all pentaploids belong to the H. bauhini group.
At present, the catalogue of early mediaval bridges in the nort-western part of territory with Slavic settlement contains 81 localities: 47 in Germany and 34 in Poland. In some of them more than one bridge (2 to 3 structure) was documented, bringing the total number of bridges to 101. Construction dates, different prhases in the lives of the bridges and dates ranges for when they were reapired were obtained based on dendrochronology and spartial-chronological analysis. The present anaylsis deals with 48 bridges from 37 localities in north-west Slavic territory: 22 in Germany and 16 in Poland. In 16 cases more or less probable reconstructions have been made and four basic types of bridges ascertained., Gerard Wilke., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Three new species of the genus Alchemilla are reported from the Bohemian Forest (Šumava Mts). A. glabricaulis occurs in the Czech Republik and Germany and represents a new species in Central Europe. Both A. baltica and A. cymatophylla occur only in the Czech part of the Bohemian Forest. Overview of taxa so far reported from the region is given.