Density and distribution of red deer (Cervus elaphus L., 1758) and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus L., 1758) in relation to habitat structure and distribution of food sources was studied using simple faeces transects and monitoring plots during winter in a floodplain forest along the Morava River. Deer densities detected on monitoring plots and parallel simple faeces transects were comparable, so we used the faeces transects, thus enabling us to gather data from a larger part of study area. Densities of both species were relatively high (red and roe deer; 9.6 and 7.0 ind./km2 respectively). Red deer preferred forest stands with dense (60–80 %) cover and a diversified shrub layer (more than three tree species). Roe deer mainly used old stands of age 50–99 years with a high cover of canopy layer and conversely low cover of herb layer, dominated by bramble. A positive relationship between the distributions of both species was detected. Inter-specific spatial interference was not observed, despite their high densities in the study area.
Information on the dispersal ability of flightless insect species associated with woodlands is severely lacking. Therefore, a study was conducted examining the dispersal ability of wood cricket (Nemobius sylvestris) juveniles (nymphs) and adults in a wooded landscape on the Isle of Wight, UK, to further our understanding of the ecology and management of this and other flightless insects. A series of experiments were conducted where nymphs and adults were released and observed at a range of spatial-temporal scales within different habitat environments. The results of this investigation indicated no difference in the dispersal ability of wood cricket nymphs and adults. However, adult females moved less than adult males. Adult males were found to spread twice as fast as females, and males were found capable of traversing up to 55 m away from woodland habitat through semi-natural and grazed grassland. Additionally, rates of population spread of both wood cricket nymphs and adults (males and females) were found to be accurately described by the inverse-power function, predicting only few individuals dispersing over time. Together this indicates that overall colonization success and rate of population spread, being female dependent, is likely to be low for this species. Wood crickets were found to live in and able to move along mature woodland edges directly bordering agricultural land. This indicates that conservation initiatives focusing on creating woodland corridors and developing woodland habitat networks have the potential to facilitate the spread and population viability of wood crickets, if the woodland edges are given enough time to develop. However, long-term monitoring is needed to evaluate the overall effectiveness of such approaches. and Niels C. BROUWERS, Adrian C. NEWTON, Sallie BAILEY.
Nutrient-rich terrestric habitats form small areas in the peaty alluvial plain of upper stream of the Vltava river. Their vegetation consists of birch and grey alder alluvial woodland, willow and bridewort scrub and tall grassland of sedges, grasses and forbs. A hypothesis that this vegetation is an Early Holocene relic is presented. The relict origin is supported by recent dynamics of habitats and vegetation, findings of palynology, palaeoecology and history of land use, and by the analogical composition and history of relict vegetation of northernmost Europe. The refugial effect of the habitat is suggested by stable conditions on high temporal and spatial scales, and by permanent reclaiming of open gaps along the stream.
The great capricorn beetle or Cerambyx longicorn (Cerambyx cerdo, Linnaeus, 1758) is an internationally protected umbrella species representing the highly diverse and endangered fauna associated with senescent oaks. For the conservation and monitoring of populations of C. cerdo it is important to have a good knowledge of its microhabitat requirements. We investigated determinants and patterns of C. cerdo distribution within individual old, open-grown oaks. Trees inhabited by this species were climbed, and the number of exit holes and environmental variables recorded at two sites in the Czech Republic. Distribution of exit holes in relation to height above the ground, trunk shading by branches, orientation in terms of the four cardinal directions, diameter, surface and volume of inhabited tree parts were investigated. This study revealed that the number of exit holes in the trunks of large open-grown oaks was positively associated with the diameter of the trunk and openness and negatively with height above the ground, and the effects of diameter and openness changed with height. The number of exit holes in the surface of a trunk was also associated with the cardinal orientation of the surface. Approximately half of both C. cerdo populations studied developed less than 4 m and approximately a third less than 2 m above the ground. This indicates that most C. cerdo develop near the ground. Active management that prevents canopy closure is thus crucial for the survival of C. cerdo and searching for exit holes is an effective method of detecting sites inhabited by this species., Jan Albert, Michal Platek, Lukas Cizek., and Obsahuje seznam literatury