The expansion of urban areas is one of the most significant anthropogenic impacts on the natural landscape. Due to their sensitivity to stressors in both aquatic and terrestrial habitats, dragonflies and damselflies (the Odonata) may provide insights into the effects of urbanisation on biodiversity. However, while knowledge about the impacts of urbanisation on odonates is growing, there has not been a comprehensive review of this body of literature until now. This is the first systematic literature review conducted to evaluate both the quantity and topics of research conducted on odonates in urban ecosystems. From this research, 79 peer-reviewed papers were identified, the vast majority (89.87%) of which related to studies of changing patterns of biodiversity in urban odonate communities. From the papers regarding biodiversity changes, 31 were performed in an urban-rural gradient and 21 of these reported lower diversity towards built up city cores. Twelve of the cases of biodiversity loss were directly related to the concentrations of pollutants in the water. Other studies found higher concentrations of pollutants in odonates from built-up catchments and suggested that odonates such as Aeshna juncea and Platycnemis pennipes may be candidate indicators for particular contaminants. We conclude by identifying current research needs, which include the need for more studies regarding behavioural ecology and life-history traits in response to urbanisation, and a need to investigate the mechanisms behind diversity trends beyond pollution., Giovanna Villalobos-Jiménez, Alison M. Dunn, Christopher Hassall., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Epifytické lišejníky jakožto citlivé bioindikátory rychle reagují na změny v životním prostředí, zvláště na znečištění ovzduší. V období kyselých dešťů došlo v ČR k zásadní proměně epifytických společenstev. Existují však místa, která byla ovlivněna jen v menší míře a doposud zde přežívají vzácné druhy. Takové lokality můžeme považovat za novodobá refugia., Epiphytic lichens as sensitive bioindicators reflect changes in the environment (e.g. air pollution) very quickly. Acid rains occurring in the second half of the 20th century have considerably affected the epiphytic biota of the Czech Republic. However, there are several places, which have been less influenced and where rare lichens still survive. We consider such places to serve as recent refugia., and Jiří Malíček, Lada Syrovátková.
Článek pojednává o poněkud nenápadné hmyzí skupině našich vod - potápnících (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae). V ČR žije přes 130 druhů potápníků. Jsou důležitou součástí společenstev jako predátoři a mohou sloužit i k bioindikaci kvality vody. Řada druhů je ohrožena rozsáhlými změnami v krajině v posledních 50 letech, např. narovnáváním řek či eutrofizací rybníků a mokřadů., The article deals with somewhat inconspicuous aquatic insects in our waters - diving beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae). More than 130 species are present in the Czech Republic. They are an important part of aquatic communities as predators and may also serve as water quality biondicators. Many species have been threatened by large-scale changes in the landscape over the last 50 years, including regulation and damming of rivers and eutrophication of ponds and wetlands., and Vojtěch Kolář, David Boukal.