The composition of cryptogam (bryophyte and lichen) communities on fallen logs was studied in two old-growth forests in the Czech Republic. Altogether, 85 species (22 liverworts, 44 mosses, and 19 lichens) were recorded. The presence and abundance of the different species on 350 logs was attributed to habitat factors (e.g. humidity, wood decay, wood softness, log diameter, bark cover, thickness of humus layer and tree species) that were recorded separately for each of the logs. The aim was to identify the factors significantly affecting the composition of cryptogam communities. For the different ecological groups of species (epiphytes, epixylic species, and ground flora) forwarded canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) selected thickness of humus layer and tree species as the factors explaining most variability. In addition, the extent of log surface covered by bark, humidity and log decay were selected as significant determinants of cryptogam community composition.
Cucujus cinnaberinus (Scopoli, 1763) is a saproxylic beetle listed in the IUCN Red List and the European Habitats Directive. Although the species is highly protected and often red-listed little is known about its ecological requirements and status of its populations. Therefore, our main aims were to review its current and historical distributions and status of C. cinnaberinus populations in Europe and to determine its recent habitat preferences at the landscape level in the Czech Republic, where the increasing number of records over the last few years indicates a possible increase in abundance of this beetle. Cucujus cinnaberinus is closely associated with soft-wood and broad leaved trees and is able to colonize man-made habitats from persisting local populations if there is a sufficient supply of suitable dead wood. This beetle is not restricted to old-growth forests or even relict woodland, as previously reported, but currently predominantly inhabits abandoned planted stands of trees like lignicultures or avenues, which have an open canopy. Colonization of stands dominated by hybrid poplars probably resulted in the recent increase in the number of records of this species in the central European countries. However, this could present problems for the protection of this species in future, because the trees in these stands are gradually dying and are not being replaced. The decline and extinction of C. cinnaberinus on the northern and southern edges of its distribution was probably caused by the absence of soft-wooded broadleaved trees in intensively managed forests and other more suitable habitats.
Chráněná krajinná oblast Beskydy je charakteristická zachovalými pralesovitými porosty i pastvinami, jež po staletí obhospodařovali místní lidé. Množství dnes už vzácných a z krajiny mizejících biotopů představuje útočiště řady ohrožených organismů včetně mnoha druhů brouků. Významnou skupinou jsou především druhy žijící v tlejícím dřevě a pod kůrou mrtvých stromů. Díky nezanedbatelnému zastoupení jedle bělokoré (Abies alba) i množství dostupné odumřelé dřevní hmoty můžeme dodnes v beskydských rezervacích nalézt brouky, kteří již na téměř celém území České republiky vyhynuli., Well-preserved remnants of old-growth forests and pastures managed for hundreds of years are typical for this area. A substantial representation of fir trees and large volumes of decaying wood support populations of several beetle species considered extremely rare/extinct in other parts of the Czech Republic. A few species have gone extinct in the Moravian-Silesian Beskids, mainly because of the abandonment of traditional management. Other species have recently been recorded in this area for the first time., and Jiří Procházka, Jiří Schlaghamerský.
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