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Seasonal dynamics of mats composed by green alga Zygnema (Zygnematophyceae)
Trumhová, Kateřina
The mats formed by Zygnema spp. are well known and frequently found in streams, puddles, seepages, and ponds. Owing to the low and inconsistent water quantity of these biotopes, algae are periodically subjected to stresses like desiccation, freezing, or strong solar radiation. Recent studies have revealed that Zygnema survives various stresses in pre-akinetes, modified resistant vegetative cells. However, earlier experiments mostly aimed at osmotic stress and desiccation. Moreover, the mats formed by these algae have seasonal dynamics that have been observed several times, not only in temperate conditions but also in the Arctic. Field observations revealed that most of the biomass is periodically lost, and new mats are formed every year. Simultaneously, we know little about the genetic composition of the mats and how it changes over time; previous work has focused mainly on the mats as an entirety. Therefore, this work mainly aimed to subject the mats formed by the algae Zygnema spp. to long-term observation and subsequent experiments. We selected a region in the Austrian Alps, which we visited several times a year, and sampled two sites with different water regimes. Further research in collaboration with colleagues occurred in the Arctic. Zygnema spp. strains were subsequently isolated from the...
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Seasonal dynamics of mats composed by green alga Zygnema (Zygnematophyceae)
Trumhová, Kateřina ; Pichrtová, Martina (advisor) ; Remias, Daniel (referee) ; Žárský, Jakub (referee)
The mats formed by Zygnema spp. are well known and frequently found in streams, puddles, seepages, and ponds. Owing to the low and inconsistent water quantity of these biotopes, algae are periodically subjected to stresses like desiccation, freezing, or strong solar radiation. Recent studies have revealed that Zygnema survives various stresses in pre-akinetes, modified resistant vegetative cells. However, earlier experiments mostly aimed at osmotic stress and desiccation. Moreover, the mats formed by these algae have seasonal dynamics that have been observed several times, not only in temperate conditions but also in the Arctic. Field observations revealed that most of the biomass is periodically lost, and new mats are formed every year. Simultaneously, we know little about the genetic composition of the mats and how it changes over time; previous work has focused mainly on the mats as an entirety. Therefore, this work mainly aimed to subject the mats formed by the algae Zygnema spp. to long-term observation and subsequent experiments. We selected a region in the Austrian Alps, which we visited several times a year, and sampled two sites with different water regimes. Further research in collaboration with colleagues occurred in the Arctic. Zygnema spp. strains were subsequently isolated from the...
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Year-round specialists? Habitat niches of migratory birds on breeding and non-breeding grounds
Zálišová, Jaromíra ; Procházka, Petr (advisor) ; Reif, Jiří (referee)
Migratory birds undertake challenging journeys over vast distances each year to cope with seasonality in their environment and to exploit peaks in seasonal resources. The environments in which they are found in these geographically distinct regions over the course of the annual cycle vary considerably, forcing them to cope with a wide range of conditions. By examining whether migratory birds are year-round specialists that follow their niche or generalists that inhabit a broader range of habitats, we can better understand their ecology and the conservation implications associated with global change. However, our knowledge of habitat selection across seasons is still limited. This thesis aimed to explore and evaluate, through a literature review, existing knowledge on habitat selection by migratory bird species on breeding and wintering grounds. Emphasis was placed on the mechanisms influencing habitat selection, including geographical and anthropogenic influences, as well as to clarify the ecological requirements and potential specialization of migratory birds during their annual cycle. The current literature shows that migratory birds are most likely less opportunistic than previously thought, but a comprehensive analysis of data on habitat use by individual species is still missing and I would...
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Movements within non-breeding grounds in terrestrial migratory birds
Kadlecová, Barbora ; Brlík, Vojtěch (advisor) ; Remeš, Vladimír (referee)
In recent years, the ecology of migratory birds has been a frequently studied subject especially due to modern tracking technologies. However, facts about behaviour of migratory birds on wintering areas are still limited. This thesis gathers information about movements within non-breeding grounds and stationary behaviour of terrestrial birds on wintering areas and about reasons of the movements. The majority of described movements occurred in Africa and South America and they were usually made by insectivorous songbirds. Majority of published data describes long-distance movements above 100 km. The most discussed factor of the movements was an availability of food which is affected by vegetation and the seasonal weather. Apart from the environmental factors I considered inner factors too, e. g. age or sex of birds. I also proposed some additional factors as a potential cause of movements within non-breeding grounds. The information about movements on wintering areas could serve as ground for further research of the behaviour of birds on wintering grounds, the influence of environmental conditions on the ecology of migratory birds and the information could also improve the protection of migratory birds.
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Seasonality of reproduction in tropical birds
Kačírek, Vojtěch ; Sedláček, Ondřej (advisor) ; Tomášek, Oldřich (referee)
The aim of of this paper is to summarize the knowledge of reproduction seasonality of tropical birds. Work includes characteristics of individual tropical environment and changes in abiotic conditions, focusing on the question, in what sense are tropics aseasonal and what is not. The work includes an overview of methodologies for collecting data during field research focused on monitoring reproduction in birds. The main part of this work is to compare the differences between biogeographic regions, regions and their stimuli, which most commonly lead to the creation of seasonal reproduction, followed by a comparison of individual functional groups of birds (food guilds). Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
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Cementochronology and its importance in forensic anthropology and bioarchaeology: a comparison between individuals of different climatic zones
Pytlíčková, Kristýna ; Brůžek, Jaroslav (advisor) ; Velemínský, Petr (referee)
In the field of forensic anthropology and bioarchaeology, there is a constant search for more suitable and reliable methods that would allow the estimation of age and seasonality at the time of death of individuals. This work is devoted to the method of cementochronology. It is a method that works with continuously growing dental tissue - a cement layer, whose regular periodic growth is closely correlated with increasing age. The diploma thesis is based on 2 sets of teeth of individuals of known age and extraction season, which come from different geographically different populations - Czech and Malaysian. The group of the Czech population contains a total of 21 teeth, the group of the Malaysian population contains 11 teeth. Histological specimens were prepared from these samples and 5 sections were analyzed from each individual, in which the incremental lines of the root cement layer were counted and the nature of the last incremental line to estimate seasonality. The results of age estimation achieved by us in both groups, the Czech and Malaysian populations, were close to the chronological age of the individual. The average difference between these ages in the samples of the Czech population was 1,15 years, with the results being overestimated more often. The average difference in the sample of...
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Application of bioacoustic approaches in investigation of bird species interactions and community species richness
Vokurková, Jana ; Sedláček, Ondřej (advisor) ; Remeš, Vladimír (referee) ; Szymański, Paweł (referee)
Birdsong is one of the most fascinating communication tools in the animal kingdom, whether it is used for attracting a mate or in territory defense. In my dissertation, I present evidence that we can successfully study the role of birdsong in territorial behaviour, its seasonal variability, and ultimately its role in evolutionary processes thanks to modern bioacoustic and ecoacoustic approaches. By combining the bioacoustic approach with molecular analyses, I demonstrate that in the model system of two closely related passerine species, the heterospecific song convergence in their secondary contact zone is based on cultural transmission, and not on interspecific hybridisation and/or gene introgression. My dissertation further extends into the tropical zone, which is generally characterized by less pronounced environmental seasonality compared to the temperate zone. The study of potential seasonality in singing activity and the proportion of vocalizing species in this zone therefore requires year-round monitoring, which is possible thanks to the quite recent development of automated recording units (ARU). First, we confirmed that using ARU provides very similar estimates of community composition, species richness, and abundance to traditional field methods (point counts) in the specific conditions...
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Bioacoustic pattern of a bat community: seasonal dynamics of bat communities in the Kruger NP, SAR.
Staňková, Markéta ; Horáček, Ivan (advisor) ; Bartonička, Tomáš (referee)
Analyzes of bat echolocation calls enable to investigate diverse patterns of bat communities without the need for contact manipulation with individuals. The continuous all-night acoustic recordings provide standardised data open to quantitative comparisons and testing effects of diverse contextual factors upon bat community structure. The multidisciplinary project MOSAIK (Monitoring Savanna Biodiversity in Kruger NP) mapping patterns of variation in savanna communities under different spatial and temporal influences includes bats as one of the model groups. At standardized monitoring points of the project (covering 20 different areas, each containing triplet points differing in access to the water surface: permanent, seasonal and the crests without a water source), all-night acoustic recordings of bats were undertaken over two seasons (using Song Meter recorders SM4BAT). All records were analyzed with aid of Kaleidoscope Pro software and cluster identification technique (with an input database developed by Weier et al. 2018 and Taylor et al. 2020) controlled by manual checking. Multiple comparisons of diverse coenologic variables of the particular samples were performed together with testing effects of associated contextual variables (geographic setting and climatic currents, seasons, vegetation,...
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Factors influencing diurnal activity of crayfish and its seasonality
Plasová, Kateřina ; Petrusek, Adam (advisor) ; Buřič, Miloš (referee)
Crayfish is mainly but not exclusively a nocturnal animal. The crayfish aktivity is taxon specific and can be further affected by various factors. The aim of this thesis is to create an overview of factors affecting the activity and to summarize their impact. Factors can be divided into those influencing daily activity and those influencing seasonal behaviour. This thesis focuses on discussing different reactions to the factors and its intensity by individual species. Insufficient data covering activity during the winter season offers an opportunity for further research. Key words: crayfish; daily activity; abiotic factors; biotic factors; seasonality
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Bird Communities Along the Altitudinal Gradient on Mt. Cameroon: Perspectives from Mist Nets
Petruf, Miroslav ; Sedláček, Ondřej (advisor) ; Lučan, Radek (referee)
in English Mt. Cameroon is a hotspot of diversity and endemism in Africa. Recent research of avian bird communities along the elevational gradient on Mt. Cameroon based on point counts has shown low-elevation plateau of species richness. At the same time, range-restricted montane populations of birds on Mt. Cameroon are unusually abundant if compared to lowland species. I analysed data on community composition, species richness and abundance of birds using an alternative quantitative method - 200 m of understory mist nets erected for three consecutive days across seven elevational plots along the forested gradient of the Mt. Cameroon. First, I looked at the technical limits of this method and confirmed the general opinion that they are better at detecting small birds below 33 g, and that they mostly detected fewer individuals after the first day and always detected fewer new species after the first day of mist-netting. Mist nets detected high proportions of ground-feeding and understory birds and low proportions of birds foraging in higher strata in the lowland forest, which has a scarce understory and a dense canopy. Mist nets recorded similar proportions of birds foraging in all forest strata in the vastly open mid-elevation forest, which has a dense herbaceous understory. They detected higher...
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