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Diversity and taxonomy of fungi inhabiting extremely acidic and saline soils of natural and anthropogenic origin in the Czech Republic
Hujslová, Martina ; Kubátová, Alena (advisor) ; Tomšovský, Michal (referee) ; Gunde-Cimerman, Nina (referee)
Highly acidic environments represent some of the most extreme habitats for the microbial growth. For a long time it has been assumed that these sites are populated exclusively by prokaryotes. However recently, eukaryotic organisms including fungi have been found to be abundant and important component of acidophilic communities. Concerning fungal diversity only fragmentary data are available indicating that highly acidic sites harbour specific and low-diversified fungal communities dominated by dematiaceous fungi. In the present work we focused on the cultivable mycobiota occupying highly acidic (pH < 3) soils which are at the same time saline (sulfate-rich) and are located at geographically isolated localities in the Czech Republic. This study should provide a deep insight into the diversity and biogeographical pattern of acidophilic/tolerant fungi. A combination of classical and specialized cultivation techniques was successfully applied since it significantly contributed to the broadening of the detected fungal spectrum. The revealed fungal assemblages inhabiting highly acidic sites worldwide are closely similar and differ from the ones known from less acidic habitats. The core of the fungal assemblage under study consisted of phylogenetically unrelated and often globally distributed fungi...
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The importance of water sources for space-use of mammals in African savannah
Homoláč, David ; Hořák, David (advisor) ; Brandlová, Karolína (referee)
African savannas are seasonal ecosystems experiencing a significant dry period each year. During the dry season, water scarcity has both, spatial and temporal consequences on the movements of large mammals. Some mammals can cope with these resource restrictions better than others. These water independent mammals predominantly feed on browse (giraffe, kudu, eland) and can be found further from water sources. However, these mammals can utilize areas near rivers as these areas provide food resources. Water dependent species are predominantly grazers and non-ruminants (zebra, wildebeest, elephant). Water shortage during a dry season restricts the movements of these species, which can be generally found in the vicinity of water bodies. Carnivore species (lions) react on the spatial restrictions of ungulates by adjusting their hunting areas to the vicinity of water sources. Both intra-guild (African wild dog) and inter-gild prey species (ungulates) develop anti-predatory strategies such as temporal and spatial segregation. African wild dogs use dens far from water points and ungulate species use to drink during daytime when lions are not active. Spatial and temporal segregation are also strategies to cope with competitors. Daily patterns of water point visitations can vary suggesting other factors...
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Life history strategies of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi
Fričová, Renata ; Janoušková, Martina (advisor) ; Kohout, Petr (referee)
Arbuscular mycorrhiza is a symbiotic interaction of vascular plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi from subphylum Glomeromycotina. Currently, it is difficult to predict the population dynamics of AM fungal communities, mainly because little is known about their life-history strategies. However, it is clear that AM fungi differ in a range of traits. Physiological and ecological differences between AM fungi can affect the outcome of their competition as well as cooperation with the plant symbiont and the successional dynamics of the whole community. In order to advance our knowledge of AM fungal life-history strategies, it is crucial to deepen our understanding of the traits and factors that modify interactions between the symbionts. This bachelor thesis is designed as a literature survey aimed at summarizing knowledge about functional traits of AM fungi and the impact of these traits on their life-history strategies. Key words: arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, life-history strategies, host plant, traits, mycelium, colonization, competition, community, succession
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Plant-soil feedback and its interactions with other factors determining plant coexistence
Opravilová, Tereza ; Kuťáková, Eliška (advisor) ; Čuda, Jan (referee)
Plant-soil feedback has been a well-studied mechanism in recent years of the success of invasive plants, the shift of species in succession, and the structure of plant communities in general. It is a process during which the plant affects the soil with its growth and these changes are reflected in the growth of other plants. Despite the large number of previous studies, relatively little attention is paid to the interaction of plant-soil feedback with other factors, which I consider important for understanding its role in natural plant communities. The aim of the work was to clarify the influence of plant-soil feedback on model species Arrhenatherum elatius and Centaurea scabiosa and to compare its influence with other factors - interspecific competition and herbivory (simulated loss of aboveground biomass). The influence of factors was investigated using biomass and changes in plant physiology, specifically chlorophyll fluorescence and the content of elements in aboveground biomass. The plant-soil feedback mechanism of the model species was assessed using the content of elements in the soil after cultivation. In the biomass of the species Arrhenatherum elatius, the factors of plant-soil feedback and competition manifested themselves in mutual interaction, when the presence of a competitor changed...
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Effect of competition on resprouting and sprout growth of temperate trees
Patra, Lukáš
Presented thesis is focused on competition, sprout growth and resprouting ability of temperate trees. The main aim was to analyse the effect of competition on resprouting success and sprout growth of selected trees. Calculations are based on sprout size measurements of selected resprouting trees on pre-existing TARMAG II experimental plot near Soběšice, the Czech Republic. Appropriate allometric equations were used to determine biomass of individual trees and pre- and post-harvest competition indices. Statistical analysis disclosed that pre-harvest and post-harvest competition can significantly affect sprout growth of temperate trees, but can differ among species and has variable effect onto the growth. Results also clearly showed that pre-harvest competition did not affect resprouting ability of Quercu spetraea. The results indicate that thinning of sprouts in the early stage of coppice development could support sprout growth and thus biomass production.
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Struktura dospělého vrchovinného smrkového porostu
Světlík, Jan
In last decades, intensive research of the forest trees biomass increment changes has realized in the context of the presumed global change because forest stands have shown crucial share on the carbon storage in the global scale. Relationships between tree dendrometric parameters and forest tree biomass using allometric equations or expansion factors are still solved insufficiently. Changes of the structure of the adult highland spruce stand at the study site of Rájec (the Drahanská vrchovina Highland) in 2009 - 2012 and allometric equations and expansion factors determined for an aboveground biomass of the studied stand (and its single fractions) are described in the present study. Belowground biomass of the studied stand was estimated using known allometric relationship. Diameter at the tree breast height was suitable parameter for the estimation of the stem biomass volume (with and without bark) and it was the suitable input parameter for most allometric equations for the estimation of the aboveground biomass or its single fractions. Significance of tree competition to estimate tree biomass was established. Thus, using competition parameters in allometric equations is appropriate in some cases. There was calculated expansion factor for the aboveground biomass 1,30 and for the belowground biomass 1,18 in the studied adult spruce stand.
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Night games summary for adolescents
Soukupová, Kateřina ; Psohlavec, Lukáš (advisor) ; Brtník, Tomáš (referee)
Title: Night games summary for adolescents Objectives: Creation of a summary of nocturnal games for adolescent age category, which can be played outside and inside, with different focus objects and defining of the criteria for making of this type of games. Methods: This is a theoretical work, written in the form of literary research. The base for creation of the summary of nocturnal games was an analysis of a professional literature. Results: Creation of the summary of nocturnal games, which focused of cooperation and competition. The write up of the criteria for their making and practically explaining them on an example. Conclusion: The contribution of this paper is the summary of nocturnal games, which can be used by all, who have interest in this topic and defining of the criteria for their successful making and realization of this type of games. Keywords: game, significance of games, contribution of games, darkness, stress, competition, cooperation
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Determinants of abundances in terrestrial vertebrates
Kundelová, Tereza ; Storch, David (advisor) ; Sedláček, Ondřej (referee)
The abundance of animals differs between species, however, they also vary in area and time. These differences relate to biotic and abiotic factors as well as to ecological characteristics of particular species. Studies focusing on these factors are aiming to answer the question; how and what influences the abundance of these species. Besides clarifying the dependence of abundance on particular factors, studies also try to ascertain which key factors are necessary for the determination of abundance. The most frequently studied factor is body size, but trophic level, specialization, net primary productivity, and competition also play a significant role in determination. However, all these factors explain only a small proportion of interspecific variability in abundances. This thesis focuses on terrestrial vertebrates; however, mainly on birds and mammals; since, these two taxa are the most studied. Key words: abundance, population density, terrestrial vertebrates, body size, competition, energy flux
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Social cognition in birds Testing under laboratory conditions
Vondráčková, Nikola ; Nekovářová, Tereza (advisor) ; Fuchs, Roman (referee)
The thesis focuses on avian social cognition and its experimental methods in laboratory environment. Social cognition is the ability to know each other based on individual experience. Perception, attention, reasoning, memory and communication are the necessary cognitive competence of social cognition. Some cognitive domains are exclusively in social cognition - for example communication, theory of mind etc. Species of birds living in social groups constitute the social environment in which individuals respond to each other. Research subject of this thesis consists of these social interactions. Emphasis is placed mainly on parrots and corvids. The aim of this study is to review methods which have been used in order to test social cognition as well as critical evaluation of these methods. Key words: social cognition, cooperation, competition, laboratory tests
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