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Reproductive strategies of flowering plants in Afromontane grasslands along an elevational gradient on Mount Cameroon
Anýž, Dominik ; Tropek, Robert (advisor) ; Münzbergová, Zuzana (referee)
in English Montane conditions represent a relatively unfavorable climate for most plants and their pollinators. Consequently, zoogamous plant species growing at high elevations are expected to be pollen limited. According to the "reproductive assurance" and "transmission advantage" hypotheses, such pollen-limited plants will adapt more toward self-pollination than plants in communities with more reliable pollination. To test such predictions, I studied reproduction strategies and pollen limitation of ten zoogamous plant species at three elevations (2,800 m a.s.l. 3,500 m a.s.l. and 4,000 m a.s.l.) in montane grasslands on Mount Cameroon, West/Central Africa. I compared seed sets produces by plants with four treatments in our extensive hand-pollination experiments: autogamy, geitonogamy, outcrossing, and natural control. One experimental species was found to be self-incompatible, six species were partially self-compatible, and one was completely self-compatible and predominantly selfing. In five of these plant species, I compared the reproduction strategies and pollen limitation among the elevations. I found that pollen limitation did rise in two species, we expect this to be due to the fact that the species were already pollen limited at 2,800 m a.s.l. Contrary to the two hypotheses, selfing did...
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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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Mechanisms structuring arboreal ant communities along ecological gradients in New Guinea rainforests
PLOWMAN, Nichola Sarah
The thesis explores the community ecology and diversity of tropical ants, with a strong focus on the arboreal ants of Papua New Guinea rainforests. The aim was to investigate the drivers of community structure in these diverse communities, and how these change along the ecological gradients of elevation and forest succession. Using unique datasets from censuses of whole forest plots at low, mid and high elevation forests, the effects of vegetation structure and nest microhabitat use on ant community structure and diversity are compared across elevations. Furthermore, a community study of an understorey ant-plant mutualism was undertaken to explore elevational changes in interaction networks and the costs and benefits of mutualistic interaction. For lowland primary and secondary forest, taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of arboreal ant communities were quantified. In addition, aspects of the methodology of community functional diversity studies are examined, and suggested improvements to data handling in cases where full datasets are not available are discussed.
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Drivers of avian diversity on an altitudinal gradient of Mount Cameroon
Djomo Nana, Eric ; Hořák, David (advisor) ; Šálek, Miroslav (referee) ; Waltert, Matthias (referee)
Altitudinal gradients constitute a powerful test system for understanding distribution of species around the globe. Tropical mountains are quite rich in species even after controlling for environmental productivity, and are ideally suited for studying patterns of species distributions because they have had sufficient time for species to produce a response to environmental changes that affect their life histories. In this thesis, I investigate basic ecological mechanisms potentially behind avian distribution patterns along an altitudinal gradient in West-Central Africa. I used data collected with four methodological approaches (point counts, mist netting, random walks and artificial nest experiments) along an altitudinal gradient on Mt. Cameroon from October 2011 to September 2013. This work is focused on two interrelated themes: selection pressures on life histories (Chapters 1, 2, 3 & 4), and avian assemblage structures (Chapters 5 & 6). In the General Introduction, I present an overview of the study area with conservation implications of the study and my study objectives. In Chapters 1, 2 & 3, I investigate how selection pressures, i.e., nest predation and parasitism by haematozoa, affect bird assemblages. I used artificial nest experiments to assess nest predation rates in Chapters 1 & 2, and my...
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Classification of landslides in selected areas of the Ethiopian Highland
Schreiberová, Kateřina ; Vilímek, Vít (advisor) ; Kusák, Michal (referee)
CLASSIFICATION OF LANDSLIDES IN SELECTED AREAS OF THE ETHIOPIAN HIGHLAND ABSTRACT This thesis is an introduction to landslides and how they are triggered and occur on the tectonic pattern in the Ethiopian Highland, which borders with the Great Rift Valley. Included in this thesis are types of classifications of landslides. Especially on base of the main mechanics of mass wasting movement are the landslides classified in investigation part. The methodology of landslide investigation is based on remote sensing. Further discussed is the methodology used in landslide investigation in general, as well as the causes of downhill movements in landslide prone areas of the Ethiopian Highland. Keywords: landslides, Ethiopian Highland, remote sensing, elevation
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Automatic elevation and azimuth measurement system
Večeřa, Jindřich ; Kasal, Miroslav (referee) ; Záplata, Filip (advisor)
This bachelor´s thesis deals with an automatic elevation and azimuth measurement system, which will be used for antenna positioning. It is realized by using magnetometer and accelerometer. Important part of the system is tilt compensation and calibration for selected location. This system will send data to PC and also display them on LCD display. This project contains theory of measured quantities, method choice, component choice, realization of wiring, PCB design, programming device, testing device and accuracy determination.
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Servomechanical movement control of photovoltaic panel
Uher, Ondřej ; Voldán, Jiří (referee) ; Němec, Zdeněk (advisor)
Thesis deals with the introduction to the production of electricity using photovoltaic panels and the relative position between panels and the Sun. The project aim was to design equipment to ensure the vertical position of the solar panels towards the Sun during the day so as to achieve maximum energy gain from sunlight. Pointing mechanism will be governed by the date and time.
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Pension,riding-school
Latochová, Marcela ; Spáčilová, Jitka (referee) ; Spáčil, Miroslav (advisor)
Diploma thesis Pension - riding school is processed in the form of project documentation containing all requirements according to applicable regulations. The proposed facility is located on a parcel file with parc. no. 583/1, 584/1 and 16/1, in the village Vávrovice, which falls under the statutory town of Opava. It is a new basement house, which belongs to the civil, specifically in OB3 terms of fire safety. The building has a cross shape with a central raised portion compared with the lateral sides. The central part has 3 floors and the ground, which can later be used as an attic, two side sections have only 1.NP and attic. The shape of the roof ridge. The building is made of aerated concrete blocks YTONG and fully insulated.
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Area for Breeding Horses
Floriánová, Jitka ; Klimek, Karel (referee) ; Myslín, Jiří (advisor) ; Skála, Jiří (advisor)
The aim of this project was to design a new hippocentre in the locality of Lipůvka – Jihomoravský kraj. The building site is situated in a sloping terrain, on a meadow out of the built-up area of the village. The principle of this draft lies in a division of various functions to the separated objects, connected by inner and outer ways. The object is functionally divided into five parts – hall of an inner riding-school (partially imbedded into the terrain), with added objects of keeper’s/owner’s housing, restaurant and a club room with a kitchen and other service rooms, and accomodation part for guests. Higher in the terrain we can find horse stables with integrated service rooms- such as feed storage, changing rooms for the users, and showers for the horses. One of the most important requirements of this project was also to create a functional complex though the significant cant in the elevation across the length of the given area. Thus, the stable buildings have inside two different floor levels to compensate it. The hall of a riding-school is lighted by skylights in its roof, which also provide indirect lighting to the rooms in the western part of the three added blocks. In this bachelor thesis, only the buildings for accomodation and dwelling of people are being further designed and documented.
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