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Biodiversity of green roofs
Matoušková, Kateřina ; Sedláček, Ondřej (advisor) ; Šípek, Petr (referee)
Green roofs offer interesting multifunctinaly solutions to many problems at once. In a small area they bring benefits to people and nature. They thermally insulate buildings, improve the local microclimate and reduce the city's heat island efect. Green roofs improve air quality and also help retain water in the landscape. In combination with solar panels and retention tanks, green roofs can contribute to the modern trend of building green - sustainable - buildings. Green roofs can be used for growing food sources and for relaxation as well. Wild plants can spontaneously colonize green roofs and thereby expand their habitats in cities. The plants create habitats for many animals (especially invertebrates) and provide nectar sources to pollinators. Except food habitats, they offer birds habitat for nesting and resting place during their migration. The aim of this thesis was to evaluate the contribution of green roofs to urban biodiversity. At present, howewer, most scientific studies deal with the advantges of green roofs in connection with enviromental protection or the technical side. A small part of the studies examines the biodiversity of green roofs. My goal was to find out which factors influence a biodiversity of green roofs the most and to design an ideal roofs solution with the greatest...
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How do bird species richness and abundance differ between military training areas and surrounding landscape? A case study from the Hradiště military area
Bušek, Ondřej
Since the beginning of the 20th century human land use changed drastically in Central Europe. These changes included: homogenization of the landscape mosaic, intensification of agriculture, urbanization and land abandonment. In turn, these changes affected bird species and perhaps most significantly manifested in population decline of open habitat birds. Therefore, it is important to investigate sites, which were not affected by the changes mentioned above, such as military training areas (MTAs) - places dedicated to training of armed forces. Previous studies have shown that MTAs seem to host remarkably high bird diversity and abundant populations of bird species of conservation concern. This may be caused by two major factors. First, closure of MTAs to all human activies besides military training spared them of the landscape changes mentioned above. Second, the military training itself produces a very heterogeneous habitat mosaic that allows coexistence of many species with different ecological requirements. To my knowledge, no study compared bird assemblages between MTAs and surrounding landscape directly. At the same time, such data are crucial to assess the value of MTAs for bird conservation reliably and, as a consequence, they enable to think more deeply about mechanism generating this value....
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Habitat characteristics accounting for the attractiveness of military training areas for birds: a case study from the Hradiště military training area
Hernová, Jana ; Reif, Jiří (advisor) ; Vojta, Jaroslav (referee)
Military areas are extraordinary biodiversity-rich due to limited economic activities and a specific way of using the areas for military training. Previous research has also revealed their positive influence on bird species diversity, this applies to endangered species in particular. However, the exact biotope characteristics attracting birds are insufficiently known. In this regard, I expected an important role of heterogeneity of the environment. The aim of the thesis was therefore: (I) to find out the difference of environmental heterogeneity between a military area (MA) and the surrounding landscape, both in a forest and a non-forest sites, (II) to find out what biotope characteristics attract birds in open landscape and (III) what characteristics attract birds in forest. Fieldwork took place in a still active MA of Hradiště and neighboring controls of Bochov and Ostrov. In total, 80 study plots were surveyed for representation of individual biotopes (39 types in total) and the number of fragments of woody vegetation. Data on bird species richness were taken from the thesis of Bušek (2015), surveyed birds at identical study plots and calculated total number of bird species and the number of endangered bird species at each plot. The open landscape of MA has, compared to the surrounding cultural...
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Mycorrhizal fungal diversity along altitudinal gradients
Schultzová, Pavlína ; Kohout, Petr (advisor) ; Mašínová, Tereza (referee)
Mycorrhizal symbiosis is an integral component of all terrestrial ecosystems and the most widespread mutualistic association in the world. Nevertheless, our current knowledge regarding diversity patterns of mycorrhizal fungi along altitudinal gradients is considerably limited. Published studies to date suggest either a decrease in mycorrhizal fungal diversity with increasing elevation or a hump-shaped pattern, similar to the general altitudinal diversity patterns that have been observed in macroorganisms. Lower mycorrhizal fungal diversity at higher elevations in some regions may significantly impact host plants migrating upward due to global warming. Therefore, insights into the shifts in mycorrhizal fungal distribution along elevational gradients can provide better predictions of future effects of climate change on mycorrhizal fungi and host plants. In order to advance our knowledge of mycorrhizal fungal diversity, it is crucial to deepen our understanding of the factors that shape mycorrhizal fungal responses along altitudinal gradients.
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Bird diversity and life-history patterns along gradients of productivity and its variation
Tószögyová, Anna ; Storch, David (advisor) ; Remeš, Vladimír (referee) ; Field, Richard (referee)
Geographical variability in species richness and life-history strategies shows remarkable and well-documented patterns generated by various processes that have not yet been fully revealed. However, the pronounced correlation between spatial patterns in species and trait diversity and spatial gradients in environmental conditions indicates that the environment may modulate these processes. The mechanisms related to environmental productivity (energy availability), as a strong predictor of biodiversity, have been hypothesized to explain the cause of these broad- scale biodiversity patterns. Still, there is no consensus in the explanation, as many of the environmental and biotic factors are strongly interrelated. We have derived testable predictions that allowed disentangling the mechanisms responsible for spatial distributions of life-histories and species richness. The patterns in spatial distribution of many avian traits across the striking productivity gradient in South Africa show a slow-fast continuum in life-history strategies. High environmental productivity in tropics may result in stable populations that favour slow life-history strategies; birds can utilize stable food resources - low food seasonality selects for small clutch sizes, long parental care and high juvenile survival. The...
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Aesthetic value of biodiversity
Schmitzová, Daniela ; Hořák, David (advisor) ; Braun Kohlová, Markéta (referee)
The aesthetic experience of nature is a crucial part of human life. Because aesthetic experiences motivate people to engage in nature conservation, it makes sense to consider how biodiversity influences aesthetics and whether this influence can be used to promote conservation. First, this review touches on the measurement of nature's value to people and biodiversity, then discusses studies dealing with the connection of biodiversity and aesthetics. Nature offers a range of health benefits to people (e.g. stress relief, better recovery after surgery) that increase with biodiversity, but these benefits don't seem to increase the aesthetic value. At the landscape scale, heterogeneity of the environment is of particular importance, as is the presence of water bodies. For plant communities, biodiversity has a positive correlation with aesthetic value, and perceived biodiversity has a stronger effect in that regard. Preference is also influenced by the arrangement of planting. Aesthetically motivated nature conservation can potentially bolster biodiversity, as proven by the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway area, and should be considered a valuable conservation approach. Key words: biodiversity, aesthetics, species richness, functional diversity, value of the community/ecosystem, nature conservation
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The importance of woodlots and their ecological characteristics for birds in an intensively managed agricultural landscape
Rajmonová, Lenka ; Reif, Jiří (advisor) ; Šálek, Martin (referee)
Various types of woody vegetation are a key biodiversity refugee in intensively managed agricultural landscapes. However, the role of woodlots, representing an important type of such a vegetation, remains overlooked so far. Whereas the previous studies focused on the effect of their area, shape and isolation, consequences of variation in their habitat quality for biodiversity were not assessed up to now. This thesis is thus one of the first studies focusing on woodlots as a specific habitat for birds in agricultural landscape. My goals were: (I) to find out what is the bird community composition of woodlots in a Czech landscape, (II) to find out, what are the key habitat predictors of bird species richness and abundance in woodlots, (III) to describe differences in habitat preferences among various guilds and (IV) to formulate recommendations for conservational practice. I surveyed birds in 82 woodlots in an intensively managed landscape in Central Bohemia, Czechia, and measured variables describing woodlots' habitat quality together with woodlots' area, shape, isolation and types of surrounding land-use. I recorded numerous forest and non-forest bird species (57 in total), including some endangered farmland birds. The habitat variables showing significant relationships to bird community...
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Biodiversity-productivity relationship in desmid communities
Škvorová, Marie ; Škaloud, Pavel (advisor) ; Nedbalová, Linda (referee)
This thesis deals with biodiversity-productivity relationship in desmid communities. Biodiversity is found to be changing globally. The biodiversity-productivity relationship is therefore an important research topic. Three aspects of biodiversity are thought to play an important role: species richness, functional diversity and phylogenetic diversity. It is known that in general, productivity is positively correlated with diversity. Interactions between different metrics of biodiversity are known less. Existing studies have shown that these interactions might be present. In general, biodiversity-productivity studies were mostly focused on plants. Less is known about other organisms, including algae. In this work I explore the relationship between overyielding and functional or phylogenetic diversity on a species richness gradient of desmid communities. I conducted an artificial biodiversity- ecosystem functioning experiment using combinations of two to 12 desmid species. Communities differed in the diversity aspects. I had measured the biomass growth. For the analysis, I have used the overyielding index, which is based on a comparison of a polyculture production with the production expected based on monoculture yields. The relationship of overyielding on functional diversity depended on species...
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How do bird species richness and abundance differ between military training areas and surrounding landscape? A case study from the Hradiště military area
Bušek, Ondřej
Since the beginning of the 20th century human land use changed drastically in Central Europe. These changes included: homogenization of the landscape mosaic, intensification of agriculture, urbanization and land abandonment. In turn, these changes affected bird species and perhaps most significantly manifested in population decline of open habitat birds. Therefore, it is important to investigate sites, which were not affected by the changes mentioned above, such as military training areas (MTAs) - places dedicated to training of armed forces. Previous studies have shown that MTAs seem to host remarkably high bird diversity and abundant populations of bird species of conservation concern. This may be caused by two major factors. First, closure of MTAs to all human activies besides military training spared them of the landscape changes mentioned above. Second, the military training itself produces a very heterogeneous habitat mosaic that allows coexistence of many species with different ecological requirements. To my knowledge, no study compared bird assemblages between MTAs and surrounding landscape directly. At the same time, such data are crucial to assess the value of MTAs for bird conservation reliably and, as a consequence, they enable to think more deeply about mechanism generating this value....
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