|
|
Programmes of monitoring of bird occurrence and abundance as a source of ecological data
Mourková, Jindra ; Fuchs, Roman (advisor) ; Reif, Jiří (referee) ; Bejček, Vladimír (referee)
5 regionálních atlasech (Flousek & Gramsz 1999, Hromádko et al. 2005), umožňuje lépe zachytit proměnlivost výskytu a početnosti ptáků, která je daná mozaikovitostí studovaného území. Kromě údajů o prokázanosti hnízdění v jednotlivých kvadrátech síťových map přináší také odhad početnosti v celém území CHKO, charakteristiku výskytu a prostředí využívaného druhem na daném území a údaje o hnízdních hustotách v různých typech prostředí. Kvantitativní mapy pro jednotlivé druhy nejsou bohužel dosud zpracovány. SUMMARY OF THE THESIS In the thesis, regional data on bird communities were studied in terms of species richness and occurrence of bird species in dependence on habitat and, in case of wintering birds, also on climatic conditions. The regional grid atlas of Prague (Fuchs et al. 2002), records from Wintering waterbird census in Central Bohemia, own data on the breeding population of the Mute Swan in the Třeboň region and data from individual marking of Mute Swans provided by the Bird Ringing Centre of the National Museum were used as the sources of data on the occurrence and abundance of bird species. The thesis also includes a part of the text of the prepared Atlas of breeding distribution of birds in the Třeboň region. The first contribution (Mourková J., Fuchs R., Sedláček O., Janovský Z., Exnerová A.,...
|
|
|
Effects of human demonstrator on horse's performance in a spatial task: Does social learning occur?
Pokorná, Miroslava ; Bartošová, Jitka (advisor) ; Fuchs, Roman (referee)
Social observational learning is one of learning abilities expected in domestic horses (Equus caballus) because of their ecological and evolutional history. However, a few studies focused on this type of learning in horses failed to provide clear evidence of observational learning and/or could not distinguished it from other types of learning. We tested interspecific observational learning abilities using the spatial task and a human demonstrator. We hypothesised that 1) horses with possibility of observing a human demonstrator will complete the task in shorter time than control horses without any demonstrator, and 2) horses observing a familiar demonstrator will carry out the task in shorter time than horses with an unfamiliar demonstrator due to established positive human - horse relationship. Twenty - four riding horses of mixed age and breed were randomly allocated to three groups per 8 and started the task either with observing a familiar demonstrator, unfamiliar demonstrator or no demonstrator (control group). Each horse was released individually at the starting point in the experimental paddock and the latency to pass the task was recorded. A horse completed the task once it walked 25 m from the starting point to the squared area (4x4 m) fenced by a tape, went into it through the entrance on the...
|
|
|
Responses of naive primates to snakes: experiments with selected species kept in Prague zoo
Kutinová, Lucie ; Frynta, Daniel (advisor) ; Fuchs, Roman (referee)
In the wild, snakes are known to elicit strong antipredator responses in primates. Primates often mob the snakes, which is also accompanied by loud calls. In evolution, the deadly threat posed by snakes goes as far as to the origin of placental mammals. In this study, the reactions of naïve individuals to snakes were tested. Naïve pigtail macaques (Macaca nemestrina) and mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus) avoided the snake stimulus. For the macaques there was a longer latency to touch the rubber snake compared to the latency to touch the rubber lizard. The mouse lemurs avoided feeding on the side of experimental box where the snake odor was presented. The reactions of macaques and mouse lemurs were not accompanied by vocalizations and they seemed to be overall mild. Nevertheless, the snake stimuli used here were strong enough for these naïve primates. For ringtail lemurs (Lemur catta), the reactions to uncovering a hidden rubber snake was tested. But the lemurs showed no avoiding reactions. A question for further research is whether the different results for lemurs were not caused by different experimental procedure. As well as in macaques and mouse lemurs, the reactions seemed to be very mild. But no deeper analysis of the behavior was performed. Thus, a reaction could have been overlooked, which...
|
|
|
The effect of nest quality for breeding success in Great Reed Warbler
Jelínek, Václav ; Procházka, Petr (advisor) ; Fuchs, Roman (referee)
Nests are key structures for the reproduction of majority of avian species and as such they should be subject to natural selection. Six hypotheses have been suggested to explain variance in avian nest size. In my master thesis I evaluate their validity in the Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus). First two hypotheses describe responses of nest size to predation and brood parasitism. These two selection pressures may lead to the reduction of nest size, but no evidence of their impact on nest dimensions was obtained. However, I found a significant but negative relationship between the probability of nest predation and soft nest height. No such relationship was found between the probability of brood parasitism and nest size characteristics. The incidence of brood parasitism was affected only by nest visibility from the nearest cuckoo perch site and distance from open water. More visible nests suffered heavier parasitism while those located deeper in reed beds were better protected from cuckoo parasitism. Another four hypotheses describe selection pressures which favour large nests or some of their functional parts. The thermoregulatory hypothesis, the sexual display hypothesis and the nest support hypothesis did not explain nest size variation. I found support for the clutch size hypothesis,...
|
|
|
The long-term trends in numbers and distribution of birds in the Czech Republic
Gebauer Fialová, Adéla ; Musil, Petr (advisor) ; Fuchs, Roman (referee)
The long-term changes in distribution and numbers of bird species in the Czech Republic were analysed using published data from Breeding Birds Atlases in the Czech Republic (1973-77, 1985-89 and 2001-03). Each species were categorized by taxonomical group, migratory strategies, biogeography type, breeding habitat, breeding population size in Europe and in the Czech Republic a body size. The changes in numbers and changes in distribution were inter-correlated Increase in distribution as well as in numbers were recorded in rare and large species, in species increasing in whole Europe and in bird species protected under Czech legislation. Interesting pattern in population was found in waterbirds, where piscivorous species are increasing, whereas other (mostly grebes, ducks etc.) species are decreasing.
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
Factors affecting food choices by birds in winter
Korencová, Petra ; Klvaňová, Alena (advisor) ; Fuchs, Roman (referee)
I studied food choices of four small passerine species in winter on an artifical source of food, a bird feeder. I did experiments with two different types of food. I proposed that birds would prefer the type of food with higher contain of fat and calories. Food preferences were shown, but independently on calories contain. Greenfinches always selected sunflower seeds. I conclude, this species is affected by tradition, because it is usually fed by sunflower seeds in all bird feeders in vicinity of experimental location. In the second series of experiments I presumed the birds would prefer the food of bigger size because of easier manipulation on a potentially dangerous spot, which bird feeder represents. Again, the choices of greenfinches and field sparrows were not affected by this factor. Great tits did not prefer any food type. Siskins on the other hand prefered smaller food type, apparently because of its better accessibility using their small beaks. In the third series of experiments I tested the effect of presence of a stuffed predator - a sparrowhawk. I presumed it would lower food selectivity in this dangerous situation. The birds visited the bird feeder significantly less fraquently than in the absence of predator, but the food choices were not affected.
|
|
| |
|
| |
guest ::
