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Reintroduction of butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Štochlová, Tereza ; Sedláček, Ondřej (advisor) ; Straka, Jakub (referee)
The thesis deals with one of the active means of conservation - reintroduction. By this ap- proach, organisms are released in their historical range from which they have disappeared. Re- introductions typically concern vertebrates, that is, however, why this thesis focuses on a group of invertebrates - butterflies (Rhopalocera). The main aim of this work is to carry out a research of previous experiments, evaluate used methods and discover the best way to proceed with reintroduction of butterflies. This process contains many important steps. Firstly, a suitable species must be chosen, that means one that is declining and has limited dispersal abilities. Secondly, an appropriate habitat for releasing organisms must be found - host plants ought to be sufficiently abundant and the area big enough. If the habitat quality is not satisfactory, it can be achieved through management, most commonly by planting host plants, mowing or grazing. Next step is choosing the right donor population. It should be stable, genetically variable, and genetically and ecologically related to the original extinct population. After transfer and release of sufficient number of organisms, it is crucial to carry out a long-term monitoring of the newly formed population and to modify its management when necessary. All methods...
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Selected determinants of population health and their impact on mortality in European countries
Straka, Jakub ; Šídlo, Luděk (advisor) ; Kulhánová, Ivana (referee)
Selected determinants of population health and their impact on mortality in European countries Abstract The thesis focuses on the relationship of lifestyle determinants of men and women in selected European countries in 2014 with their subjective (healthy life years) and objective level of mortality (life expectancy) and their mortality rates to the most common causes. These are ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular diseases and malignant neoplasm of the trachea, bronchus and lung. Selected determinants of health were physical activity, BMI, fruit and vegetable consumption, smoking and alcohol consumption. The indicator life expectancy in health is most often related to the exact age of 65 years, and therefore this work also focuses on the elderly population. Multiple linear regression was used to examine the effect of selected health determinants on mortality levels. In addition, the thesis explores the development and intensity of life expectancy in the health of men and women in the period 2004-2014. Finally, it addresses whether the European population between the first decade of the 21st century and 2014 saw an increase in healthy life years. The initial source of data is the EHIS and EU-SILC. Due to the chosen methods, it was found that the length of life in health rather stagnated, which is...
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Legal aspects of alternative fuels' use in transport
Straka, Jakub ; Fiala, Zdeněk (referee)
Legal aspects of alternative fuels' use in transport Abstract What connects solar energy, palm oil and the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline? All these topics have one common denominator, i.e. alternative fuels. This group of fuels, which is represented by electricity, hydrogen or biomethane, has the ambition to replace fossil fuels and reduce the negative environmental effects of the sectors of the economy where fossil fuels are used - in transport and energy. This thesis focuses on the transport sector and pursues two lines. The first part of the text examines, by using the example of biofuels, natural gas and electricity, whether and to what extent alternative fuels fulfill the purpose of the alternative in relation to oil-based fuels. The principle of energy security and the principle of sustainable development in its environmental and economic aspects are used as a benchmark. In the second part, this thesis pays attention to legal instruments that determine the future of alternative fuels. Specifically, emission limits for passenger cars and light-duty vehicles and financial support for alternative fuels at all stages of their life cycle are analyzed. The purpose of this work is to capture the momentum of the ongoing legislative development in the field of alternative fuels, to try to...
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Evolution of cleptoparasitic behavior in bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea)
Straka, Jakub ; Vilímová, Jitka (advisor) ; Zrzavý, Jan (referee) ; Yanega, Douglas Andrew (referee)
Cleptoparasitic behaviour is widespread life strategyin bees (Hymenoptera:Apoidea). More than |5oÁof all bee species are obligate cuckoo bees.It is not the only form of cleptoparasitic behaviour in this insect group, but is by far the most common. Cleptoparasitism can be an obligate as well as an occasional life tactic occuring among pollen-collecting bees.The most simple, but rare cleptoparasiticstrategyin bees is theft of supplies. Bees can steal pollen supplies outside the nest (directly from legs of other bees)or inside of conspecific nest.Robbing (inside nest theft) is an obligatory strategyin some eusocíalstinglessbees(Apinae: Meliponini). Usurpation is anotheroccasional life strategyof normally pollen-collecting bees.[t seemsto be quite common, although it is largely overlooked by observers.Individual marking of nesting females as well as inside nest behaviour can reveal several differentusurpation strategies.The most common is nest usurpationsometimes leading to discarding of cells of the preceedingfemale (host).In some casesonly the nestentranceis usurpedand the new owner is not in contact with the host cells; this can be called nestingarea usurpation. The best-studiedkind of cleptoparasitismis brood parasitism.It rarely occures on the intraspecific level, but it is frequent in its...
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Methods of insect body and food marking and their utilization in bees (Anthophila)
Macháčková, Lenka ; Straka, Jakub (advisor) ; Bogusch, Petr (referee) ; Hanus, Robert (referee)
Marking methods represent often an essential part of many studies which target on insect biology. These marking techniques sometimes represent the only possible way to obtain new and important informations. In the first part of the thesis I deal with individual insect labeling, which was used for marking of solitary bees and their nests as a tool of obtaining informations about nesting bee dynamics in aggregation. Our study show that nest owner replacements are very common in all four species. However, a large percentage of the nests were abandoned by the female owners before owner change. Only a part of all the nests were trully usurped on the nesting site. The true usurpations thus represent rather minor part of observed nest owner replacement situations. The bees surprisingly often abandon their nests and found the new ones. The frequent contacts of the females on a nesting site occur as a result of common nest owner replacements. High tolerance of bees to each other together with tolerance of usurpations and low level of aggression may thus represent one of the possible ways towards communality and other types of social behaviour. In the second part of the thesis I focus on the possibilities of food marking in bees. Effectivity of sugar and pollen utilization are not yet fully understood in...
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Legal aspects of alternative fuels' use in transport
Straka, Jakub ; Franková, Martina (advisor) ; Derlich, Stanislav (referee)
Legal aspects of alternative fuels' use in transport Abstract What connects solar energy, palm oil and the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline? All these topics have one common denominator, i.e. alternative fuels. This group of fuels, which is represented by electricity, hydrogen or biomethane, has the ambition to replace fossil fuels and reduce the negative environmental effects of the sectors of the economy where fossil fuels are used - in transport and energy. This thesis focuses on the transport sector and pursues two lines. The first part of the text examines, by using the example of biofuels, natural gas and electricity, whether and to what extent alternative fuels fulfill the purpose of the alternative in relation to oil-based fuels. The principle of energy security and the principle of sustainable development in its environmental and economic aspects are used as a benchmark. In the second part, this thesis pays attention to legal instruments that determine the future of alternative fuels. Specifically, emission limits for passenger cars and light-duty vehicles and financial support for alternative fuels at all stages of their life cycle are analyzed. The purpose of this work is to capture the momentum of the ongoing legislative development in the field of alternative fuels, to try to...
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Causes of bee loss (Anthophila) in the landscape
Bureš, Vít ; Straka, Jakub (advisor) ; Tropek, Robert (referee)
Bees (Anthophila) are one of the most important pollinators in the majority of Earth's biotopes. They interact with almost one-fifth of flowering plants and together with other pollinators they secure one- third of human food sources. Since the end of World war II,along-term decrease in numbers of bees and other insects is observed due to degradation of natural habitats, expansion of agriculture, pesticide usage, parasites, and infections. In North America and Europe, several studies reported a significant loss of bee diversity and abundance. The situation in tropics is unclear and there is not enough evidence if bees are threatened there. Specific changes in relation to the decrease of the bee population are observed in the case of honey bee (Apis mellifera). Due to human beekeeping activities and specific honey bee attributes such as bigger body size or tolerance to lower temperature, honey bees show different trends in their abundance than other bees. This study discusses the causes of these losses and possible future consequences, for example, the collapse of ecosystems as a result of pollination crisis or lack of human food. On the other hand, several phenomena such as extensive agriculture, green cities, or wildfires have a positive impact on bee abundance and diversity. This thesis presents...
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Parental care and sociality in family Halictidae (Anthophila)
Vinická, Eliška ; Straka, Jakub (advisor) ; Klimeš, Petr (referee)
Halictidae is an important family of bees interesting mainly for the diversification of social organisation of individual species. Their sociality ranges from solitary individuals who live and care for their offspring themselves, through species that build common nests, to eusocial colonies in which the reproductive division of labour has developed. Exploring such diversity among closely related species may contribute to understanding the evolution of sociality. Thus, we can observe the development of social organization up to its higher levels, such as eusociality, or conversely, gradual evolutionary regression to solitary individuals. For such research, however, it is necessary to know not only the phylogenetic development but especially a detailed description of social behaviour in individual species. However, there are few such studies. Some of them are summarized in this work.
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