|
|
Ecological characteristics of nivicolous slime molds with respect to climate change
Leshchenko, Yuliia ; Koukol, Ondřej (advisor) ; Man, Matěj (referee)
This diploma thesis focuses on nivicolous myxomycetes, a group of amoeboid protists widely distributed in terrestrial ecosystems, particularly in alpine, subalpine, and arctic zones. The main objective is to distinguish whether subgroups of nivicolous myxomycetes have distinct spatial requirements and to identify the key environmental factors influencing their distribution. I employed species distribution modelling (SDM) using three methods (MaxEnt, BIOCLIM, and Random Forest) to predict the habitat suitability of these subgroups. Three taxon experts validated the model predictions. This diploma thesis also explores the potential impact of climate change on their distribution using future climate projection scenarios. The results suggest that SDMs may not fully capture the complexity of habitat requirements for nivicolous myxomycetes in the European part of the Palearctic, however key bioclimatic variables for the study group were distinguished: temperature seasonality, precipitation of the warmest quarter, the maximum temperature of the warmest month. The evaluation by experts reveals some limitations regarding the research design, such as the need for accurate species categorization and consideration of fine-scale environmental variations in the study region. Keywords: nivicolous myxomycetes,...
|
guest ::
