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Butterflies in Czech Republic ZOOs: Evaluation of a collective survey
SÝKOROVÁ, Karolína
The thesis analyses inventory of butterflies in 20 Czech Republic zoological gardens, carried out in 2022-2023. The butterfly fauna of invididual ZOOs is diverse and highly variable. In total, 56 butterflies and 3 burntet moths were recorded. Records of 14 species included in the national red list (1 endangered, 3 vulnerable, 10 near threatened) emphasize the conservatoin potential of ZOOs. Regressions of species richness revealed importance of the factors, which affect species richness of other clearly delimited land units, namely on area (correlated with annual budget and numbers of visitors in case of the ZOOs) and altitude range, as proxy for habitat diversity. Applying indirect (DCA) and direct (RDA) ordination methods failed to detect predictors of species' composition. This was probaby due to relatively small sample size, compared with the diversity of individual ZOOs.
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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 ; Reif, Jiří (advisor) ; Koleček, Jaroslav (referee)
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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More-individuals hypothesis
Bohdalková, Eliška ; Storch, David (advisor) ; Sedláček, Ondřej (referee)
Gradients in species richness are often explained by variation in energy availability. Positive relationship between energy and number of species may be caused by many mechanisms. One of them is the 'more individuals' hypothesis (MIH). According to it greater energy availability enable more individuals to coexist and more individuals can be divided into more species with viable populations. However, authors do vary in exact formulation of the MIH and so they vary in predictions that they test. Review of literature has also revealed that studies are fundamentally different in the approach to testing MIH. Some studies examine whether mechanism of MIH can operate in real assemblages and they often give a positive answer. Other studies ask whether MIH is able to explain spatial patterns of species richness. The answer is mostly negative. Number of species is often closely related to energy without the mediating effect of the number of individuals. There is also the question whether the number of individuals really determines number of species, and not vice versa. However, these two variables are certainly linked. Therefore, regardless of the causality, the relationship between the number of individuals and number of species is worth exploring.
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Military training areas as anthropogenic biodiversity refuges
Bušek, Ondřej ; Reif, Jiří (advisor) ; Marhoul, Pavel (referee)
Military training areas are used by armed forces as training territories. These areas are exposed to intensive anthropogenic disturbances. It may seem paradoxical that a number of studies had shown that on those particular areas is often present remarkably high biodiversity and numerous species of conservation concern. In this respect, military training areas are more valuable than most parts of surrounding landscape and thus form true biodiversity refuges. Particularly important are those areas for open habitats species. There are two main causes of uniqueness of military training areas. First, they are closed for any human activities not connected to military training. Because of this, these areas were not exposed to negative influences such as agricultural intensification or urbanization. Second, military activities create very heterogeneous habitat mosaic. This allows coexistence of many species with different ecological requirements. However, biota of military training areas is currently endangered due to abandonment by armed forces caused by downsizing national troops. The end of unique disturbance regime caused by military training leads to gradual homogenization of landscape mosaic and therefore to population decline of habitat specialists. Subsequent commercial development of these areas is another...
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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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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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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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More-individuals hypothesis
Bohdalková, Eliška ; Storch, David (advisor) ; Sedláček, Ondřej (referee)
Gradients in species richness are often explained by variation in energy availability. Positive relationship between energy and number of species may be caused by many mechanisms. One of them is the 'more individuals' hypothesis (MIH). According to it greater energy availability enable more individuals to coexist and more individuals can be divided into more species with viable populations. However, authors do vary in exact formulation of the MIH and so they vary in predictions that they test. Review of literature has also revealed that studies are fundamentally different in the approach to testing MIH. Some studies examine whether mechanism of MIH can operate in real assemblages and they often give a positive answer. Other studies ask whether MIH is able to explain spatial patterns of species richness. The answer is mostly negative. Number of species is often closely related to energy without the mediating effect of the number of individuals. There is also the question whether the number of individuals really determines number of species, and not vice versa. However, these two variables are certainly linked. Therefore, regardless of the causality, the relationship between the number of individuals and number of species is worth exploring.
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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 ; Reif, Jiří (advisor) ; Koleček, Jaroslav (referee)
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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Military training areas as anthropogenic biodiversity refuges
Bušek, Ondřej ; Reif, Jiří (advisor) ; Marhoul, Pavel (referee)
Military training areas are used by armed forces as training territories. These areas are exposed to intensive anthropogenic disturbances. It may seem paradoxical that a number of studies had shown that on those particular areas is often present remarkably high biodiversity and numerous species of conservation concern. In this respect, military training areas are more valuable than most parts of surrounding landscape and thus form true biodiversity refuges. Particularly important are those areas for open habitats species. There are two main causes of uniqueness of military training areas. First, they are closed for any human activities not connected to military training. Because of this, these areas were not exposed to negative influences such as agricultural intensification or urbanization. Second, military activities create very heterogeneous habitat mosaic. This allows coexistence of many species with different ecological requirements. However, biota of military training areas is currently endangered due to abandonment by armed forces caused by downsizing national troops. The end of unique disturbance regime caused by military training leads to gradual homogenization of landscape mosaic and therefore to population decline of habitat specialists. Subsequent commercial development of these areas is another...
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