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Changes in dry grassland and thermophilous forest vegetation and the species traits explaining these changes
Míšek, Vojtěch ; Münzbergová, Zuzana (advisor) ; Větvičková, Anna (referee)
Calcareous dry grasslands and adjacent thermophilous deciduous forests are important biotopes in terms of biodiversity. They have been shaped by human activity for a long time. Grasslands were grazed or mown, forests were coppiced and the litter was raked. The abandonment of these traditional practices is the main cause why both biotopes are threatened nowadays. A return to these forms of management is essential for the restoration and protection of these communities. In my bachelor's thesis, in addition to the characteristics of dry grasslands and deciduous forests and the factors that influence the vegetation of these biotopes, I deal with species traits that can help explain and predict these changes. Key words: xerothermic grassland, thermophilous forest, vegetation change, species traits.
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Effect of plant-soil feedback on plant invasiveness
Knobová, Pavlína ; Münzbergová, Zuzana (advisor) ; Štajerová, Kateřina (referee)
Understanding the causes of biological invasions is a key topic of ecological research in the last decades. Invasive plant species threaten communities, ecosystems and humans in many different ways. Therefore, it is important to determine what characteristics enable them to become invasive. In this work, I summarize the possible causes and consequences of plant invasions focusing on one possible mechanism - the plant-soil feedback. This feedback can support or suppress the growth of plants. Most species have negative feedback, but some invasive plants have positive feedback. And that could be the cause of their invasiveness. This work summarizes the findings of the plant-soil feedback, the methods to study the feedback and especially the importance of plant-soil feedback for plant invasiveness.
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Landscape structure, habitat properties, species traits or chance: What determines distribution of grassland plants in abandoned fields?
Knappová, Jana ; Münzbergová, Zuzana (advisor) ; Hájek, Michal (referee) ; De Bello, Francesco (referee)
Semi-natural grasslands are among the most threatened habitats in Europe, endangered mainly by cessation of former management practices and conversion into other types of land use. Extensive research has been carried out in European grasslands in last decades, to explain origins of diversity and to provide guidelines for its conservation. However, the very slow response of perennial plants to landscape changes often impedes to accurately evaluate why species occur just where they occur and not elsewhere. Abandoned fields are perceived as potential habitats for species from declining grasslands. Indeed, many species are able to spontaneously colonise abandoned fields, but many other species are absent from communities that develop there. An important question remains what limits their successful establishment. By answering this question, we can gain also important insights into factors determining species distribution in grasslands because colonization of recently abandoned fields by grassland species is the ongoing process which is not obscured by historical changes in landscape structure. The very basic aim of this thesis was to evaluate the status quo of dry grassland plants in fields abandoned in last two decades. And in the second step, to identify what are the main constrains of successful...
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Dynamics of species of fragmented dry grasslands at the landscape scale
Hemrová, Lucie ; Münzbergová, Zuzana (advisor) ; De Bello, Francesco (referee) ; Zelený, David (referee)
Past extensive changes in land use have resulted in fragmentation of species habitats. Changes in landscape structure have provoked discussion about the prospects of species of fragmented habitats in the future agricultural landscape. Landscape dynamics of plant species is basically a result of extinction and colonization rates. Many studies have confirmed the former expectation that a number of habitats suitable for a plant species in a landscape stay unoccupied. The differences in species distribution and proportion of suitable habitats occupied by a given species are hypothesized to be due to the area and isolation of suitable habitats and colonization and survival ability of a given species. To understand species dynamics in a changing landscape, first we have to reveal the relationships between the distribution of species and their proportion of occupied habitats, habitat age, habitat configuration and species colonization and survival ability. After the complete understanding of the determinants of species dynamics we will be able to predict reliably species prospect in the future. The very basic aim of this thesis was to reveal the determinants of landscape dynamics of dry grassland species in terms of their distribution and frequency in the landscape. The importance of correct identification...
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Dynamics of species of fragmented dry grasslands at the landscape scale
Hemrová, Lucie
Past extensive changes in land use have resulted in fragmentation of species habitats. Changes in landscape structure have provoked discussion about the prospects of species of fragmented habitats in the future agricultural landscape. Landscape dynamics of plant species is basically a result of extinction and colonization rates. Many studies have confirmed the former expectation that a number of habitats suitable for a plant species in a landscape stay unoccupied. The differences in species distribution and proportion of suitable habitats occupied by a given species are hypothesized to be due to the area and isolation of suitable habitats and colonization and survival ability of a given species. To understand species dynamics in a changing landscape, first we have to reveal the relationships between the distribution of species and their proportion of occupied habitats, habitat age, habitat configuration and species colonization and survival ability. After the complete understanding of the determinants of species dynamics we will be able to predict reliably species prospect in the future. The very basic aim of this thesis was to reveal the determinants of landscape dynamics of dry grassland species in terms of their distribution and frequency in the landscape. The importance of correct identification...
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Dynamics of species of fragmented dry grasslands at the landscape scale
Hemrová, Lucie
Past extensive changes in land use have resulted in fragmentation of species habitats. Changes in landscape structure have provoked discussion about the prospects of species of fragmented habitats in the future agricultural landscape. Landscape dynamics of plant species is basically a result of extinction and colonization rates. Many studies have confirmed the former expectation that a number of habitats suitable for a plant species in a landscape stay unoccupied. The differences in species distribution and proportion of suitable habitats occupied by a given species are hypothesized to be due to the area and isolation of suitable habitats and colonization and survival ability of a given species. To understand species dynamics in a changing landscape, first we have to reveal the relationships between the distribution of species and their proportion of occupied habitats, habitat age, habitat configuration and species colonization and survival ability. After the complete understanding of the determinants of species dynamics we will be able to predict reliably species prospect in the future. The very basic aim of this thesis was to reveal the determinants of landscape dynamics of dry grassland species in terms of their distribution and frequency in the landscape. The importance of correct identification...
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Vegetation changes of wet meadows in Slavkovský les
Šimák, Martin ; Münzbergová, Zuzana (advisor) ; Hédl, Radim (referee)
This thesis focuses on the changes of vegetation of the wet meadows in Slavkovský Les during past decade. It uses data on vegetation gained from 100 permanent plots. By the analysis of the species composition and diversity it aims to elucidate the changes of the wet meadows over the last ten years. It aims to define, which are declining and which are becoming more common. Applied management should have a great impact on the observed vegetation changes so its effect is studied in the thesis as well. The knowledge of the suitable management should lead to conservation of the local biodiversity. The abiotic environmental factors are important as well as they can influence the species composition. These factors were studied by the application of Ellenberg indicator values on the species present in the study. These changes were compared in time and in a combination of time with a management type. Thus, we should be able to say how the environment has changed in the past decade and whether the type of management has any effect on the changes. Furthermore, the thesis explores whether changes in species composition over time may be explained by species traits. The results indicate that the species diversity and composition have indeed changed during the past decade. Apparently, the higher amount of...
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Effect of plant-soil feedback on plant invasiveness
Knobová, Pavlína ; Münzbergová, Zuzana (advisor) ; Štajerová, Kateřina (referee)
Understanding the causes of biological invasions is a key topic of ecological research in the last decades. Invasive plant species threaten communities, ecosystems and humans in many different ways. Therefore, it is important to determine what characteristics enable them to become invasive. In this work, I summarize the possible causes and consequences of plant invasions focusing on one possible mechanism - the plant-soil feedback. This feedback can support or suppress the growth of plants. Most species have negative feedback, but some invasive plants have positive feedback. And that could be the cause of their invasiveness. This work summarizes the findings of the plant-soil feedback, the methods to study the feedback and especially the importance of plant-soil feedback for plant invasiveness.
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Dynamics of species of fragmented dry grasslands at the landscape scale
Hemrová, Lucie ; Münzbergová, Zuzana (advisor) ; De Bello, Francesco (referee) ; Zelený, David (referee)
Past extensive changes in land use have resulted in fragmentation of species habitats. Changes in landscape structure have provoked discussion about the prospects of species of fragmented habitats in the future agricultural landscape. Landscape dynamics of plant species is basically a result of extinction and colonization rates. Many studies have confirmed the former expectation that a number of habitats suitable for a plant species in a landscape stay unoccupied. The differences in species distribution and proportion of suitable habitats occupied by a given species are hypothesized to be due to the area and isolation of suitable habitats and colonization and survival ability of a given species. To understand species dynamics in a changing landscape, first we have to reveal the relationships between the distribution of species and their proportion of occupied habitats, habitat age, habitat configuration and species colonization and survival ability. After the complete understanding of the determinants of species dynamics we will be able to predict reliably species prospect in the future. The very basic aim of this thesis was to reveal the determinants of landscape dynamics of dry grassland species in terms of their distribution and frequency in the landscape. The importance of correct identification...
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Landscape structure, habitat properties, species traits or chance: What determines distribution of grassland plants in abandoned fields?
Knappová, Jana ; Münzbergová, Zuzana (advisor) ; Hájek, Michal (referee) ; De Bello, Francesco (referee)
Semi-natural grasslands are among the most threatened habitats in Europe, endangered mainly by cessation of former management practices and conversion into other types of land use. Extensive research has been carried out in European grasslands in last decades, to explain origins of diversity and to provide guidelines for its conservation. However, the very slow response of perennial plants to landscape changes often impedes to accurately evaluate why species occur just where they occur and not elsewhere. Abandoned fields are perceived as potential habitats for species from declining grasslands. Indeed, many species are able to spontaneously colonise abandoned fields, but many other species are absent from communities that develop there. An important question remains what limits their successful establishment. By answering this question, we can gain also important insights into factors determining species distribution in grasslands because colonization of recently abandoned fields by grassland species is the ongoing process which is not obscured by historical changes in landscape structure. The very basic aim of this thesis was to evaluate the status quo of dry grassland plants in fields abandoned in last two decades. And in the second step, to identify what are the main constrains of successful...
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