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Dung beetles of Central Europe: Diversity and conservation
AMBROŽOVÁ, Lucie
The thesis consists of three conservation-oriented studies, mainly focusing on the factors determining dung beetle diversity in Central Europe. We assessed the role of routine ivermectin treatment on diversity and functional performance of dung beetle community. Alternative forest managements of coppicing and additional topsoil removal were evaluated in terms of their suitability for increasing diversity of dung-inhabiting dung and rove beetles. Further, we examined environmental and management-related factors driving dung beetle beta-diversity to facilitate conservation prioritization of Central European dung beetles.
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Pasture of horses as an essential tool in biodiversity conservation
Dudková, Andrea ; Malíček, Jiří (advisor) ; Sedláček, Ondřej (referee)
In recent decades, the approach of active management, preventing overgrowth and simplifying the species composition of non-forest biotopes, has dominated in nature conservation. Dominant plants, suppressing competitively weaker species, are therefore reduced for example by grazing of large herbivores. It turns out that horse grazing has considerable potential for enhancing biodiversity. The aim of this bachelor's thesis was to summarize the main aspects of horse grazing based on literature research and come to a prediction of its future use in nature conservation. Studies on the use of horse grazing in biodiversity conservation show that it works well to suppress competitively strong grasses and supports the presence of flowering dicots and associated insects. The disadvantage of grazing horses is that they do not consume woody plants and thus cannot suppress the growth of bushes. On larger areas (>20 ha), year-round wild horse grazing is used, while domestic horses are suitable for seasonal grazing on smaller sites. Due to the positive results of horse grazing in promoting biodiversity, the more successful suppression of competitively strong grasses compared to other herbivores and the lower level of human effort compared to mowing, it can be expected that cases of using horse grazing in nature...
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Succession after reintroduction of grazing in dry grasslands
Fulínová, Martina ; Münzbergová, Zuzana (advisor) ; Hadincová, Věroslava (referee)
Grazing management is very popular nowadays and number of sites with grazing animals with the aim of restoring the sites is steadily growing. All the effects of grazing on grazed grasslands are not elucidated yet. This thesis focused mainly on the contribution of zoochory to restoration of species rich grasslands on stands cleared from Robinia pseudoacacia and stands cleared from Prunus spinosa brushwood. For the purpose of monitoring changes in vegetation, permanent plots have been established. In order to identify sources of new species occurring in permanent plots, inventory of species growing in neighbourhood of the permanent plots has been done, samples of soil seed bank, sheep buttons and seeds from sheep wool have been germinated in a greenhouse. Monitoring of permanent plots showed reduced regrowth of R. pseudoacacia and P. spinosa. We have also found that greater changes in species composition occurred in more degraded stands than in stands better-preserved. Germinating experiments proved soil seed bank being mainly the image of aboveground vegetation with minor importance to restoration of species rich grasslands. On the other hand sheep seem to be of great use for dispersal of seeds both by epizoochory and endozoochory when walking between different stands. This finding is of great importance for...
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Seed regeneration as driver of vegetation changes in grazed grasslands
Kladivová, Anna ; Münzbergová, Zuzana (advisor) ; Dostál, Petr (referee)
Despite its long tradition in our country, livestock grazing almost disappeared from Czech landscape. This form of land use has winded down in the middle of 20th century, when compulsory co-operative farming was introduced. Decrease of pasturage is especially visible on fragmented areas of steep slopes and in dry places. These areas are often highly valuable and protected for its nature richness. When a grazing management is introduced, its effects on plant species communities are not clear. Also the exact mechanisms of vegetation changes caused by grazing are often unknown. In 2005, administration of PLA Český kras reinstated grazing management as a mean of preservation of dry grassland ecosystems. As part of this project I studied, how generative regeneration contributes to vegetation changes. The aim of the present study is to ascertain: a) how is seedling recruitment and survival affected by grazing, b) what are limitations of generative reproduction, and c) what is the contribution of soil seed bank to vegetation changes. In 2005, monitoring of seedling recruitment and survival had started, repetitive sowing experiment was performed and species composition of persistent seed bank was analyzed. Grazing had a positive effect on seedling - both numbers of seedling and their species composition....
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Succession after reintroduction of grazing in dry grasslands
Fulínová, Martina ; Hadincová, Věroslava (referee) ; Münzbergová, Zuzana (advisor)
Grazing management is very popular nowadays and number of sites with grazing animals with the aim of restoring the sites is steadily growing. All the effects of grazing on grazed grasslands are not elucidated yet. This thesis focused mainly on the contribution of zoochory to restoration of species rich grasslands on stands cleared from Robinia pseudoacacia and stands cleared from Prunus spinosa brushwood. For the purpose of monitoring changes in vegetation, permanent plots have been established. In order to identify sources of new species occurring in permanent plots, inventory of species growing in neighbourhood of the permanent plots has been done, samples of soil seed bank, sheep buttons and seeds from sheep wool have been germinated in a greenhouse. Monitoring of permanent plots showed reduced regrowth of R. pseudoacacia and P. spinosa. We have also found that greater changes in species composition occurred in more degraded stands than in stands better-preserved. Germinating experiments proved soil seed bank being mainly the image of aboveground vegetation with minor importance to restoration of species rich grasslands. On the other hand sheep seem to be of great use for dispersal of seeds both by epizoochory and endozoochory when walking between different stands. This finding is of great importance for...
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