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Endozoochorous seed dispersal by free ranging herbivores
Lepková, Barbora
Endozoochorous dispersal of seeds is a very common phenomenon which may occur anywhere some animals feed on plants bearing mature seeds. Endozoochory has been identified as a potential driver for long-distance migration but there is a strong discrepancy between endozoochory by frugivorous animals and herbivores. Despite the fact that the latter has been observed as early as a century ago, our understanding of the herbivorous endozoochory is still limited, even more so when it comes to the free-ranging wild species of herbivores. Furthermore, the endozoochorous dispersal shows significant differences between study areas and between herbivore species suggesting we need information about the process from various study areas to draw any conclusions. This thesis aimed to: (i) research the species composition found in dung samples of wild boars and deer, (ii) quantify the effect of deer dung deposition on vegetation of dry grasslands, (iii) establish the adaptation of plant species to the passage through digestive tract, and (iv) disentangle the drivers of species composition dispersed in dung. The results of my research indicates: (i) the species composition in dung samples differs up to a point between deer and wild boars: some species are dispersed by both dispersers while other only by one of them....
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Endozoochorous seed dispersal by free ranging herbivores
Lepková, Barbora ; Herben, Tomáš (advisor) ; Eycott, Amy Elizabeth (referee) ; Mudrák, Ondřej (referee)
Endozoochorous dispersal of seeds is a very common phenomenon which may occur anywhere some animals feed on plants bearing mature seeds. Endozoochory has been identified as a potential driver for long-distance migration but there is a strong discrepancy between endozoochory by frugivorous animals and herbivores. Despite the fact that the latter has been observed as early as a century ago, our understanding of the herbivorous endozoochory is still limited, even more so when it comes to the free-ranging wild species of herbivores. Furthermore, the endozoochorous dispersal shows significant differences between study areas and between herbivore species suggesting we need information about the process from various study areas to draw any conclusions. This thesis aimed to: (i) research the species composition found in dung samples of wild boars and deer, (ii) quantify the effect of deer dung deposition on vegetation of dry grasslands, (iii) establish the adaptation of plant species to the passage through digestive tract, and (iv) disentangle the drivers of species composition dispersed in dung. The results of my research indicates: (i) the species composition in dung samples differs up to a point between deer and wild boars: some species are dispersed by both dispersers while other only by one of them....
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Factors determining distribution of species in dry grasslands
Průchová, Dana ; Münzbergová, Zuzana (advisor) ; Hadincová, Věroslava (referee)
Factors determining distribution of species in semi-natural grasslands Survival and colonization of plant species in fragmented landscapes are topic of many recent studies. Most of them deal with one or just a few species or with overall species diversity. There are also a lot of studies devoted to the effect of abiotic characteristics and other parameters of fragmented habitat patches. Studies that would enable to evaluate behaviour of a large number of individual species are still relatively rare, especially in case of grassland species. Comparison of species traits in conjunction with the knowledge of type of historical land use and abiotic requirements of species can be a key to understanding of current species dispersal and their regional dynamic in fragmented landscape. This method of prediction of species dispersal can be a good implement for landscape planning and conservation of species and also their habitats. Goal of my thesis was to determine which traits of species influence response of species on land-use history in fragmented habitat of dry grasslands. I tried to use effect of land-use history without effect of environmental factors on species composition in phytosociological relevés. Then I tried to explain the reaction of species through their traits. I focused partially on traits...
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Intraspecific plant-soil feedback as a mechanism underlying invasiveness of neophytes of the Czech Republic
Knobová, Pavlína ; Münzbergová, Zuzana (advisor) ; Štajerová, Kateřina (referee)
Intraspecific plant-soil feedback is a relationship in which plant affects the composition of the soil and such modified soil affects growth of the same plant species. This relationship and its intensity may be linked with plant dominance and invasiveness. Dominant species can alter the composition of the soil in their favor and thus show positive intraspecific plant-soil feedback. As the invasive species are commonly being dominant in their new environment, it can be expected that intraspecific positive plant-soil feedback could be an important factor allowing the invasive species to achieve their dominant position and become invasive. To test if the existence of positive intraspecific feedback could be a general mechanism underlying plant invasiveness I compared intraspecific plant-soil feedback in a group of invasive and introduced, but non-invasive, plants in the Czech Republic. I did this using a preselected set of 34 species - 17 invasive and 17 non-invasive. For realization of the project I used the method of two-phase experiment. The first phase is called soil conditioning - influencing of soil by the plant. In the second phase the same plant species are planted in conditioned soil from the first phase and in control (unconditioned) soil. Then I compared plant biomass from conditioned and...
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Plant - invertebrate herbivore interactions on intra- and interspecific level
Kuglerová, Marcela ; Münzbergová, Zuzana (advisor) ; Burešová, Renáta (referee)
Plants have been interacting with herbivores for several hundred million years. Herbivores consume a large portion of biomass produced by plants. In response to herbivore attacks, plants have evolved a diverse complex of direct and indirect defenses to reduce herbivory and the impacts on plant performance. This bachelor thesis is focused on plant-herbivore interactions especially on different ways of plant defense of terrestrial ecosystems against invertebrates herbivores. This thesis is dealing with costitutive defenses a well as induce defenses that occur after herbivore attack. Plant defenses can be also categorized into three categories of resistance, tolerance and phenological escape. Mechanical, chemical and visual defenses are discussed in detail as mechanisms of resistance. Apart from defense mechanisms distinguishing individual species this study review intraspecific variability in plant defense against herbivores caused by different habitats in which plant grow or originate and plant size or variation in composition of secondary metabolites. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
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Comparison of selected traits at conspecific plants in disturbed and stressed environments localized within industrial waste deposits and their surroundings in landscape
Glier, Adam ; Kovář, Pavel (advisor) ; Štefánek, Michal (referee)
This study is oriented on the assessment of selected traits at conspecific plant which spontaneously colonize interior space within abandoned industrial area and/or deposits, and those ones occurred in adjacent vicinity. The work continues in previous studies concentrated on abandoned mine tailing containments where some important outputs consist of differences in plant adaptive strategies, growth rate, phenology, body size, ways of dispersal, ecophysiological or genetic parameters (Bryndová et Kovář 2004, Mrázek 2004, Zákravský et al. 2004, Jarolímová 2004, Kovář et al. 2004, Jiráčková et Dostál 2004, Kovář et Herben 2004, Dostál et Kovář 2013, Štefánek 2015, Urbanová et al. 2017). A part of the study includes the significance of small and large genomes at both types of habitats within defined phylogenetic framework. In other words - testing of the hypothesis: There is functional significance of small versus large genomes of plant species by comparing their occurrence in unreclaimed toxic deposits (landscape islands) with their populations from neighbouring habitats (large scale level). Key words unreclaimed industrial deposits in landscape, abandoned mine tailings, genome size, flow cytometry, conspecific taxons, plant traits, colonization, succession, disturbance, stress, restoration ecology,...
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Methods for studying of free-living herbivores zoochory
Lepková, Barbora ; Vojta, Jaroslav (advisor) ; Pokorná, Adéla (referee)
Epizoochory as well as endozoochory are well known dispersal mechanisms. This topic is being studied more and more often lately but our knowledge is still incomplete. The traits of plants dispersed this way are not yet well investigated and there is a gap in knowledge of mutual interaction between plant and animal species during transport. The impact of transport itself especially in endozooochory is also poorly known. We study endozoochory most often using seedling emergence method for seeds contained in dung. Feeding experiments are an interesting way of research and we use them to learn the survival rates of seeds in digestive tract. The most favourite methods for research of epizoochory are tamed animals and all types of dummies. Various laboratory experiments, for example shaking machine, are also frequently used.
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Plant traits determining plant-herbivore interactions
Medová, Tereza ; Münzbergová, Zuzana (advisor) ; Skuhrovec, Jiří (referee)
Plants are constantly endangered by herbivores. Plants have adapted and created a wide arsenal of defences during approximately 410 million years of coexistence. Their role consists of fading the herbivores off or reduce suffered damage. This bachelor's thesis focuses on mechanisms that were proven to serve as plant defences. It is specifically about interactions between invertebrate herbivores and plants of terrestrial ecosystems. Prediction of herbivory by some traits is mentioned as well. Information about characteristics of plants which affects preferences of herbivores is interesting due to its possibility of aplication in agriculture or biological control of invasive species. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
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Preferences of the main groups of pollinators for the functional floral traits
Malá, Karolína ; Janovský, Zdeněk (advisor) ; Hadrava, Jiří (referee)
This bachelor thesis summarizes the preferences of the main functional groups of pollinators towards floral traits of plants. Due to coevolution and mutual selection pressures, these two life forms have begun to adapt to each other and develop traits on which the future of their life depends. The plant seeks to attract its pollinators, thus ensuring efficient pollen transfer or reproduction for its species. Attractants are used to motivate visitors to its flowers. These attractants provide pollinators with either direct rewards (food, shelter, brood) or rewards in the form of sensory perceptions (colour, scent, morphology). Recently, it has become apparent that flower colour, morphology and the type of food reward offered by the flower have the greatest influence on pollinator choice. Based on preferences towards attractants, we can organize several functional groups whose representatives have the same or similar choice preferences. Key words Pollination syndromes, pollinator, selection pressures, plant traits, coevolution, preferences, fidelity, diptera, coleoptera, lepidoptera, hymenoptera, birds, colour, morphology, rewards
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Comparison of selected traits at conspecific plants in disturbed and stressed environments localized within industrial waste deposits and their surroundings in landscape
Glier, Adam ; Kovář, Pavel (advisor) ; Štefánek, Michal (referee)
This study is oriented on the assessment of selected traits at conspecific plant which spontaneously colonize interior space within abandoned industrial area and/or deposits, and those ones occurred in adjacent vicinity. The work continues in previous studies concentrated on abandoned mine tailing containments where some important outputs consist of differences in plant adaptive strategies, growth rate, phenology, body size, ways of dispersal, ecophysiological or genetic parameters (Bryndová et Kovář 2004, Mrázek 2004, Zákravský et al. 2004, Jarolímová 2004, Kovář et al. 2004, Jiráčková et Dostál 2004, Kovář et Herben 2004, Dostál et Kovář 2013, Štefánek 2015, Urbanová et al. 2017). A part of the study includes the significance of small and large genomes at both types of habitats within defined phylogenetic framework. In other words - testing of the hypothesis: There is functional significance of small versus large genomes of plant species by comparing their occurrence in unreclaimed toxic deposits (landscape islands) with their populations from neighbouring habitats (large scale level). Key words unreclaimed industrial deposits in landscape, abandoned mine tailings, genome size, flow cytometry, conspecific taxons, plant traits, colonization, succession, disturbance, stress, restoration ecology,...
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