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Zoochorous dispersal of vascular plants in the context of rewilding - study in the Milovice grazing reserve
Mádrová, Terezie ; Lepková, Barbora (advisor) ; Janíková, Eva (referee)
Seed dispersal is one of the most important mechanisms of plant population dynamics. One type of such dispersal is zoochory, i.e. the dispersal of seeds by animals, which is divided into two types - epizoochory (dispersal of seeds on the animal's body) and endozoochory (dispersal of seeds in the animal's digestive tract). For endozoochory in particular, the essential dispersers are large herbivores, which are one of the important elements defining the character and structure of vegetation and many species of which have disappeared from the European landscape as a result of human activity. Conservation management that uses the reintroduction of animal species to care for sites, is called rewilding. The non-profit organization Česká krajina deals with the reintroduction of large herbivores in our environment and established a reserve with horses (Equus ferus), European bison (Bison bonasus) and aurochs (Bos primigenus) in the former military area Milovice. My aim was to determine how these animals contribute to a local vegetation dynamics through zoochoric seed dispersal. I studied epizoochory using a germination experiment with the soil samples from under the so-called rubbing trees (by Heineken et al. 2006) from the spring of 2021. A total of 27 seedlings germinated from 120 soil samples, 85 % of...
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The possibilities for mire restoration from soil seed bank: The extinct mire near the fishpond Příbrazský rybník
ČÍŽKOVÁ, Eva
As a result of the increasing demands of human society, natural habitats are being used, disturbed and destroyed. Human activities also significantly affect peatland habitats, which leads to their loss, as a reasult of which these habitats are endangered in many European countries, including the Czech Republic. The loss of peatlands is evident both locally and globally, so in recent decades increasing efforts to restore these habitats. The soil seed bank, which was produced before their disturbance, can be used to restore the species composition of degraded habitats. However, in this way it is possible to restore only those plant species that produce a persistent seed bank in the soil. Furthermore, it is necessary to realize that the soil seed bank is very heterogeneous, both in the number of viable seeds and the number of species. In this diploma thesis, the soil seed bank from extinct peatland habitat, which is located by the Příbrazský pond in southern Bohemia, was examined in ex-situ conditions. The subject of the research was mainly the species composition of plants grown from the soil seed bank, which was taken at different places in the locality and at different depths of the soil horizon. From the examined soil seed bank of the extinct peatland habitat, 54 species of plants grew, thereof 13 of them are evaluated as endangered or near threatened in the Czech Republic, which means that the soil seed bank is able to increase the species richness of the locality. Examining the soil composition of the soil bank, which was taken at different depths of the soil horizon, it turned out that the numbers of individuals and species able to germinate from the soil seed bank gradually decrease since the extinction of the peatland habitat, so it is more advisable to use a not too old soil seed bank in the upper layer of the soil horizon. Furthermore, it was found that the species composition of the soil seed bank is dissimilar in different places of the site, which suggests that it is advisable to restore the extinct habitat at a place whose soil seed bank contains the target plant species.
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Possibilities of restoration of endangered wetland biotopes from soil seed bank on example of salt marches
ČÍŽKOVÁ, Eva
Over the past few decades, natural habitats have been massively disrupted and disappeared, resulting in a decline or disappearance of plant species limited to these habitats, thereby the species richness of the area is reducing. However, some plant species produce seeds that retain germination in the soil for a long period of time, so the seed bank may contain species that are no longer situated here or only in a very limited amount in the locality, and therefore the soil seed bank may theoretically be a source of these species and can be used in the restoration of species composition in the locality. In this bachelor´s thesis, a soil seed bank from the largest inland salt marsh in the Czech Republic, located at the southwestern edge of the Nesyt pond in South Moravia, was examined in ex-situ conditions. The subject of the research was mainly the number of individuals of each species germinated from the seed bank. At the same time, it was tested whether the different water level in the substrate affects the abundance of species and species composition of the plants grown from the seed bank. From the soil seed bank of the salt marsh habitat has grown 44 taxa, of which 18 of these taxa are classified as endangered or rare in the Czech Republic. Altogether 1233 individuals of plants were noticed, most of them have been classified as Plantago uliginosa and Juncus compressus, whose individuals constituted more than half of the total number of individuals, while the number of individuals of other taxa ranged from 1 to 10 individuals. Testing the effect of water level on species abundance and species composition showed that more plant species germinated under conditions where the water level was below substrate level than under conditions where the substrate was permanently wetted to flooded.
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Vegetation succession on fallows in Podyjí National Park - small-area management of abandoned sites
Entová, Martina ; Fabšičová, Martina (advisor) ; Karlík, Petr (referee)
The main aim of the thesis was to describe the succession of several abandoned fields under ploughing and discuss ploughing as a possible management for establishing and maintaining species-rich communities of fallows. Actual vegetation, its development over time and soil seed bank were studied. Experimental small-area ploughing was established at five abandoned fields in the southeastern part of the Podyjí National Park. Three strips with different types of management were founded: A) strip ploughed each year, B) strip ploughed once at the beginning of the experiment, C) control meadow without intervention. Vegetation development was evaluated through a series of relèves recorded during the years 2009-2012. The species composition of the seed bank was described using the seedling-emergence method and subsequent elutriation of soil samples. Similarity indexes, Longevity index (LI) and concept of RCS strategies were used. The vegetation of each-year plowed sites (A) consisted mostly of annual weeds and ruderal species with R-strategy and high LI. Grassland vegetation (C) consisted mostly of grasses and perennial herbs with C-strategy and lower LI. The vegetation of older fallows (B) was at first most similar to one-year fallow (A), but during the 4 years of succession has moved closer to the meadow...
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Vegetation dynamics on fallows
Entová, Martina ; Fabšičová, Martina (advisor) ; Procházka, Tomáš (referee)
The bachelor thesis is concerned with problems of abandoned fields. Fields are very important ecosystem for mankind. Abandonment of agricultural land and formation of fallows happend in last decades. Social and political changes can be the reason of fields abandonment as well as economical changes or changes in ecological conditions. The fallows are good model for secondary succession studies, but they can have many other funcitons in a land. Succession doesn't always proceeded in the same way, it can be affected for example by historical land use, species pool or environmental factors. Permanent plots or space for time substitution can be used for succession research. The rich reserve of seeds in the seed bank is typical for fallows. That can be described by several methods: elutriation, cloth bag, flotation or seedling emergence. Many scientists from the Czech Republic and also from all over the world are interested in fallow research. My MSc. thesis is presented at the end of this bachelor thesis. The comparison of actual vegetation and the soil seed bank of fallows in Podyjí National Park will be the aim of this work. Usage of ploughing as a possible management for creation and preservation of a rich fallow associations will be studied.
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Vegetation succession on fallows in Podyjí National Park - small-area management of abandoned sites
Entová, Martina ; Fabšičová, Martina (advisor) ; Karlík, Petr (referee)
The main aim of the thesis was to describe the succession of several abandoned fields under ploughing and discuss ploughing as a possible management for establishing and maintaining species-rich communities of fallows. Actual vegetation, its development over time and soil seed bank were studied. Experimental small-area ploughing was established at five abandoned fields in the southeastern part of the Podyjí National Park. Three strips with different types of management were founded: A) strip ploughed each year, B) strip ploughed once at the beginning of the experiment, C) control meadow without intervention. Vegetation development was evaluated through a series of relèves recorded during the years 2009-2012. The species composition of the seed bank was described using the seedling-emergence method and subsequent elutriation of soil samples. Similarity indexes, Longevity index (LI) and concept of RCS strategies were used. The vegetation of each-year plowed sites (A) consisted mostly of annual weeds and ruderal species with R-strategy and high LI. Grassland vegetation (C) consisted mostly of grasses and perennial herbs with C-strategy and lower LI. The vegetation of older fallows (B) was at first most similar to one-year fallow (A), but during the 4 years of succession has moved closer to the meadow...
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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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Vegetation dynamics on fallows
Entová, Martina ; Procházka, Tomáš (referee) ; Fabšičová, Martina (advisor)
The bachelor thesis is concerned with problems of abandoned fields. Fields are very important ecosystem for mankind. Abandonment of agricultural land and formation of fallows happend in last decades. Social and political changes can be the reason of fields abandonment as well as economical changes or changes in ecological conditions. The fallows are good model for secondary succession studies, but they can have many other funcitons in a land. Succession doesn't always proceeded in the same way, it can be affected for example by historical land use, species pool or environmental factors. Permanent plots or space for time substitution can be used for succession research. The rich reserve of seeds in the seed bank is typical for fallows. That can be described by several methods: elutriation, cloth bag, flotation or seedling emergence. Many scientists from the Czech Republic and also from all over the world are interested in fallow research. My MSc. thesis is presented at the end of this bachelor thesis. The comparison of actual vegetation and the soil seed bank of fallows in Podyjí National Park will be the aim of this work. Usage of ploughing as a possible management for creation and preservation of a rich fallow associations will be studied.
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