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Moths as nocturnal pollinators in the tropics
Barták, Michal ; Tropek, Robert (advisor) ; Sedláček, Ondřej (referee)
in English In this thesis, I reviewed the available knowledge on the role of moths in the pollination of flowering plants in tropical ecosystems. Moths appeared as relatively frequent visitors of flowers with moth-attracting adaptations. Moths were proved to be essential pollinators of some specialized plant species. An obligatory mutualism with micromoths was found in more than 550 highly specialized plant species. Macromoths appeared as effective pollinators of numerous tropical shrubs, trees, and herbs from numerous plant families. Moths were the only recorded visitors and/or pollinators in several cases. In communities, plant species with moth pollination syndromes were relatively uncommon, and moths were generally infrequent visitors of their flowers, which could also be affected by abiotic factors. The proportion of actually moth-pollinated plant species in communities was even slightly lower than the proportion of plants with moth pollination syndromes in other areas. Some moths (e.g., hawkmoths) can thieve nectar from virtually any shorter-spurred/tubed flowers with their long proboscis. Other moths were reported as nectar thieves in some too accessible flowers. However, moths were reported to be rare nectar thieves and prefer visiting the flowers they also pollinate. This thesis should...
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Changes in ladybird communities along an altitudinal gradient
Matušová, Martina ; Kindlmann, Pavel (advisor) ; Martínková, Zdenka (referee)
Ladybugs are often used in biological control, because of their predatory way of life and potential ability to control many insect pests. So far, a number of studies was performed on this family, on their hunting strategies, other life history strategies, population dynamics, dependence of their distribution in time and space on the abundance of prey etc. However, the temporal changes in species composition and relative or absolute abundance of ladybugs were not yet examined along an altitudinal gradient. This is why I have focused my work on these dependencies. I tested the following hypothesis: overwintering sites in Coccinellidae are usually located at lower altitudes, where the individuals eventually attack their prey on the earliest budding trees; as season goes on, ladybugs follow the trends in environmental conditions and food and move to higher located sites; at the end of the season, ladybugs return back to their overwintering sites. In the research area in the Beskydy Mountains, 12 experimental sites were selected, evenly spaced along an elevational gradient of 350-482 m above sea level at each location. During the season, 12 measurements at two-week intervals were performed, each containing 2x300 sweeps. A total of 3064 of ladybug individuals were collected, belonging to 11 species. The...
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Role of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis and composition of arbuscular mycorrhizal communities among plants from different functional groups
Novák, Václav ; Kohout, Petr (advisor) ; Kolaříková, Zuzana (referee)
Arbuscular mycorrhiza is a type of mutualistic symbiosis between most plant species and fungi from the phylum Glomeromycota. Both partners exchange nutrients. The fungus provides inorganic substances especially phosphorus and receives the products of photosynthesis from the plant. Mycorrhiza also affects plant growth and resistance against pathogens. The composition of AM fungi community is, apart from abiotic factors, also driven by the host plant traits such as photosynthetic type, growth form, life cycle, CSR strategy, N-fixation or mycorrhizal status. The role of mycorrhizae also differs among different plant functional types. This thesis describes the differences in composition and diversity of AM fungal communities among plants with different ecophysiological traits and summarizes the role of mycorrhiza for different plant functional types.
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Fossil associations of the Dobrotivá Formation
Luptáková, Monika ; Kraft, Petr (advisor) ; Mergl, Michal (referee)
The bachelor thesis is focused on the overview about a fundamental knowledge on the fossil associations of the Dobrotivá Formation. This unit represents a distinct level of the Prague Basin volcano-sedimentary infill formed during the boundary interval of the Middle and Upper Ordovician. Its main part is composed of the acquired and published data in the wider context of the neighboring paleocontinents and areas of peri-Gondwana. The thesis briefly describes the development of the Prague Basin and its paleogeography. It summarizes the lithology of the Dobrotivá Formation, its stratigraphic classification and the recently published knowledge on faunal associations in the Dobrotivá Formation, including their paleobiogeography and paleoecology. The bachelor thesis is considered to be a basis for further study of the Dobrotivá Formation. Key words: Ordovician, Prague Basin, assemblages, localities, stratigraphy, paleobiogeography
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Složení společenstev larválních stádií motolic (Digenea) u vybraných zástupců plicnatých plžů čeledi Planorbidae
VYHLÍDALOVÁ, Tereza
In the present study the species diversity, seasonal dynamics, composition of larval trematode communities and factors influencing their structure were studied in two species of planorbid gastropods (Gyraulus albus and Segmentina nitida) in typical eutrophic fishponds in South Bohemia, Czech Republic. The study significantly contributed to the present knowledge about the fauna of trematodes in small planorbids, provided evidence for validity of general rules affecting trematode community composition and structure and demonstrated the underestimated role of both snail species as first intermediate hosts for trematodes in the past.
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Island evolution in bats
Holá, Barbora ; Hulva, Pavel (advisor) ; Bartonička, Tomáš (referee)
Order Chiroptera is the only mammalian taxon capable of powered flight. This key adaptation allows for high dispersion capabilities, therefore bats are often the only colonizers of remote islands. More than half of all bat species inhabit islands, and nearly a quarter of them are the islands' endemic organisms. They colonize islands around the entire world, being exempt from only very small, isolated or inhospitable islands.. Island biogeography has an extraordinary importance in many aspects of evolutionary and ecological disciplines. Because of its relative simplicity, as well as the impoverished nature of island biota, emerging interactions between island populations can be better observed compared to mainland. Species that might succumb to extinction due to competition on the mainland may survive on islands. Richness of island biota is subject to two opposing forces, colonization and extinction. A dynamic equilibrium occurs when the probability of colonization and extinction is equal, meaning the number of species is constant, but the composition of species may vary. Isolation, fragmented distribution, and the small size of island populations can lead to speciation, but can also conversely reduce genetic diversity, adaptive capabilities and ultimately cause extinction. The degree of isolation,...
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Changes in ladybird communities along an altitudinal gradient
Matušová, Martina ; Kindlmann, Pavel (advisor) ; Martínková, Zdenka (referee)
Ladybugs are often used in biological control, because of their predatory way of life and potential ability to control many insect pests. So far, a number of studies was performed on this family, on their hunting strategies, other life history strategies, population dynamics, dependence of their distribution in time and space on the abundance of prey etc. However, the temporal changes in species composition and relative or absolute abundance of ladybugs were not yet examined along an altitudinal gradient. This is why I have focused my work on these dependencies. I tested the following hypothesis: overwintering sites in Coccinellidae are usually located at lower altitudes, where the individuals eventually attack their prey on the earliest budding trees; as season goes on, ladybugs follow the trends in environmental conditions and food and move to higher located sites; at the end of the season, ladybugs return back to their overwintering sites. In the research area in the Beskydy Mountains, 12 experimental sites were selected, evenly spaced along an elevational gradient of 350-482 m above sea level at each location. During the season, 12 measurements at two-week intervals were performed, each containing 2x300 sweeps. A total of 3064 of ladybug individuals were collected, belonging to 11 species. The...
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Road side verges in agricultural landscape and their biodiversity - epigeic beetles
JELÍNEK, Jan
The species diversity, aktivity, equitability and human impact were studied using epigeic beetle communities on transect whest field field trip and alfaalfa field. The materiál was collected by pitfall traps during the period Juni-September 20016 in cadastr of the town Písek in the Southern Bohemia. 38 species and 567 individuals were kept together. Activita of beetles differs in studied plots. The highest aktivity was found on fields and the lowest in field trip. Index of human impact was very similar on studied plots wheat 2,5, field trip 12, rape 0). I tis clear that alll studied are strongly impacted by human acticity. The frequency of relic species were (Dragons and Ground beetles) 20% only on all studied plots 80,00%. The adaptible species absent on field cultures and was found on field trip only. 6 species of adaptible (stenotopic) species were found on field trip only, but their aktivity were very low. The equitability of communities in filed plots was very low (2,331 2,474). The highest equitabilty was found on field trip (3,04). The ordination of commuties indicate the close similarity. The species diversaity is very similar in all communities on studied plots. We recommend the change of sowing management and the lower agrotechnic interference in studied locality. We recommend to enhance the plots of biocorridors and biocenters. The stuided field trip plays a role for the increse of the biodiversity of epigeic beetles, which are important for the reduction of pest organisms in agricultural landscape.
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