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The use of stable isotopes in the trophic ecology of birds
Rusnáková, Michaela ; Hořák, David (advisor) ; Procházka, Petr (referee)
Recently, the use of stable isotope analysis has been becoming increasingly common in ecological studies of animals. This interesting method is based on the premise that the isotope composition of consumer's tissues is related to the isotope composition of the sustenance consumed. This allows us to explore the contribution of individual food sources to the diet of species, populations or individuals, and at the same time to study their position in the trophic chains. The method enables us to research even omnivores, consuming variable food with different nutrients and isotope composition. Nevertheless, isotope values can differ depending on diet preferences, species physiology and the tissue type used for the analysis. This review summarizes current knowledge and results in the topic of stable isotope analysis, particularly in ornithological studies where the approach in question has been used to study the diet and trophic position. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
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Atmospheric deposition of nitrogen - application of stable isotopes
Hanzlová, Barbora ; Hůnová, Iva (advisor) ; Hovorka, Jan (referee)
Human impact on particular parts of ecosystems has become a highly discussed topic. Due to different isotopic values of nitrogen, it is possible to evaluate the extent to which human influences the natural nitrogen cycle, using isotope measurements. Stable isotope measurement has been used in various scientific disciplines around the world. This thesis summarizes the findings about atmospheric deposition and the subsequent use of stable nitrogen isotopes. The objective of this work was to gather the information about the use of stable isotopes in the study of the atmospheric deposition and how to make better use of the information obtained from the measurements. Based on the literature review, it has been found that, unlike other countries, nitrate substances such as NH3 and HNO3 are not measured in the Czech Republic, which distorts the data on the nitrogen produced. The use of stable isotopes is a convenient method of measuring both not yet quantified substances as well as already measured substances contributing to atmospheric deposition. The stable isotope measurement method represents an improvement for the overall estimation of atmospheric deposition to provide more realistic values compared to the current approach. Key words: atmospheric deposition, nitrogen, stable isotopes
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Childhood diet in relation to the determination of social roles and health status in Great Moravian population
Jílková, Michaela ; Brůžek, Jaroslav (advisor) ; Kovačiková, Lenka (referee)
This study is focused on dietary reconstruction according to stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen in bone and tooth collagen. The material used for this study is represented by set of 46 skeletons of adult individuals from 6th church's burial site in Mikulčice, which belong to the Great Moravian era (9th -10th century). Isotopic values are discussed in relation to the formation of social roles and health status. The presence and eventually degree of severity of some non-specific stress indicators and pathologies (Cribra orbitalia, presence of tooth caries, caries intensity, linear enamel hypoplasias, dental wear and length od femur) was observed. The results of isotopic analysis suggest, that diet in this population sample was based on terrestrial sources, both animal and plant protein. Plants in Great Moravian diet belonged to C3 and C4 group. C4 group of plants in Mikulčice was represented by millet (Panicum miliaceum), which supports the hypothesis of "Millet - typical crop of old Slavs" (Reitsema and Kozlowski, 2013). Millet was consumed mainly in childhood. Significant differences between diets of high social class and rest of population was found with people of higher social rank consuming more animal protein. These differences were created in childhood and persisted to adulthood....
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Stable isotopes in study of diet in Ursidae, including fossil taxa.
Marková, Aneta ; Horáček, Ivan (advisor) ; Čermák, Stanislav (referee)
Composition of food of members of the family Ursidae is often discussed topic. Up to now, however, there is some uncertainty about the trophic level of some fossil groups. Very useful method which helps us to determine the trophic level of the fossil species and determine the relative proportion of plant and animal components in the recent ones is the analysis of the stable isotopes. This study summarizes present state of methodological approaches and possibilities of use of the stable isotopes 13 C and 15 N in the study of foraging ecology of bears. The results of the analysis of stable isotopes are presented together with results obtained by other methods. Attention is paid to groups for which the relevant isotopic data are available, with special emphasis on the cave bear, which trophic level is evaluated on the basis of stable isotopes analysis as well as in the evolutionary and nutrition context.
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Study of water flow and geochemical processes in the unsaturated zone of carbonate and salt karst
Kamas, Jiří ; Bruthans, Jiří (advisor) ; Tesař, Miroslav (referee) ; Buzek, František (referee)
Water flow and geochemical processes within the unsaturated zone (UZ) in two distinct types of karst environment were investigated using natural tracers (chemistry, stable isotopes 13 C, 18 O, 2 H, and 3 H, 14 C, 87 Sr/86 Sr). The extent of horizontal flow component and the response of drip water chemistry to recharge events were examined in the Moravian Karst (Czech Republic), while the character of water flow and its chemistry were studied in salt diapirs in southeastern part of the Zagros mountains (Iran). Under the conditions of well-developed epikarst, the horizontal flow component, defined as Hmax/T (Hmax = horizontal migration component, T - thickness of VZ) typically reaches values of 0.1 - 0.6 (Moravian and Slovenian Karst). However, in areas where epikarst was stripped off by glacial or human activity, the proportion of horizontal flow component is far greater (Hmax/T 1.6 - 24). This parameter is vital for the design of water source protection zones above caves. Nitrate mean residence time in 120 m thick VZ of the Moravian karst exceeded 16 years. The VZ above the Ochoz Cave (Moravian Karst) represents a semi-open to open system with respect to soil CO2. Under a high drip rate (high flow), the event water only made 5% of the total. During the year, water degassing and so called prior...
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Altitudinal migrations in animals and their study methods
Zenklová, Tereza ; Sedláček, Ondřej (advisor) ; Klvaňa, Petr (referee)
Migration as a response to the seasonality of the environment is common in many animal taxa. Strong fluctuation of the climate is usually connected to regions in the temperate zone, quite common is in the tropical regions as well. Typically, it is even more pronounced in high altitudes. In such environment, many animals could migrate altitudinaly as a response to changes in the climatic conditions or food abundance. But determinants of altitudinal and long-distance latitudinal migrations could be different. The objective of this work is to determine factors influencing altitudinal migrations in diverse taxa (particularly in birds and bats) and in different biogeographical regions. I am trying to find some common features of migrating species, such as diet or temperature and rain tolerance. Especially tropical species are partial migrants, which means that only some individuals of the population migrate. I will discuss common features of such migrating infividuals. Study methods of altitudinal migration will be a part of this research as well. The work will be primarily concentrated on tropical regions.
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What is the water contribution of fog to atmospheric deposition? Use of stable isotopes.
Hanusková, Darina ; Hůnová, Iva (advisor) ; Šantrůček, Jiří (referee)
The objective of the Master thesis is to estimate the fog contribution on atmospheric deposition with the usage of stable isotopes. The crucial part of the thesis was to perform (first of its kind in the Czech Republic) the relative isotope composition 18 O a 2 H of fog. In the same time, the composition of rain and throughfall was performed. The collection of each type of precipitation took place in five sampling points of Academy of Science within three mountain regions including Krkonoše, Šumava and Jizerské Hory during October and November 2017. The sampling took 14 days in total and it was performed by using TC/EA ThermoBremen and mass spectrometer Delta ThermoBremen at South Bohemian University in České Budějovice. The results confirmed that fog is isotopically heavier in comparison to regular rain. As for the relative isotope composition 18 O and 2 H of each areas, no significant difference was observed. Results of the fog participation on atmospheric deposition in Krkonoše and Šumava can be seen after drafting a simple linear mixing model. The fog contribution on atmospheric deposition in Šumava for 18 O is 4,7 % and for 2 H is 6,4 18 O. For one area in Krkonoše, the average participation for 18 O is 3,6 %. Key words: stable isotopes, oxygen, hydrogen, fog
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Multiproxy evidence of Late Pleistocene environmental changes in the loess/paleosol sequence of Bůhzdař
Flašarová, Kristýna
Loess-paleosol sequences preserve information that can be used to reconstruct paleoenvironement, specifically the climatic conditions and the vegetation present at the time of their formation. A dense network of reliably analyzed sequences from different geographic locations is crucial for representation of ecological and climatic trends during the Pleistocene (Frechen, 2011). The aim of this thesis is to fill the gap in the geographical distribution of well described loess-paleosol sequences in Central Europe. Therefore, it focuses on a loess- paleosol sequence in Bůhzdař, situated 9 km NW of Prague, Czech Republic. This profile was last studied in 1952 by naturalist Vojen Ložek. This thesis uses a number of analyses in order to get a multi-proxy record of local paleoenvironmental changes archived in a sequence of alternating loess sediments and paleosols in Bůhzdař. Geochemical approaches are combined with grain size distribution to define climatic conditions at the time of formation of the strata. Key words: loess/paleosol sequences, Bůhzdař, Czech Republic, particle size distribution, total organic carbon, XRF, XRD, stable isotopes 13 C and 18 O
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Snowmelt runoff during rain-on-snow events in the Ptačí brook basin calculated using stable water isotopes
Valdhansová, Klára ; Jeníček, Michal (advisor) ; Šípek, Václav (referee)
Rain-on-snow events represent one of the basic mechanisms causing floods. Rain falling on the snow cover causes enhanced melting and the resulting runoff often exceeds the runoff caused by rain. During the winter seasons 2018 and 2019, water samples from the stream, snowpack and precipitation were repeatedly taken in the the Ptačí Brook catchment in the Šumava mountains, and the concentrations of 2 H and 18 O were measured in the laboratory. Based on the observed isotope ratios 18 O/16 O and 2 H/1 H in combination with other variables measured in the catchment, the two ROS events from 2019 were reconstructed. The ratio of heavy isotopes increased in the snowpack due to ROS events. Using the end member mixing equation, a hydrograph separation was performed for both investigated events. For the first event, it was not possible to clearly separate groundwater from rainfall, and thus the range of snow in the total runoff was determined by its separation from rainfall and subsequent separation from groundwater. The second event examined was separated directly into three components: rainfall, groundwater and snow. According to the analyses, the total runoff during ROS events in both cases was mostly formed by event water (a combination of rainfall and melt water). The melting water from the snow cover...
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Isotope alteration of carbonate component of Cretaceous sediments from xenolites and vicinity of selected neovolcanic bodies of the Jičín volcanic field
Konečný, Tomáš ; Zachariáš, Jiří (advisor) ; Trubač, Jakub (referee)
The diploma thesis deals with the study of stable isotopes of oxygen and carbon of Cretaceous rocks from the Jičín volcanic field. The aim of the thesis is to identify isotope alterations in Cretaceous sediments transported by basic magmas in the form of xenoliths and to determine the origin of oxygen and carbon of hydrothermal vein carbonates that penetrate the bodies of neovolcanites. The study is divided into two parts. The theoretical part summarizes in general the stratigraphy of the Czech Cretaceous Basin and Cenozoic volcanism of the Bohemian Massif, geochemistry of stable isotopes of oxygen and carbon and geology of studied localities in the Jičín volcanic field. The practical part presents a detailed isotope study of Hřídelec, Kulatý vrch, Zebín, Veliš and Kunětická hora localities. Cretaceous rocks from xenoliths in these neovolcanites show extreme variability in the isotopic composition of both carbon (from 0,15 to -11,1 ‰ V-PDB) and oxygen (from -5,4 to -22,9 ‰ V-PDB). They significantly exceed the variability of the isotopic composition of diagenetically altered Cretaceous rocks from the same area. The wide range of oxygen isotope composition is the result mainly of fluid temperature variability (approx. 300 - 20 řC), which isotopically altered Cretaceous sediments. Carbon isotope...
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