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You cannot step into the same fishpond twice - an evolution of fishpond ecosystems to hypertrophy
Vrba, Jaroslav ; Benedová, Z. ; Jezberová, Jitka ; Matoušů, Anna ; Musil, M. ; Nedoma, Jiří ; Pechar, L. ; Potužák, J. ; Řeháková, Klára ; Šimek, Karel ; Šorf, M. ; Zemanová, J.
Shallow manmade fishponds in south Bohemia were used for fish production for centuries, however, their ecosystems have changed dramatically due to excessive nutrient loading and fish stocking. Preliminary results of ten sampled fishponds suggested their hypertrophic status at present, while their plankton structure and dynamics reflected the actual size/age class of fish stock consisting predominantly of common carp. Planktivorous fish (both young carp and whitefish) remarkably reduced abundance, size, and species diversity of crustacean zooplankton, in particular large daphnids, whereas larger carp itself did not cause such a strong top-down effect. All other plankton components, i.e. phytoplankton, bacteria, protists, and rotifers showed rather high abundance and diversity, and suggested a reasonable impact of various microbial processes and interactions in the recent hypertrophic ecosystems.
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Závislost predace a rychlosti metabolismu na teplotě z pohledu kořisti i predátora
MODRÁ, Denisa
Climate changes affect species interactions which can have cascading effect up to the ecosystem level. This work investigates the effects of temperature and predator size on predator prey interactions by measuring the feeding rates of predators and metabolic rates of both predator and prey, using dragonfly larvae Aeshna cyanea and toad tadpoles Bufo bufo as a model system. Possible consequences of the findings for the impacts of climate change and predation on amphibian populations are discussed.
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Trophic relationships between insectivorous birds and insect in Papua New Guinea
TVARDÍKOVÁ, Kateřina
The thesis describes diversity of birds along a complete altitudinal gradient and in forest fragments in lowlands of Papua New Guinea. It focuses separately on the diversity of different feeding guilds, and discusses their links to habitat and food resources. More specifically, it focuses on forest insectivorous birds, their predation pressure on arthropods, feeding specializations and preferences, and some of the ways how insectivores search for food.
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The role of species traits in predator-prey interactions and food web structure
KLEČKA, Jan
This thesis deals with the role of species traits in predator-prey interactions and food web structure. I conducted laboratory experiments with predatory aquatic insects and their prey to reveal the traits determining who eats whom in small standing waters. I also focused on the possibility of incorporating the observed dependence of predator-prey interactions on body mass into existing food web models. Further, I developed a simple simulation model to explore the consequences of body mass dependent feeding and dispersal for food web assembly. Last, I show that four common methods for sampling aquatic insects differ in their selectivity, especially on the basis of body mass of sampled insects. In conclusion, I combined laboratory experiments, field work and mathematical models to evaluate the importance of body mass and other species traits, such as foraging behaviour and microhabitat selectivity, in predator-prey interactions and explored selected food web level consequences.
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Proposal and evaluation of educational ecological games with elements of inquiry-based learning
VONDRÁČKOVÁ, Petra
The Bachelor Thesis Proposal and evaluation of educational ecological games with elements of inquiry-based learning is focused on educational games with ecological themes and with application of inquiry-based learning. General information about the educational issues is processed through a literature review. Selected topics of biological ecology were summed and then educational games were developed of these topics Participants will gain knowledge of these games on the operation of some general ecological patterns related to trophic cascades, food webs and the principle of Competitive Exclusion. Three games created are listed in the results
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