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Evolutionary history, systematics and biogeography of Southern Hemisphere hydrophilid beetles (Coleoptera)
Seidel, Matthias ; Fikáček, Martin (advisor) ; Gomez-Zurita, Jesus (referee) ; Gimmel, Matthew L. (referee)
The research presented in my PhD thesis consists of phylogenetic, biogeographic, taxonomic and ecological research of Southern Hemisphere water scavenger beetles (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae) with a special emphasis on New Zealand. The introductory chapter provides a brief outline on the break-up of Gondwana and geological processes that shaped New Zealand and its fauna. Furthermore, the diversity of New Zealand Hydrophilidae and worldwide diversity of the hydrophilid subfamily Cylominae and its taxonomic history are illustrated. The scientific part of the thesis contains 4 published papers and 2 manuscripts. The first study recalibrates the Coleoptera time tree, providing new age estimates for the Hydrophiloidea, among others. The new age estimate is implemented in the second study, a phylogenetic study that reconstructs the biogeography of the 'Gondwanan' Cylominae beetles. The Cylominae, whose name was reinstated through nomenclatural priority over Rygmodinae in a separate paper, are found to consist of two tribes, Andotypini and Cylomini. The disjunct distribution of Cylominae is shown to be partly the result of vicariance and partly of long-distance oversea dispersal. The most remarkable long-distance dispersal is that of the only African representative of the subfamily which reached Africa from...
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Mountains as islands
Kačabová, Petra ; Storch, David (advisor) ; Ferenc, Michal (referee)
In this paper I deal with island biogeography and its applicability to isolated mountaintops, as an ecological equivalent of true islands. I discuss both true and mountain islands regarding their origin and the influence of long-term climate evolution on Earth. I underline some features of mountain islands, resulting from their topography and the dissimilarities of both types of island barriers. I find that mountain and true island communities might or might not have a number of species in a state of equilibrium, caused by balance between species immigration on island and their extinction. If the number of species on island is not in equilibrium, species extinction is not balanced by species immigration. I consider patterns of island communities, mainly nestedness, which has been frequently studied on mountain, as well as true islands. I discuss distribution patterns concerning invertebrates. And finally, I concentrate on recent methods of moutain island research and discuss mountain island isolation issues in terms of global warming.
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Biogeographical position of the Tristan da Cunha archipelago based on floristic records.
Vinšová, Petra ; Kopalová, Kateřina (advisor) ; Žárský, Jakub (referee)
The archipelago Tristan da Cunha is situated in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between South America and southern tip of Africa. It represents one of the least disturbed temperate island systems in the world, supports many endemic plant and animal species. Although the locality is interesting by many aspects, many fields still remain under-studied. This bachelor thesis presents a synthesis of available literature about the archipelagos non-marine non-vascular floras, which are of a great diversity, but mostly still overlooked by scientist. For some of them were made lists of taxa present. Further, the distributional ability and patterns of this plant groups are discussed. KEYWORDS: Tristan da Cunha; Oceanic islands; Botanic; Distribution; Island Biogeography; Lichens; Mosses; Liverworts and Hornworts; Diatoms;
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Plant-pollinator relationships in isolated ecosystems and ecosystems with extreme fluctuations in climatic conditions
Pinc, Jan ; Vlasáková, Blanka (advisor) ; Vazačová, Kristýna (referee)
In extreme and isolated ecosystems, organisms are often specifically adapted to local abiotic conditions due to relatively fast-moving diversification and strong selection pressure. Their mutualistic relationships are very often quite unusual and unique. Plants grow in populations with a limited number of individuals. They are exposed to strong selection pressure for outcrossing to minimize the loss of genetic variability due to inbreeding, which is common in small populations. Maximizing outcrossing usually results in various modifications of pollination systems. These modifications are affected by the insufficient number of potential pollinators and by their irregular occurrence. The aim of this paper is to summarize the typical features of pollination systems in extreme and isolated ecosystems and to clarify the conditions that led to their creation.
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