Survival rates in the Czech Republic of introduced plants known as wool aliens

The paper analyses an unintentional experiment conducted 40 years ago with species termed wool aliens which were observed in employee garden allotments of a wool-processing factory in Brno, Czech Republic. The waste from processing was used as a garden fertilizer, and alien species were recorded by Dvořák and Kühn (1966) Zavlečené rostliny na pozemcích přádelny vlny ‘Mosilana’ n.p. v Brně. Preslia 38: 327–332. The survival of these species was assessed by their occurrence in the current alien flora of the Czech Republic. Of the 56 species introduced in the 1960s and classified as wool aliens, 18 are still present in the Czech alien flora. The remaining 38 species are considered extinct, i.e. alien plants not capable of long-term survival in the country. The resulting survival rate of wool aliens is 22.1%. Three species on the list (5.4%) were clearly capable of naturalization. Compared to the other alien flora of the Czech Republic, wool aliens were disproportionally introduced from Australia, Africa and South and Central America. Species from Europe and Africa tended to survive the best. Grasses were most strongly represented, contributing 62.5% to wool alien species but only 7.9% to the total Czech neophyte flora. All surviving species were annuals, whereas none of the perennials survived; the survival rate in annuals was 37.5%. Survival of species introduced with wool was significantly comparable to their performance in the UK and in Central Europe, indicating that survival is not determined by mere chance and that the same species tend to be successful elsewhere in Europe. Maximum height and the month of first flowering were not significantly related to the species survival. The role of specific events in the enrichment of alien floras is discussed.     

Mortality and displaced mortality during heat waves in the Czech Republic

The aims of this study were to assess impacts of hot summer periods on mortality in the Czech Republic and to quantify the size of the short-term displacement effect which resulted in lower than expected mortality after heat waves. The analysis covered the period 1982–2000 when several extraordinarily hot summers occurred in central Europe. Daily total all-cause mortality and mortality due to cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in the entire population of the Czech Republic (approximately 10 million inhabitants) were examined. The daily death counts were standardized to account for the long-term decline in mortality and the seasonal and weekly cycles. Heat-related mortality is better expressed if 1-day lag after temperature is considered compared to the unlagged relationship. With the 1-day lag, both excess total mortality and excess CVD mortality were positive during all 17 heat waves, and in 14 (12) heat waves the increase in total (CVD) mortality was statistically significant (P=0.05). The mean relative rise in total mortality during heat waves was 13%. The response was greater in females than males and similar regardless of whether total or CVD mortality was used. The largest relative increases, exceeding 20% in both total and CVD mortality, were associated with heat waves which occurred in early summer (the first half of July 1984 and June 1994). The mortality displacement effect played an important role since mortality tended to be lower than expected after hot periods. The mean net mortality change due to heat waves was estimated to be about a 1% increase in the number of deaths. The large relative increases during some heat waves were particularly noteworthy since the study (in contrast to most analyses of the heat stress/mortality relationship) was not restricted to an urban area and/or an elderly population.     

Flora and vegetation at about A.D. 1100 in the vicinity of Brno, Czech Republic

The paper presents and evaluates the results of macroscopic and pollen analyses of a buried organic layer at the confluence of the Svitava and Svratka rivers on the southern margin of the Brno City, southern Moravia, Czech Republic. The layer was covered with about 4 m of flood-loams and dates to ca. A.D. 1100. Remains of nearly 100 vascular plants and about 40 mosses contribute to the knowledge of the medieval flora, vegetation and environment in the vicinity of Brno as continuous settlement began in the city area and as the upstream landscapes were colonised.     

Bacterial origin of the Red Pigmentation in the devonian Slivenec Limestone, Czech Republic

Summary The deep-red lenses of the Pragian Slivenec Limestone have been extensively quarried for ornamental purposes since the XII^th century. Petrographic microscope observations indicate that the hematite stainings of the limestone follow ten different patterns. They range from massive non-directional filling of cavities to mineralized films and microstromatolites. Numerous ironrich endolithes are observed. Some could be derived from bacterial or lichen perforations and some related to ferric bacteria. Infiltration along welded calcite crystals, regular mineralized films and microstromatolites suggest a ferric bacterial origin for the pigment. This is confirmed by scanning microscope examinations of polished sections, that show hematite concentrations along micrometric filamentous sheaths.     

Dry grassland plant diversity conservation using low-intensity sheep and goat grazing management: case study in Prague (Czech Republic)

After abandonment, dry grassland (Festuco-Brometea) areas decline due to gradual overgrowing by woody species and the expansion of perennial tall grass species. Dry grassland vegetation was formed by extensive livestock grazing, thus grazing is considered one of the most natural methods for managing this type of vegetation. Six years after introducing low-intensity sheep and goat grazing in seven nature reserves in Prague (Czech Republic), the following impact of this management on dry grassland vegetation was observed: The cover of expansive woody species, particularly Ligustrum vulgare, and to a smaller extent Cornus sanguinea and Prunus spinosa declined. In addition, a significant, long-term declining trend of the expansive species Arrhenatherum elatius was also observed. Also the cover of Pimpinella saxifraga and Allium senescens declined significantly with regard to statistical evaluation. On the contrary, the cover of Achillea millefolium, Centaurea stoebe, Securigera varia, Elytrigia repens, Erysimum crepidifolium, Falcaria vulgaris, Fallopia convolvulus and Verbascum lychnitis increased. The cover of species characteristic of dry grasslands (Festuco-Brometea) increased significantly. No changes were observed in the number and cover of the Red List species. In addition, the presence of nitrophilous and ruderal species increased. Species diversity also significantly increased. From our findings we can conclude that managing dry grasslands with low-intensity grazing can help to keep dry grassland vegetation in good condition and conserve its plant diversity. Nomenclature: Kubát et al. (2002) for taxa and Moravec et al. (1995) for syntaxa.     

Terrestrial insect bioerosion and the possibilities of its fossilization (Holocene to recent,Czech republic)

Cylindrical tunnels, representing bee's nests, are present at and immediately beneath exposed surfaces of Late Cretaceous castellated sandstones in the Czech Republic. The tunnels originated either in weathered rock of overhanging surfaces, or in a thin layer of weathered sandstone formed between hard opaline crusts on rock surfaces and material not affected strongly by recent exogenic processes. Degraded rock crusts, which may bear parts of the biogenic structures, are present in sandy talus deposits usually representing all of the Holocene. Insect “borings” within lithified substrates in terrestrial settings are an unusual phenomenon; their fossilization potential in the Holocene sediments of the Bohemian castellated rocks may be relatively high.     

Epidemiology of Helicobacter pylori Infection in Asymptomatic Children: A Prospective Population-Based Study from the Czech Republic. Application of a Monoclonal-Based Antigen-in-Stool Enzyme Immunoassay

Background:  Acquisition of Helicobacter pylori occurs mainly in childhood and is significantly influenced by geographical variations. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of H. pylori infection in a population-based sample of asymptomatic children in the Czech Republic. Furthermore, this study aims to identify potential risk factors associated with this infection.
Materials and Methods:  A prospective, cross-sectional, population-based study was undertaken in 1545 asymptomatic Czech children (aged 0–15 years; male 49.3%). Active H. pylori infection was diagnosed by monoclonal antibody-based antigen-in-stool enzyme immunoassay. Socio-demographic details of each subject were analyzed using a self-administered standardized questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis was performed.
Results:  Overall, 7.1% of asymptomatic children were diagnosed with H. pylori infection. Of the infected children, 5.8% lived in the general population. A positive association was found with increasing age, although not with gender. Independent risk factors associated with H. pylori infection in our pediatric population were: the number of children in a household (odds ratio [OR] 4.26; confidence interval [CI] 1.91–9.80); lack of formal education of fathers (OR 0.23; CI 0.18–0.64) and institutionalized children (OR 6.33; CI 2.25–26.50).
Conclusions:  This study of a large cohort of children demonstrated that, independent of gender, H. pylori infection in the Czech Republic is among the lowest reported in Europe. Socioeconomically disadvantaged children, unfortunately, are still at risk of harboring this potentially preventable infection in this low-prevalence region.     

Compostional variations and patterns of condont reworking in Late Devonian and early carboniferous calciturbidites (Moravia, Czech Republic)

Summary Compositional variations and grain-size properties of both carbonate constituents and conodonts as an alternative component group were used for interpreting the processes governing the deposition of upper Famennian and middle Tournaisian calciturbidites in Moravia, Czech Republic. Both the composition and grain-size properties of conodont element associations showed to be markedly dependant on facies type of their host sediment. Upper Devonian calciturbidite successions deposited on flanks of wide, Moravian-Silesian carbonate platform are composed mainly of echinoderm-and peloid-rich wacke/packstones and intraclastic float/rudstones (fine-grained calciturbidites, “normal” calciturbidites with Tab Bouma sequences, debris-flow breccias) with abundance of shelf-and shelf margin conodont taxa and epipelagic and “mesopelagic” conodonts. Upper Devonian calciturbidites deposited on slopes of volcanic sea-mounts are composed of echinoderm-and peloid-rich wacke/packstones and float/rudstones with increased proportion of intraclasts and volcanigenic lithoclasts (fine-grained calciturbidites, normal calciturbidites), yeilding abundant conodont associations with higher proportion of “mesopelagic” taxa compared to the platform-flank examples. Middle Tournaisian calciturbidite succession composed of crinoid-, peloid-, intraclast-and lithoclast-rich lime mudstones, wacke/packstones and float/rudstones (normal calciturbidites and debris-flow breccias) yielded conodont element associations rich in shelt-and shelf-margin taxa, “mesopelagic” conodonts and reworked Middle-and Upper Devonian conodonts. In general, the ratio of shelf-and shelf margin conodont taxa to “mesopelagic” taxa is distinctly lower in finegrained calciturbidites than it is in normal calciturbidites and debris-flow breccias. Grain-size properties (mean grain size and sorting) and percentage of fragmented conodont elements, too, are markedly dependant on the facies type: in fine-grained calciturbidites the values of mean grain-size and fragmentation are low and the sorting is good to very good whereas in normal calciturbidites and debris-flow breccias the values of mean grain-size and fragmentation are distinctly higher and the sorting is poorer. The interdependence of facies type and composition and grain-size properties of conodont element associations in gravity-flow deposits is explained as resultant from hydrodynamic sorting during turbidity current flow and final deposition of the bed. Compositional variations observed in our sections may thus be attributed to facies variability (coarsening-and thickening-upward trends) rather than to sea-level fluctuations (highstand shedding of carbonate platforms). On the other hand, significant enrichment in reworked conodont taxa in middle Tournaisian normal calciturbidites compared to scarcity and/or absence of such conodonts in essentially identical facies of upper Famennian age indicate sea-level to be the major control governing such compositional variations, with low relative sea-level stand in middle Tournaisian and high relative sea-level stand in upper Famennian. Thorough analysis of conodont evolution, palaeoecology and taphonomy, with emphasis on understanding the processes of deposition of their host rock, are recommended for any biostratigraphic and biofacies study to be done in carbonate sediments deposited under strong hydrodynamic regimes, such as calciturbidites, temperstites, debris-flow deposits, shelf-edge oolitic sands, tidal-channel facies etc.     

Three New Ichnogenera of Biting and Gnawing Traces on Reptilian and Mammalian Bones: A Case Study from the Miocene of the Czech Republic

The Ahníkov (Miocene, Czech Republic) site represents a concentration of vertebrate skeletal remains in a swamp setting. Autochthonous bone deposits were strongly altered by sedimentary processes and early diagenesis. Biting and gnawing traces recognized on hard animal tissues (bones, teeth, antlers, turtle thoraces) represent seven recurring morphotypes. The following ichnotaxa are erected: Nihilichnus nihilicus n. igen. et n. isp., Nihilichnus mortalis n. isp., Machichnus regularis n. igen. et n. isp., Machichnus multilineatus n. isp., Machichnus bohemicus n. isp., and Brutalichnus brutalis n. igen. et n. isp. Each kind of bones or similar substrates bears a specific proportion of various bite traces but no observed morphotype is specific for a single substrate. Ethologically, traces of sharpening of teeth are principally different from predation traces. The beavers Steneofiber eseri and Steneofiber depereti, the carnivore Amphicyon sp. and the crocodiles are presumed as the tracemakers.     

Uphill shifts in distribution of butterflies in the Czech Republic: effects of changing climate detected on a regional scale

Aim To assess whether altitude changes in the distribution of butterflies during the second half of the 20th century are consistent with climate warming scenarios. Location The Czech Republic. Methods Distributional data were taken from a recent butterfly distribution atlas, which maps all Czech butterflies using a grid of 10′ longitude to 6′ latitude, equivalent to about 11.1 × 12 km. Cell altitude was used as an independent variable, and altitudinal ranges of individual species (less migrants, extinct species, recent arrivals and extremely rare species) in 1950–80 vs. 1995–2001 and in 1950–80, 1981–94, 1995–2001 were compared using U‐tests and linear regressions. Results Of 117 (U‐tests) and 119 (regressions) species, we found significant uphill increases in 15 and 12 species, respectively. The two groups were nested; none (U‐test) and one (regression) species showed a significant altitudinal decrease. Binomial tests of frequencies of signs of the U‐tests and regression coefficients, including nonsignificant ones, also showed that the increases prevailed. The mean and median of the significant shifts were 60 and 90 m, respectively, and the maximum shift per species was 148 m. The recording effort in individual time periods was not biased with respect to altitude. Main conclusion Altitude shifts in the distribution of Czech butterflies are already detectable on the coarse scales of standard distribution maps. The increasing species do not show any consistent pattern in habitat affiliations, conservation status and mountain vs. nonmountain distribution, which renders climatic explanation as the most likely cause of the distributional shifts.     

Discovery of the oldest known Pterygota in the Lower Carboniferous of the Upper Silesian Basin in the Czech Republic (Insecta: Archaeorthoptera)

The earliest pterygote (winged insect), dated from the Lower Carboniferous (Namurian A/E1, circa 324 millions years ago) is described from the Upper Silesian Basin in the Czech Republic. On the basis of its wing venation, it is attributed to the Archaeorthoptera Béthoux and Nel, 2002, crown group of the “Orthoptera”. Besides Apterygota (Collembola and Archaeognatha) known from the Lower Devonian, extremely rare pterygote insects are known from Lower Carboniferous deposits when they first appeared. The present discovery supports the hypothesis of the presence of the ancestor lineage of the orthopteroid in the Lower Carboniferous ecosystems.     

Two new species of Kladnostrobus nov. gen. and their spores from the Pennsylvanian of the Kladno-Rakovník Basin (Bolsovian, Czech Republic)

A new lycopsid family Kladnostrobaceae is proposed, based on the type of sporangia, their attachment by a pedicel and the type of reticulate spores enclosed. All these characteristics distinguish the Kladnostrobaceae from all other lycopsid families. A new lycopsid genus Kladnostrobus nov. gen., consisting of two new species Kladnostrobus clealii nov. sp. and Kladnostrobus psendae nov. sp., is described from the Kladno-Rakovník Basin (Lower Bolsovian) of the central and western Carboniferous continental basins of the Czech Republic. Helically arranged distal laminae and pedicels are relatively primitive, suggesting that Kladnostrobus may represent a new, primitive type of lycopsid cone produced by some unknown, probably arborescent lycopsid parent plant. Spores of Kladnostrobus are about 90-100 μm in diameter, and possess reticulate sculpture. The proximal contact area of spores is laevigate. In situ spores can resemble some dispersed species of the genera Convolutispora Hoffmeister, Staplin and Malloy, Camptotriletes (Naumova) Potonié and Kremp, Reticulatisporites (Ibrahim) Neves and mainly Dictyotriletes (Naumova) Smith and Buttterworth.     

The updated check list of Dolichopodidae (Diptera) of the Czech Republic and Slovakia: Background information,data and considerations

The 1997 check list of Dolichopodidae of the Czech Republic and Slovakia has recently been reviewed and updated. The new species list includes 346 species with 22 species added as new to the fauna of the Czech Republic. While the check list itself is published elsewhere, largely unpublished new records of Hercostomus argentifrons, H. nigrilamellatus, Medetera adjaniae, M. melancholica and M. setiventris are presented here, together with data on their distribution in Europe and their biology and ecology. The status of the newly added Sympycnus desoutteri is discussed. H. argentifrons is recorded here for the first time from the Czech Republic (Bohemia; Moravia) and background information is given on its discovery. While the Czech fauna with 324 species can be considered well known, the fauna of Slovakia is definitely much richer than its current national list of 217 species suggests. In the latter country, in particular surveys of sandy habitats with heathland or peatmoor, saltmarshes, reedmarshes, humid forests on loamy soils, and of rothole and saprun microhabitats on trees might quickly yield new species records.     

Ethnic minority identity and movement politics: The case of the Roma in the Czech Republic and Slovakia

The level of political mobilization among ethnic minorities in Central and Eastern Europe has often been regarded as directly dependent on the strong or weak ethnic identity of the groups involved. Less attention has gone to the role of ethnic leaders in creating ethnic group identities for political purposes. This article explores the influence of political mobilization on ethnic group formation in the case of the Roma (Gypsies) in the contemporary Czech and Slovak Republics. It examines the various ways in which Romani activists in these two countries have “framed” Romani identity. The article suggests that activists’ conceptions of Romani identity are closely tied to their political strategies. At the same time, Romani activists have not been able to gain complete control over the production of Romani identity. They have had to deal with powerful schemes of ethnic categorization promulgated by the media, public officials and policy documents.     

Origin and genetic structure of white-tailed sea eagles (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Haliaeetus albicilla</Emphasis>) in the Czech Republic: an analysis of breeding distribution,ringing data and DNA microsatellites

The population of white-tailed sea eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) in the Czech Republic declined dramatically during the twentieth century. None were observed in the area for more than 60 years until population recoveries were observed beginning in the 1980s. It is currently estimated that 25–30 breeding pairs of white-tailed sea eagles nest in the Czech Republic. This article analyses surveillance data from three periods between 1973 and 2003 on the occurrence and nesting of white-tailed sea eagles in the Czech Republic. We investigated recolonization of European white-tailed sea eagles in the Czech Republic in terms of migration patterns and population structures. Bird ringing data suggest the Czech population may be recovered from various areas encompassing northern Europe. Using data collected by DNA microsatellite, no population structure was revealed through Bayesian and cluster analyses with an existing Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium, which suggests mixed panmictic populations of white-tailed sea eagles in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. While analysis of genetic diversity showed no difference between recovered populations in the southeastern Czech Republic and those persisting in Slovakia, there was genetic diversity between eagles of the southeastern subpopulation and eagles in other parts of the Czech Republic. Taken together, these observations on the population structure of white-tailed sea eagles in the Czech Republic imply that other European birds contributed to the recovery of the Czech population, likely through breeding mixture with an identifiable centre in the southeastern Czech Republic.     

Gracilitheca astronauta n. sp. and Nephrotheca sophia n. sp. (Hyolitha,Orthothecida) from the Cambrian of Czech Republic

Two orthothecid hyoliths, Gracilitheca astronauta n. sp. and Nephrotheca sophia n. sp. are described from the “middle” Cambrian Buchava Formation of the Skryje-Tý?ovice Basin in the Czech Republic. The new forms are based on about thirty well-preserved external and internal moulds of both conchs and opercula. Gracilitheca astronauta n. sp. is classified under the family Gracilithecidae Sysoev, 1972 and may be distinguished by clearly triangular cross-section of the conch, whereas Nephrotheca sophia n. sp. is characterized by transversally elongated cardinal processes reaching the lateral opercular margin and is combined with the family Orthothecidae Sysoev, 1958 emended Malinky, 2009. Several specimens of G. astronauta show operculum preserved inside of the conch. Stratigraphic ranges and geographic distributions within the Skryje-Tý?ovice Basin are established for both taxa.     

Hrabalicrinus zitti gen. et sp. nov., and other Upper Jurassic crinoids (Echinodermata,Crinoidea) from the Brno area (Czech Republic)

Jurassic (Oxfordian) crinoids from the Brno area (Czech Republic) are described in details for the first time. A rich crinoid assemblage consisting of cups, isolated cup elements, brachial plates, columnals, pluricolumnals, and cirrals is assigned to isocrinids Isocrinus amblyscalaris (Thurmann), Balanocrinus subteres (Münster), B. pentagonalis (Goldfuss), Isocrinida indet., comatulid Hrabalicrinus zitti gen. et sp. nov., cyrtocrinids Lonchocrinus sp., Cyrtocrinus cf. nutans (Goldfuss), Pilocrinus moussoni (Desor), Tetracrinus moniliformis Münster, Cyrtocrinida indet., and millericrinids (Millericrinida indet.). Crinoids already mentioned from the Jurassic strata of the Czech Republic are subsequently revised. Apart from the isolated remains of Isocrinida, Millericrinida, and Thiolliericrinida, the presence of any other taxon reported from this area should be treated with extreme caution. A rare example of non-regenerative columnal healing (the so-called callus) in I. amblyscalaris is also described. Based on sedimentology and microfacies, the Jurassic limestones were deposited in various palaeoenvironments of upper carbonate platform and shelf lagoon (0 to > 50 m palaeodepth).     

Reefs from space: Satellite imagery,marine ecology,and ethnography in the Dominican Republic

Coral reef bleaching is an obvious indication that coastal marine ecosystems are being stressed. However, bleached reefs alone are poor indicators because they reflect the final stages of stress. This research project used multidate satellite imagery to look for coral reef changes as indicators of stress. Findings suggest that (1) satellite imagery can be used to identify small-scale changes in coastal marine ecosystems, including coral reefs; (2) remote sensing, marine ecology, and ethnographic data can be integrated to suggest potential causes of coral reef stress; and (3) changes in reef, seagrass, and mangrove ecozones are more closely tied to fishing, tourism, and land use practices than to global warming.     

Sward structure and diet selection after sheep introduction on abandoned grassland in the Giant Mts, Czech Republic

The effect of rotational grazing on the sward structure of long-term abandoned grassland and the sheep diet selection were investigated in the Giant Mts (Krkono?e/Karkonosze). The aim of the study was to answer the following questions: (1) Does sheep grazing affect the sward structure of previously abandoned mountain grassland? (2) How does sheep diet selection develop within and among grazing seasons? (3) Which section of a pasture do sheep prefer to graze? Data was collected three times during each grazing season in spring, summer and in autumn in the years 2001, 2002 and 2003 Fifty 1 × 1 m plots were used where the plant species occurrence and damage of plants by grazing for all species were repeatedly recorded. 1) Nonsignificant changes in plant species occurrences were recorded in spite of obvious visual changes in sward structure due to grazing e.g. the retreat of tall dominant species characteristic of long-term unmanaged grasslands. 2) Seasonal as well as inter-annual changes in sheep diet selection were detected. In spring 2001, sheep grazed over a wide variety of plant species in low quantities. In subsequent springs, they preferred species favoured during previous autumns (Veratrum album subsp. lobelianum; Ranunculus platanifolius; Senecio ovatus) and changed the diet only as a result of the elimination of favoured plants. 3) Sheep preferred to graze at the highest elevated part of the pasture probably as a consequence of anti-predator behaviour not due to higher occurrence of favoured plant species or the presence of a drinking place or salt licks. Changes in the sward structure were mostly of a quantitative not qualitative character, thus the presence-absence data collection is not a suitable method for monitoring the effects of management restoration. The diet selection changed probably due to the animals’ experience; sheep had no experience with montane species in spring 2001. The sheep were able to recognize favoured plant species after 6 months of wintering in lowland.