Dušan Romportl

The Relationship Between Geodiversity and Habitat Richness in Šumava National Park and Křivoklátsko PLA (Czech Republic): A Quantitative Analysis Approach

The Relationship Between Geodiversity and Habitat Richness in Šumava National Park and Křivoklátsko PLA (Czech Republic): A Quantitative Analysis Approach This paper focuses on the development of a quantitative method for evaluating the relationship between abiotic heterogeneity and habitat richness at the landscape level. The study took place in the Křivoklátsko protected landscape area and Šumava national park (Czech Republic). Our initial hypothesis was that habitat richness should be high in areas with high abiotic heterogeneity, and vice versa. GIS vector layers of habitat were used for the formulation of habitat richness. A geological layer, a digital terrain model and hydrographic layers were used to determine abiotic heterogeneity. The study areas were overlain by a grid square and habitat richness and abiotic heterogeneity were assessed in each study cell. The data obtained were used in a statistical model (multiple spatial linear regression, with maximum credibility). The results of the statistical model indicated a significant influence of abiotic heterogeneity on habitat richness.

Changing roles of propagule, climate, and land use during extralimital colonization of a rose chafer beetle

Regardless of their ecosystem functions, some insects are threatened when facing environmental changes and disturbances, while others become extremely successful. It is crucial for successful conservation to differentiate factors supporting species’ current distributions from those triggering range dynamics. Here, we studied the sudden extralimital colonization of the rose chafer beetle, Oxythyrea funesta, in the Czech Republic. Specifically, we depicted the range expansion using accumulated historical records of first known occurrences and then explained the colonization events using five transformed indices depicting changes in local propagule pressure (LPP), climate, land use, elevation, and landscape structure. The slow occupancy increase of O. funesta before 1990 changed to a phase of rapid occupancy increase after 1990, driven not only by changes in the environment (climate and land use) but also by the spatial accumulation of LPP. Climate was also found to play a significant role but only during the niche-filling stage before 1990, while land use became important during the phase of rapid expansion after 1990. Inland waters (e.g., riparian corridors) also contributed substantially to the spread in the Czech Republic. Our method of using spatially transformed variables to explain the colonization events provides a novel way of detecting factors triggering range dynamics. The results highlight the importance of LPP in driving sudden occupancy increase of extralimital species and recommend the use of LPP as an important predictor for modeling range dynamics.

Can Natura 2000 mapping be used to zone the Šumava National Park

The future of the Sumava National Park is linked to discussions on its zoning, which has undergone significant changes since the establishmentof the Park. The present zonation was strongly criticized by experts, representatives of NGOs and international organizations. Over the lastcouple of years, politicians became more vocal in callings for a new law that would fix the rules governing the use of the Sumava NP and thecentral question in this is zonation. A new proposal on the zonation was prepared by the scientific community, but in order to maximize theprobability of its acceptance, the area of the core zone proposed was just barely sufficient to include the most valuable parts of the mostimportant habitats and some of the habitats of the most important species. Thus, any further reduction in the area of the core zone is likelyto pose a serious threat to the survival of important species and habitats occurring in the Sumava NP. Here we present a politically unbiasedestimate of the optimum size of the core zone based on Natura 2000 habitats and species mapping.

Comparative landscape typology of the Bohemian and Bavarian Forest National Parks

Landscape typologies provide their users with a spatial framework, which could be used for management, assessment of landscape changes and monitoring of biodiversity or natural processes. The aim of this article is to distinguish and compare landscape types across the largest natural area within Central Europe. Cluster analysis based on physical-geographical data was used to differentiate particular types of environmental conditions. The results are suitable for comparing both national parks and their management.

Long-Term Changes in Habitat Selection of Wintering Waterbirds: High Importance of Cold Weather Refuge Sites

Abstract. Recent studies showed that climate changes shape species distribution and could cause range shifts in the flyway level of the species. Here, we demonstrated changes in species habitat selection as a response to weather severity in twelve most abundant wintering waterbird species with prevailing increase in numbers during three investigated periods (1972–1978, 1987–1993 and 2003–2009). We used wintering waterbird counts from 93 sites throughout the Czech Republic from mid-January term as the coldest period of winter when the effect of thermoregulation on wintering waterbirds distribution is most apparent. We recorded no significant changes in weather severity in three investigated periods in our study area, and hence we considered the effect of preference of cold weather refuge sites, i.e. habitats which can reduce negative effect of cold weather (running waters, urban area and extensive water surface area). We found prevailing effect of weather severity in the first period what may show thermoregulatory effects being expressed by weather severity on species habitat selection in the next period in six of the twelve investigated species (Mute Swan Cygnus olor, Common Pochard Aythya ferina, Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula, Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis, Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus and Common Coot Fulica atra). In the face of recent climate change and in spite of the increasing importance of wetlands in the Czech Republic for wintering waterbirds, the suitability of these sites for wintering is likely temperature-dependent. Thus, the preference of cold weather refuges reducing the effect of winter harshness becomes important in individual species.

A TYPOLOGY OF NATURAL LANDSCAPES OF CENTRAL EUROPE

Landscape classification of Central Europe was carried out in order to define the spatial framework of environmentally homogeneous typological units. The output of such a classification would be used for further assessment of ecosystem services within the focus region. Classification was based on the cluster analysis of principal components, derived from a set of abiotic data – climatic and terrain variables and a soil database. Seven specific landscape types were defined within Central Europe. Regional distribution and environmental characteristics of particular units are described.

Factors associated with the distributions of orchids in the Jeseníky mountains, Czech Republic

Species distribution models are a useful tool and are now often used in many branches of biology, especially when dealing with threatened organisms. In combination with GIS techniques, these models are especially important and valuable for predicting the occurrence of rare species, for example orchids. Orchids are an endangered plant group, protected worldwide. Questions about their conservation are therefore highly discussed, but not all factors affecting their survival and distribution are known. Here we present an example of using SDMs for analysing orchid species occurrence data from the Jeseniky Mountains in the Czech Republic. Our data were analysed using the MaxEnt program, which produces species distribution maps and thus allows the prediction of the potential occurrence of orchids at yet unknown localities. This program also determines the environmental factors affecting species distribution. This is important for the better protection of orchids, because only by knowing these factors can new localities be found or the management plans that are crucial for maintaining orchid localities be improved. We studied the most abundant orchid species in the given region. We determined the most important factors affecting their occurrence and also areas, where new sites are most likely to be discovered and depicted them in potential distribution maps. This approach can help in finding new localities of orchids and in understanding, which environmental factors influence the occurrence of endangered orchids.

Designing Migration Corridors for Large Mammals in the Czech Republic

Abstract The presented article introduces methods and some results of a project aiming to improve the protection of landscape permeability for migration of large mammals. The main aim of the project was delimitation of migration corridors, representing an ecological network connecting areas of existing, or potential presence of focal species. Based on mapping of current and historical occurrence of selected species of large predators and ungulates, areas of potential presence of such species were defined, including further analysis of connectivity of these areas. At the same time, all categories of anthropogenic and natural barriers were described. Migration corridors were designed over detailed topographic datasets, according to the results of habitat analyses of both groups of animals, and subsequently were tested in the field. The project resulted in a coherent network of existing and proposed migration corridors, with sections categorised according to permeability, as well as methodical protection and a management plan

Present Approaches to Landscape Typology in the Czech Republic

ABSTRACT Landscape typologies are widely recognised as useful tools for landscape management and planning. However, there is wide range of different approaches producing diverse outputs, which makes the usage of landscape typologies sometimes difficult or confusing in general practice (Wascher ed., 2005). The same situation is found in the Czech Republic, where a number of holistic, expert-based and quantitative approaches were developed. These differences could be explained by different objectives of landscape classification, different input data and methods used, and by the particular author’s experience and erudition. Nevertheless, landscape typology should be clear both for scientists, landscapeplanners and policy makers. It is necessary to create valid landscape-planning documents which have to reflect regional, cultural and natural landscape specifics, for as effective and sustainable land use as possible. For such a strategic planning, clearly defined and characterised spatial units seem to be an essential base. This paper aims to introduce the fundamental methodological approaches, provides basic comparison of different Czech typologies, and discusses an optimal method for landscape planning.

Monitoring of Biodiversity Changes in the Landscape Scale

Monitoring of Biodiversity Changes in the Landscape Scale The monitoring and evaluation of changes in biodiversity is a subject for many biological and ecological disciplines. Biodiversity loss has become a social and political issue over the last few decades, and protection of biological diversity has emerged as one of the main subjects within national nature conservation policies as well as international conventions, conservation targets and political programmes (e.g. the Convention on Biological Diversity, Target 2010, SEBI 2010, CITES, Ramsar Convention, European Landscape Convention). The establishment of a monitoring scheme based on an appropriate set of indicators is vital for precise assessment of the effectiveness of measures applied within biodiversity protection (e.g. action plans for endangered species, agro-environmental and landscape protection programmes). Many indicators of biodiversity change have been proposed, but their representativeness and applicability frequently suffer from poor available data or local circumstances. The concept of species and landscape diversity evaluation using a fixed set of indicators has been developing in other European countries for some two decades, but this approach is still sporadic in the Czech Republic. This paper provides a review of the current state of this topic in the Czech Republic, discusses the concept of establishing a future national biodiversity monitoring network, and proposes a self-contained set of indicators covering all organizational and spatial levels. These proposals will enable scientifically based and sufficiently accurate evaluation of existing trends in biodiversity and its projection into the future based on foreseeable land-use changes.