A positive predator-prey population dynamics is important to sustain a healthy ecosystem. When this gap is widened it can have adverse effect on the particular ecosystem. Predators play an important role to keep the population of prey species in check. Predation also influences the size of the prey population by acting as a control. Predator and prey evolve together in a constant bid for survival. A healthy population of the apex predators also gives an indication of the health of the ecosystem. In an environment which is rapidly altered by humans for commercial and recreational needs it becomes extremely important to study the prey-predator interaction and the effects it has on the ecosystem. The effect of large carnivores is thought to extend down the food web to herbivores and to plants causing a trophic cascade. In the Czech Republic where the forests play a vital role economically there was a need to assess this Impact. We carried out some research in the west Carpathian Mountains which fall in the eastern part of Czech Republic to assess the impact large carnivores have on forest regeneration. The Beskydy Mountains is home to 3 large carnivore species namely Wolf (Canis lupus), Lynx (Lynx lynx), and Brown bear (Ursus arctos). The remaining carnivore species are not considered here, but we acknowledge that also they can play an important and varied role in communities. The prey species include Red deer (Cervus elaphus), Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), and Wild boar (Sus scrofa) while other small herbivores were not considered.

published_or_final_version / Sociology / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

This exploratory case study considers the Czech Republic from 1993 thru 2002 by examining two links: first, between transition and the environment.; second, between the environment and human rights. The study examines data from the Czech Ministry of Environment, the European Union, the World Bank, and Freedom House. The purpose of this study is to better understand the Czech Republic and to generate hypotheses that might be used in future cross-national studies. Chapter III provides the underlying theory linking the environment and human rights. Chapters IV, V, and VI discuss the data and the two links and suggest hypotheses for future research. Chapter VII draws conclusions about states in transition, the environment, and human rights and encourages future integrative research.

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited / In 2001 the Czech Republic decided to abandon conscription in favor of professional armed forces. Western European countries are following the same trend, since the new security environment requires quickly deployable, highly skilled and well-equipped forces. The current round of reforms started with Belgium and Netherlands, and have seen followed by France, Spain, Italy and Portugal. These countries are beneficiary from experience in United States and United Kingdom. The Czech Republic professionalization is the natural continuation of a process that started in 1999 with NATO membership. In 2001, the new Minister of Defense received the task of creating an all-volunteer force. A Plan to transition the armed forces was created. Transformation will likely start after the upcoming elections. The new concept should make the Czech Republic a more effective member of NATO. This thesis concentrates on transition experience from conscription to volunteer forces with special attention to the United States, Great Britain, Belgium, France, Spain and Italy. It discusses issues of procedures, processes, problems and their managerial solutions in the current environment of the Czech Armed Forces. / Major, Air Force of the Czech Republic

The thesis focuses on recruitment practices of recent business graduates and related issues in two countries, the Czech Republic and Taiwan. Firstly, it concentrates on what recruitment sources, such as internet job portals, job fairs and others, are popular among these particular groups acting in the labor market, and on the contrary, what sources are used by the organizations. Furthermore, the research explores what information companies advertize in their job advertisements and what information recent business graduates seek. It also tries to discover what skills, competencies and experiences Taiwanese and Czech HR professionals value and recommend graduates to have if they want to be successful in the recruitment and selection process. The importance of wants and values of recent business graduates, role of location, universities and culture is described as well. Collected data from the on-line questionnaire survey designed for companies and graduates, both from Taiwan and the Czech Republic, provided the major source of information for answering the main questions of this research. Nevertheless, several face-to-face interviews with HR professionals from both countries were conducted as well. These interviews should have provided more in-depth view on the issues related to the recruitment of recent business graduates and present detailed insights based on their experiences into related practices and topics. Consequently, the thesis gives a comprehensive picture of the issues discussed above and it should help companies, and also graduates from both countries to better match mutual wants and values. The results show that currently, modern information and communication technologies significantly influence the recruitment practices. Therefore, internet job portals and companies¡¦ websites are popular recruitment sources. Moreover, recent business graduates only seldom know what kind of job would suit them the best and thus, this factor influences their later performance at work. As a result, HR professionals recommend them to clarify it. Besides that, base salary and other financial incentives are no longer the main factors that influence graduates¡¦ decision-making in both countries. The survey outcomes show that graduates rather seek career prospects, training and educational possibilities, and also interesting and enriching jobs. They want to be proud of what they are doing, respected by their peers and they would like to further develop themselves.

Thesis (M.S. in Defense Systems Management)--Naval Postgraduate School, June 2002. / Thesis advisor(s): Raymond Franck, Donald Abenheim. Includes bibliographical references (p. 85-88). Also available online.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Notre Dame, 2003. / Thesis directed by John Van Engen for the Graduate Program in Medieval Studies. "July 2003." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 397-433).

Inaug.-diss.--Breslau. / Lebenslauf. "Literaturverzeichnis": p. 73-74.

Inaug.-diss.--Breslau. / Lebenslauf. "Literaturverzeichnis": p. 73-74.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of History, June 2000. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.