The purpose of this study is to analyze which variables influence the capercaillie’s (Tetrao urogallus) selection of lek sites in northern Sweden by using remote sensing data. The lek site is a crucial area for the species’ reproductive success. Studies outside of northern Sweden have confirmed that the landscape structure highly influences the selection of lek sites. This study examines whether the type of vegetation, forest volume and proximity to anthropogenic disturbances influence the selection of lek sites. The findings can be used to create a prioritizing map of northern Sweden to aid in conservation management and improve future inventories. 58 lek sites within five different counties were analyzed by a use-availability design, using a generalized linear mixed model with a binary distribution of the dependent variables. The vegetation types of pine forest, wet pine forest, continuous pine forest, mixed coniferous forest and wet other mixed forest were preferred by capercaillie, while other mixed forest, mire, continuous other forest, young forest, and clear cuts were avoided. Wet pine forest was the only vegetation type that had higher probability (36%) to be chosen over pine forest. For forest volume, the probability of being chosen increased with 22 % for each additional unit (m3/ha). For distance to buildings and roads, the probability of being chosen increased with 10 % for each additional unit of distance. I conclude that vegetation type, forest volume and proximity to anthropogenic disturbances influence the capercaillie selection of lek sites in northern Sweden.

Study of landscape change is a subject of interest for a wide range of professional work both in the Czech republic and abroad. This thesis therefore does not give a simple description of the changes in the landscape, but rather focuses on the further synthesis of these findings and the subsequent creation of a typology of land cover changes and their impacts on landscape structure in the region of interest, including also its heterogeneity. It is therefore a process of allocated areas that formed and still form the same processes that lead to homogenization of the landscape, as opposed to its fragmentation. Area of interest is so-called Visegrad Group of countries (Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland). There are four countries of the former Eastern bloc in Central Europe, which shared some relatively similar initial conditions for the further development of the landscape after the "release" of the regime change in 1989. The landscape began to develop in different way. Each country began a different way to approach a completely different landscape interfering in its development. Review starts with describing landscape development in the period up to 1989, when it was not too taken of the ecological functions and the importance of the landscape. This period was characterized by the...

(Sub)urbanization significantly change the character of the landscape in the suburbs. Moving population and economic activities in the hinterland of cities initiates changes of land cover and landscape structure. The landscape becomes more fragmented mainly due to transport infrastructure that binds to the construction of new commercial and residential areas. Characterizing landscape structure is possible using landscape metrics. For the analysis of Prague hinterland was selected 7 landscape metrics (percentage of land cover categories, number of patches, mean patch size, mean shape index, total edge, mean distance to the nearest neighbour and DIVISION index). Metrics were selected based on the research of world literature dealing with the phenomenon of urban sprawl. The aim was to select appropriate metrics describing landscape composition and landscape configuration, but at the same time with clear interpretation. The results suggest that significant changes in the landscape structure occured during period of 55 yaers, in the Prague suburb. Most new buildings, whether residential or commercial, were built especially on former agricultural land. There is obviously lack of protection from the urban sprawl. Keywords: (sub)urbanization, urban sprawl, landscape structure, land cover, landscape metrics

Mgr. Petr Mareš Land Use Changes Under the Influence of the Process of Societal Integration ABSTRACT The PhD. thesis discusses impacts of a long term process of socio-economic integration on the changing Land Use structure in the Czech Republic and Slovenia and puts forward a hypothesis that "together with the integration of socio-economic relations into hierarchically higher structures, sub-areas tend to be more specialized within every such structure". For the Czech Republic, the main data source used was the LUCC Czechia Database comprising information on 7 Land Use categories in 8 903 CTUs (Comparable Territorial Units, derived from cadastres) in four time horizons 1845-1948-1990-2000 (at the national level) and detailed analyses of maps of four selected CTUs in 1845-2005 (at the local level). For Slovenia we tested our hypothesis using the trial version of the LUCC Slovenia database where data for four Land Use categories had been completed for 2 403 CTUs in 1825-1900- 1961-2002. In order to understand the specialization processes the following indicators were used: the coefficient of variation; the frequency of CTUs in classes of percentage share of selected land use categories and the development of selected different land use categories in diverse areas at the national level (database); then the map...

<p>Istraživanje je urađeno u cilju utvrđivanja obrazaca distribucije rodova <em>Merodon</em><br />Meigen, 1802 i <em>Cheilosia</em> Meigen, 1822 na području jugoistočne Evrope. Rodovi<br /><em>Cheilosia</em> i<em> Merodon </em>su najbrojniji fitofagni rodovi osolikih muva, a jugoistočna<br />Evropa je izabrana kao posebno interesantno područje analiziranja distribucije vrsta<br />zbog specifične kombinacije istorijskih, abiotičkih i biotičkih faktora koji određuju<br />distribuciju. Na području jugoistočne Evrope registrovano je ukupno 202 vrste<br />istraživanih rodova; 121 vrsta pripada rodu <em>Merodon</em>, a 81 vrsta pripada rodu<br /><em>Cheilosia</em>. Broj od preko 200 vrsta pokazuje da je jugoistočna Evropa područje od<br />izuzetnog bogatstva vrsta rodova <em>Merodon</em> i <em>Cheilosia</em>. Ovakav zaključak dopunjen je<br />postojanjem čak 79 (39%) endemskih vrsta za područje jugoistočne Evrope. Prema<br />gradijentu geografske &scaron;irine, rodovi <em>Merodon</em> i <em>Cheilosia</em> pokazuju različit distributivni<br />obrazac; uočava se da broj vrsta roda <em>Merodon</em> opada od juga ka severu, dok je<br />distributivni obrazac obrnut za rod <em>Cheilosia</em>.<br />U cilju analiziranja uticaja koje predeona struktura i promene u načinu kori&scaron;ćenja<br />zemlji&scaron;ta imaju na vrste rodova <em>Merodon </em>i <em>Cheilosia</em>, sprovedena je predeono -<br />ekolo&scaron;ka analiza, uz pomoć GIS i odgovarajućih ekolo&scaron;kih softvera. Istraživanje<br />pokazuje da postoji specifičan odnos između predeonih parametara i kompozicije vrsta<br />istraživanih rodova - sa različitom osetljivo&scaron;ću rodova <em>Merodon</em> i <em>Cheilosia</em> na<br />povezanost stani&scaron;ta i promene u načinu kori&scaron;ćenja zemlji&scaron;ta. Vrste roda <em>Cheilosia</em> su<br />pozitivno korelisane sa povezno&scaron;ću stani&scaron;ta a negativno korelisane sa svim ostalim<br />predeonim parametrima, dok najveći broj vrsta roda <em>Merodon</em> pokazuje veću otpornost<br />pri antropogenim promenama u ekosistemima. Ovakvi rezultati upućuju na<br />diferenciraniji pristup pri upravljanju područjima, fokusiran na intenzitet kori&scaron;ćenja<br />zemlji&scaron;ta (ispa&scaron;e) i povezanost stani&scaron;ta.<br />Istraživanje je obuhvatilo i evaluaciju stani&scaron;ta u okviru predela različitih karakteristika<br />(prostorno i vremenski), primenom analize SyrphTheNet bazom podataka, koja<br />uključuje vrste rodova <em>Merodon </em>i <em>Cheilosia</em> kao bioindikatore. Vrste rodova <em>Merodon</em> i<br /><em>Cheilosia</em> su se pokazale kao veoma dobri indikatori koji mogu da ukažu na trenutni<br />kvalitet istraživanog područja, kao i promene tokom dužeg vremenskog perioda.<br />Analizom korelacije utvrđeno je da postoji povezanost između promena predeonih<br />parametra u periodu od 25 godina i gubitka vrsta i kvaliteta makrostani&scaron;ta na 17<br />istraživanih lokaliteta.</p> / <p>The research has been carried out with the main aim to determine distributional patterns of two genera, <em>Merodon</em> Meigen 1802, and <em>Cheilosia</em> Meigen, 1822, in Southeast Europe region. <em>Cheilosia</em> and <em>Merodon</em> are the most numerous phytophagous hoverflies genera.</p><p>Southeast Europe has been chosen as the specific region of interest to analyze species distribution due to its specific combinations of historical, abiotic and biotic factors that determine the species distribution.</p><p>In the area of Southeast Europe, a total of 202 species of <em>Merodon</em> and <em>Cheilosia</em> have been recorded; 121 species belonging to the genus <em>Merodon</em>, and 81 species belonging to the genus <em>Cheilosia</em>, being a region exceptionally rich in species of the two genera. This conclusion has been supported by the fact that 79 (39%) endemic species has been found in the region. With regard to the gradient latitude, species of <em>Merodon </em>and <em>Cheilosia</em> genera show a different distribution pattern. More precisely, it has been shown that the number of <em>Merodon</em> species decreases from the south to the north, while the opposite pattern is true for the species of <em>Cheilosia</em> genus.</p><p>In order to analyze the responses of hoverfly species to landscape structure, land cover analyses were performed using GIS tools and related ecological software. <em>Merodon </em>and <em>Cheilosia </em>species differ in their responses to land-use change and connectivity, with the latter genus being positively correlated with connectivity and negatively correlated with all other variables. Connectivity is the primary factor affecting <em>Cheilosia</em>, while most <em>Merodon</em> species demonstrated greater resistance to changes in human-modified ecosystems. These results suggest that different management efforts, focused on land-use intensity (grazing) or connectivity, seem to be appropriate when trying to conserve these taxa.</p><p>In addition, the study examined the quality of habitats in landscapes of different characteristics (spatial and temporal), using SyrphTheNet database, in which species of the <em>Merodon</em> and <em>Cheilosia</em> genera were&nbsp;&nbsp; used as bioindicators. Species of the two genera proved to be very good indicators of the current quality of the study area, as well as changes over a longer period of time. Correlation analysis has found a significant relationship between the changes of landscape parameters for a period of 25 years and the loss of species and quality macrohabitats on 17 investigated study sites.</p>

O controle biológico de pragas é um importante serviço ecossistêmico em áreas agrícolas e de pastagem, podendo trazer tanto benefícios econômicos quanto ambientais. Em áreas de pastagens tropicais, as a cigarrinhas-das-pastagens podem trazer prejuízos da ordem de US$ 800 milhões por ano, sendo assim uma praga de grande importância. Para entendermos os fatores que potencialmente regulam o controle biológico destas cigarrinhas no nível da paisagem, nós avaliamos, através de experimentos de predação, o efeito da quantidade de cobertura florestal, do tamanho do fragmento e da distância na matriz ao fragmento no processo de predação. Além disso, testamos o efeito de diferentes procedimentos metodológico na detecção de padrões de relação entre o potencial controle de pragas e a estrutura da paisagem. Trabalhamos com nove paisagens inseridas na região de Mata Atlântica, e para cada paisagem utilizamos três transectos de 100 m de cumprimento para dentro das pastagens, ortogonalmente dispostos a partir de uma borda florestal. A taxa de predação apresentou uma relação positiva com a cobertura florestal no raio de 400 m e com o tamanho do fragmento, e uma relação negativa com a distância ao fragmento florestal. Os padrões de predação variaram com o tipo de presa utilizado e com o tempo de exposição do experimento. O experimento do tipo sentinel prey (com presas reais que são pragas comuns na região - Deois flavopicta) evidenciou padrões fracos com a cobertura florestal no raio de 3 km, enquanto o experimento com \"dummy caterpillars\" (com presas artificiais em formato de lagartas) evidenciou padrões mais claros associados, principalmente, com a cobertura florestal no raio de 400 m e com o tamanho do fragmento. O efeito negativo da distância ao fragmento florestal só ficou claro com tempos de exposição mais longos (96 horas). O processo de predação na matriz é assim influenciado pela estrutura da paisagem, particularmente em escala mais locais (400 m), e os diferentes tipos de presas e tempos de exposição de experimentos de predação influenciam nos padrões ecológicos que emergem. Nosso trabalho evidência a importância do manejo da estrutura da paisagem em áreas agrícolas para otimizar o oferecimento do serviço de controle de pragas, bem como a necessidade de se utilizar mais de um tipo de experimento para avaliar o processo de predação / Biological pest control is an important ecosystem service in agricultural and pastures areas, and can bring both economic and environmental benefits. In areas of tropical pastures, spittlebugs can bring losses of several millions per year, thus being a pest of great importance. To understand the factors that potentially regulate the biological control of these froghoppers, we evaluated through predation experiments the effects of forest cover amount, fragment size and distance in the matrix to fragment on predation process. In addition, we tested the effect of different methodological procedures in the detection of relationships between pest control and landscape structure. We worked with nine landscapes inserted in the Atlantic Forest region, and for each landscape used three transects of 100 m length inside pastures, orthogonally arranged from the forest edge. Predation rate showed a positive relationship with forest cover within 400 m and with fragment size, and a negative relationship with distance from forest fragment. Predation patterns varied with the type of prey used and the exposure time of the experiment. The sentinel prey\'s experiment (with real preys that are common pests in the region - Deois flavopicta) showed weak patterns with forest cover in 3 km, while the dummy caterpillars experiment (with artificial prey on caterpillars\' shape) showed clearer patterns mainly associated with forest cover within 400 m, and with fragment size. The negative effect of distance from the forest fragment became clear only with longer exposure times (96 hours). The predation process in the matrix is thus influenced by the landscape structure, particularly in more local scale (400 m), and different types of prey and exposures times of predation experiments influence the ecological patterns that emerge. Our work highlights the importance of landscape management structure in agricultural areas to optimize the offering of pest control service, as well as the need to use more than one type of experiment to access predation process

Der südöstliche Randbereich des Verdichtungsraumes Dresden ist sowohl naturräumlich als auch von der Nutzung her sehr heterogen strukturiert. Hier treffen die Naturräume des Elbtales, des Erzgebirgsvorlandes und der Sächsischen Schweiz aufeinander. Städtische Nutzungen wie Wohn- und Industriegebiete in den Städten Dresden, Heidenau und Pirna stehen ländlichen Nutzungen wie Ackerbau und Intensivobstbau, aber auch Rohstoffabbau in den Kiesgruben gegenüber. Ein Schwerpunkt der Arbeit in diesem Raum lag daher in der quantitativen Erfassung und flächenbezogenen Darstellung von Parametern, die die unterschiedlichen nutzungsbedingten Strukturen im Raum beschreiben und quantifizieren. Dabei standen folgende Fragen im Vordergrund: – Welche Parameter wurden bisher erfaßt und können herangezogen werden? – Wie lassen sich Methoden der Fernerkundung zur großräumigen Ableitung solcher Parameter verwenden? Welche Klassifizierungs- bzw. Filteralgorithmen müssen dazu eingesetzt werden? – Welche Informationen müssen zusätzlich über ein Geo-Informationssystem eingebracht werden? Um das Verhalten der Indizes auf unterschiedlichen räumlichen Ebenen untersuchen zu können, wurden Strukturmaße für die regionale Ebene und den gesamten Freistaat Sachsen bestimmt. Die Berechnung erfolgte mit dem Programm FRAGSTATS. Sowohl für Raster- als auch Vektordaten können damit Maßzahlen für Nutzungseinheiten („Patches“), Nutzungsklassen und für die gesamte Landschaftseinheit ermittelt werden.

Im Rahmen des vom Leibniz-Institut für ökologische Raumentwicklung e. V. (IÖR),Dresden, initiierten Projektes „Langzeituntersuchungen von Flächennutzungsänderungen“ wurde als ein Teilprojekt der Landschaftswandel in einer stadtnahen, ländlichen Region über den Zeitraum von 220 Jahren untersucht. Die Schwerpunkte des Gesamtprojektes liegen in der Konzipierung und Durchführung einer langzeitorientierten Erhebung von Flächennutzungsdaten, der Analyse der Entwicklungsdynamik sowie der Bewertung der Flächennutzungsänderungen in Bezug auf die Auswirkungen auf ausgewählte Landschaftsfunktionen. Die Beschreibung des Landschaftszustandes eines Gebietes zu unterschiedlichen Zeitpunkten erfordert neben Flächenbilanzen zur Zusammensetzung der Landschaft auch eine Quantifizierung der räumlichen Konfiguration der Landschaftselemente. Damit ist das Verteilungsmuster (engl.: landscape pattern) von kleinsten, je nach Erfassungs- und Betrachtungsmaßstab als weitestgehend homogen anzusehenden Einzelelementen (engl.: patch) gemeint. Der Ansatz der Landschaftsstrukturmaße (landscape metrics) bietet die Möglichkeit, solche räumlichen Untersuchungen durchzuführen und Landschaftsstrukturen zu quantifizieren.

This diploma thesis was written to analyze and evaluate the changes of the landscape in selected cadastral communities with a finished complex landscape management. The analysis was completed in four time periods. It included a historical time period in 1952, a period before the landscape management, a period during the designing of landscape management and the present condition of the landscape. Changes that appeared in the landscape were evaluated for land use, the permanent landscape structure, the density of the road network and ecotones. According to the results of the diploma thesis it is possible to find out how the complex landscape management project for individual studied areas contributed on the progress of the changes of the landscape.

O controle biológico de pragas é um importante serviço ecossistêmico em áreas agrícolas e de pastagem, podendo trazer tanto benefícios econômicos quanto ambientais. Em áreas de pastagens tropicais, as a cigarrinhas-das-pastagens podem trazer prejuízos da ordem de US$ 800 milhões por ano, sendo assim uma praga de grande importância. Para entendermos os fatores que potencialmente regulam o controle biológico destas cigarrinhas no nível da paisagem, nós avaliamos, através de experimentos de predação, o efeito da quantidade de cobertura florestal, do tamanho do fragmento e da distância na matriz ao fragmento no processo de predação. Além disso, testamos o efeito de diferentes procedimentos metodológico na detecção de padrões de relação entre o potencial controle de pragas e a estrutura da paisagem. Trabalhamos com nove paisagens inseridas na região de Mata Atlântica, e para cada paisagem utilizamos três transectos de 100 m de cumprimento para dentro das pastagens, ortogonalmente dispostos a partir de uma borda florestal. A taxa de predação apresentou uma relação positiva com a cobertura florestal no raio de 400 m e com o tamanho do fragmento, e uma relação negativa com a distância ao fragmento florestal. Os padrões de predação variaram com o tipo de presa utilizado e com o tempo de exposição do experimento. O experimento do tipo sentinel prey (com presas reais que são pragas comuns na região - Deois flavopicta) evidenciou padrões fracos com a cobertura florestal no raio de 3 km, enquanto o experimento com \"dummy caterpillars\" (com presas artificiais em formato de lagartas) evidenciou padrões mais claros associados, principalmente, com a cobertura florestal no raio de 400 m e com o tamanho do fragmento. O efeito negativo da distância ao fragmento florestal só ficou claro com tempos de exposição mais longos (96 horas). O processo de predação na matriz é assim influenciado pela estrutura da paisagem, particularmente em escala mais locais (400 m), e os diferentes tipos de presas e tempos de exposição de experimentos de predação influenciam nos padrões ecológicos que emergem. Nosso trabalho evidência a importância do manejo da estrutura da paisagem em áreas agrícolas para otimizar o oferecimento do serviço de controle de pragas, bem como a necessidade de se utilizar mais de um tipo de experimento para avaliar o processo de predação / Biological pest control is an important ecosystem service in agricultural and pastures areas, and can bring both economic and environmental benefits. In areas of tropical pastures, spittlebugs can bring losses of several millions per year, thus being a pest of great importance. To understand the factors that potentially regulate the biological control of these froghoppers, we evaluated through predation experiments the effects of forest cover amount, fragment size and distance in the matrix to fragment on predation process. In addition, we tested the effect of different methodological procedures in the detection of relationships between pest control and landscape structure. We worked with nine landscapes inserted in the Atlantic Forest region, and for each landscape used three transects of 100 m length inside pastures, orthogonally arranged from the forest edge. Predation rate showed a positive relationship with forest cover within 400 m and with fragment size, and a negative relationship with distance from forest fragment. Predation patterns varied with the type of prey used and the exposure time of the experiment. The sentinel prey\'s experiment (with real preys that are common pests in the region - Deois flavopicta) showed weak patterns with forest cover in 3 km, while the dummy caterpillars experiment (with artificial prey on caterpillars\' shape) showed clearer patterns mainly associated with forest cover within 400 m, and with fragment size. The negative effect of distance from the forest fragment became clear only with longer exposure times (96 hours). The predation process in the matrix is thus influenced by the landscape structure, particularly in more local scale (400 m), and different types of prey and exposures times of predation experiments influence the ecological patterns that emerge. Our work highlights the importance of landscape management structure in agricultural areas to optimize the offering of pest control service, as well as the need to use more than one type of experiment to access predation process