Successional changes occurring in the structure and composition of communities of epigeic fauna in the first three (Coleoptera: Carabidae), or two (Araneae) years after the pine stands fire have been studied since 2013 in the territory of the Moravian Sahara (Bzenec, Czech Republic). 11 permanent research plots were established in order to evaluate the response of epigeic fauna and habitat changes after the fire. These included areas deforested after the fire, pine stands severely affected by the fire (27 years) left to natural successional development and pine stands (94 years) with ongoing salvage cutting. Qualitatively equal stands undisturbed by the fire (29 and 78 years) were simultaneously studied. Pitfall traps were used (5 pcs/area) to determine the state of the epigeic fauna. A total of 90 kinds of Carabid species and 151 spider species were caught and determined. The structure and composition of ground beetle and spider communities in locations disturbed and undisturbed by fire differed throughout the observation period. Ground beetle and spider communities of biotopes undisturbed by the fire showed a stable structure and community composition, while in pine stands disturbed by the fire, a gradual increase in species dominance and diversity of heliophilous and xerophilous groups took place. A significant decline in the species diversity of spiders in pine stands disturbed by fire was recorded between 2013 and 2014. Ground beetle communities showed the opposite trend. Ground beetle and spider communities in the surveyed area demonstrated a sensitive link to a change in the microclimatic conditions of the studied habitats; on the basis of changes in their composition, it was therefore possible to infer changes taking place also in the stands, where the effects of fire were not apparent at first glance.

The thesis is part of the project ?Bohemian Revitalization of wetlands and peatlands?. The aim is to capture the current state of vegetation and flora, with an emphasis on the existence of rare or endangered species in Hučina plains in the southeastern part of the Bohemian Forest. A generic list of sites added phytosociological images taken during the field survey. The area was defined by the 26 permanent plots. The grasslands of the plains area had dimensions 4 × 4 m, in the original channel and channel Hučina main drainage trench 8 × 2 m and forested floodplain of the 10 × 10 m in these areas. I made a complete inventory of all species found and I identified the vegetation cover. Species were recorded after the floors ? floor starting tree. Overall, it was found 106 plant species and 7 species of lichens. Most plant species occurring in individual areas belonged to bryophytes.

The presented diploma thesis studies extreme growth depressions of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in Central Europe. Examination of significant growth anomalies (pointer year analysis) is one of the methods, which investigates the reactions of forest stands to the ongoing climate change. Dendrochronological data was obtained from Czechia (23 sites) and Slovakia (4 sites). The main hypotheses of the thesis states that the extreme growth depressions relate to climatic anomalies, hence they can be explained geographically. The objectives were to 1) create a Cropper values chronology for each site which describes growth extreme depressions; 2) explain climatic causes of negative Cropper values for each site; 3) define geographical predispositions of a spatial distribution of extreme growth depressions; 4) spatially interpolate extreme growth depressions. The calculation of Cropper values was based on a normalisation in a moving window method with a 13-year window size and the input data detrended by a 50-year cubic smoothing spline. Created chronologies were correlated with monthly climate data (temperatures, precipitation, SPEI). Geographical predispositions of the spatial distribution of growth depressions were calculated using a hierarchical cluster analysis. The cluster analysis was also applied...

The thesis was intended to fill the information gap in the ecohydrology of the Pinus rotundata dominated peatbogs in the Třeboň Basin Biosphere Reserve, Czech Republic by studying various aspects of their water régime (i.e., transpiration of the dominant tree species, soil water chemistry, retention ability). The study is based on regular monitoring of the water table, water discharge, soil water chemistry and precipitation (during 1995-2000, study sites Červené blato and Žofinka peatbogs). Additionally, the transpiration of adult Pinus rotundata trees was measured in the field during 1999-2000 at the experimental plot in the Červené blato peatbog (330 ha, 465-475 m a.s.l.). Nowadays, the Pinus rotundata-dominated peatbogs represent almost natural (peaty) forests inside of otherwise human-made forest plantations. Long-term vegetation changes after natural disturbances such as windstorms, insect infestation and fire are only occasionally reported for the central European natural forests. Therefore the evaluation of vegetation changes after disturbances, typical of boreal forests, and their impact on peatbog hydrology has also been included in this thesis (study site Žofinka peatbog, 130 ha, 470-475 m a.s.l.). Transpiration of the central European endemic tree species, Pinus rotundata Link, was...

The aim of this diploma thesis is a proposal of a methodology used for an assessment of the measure of defoliation based on the multispectral satellite images from missions Landsat and Sentinel-2. The first part of the thesis is dedicated to the introduction of the problematics of remote sensing using multispectral sensors and the basics of research into forest vegetation. Following on this part, there is a chapter considering possibilities of monitoring defoliation using resources of remote sensing, and the closely connected problematics of the health condition of forest vegetation. After that comes a description of the used data (the satellite images and the data of ground investigation by VÚLHM) and logically compounded process of transformation of the data from satellite images on the levels of defoliation. Outcomes of the thesis include analysis of the ability of single spectral bands and vegetation indices to predict defoliation of Norway spurce (Picea abeis) and Scots pine (Pius sylvestris) vegetation. The assessment of the measure of defoliation is demonstrated on single band in near-infrared region with used of linear regression model.

Pinus mugo Turra (sensu lato) is a prostrate shrub growing above the alpine timberline in the mountain ranges of Southern, Central and Eastern Europe. It is well adapted to the harsh alpine environment creating different mechanisms for survival. The research was carried out in Krkonoše Mountains on base of Pinus mugo individuals compared with Picea abies trees. Samples from shrubs were gathered using serial sectioning from four sites in different elevations located on Sněžka Mountain and Smogornia Ridge. Further analysis of the sampled material was made with the help of different detrending methods to see which method will return the best growth response to climate parameters. RCS detrending and detrending via simple averaging reflected the best climate signal contained in dwarf pine chronologies. The advantage of these methods is based on their ability to reflect growth conditions of the particular site. Upper sites showed significant correlations with temperatures of the growing season, while on lower sites the signal was quite unclear. The amount of precipitation plays the significant role on shrub growth during the vegetation period (especially July month) and early spring when water is very important for growth initiation. Upper Pinus mugo sites showed high sensitivity to droughts, especially...

The remains from a sub-fossil pine forest burried in layers of peat deposits at the northern edge of the CHKO Křivoklátsko in the Central Bohemia is completely unique findings for the area of the Czech Republic. It offers new opportunities for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction and related climate changes during the Late Glacial and early Holocene epoch. The methods of dendrochronology and radiocarbon dating were used to date subfossil trees. The results of radiocarbon dating determined the existence of the forest in the period approximately 12,000 to 10,300 cal yr BP. The dendrochronological analyses revealed two continuous floating chronologies. The chronology RD4, which is long 200 years, originates from the Younger Dryas. The chronology RD6, 300 years long, originates from the Preboreal. The growth dynamics of the forest were reconstructed on the basis of the tree- ring analysis. Hydrological regime has been identified as a major disturbancy factor that influenced the growth of trees. This has been evident from synchronous phase depressions in the growth of synchronized tree-ring series. The high water table was the main cause of their extinction. This was in concordance with the results of macrofossils analyses. The effect of hydrological regime was largely influenced by microsite differences...

The aim of this study was to propose a non-destructive method for measuring Pinus sylvestris seedlings, to determine whether water stress would be evident in laboratory spectra of pines, to compare whether the response of pines would differ by ecotype, and to investigate whether two ecotypes of Pinus sylvestris could be distinguished using laboratory and image spectroscopy. For these purposes, hyperspectral images of seed orchards from August 2020 were processed and a three-month laboratory experiment was conducted, in which stress from water deficit was induced in two-year-old pine seedlings from the upland and hilly ecotypes. Spectral data were analysed using mixed statistical models, analysis of variance, principal component analysis, training of supervised pixel classifiers, vegetation indices, and linear regression. Based on the analyses, it was found that water stress can be detected in severely stressed Pinus sylvestris seedlings. The most sensitive spectral bands to water content were observed in the region between 1000-2500 nm. The initial response to water stress did not differ by ecotype, but a faster recovery was observed at the upland ecotype after the period of draught. The two Pinus sylvestris ecotypes were distinguished with high accuracy from both laboratory and image spectral...