The point of that experiment was checking on status of selected areas with appearance of Dactylorhiza majalis and Dactylorhiza fuchsii around České Budějovice in south Bohemia. On 4 areas there were finding of biometric charakteristics always 40 selected plants and theirs mutual correlation in fact of more detailed knowing of status of individual population those kinds in particular area. There was always completed also phytocoenotic characteristics of the area. The graduation theses also includes updated information about few others tenths of areas of different kinds of orchids in České Budějovice and Český Krumlov area. Part of the experiment is map display of areas of the orchids. In map there are picture only areas with GPS not others.

During a cooperation on a project of the orchid protection in the Říčany Ecocenter number of questions arose. Firstly it is a question of an identification of orchid meadows. Then finding main parameters of an environment, which influence the occurence of Dactylorhiza majalis. Consequently finding factors that influence the size of population of Dactylorhiza majalis. And eventually finding a suitable management for the orchid meadows. I was trying to find the answers mainly via a comparison of orchid and similar non orchid meadows. I was comparing species composition, local conditions and historical use of the site. I decided for the method of phytocenologic snaps and Ellenberg numbers for detection of the local conditions. Historical maps were used for finding the historical use. Data were processed by statistic analytical methods (PCA,RDA) When comparing orchid and non orchid meadows I found out that they differ conclusively in species composition and in number of species. I found plant species according to which it is possible to determine a potentional orchid location. Furthermore I found out that orchid and non orchid meadows differ in values of parameters of an environment. Consequently I found that these parameters are continentality, humidity and trophy of the site. Then I found out that humidity...

Evaluation of biometric data, obtained a long-term monitoring of the species d. majalis and d. fuchsii on Českobudějovicka sites in the context of the specific conditions (Climate, management). Design of any adjustments of the existing management of sites.

Food preference of small rodents to consume the roots of wild plants with the emphasize on their impact to bulbs of orchid Dactylorhiza majalis has been studied on three localities during years 2002 - 2007. There were selected ten couples of plants in each plots, one individual of couple plants was protected by tin triangle. Indicated plants have been measured in the beginning (high, length and wide of the leaves and flower number) and at the end of growing period (number of capsules). Small mammals were snaptrapped for three nights in the autumn. On each locality four rows of 25 snap traps were situated, two rows through orchid plots and two without orchids. In years 2004 {--} 2007 the food preference was ascertained on studied sites. Roots of Daucus carota (as a control in year 2004) and roots of Selinum carvifolia (as control in years 2005 - 2007) and roots of tested plant were put into one rectangle "bait" of size 15 x 6 centimeters from gauze. These 50 "baits" were placed among 100 traps on each locality, every other trap, during snaptrapped of small mammals. Browsing was classified by six number scale. During years 2005 - 2007 food preference of Microtus arvalis under laboratory conditions of Science Faculty of South Bohemia University was achieved with the roots of the same species as we used during food preference on plots. During years 2006 -2007 bulbs of Dactylorhiza majalis from laboratory condition and a few idividuals from endengered meadows by revitalization of pond were added. During yeas 2006 and 2007 the contain of stomach from Microtus arvalis and Microtus agrestis, catched during autumn, was studied. Bulb destruction by small rodents during years 2002 - 2007 was not confirmed. But Microtus arvalis preferred bulbs of Dactylorhiza majalis under laboratory conditions and roots of Selinium carvifolium and Lysimachia vulgaris boths in laboratory and wet meadows. Destruction of orchid bulbs and more preferred roots of wild plants by small rodents could occur probably only in outbreaks of their population cycle. I did not observe this on studied plots. In mount of stomach from Microtus arvalis only 3% underground supply organs of plants; rest of stomach contain was consisted of aboveground green part of plants. This result was expexted, because small rodents prefere during vegetation period green part of plants.

Populations of strongly endangered species Orchis mascula and endangered Dactylorhiza majalis were monitored at Peklo area since 2000. In May 2002, another strongly endangered orchid species Orchis ustulata was discovered. The major increase in counts of O. ustulata towards stable numbers of O. mascula and D. majalis populations was detected during the seven year period of plant monitoring. The aim of this study was to reveal a connection between the climate conditions and orchid vitality, using biometrical plant data gained between 2005 to 2011. In order to evaluate a steady state of investigated area, the extensive phytocoenological sampling was conducted. The obtained data revealed several different loci at the screened grassland, which can be defined with presence of distinctive species. In blooming individuals of O. mascula, March temperature was the most defining factor. Parameters studied (number of leaves and blossoms, size of leaves, lenght of stems and duration of flowering) increased with decreasing March temperature. The blooming proved to be important factor, if a plant was in flower that year or the preceeding year, the number and the size of leaves was larger. The blooming in two subsequent years enhanced this described effect even more. The comparison of blooming individuals of O. ustulata revealed that plants growing in clusters were non flowering but bigger in size. Other positive correlation with investigated parameters had precipitation in December. However, the comparison of all plants showed generally smaller size of cluster forming plants. This overall analysis pointed out the influence of low temperature in October, the plants were smaller in size and amount of sterile individuals rised. All collected data and generated comparisons support earlier findings about influence of temperature and precipitation on the orchid population dynamics.

A key question in biology is how changes in gene function or regulation produce new morphologies during evolution. The nectar spur is an evolutionarily labile structure known to influence speciation in a broad range of angiosperm taxa. Here, the genetic basis of nectar spur development, and the evolution of differences in nectar spur morphology, is investigated in Linaria vulgaris and two closely related species of orchid, the primitively longer-spurred Dactylorhiza fuchsii, and more derived short-spurred D. viridis (Orchidinae, Orchidaceae). Despite considerable morphological and phylogenetic differences, nectar spur ontogeny is fundamentally similar in each of the study species, proceeding from an abaxial bulge formed on the ventral petal relatively late in petal morphogenesis. However, spur development is progenetically curtailed in the short-spurred orchid D. viridis. In each case spur development involves class 1 KNOTTED1-like homeobox (KNOX) proteins. KNOX gene expression is not restricted to the spur-bearing petal, indicating that additional components are required to define nectar spur position, e.g. canonical ABC genes, determinants of floral zygomorphy, and additional (currently unknown) factors. However, constitutive expression of class 1 KNOX proteins in transgenic tobacco produces flowers with ectopic outgrowths on the petals, indicating that KNOX proteins alone are, to some degree, capable of inducing structures similar to nectar spurs in a heterologous host. Interestingly, KNOX gene expression is high in the ovary of all study taxa, suggesting that KNOX proteins may also have been involved in the evolution of this key angiosperm feature. Although principally involved in maintaining indeterminacy in the shoot apical meristem (SAM), members of the KNOX gene family have been co-opted in the evolution and development of compound leaves where they suppress differentiation and extend the morphogenetic potential of the leaf. A similar model is presented here to explain the role of KNOX proteins in nectar spur development. Co-option of KNOX gene expression to the maturing perianth delays cellular differentiation, facilitating the development of the nectar spur but requiring additional, unknown factors, to determine nectar spur fate. As facilitators of nectar spur development, changes in the spatio-temporal patterns of KNOX gene expression may alter the potential for nectar spur development and explain the critical length differences observed between the orchids D. fuchsii and D. viridis (and among other angiosperm taxa). Taken together, the available data indicate that KNOX genes confer a meristematic state upon plant tissues in a variety of morphogenetic contexts, making the gene family a potentially versatile tool to mediate a wide variety of evolutionary transformations.

The European rewardless orchid Dactylorhiza sambucina commonly produces yellow- and purple-flowered individuals in frequencies that in different populations range from balanced to very unbalanced ones (we can find even monochromatic populations). I studied an effect of abiotic factors (soil pH, hydrolimits, slope and altitude of the locality), biotic factors (weight and viability of the seeds obtained from crossing between and within morphs) and the size of the populations on corolla colour of two morphs in European populations (the Czech Republic, Italy, Austria, Germany, France).