
Alma MikuškaUniversity of Osijek | UNIOS · Department of Biology
Alma Mikuška
PhD
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71
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Publications (71)
The present study assessed Cybister lateralimarginalis as a model species for ecotoxicological studies of metal(loid) bioaccumulation in freshwater ecosystems, by optimizing protocols and analysing biomarker activities and metal(loid) concentrations from different sites and investigating their association. To accomplish this, levels of arsenic (As)...
This research presents a review of the most significant literature describing the
Great Cormorant as a suitable model species for monitoring heavy metal
bioaccumulation in specific areas. Additionally, this review serves as an
introduction to the establishment of monitoring programs for heavy metal
bioaccumulation in Great Cormorants in Kopački rit...
Avian apex predators have proved to be relevant bioindicators for various pollutants. Due to the rapid accumulation of pollutants – heavy metals in the freshwater ecosystem and the sediment, waterbirds are particularly at risk. For that reason, the present study analysed heavy metals cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb) in the blood of the Grea...
Fish, as vertebrates, occupy the highest trophic levels within freshwater ecosystems. Their feeding habits impact the accumulation of pollutants in their tissue; therefore, the change in physiological responses reflects the levels of ecosystem pollution. The biggest sources of pollution in freshwater systems are harmful leachates from agricultural...
The conference was a follow up of previous international White-tailed Sea-Eagle conferences organised since 70-ties in Europe: in Finland (Lammi 1974, Tvärminne 1979), Norway (Svanöy 1976, Runde 1996), Poland (Zielonka 1991), Germany (Eutin 1998), Sweden (Björkö 2000) and Estonia (Roosta 2017).The conference provided a unique opportunity to strengt...
This study aimed to determine whether the hours of sunshine and/or the amount of precipitation affect the number of cows and heifers that will show oestrus in the following days and the extent to which these climatic elements affect the average number of artificially inseminated cows and heifers per day. During the course of three consecutive years...
Simple Summary
Scent rolling, a behaviour observed in large carnivores like wolves, involves lowering the chin and neck towards a scent, then rubbing the head, neck, shoulders, and back into it. Despite its prevalence, the exact reason for this behaviour remains unknown. In this study, captive wolves at Osijek Zoo responded differently to various o...
Out of 11 geese species observed in Croatia (8 wild and 3 escaped) only two of
them regularly winter: Greylag goose Anser anser and Greater White-fronted
goose Anser albifrons. Based on data from IWC (1999-2022) both species have
an increasing trend in wintering numbers. Their main wintering areas are
situated in the northern, Pannonian part of Cro...
The present study applied a non-invasive method to analyse anthropogenic particles and prey items in white stork (Ciconia ciconia) pellets. Pellets (n = 20) were obtained from white stork nests during the 2020 breeding season from two sites in Croatia. In total, 7869 anthropogenic particles were isolated. The majority of particles were fragments, w...
The present study assessed for the first time the magnitude and dietary ecological source of total mercury (THg) exposure in a southern population of white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla), an apex predator species shown valuable for environmental biomonitoring. This population depends on the Kopački rit Nature Park – the most important breedin...
Cows are mammals from the Bovidae family and belong to the ruminant suborder.
They are polyestrous animals, and also produce only one young per pregnancy.
The sexual cycle of cows is divided into four parts: proestrus, estrus, metaestrus
and diestrus. Estrus is part of the cycle when cows are fertile, and recognizing that
cycle is extremely importa...
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia is a regular breeding bird species in Croatia whose population has been fairly well monitored since 1962. They bred in a single colony (Krapje Đol) until 1989 when the population dispersed due to drought and colonised new breeding sites, primarily man-made carp fishponds. Krapje Đol colony, situated in former...
White-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) is an apex predator, with high trophic position accumulating high concentrations of pollutants throughout their life. Their dietary habits depend on the available prey within their territories and consist mainly of fish, birds, mammals and carrion. White-tailed eagles are territorial, i.e., are resident wi...
The Rook (Corvus frugilegus L. 1758) is a breeding bird species in urban ecosystems in Europe. The aim of this research is to determine the size of the Rook population in the city of Osijek. The counting of pairs and the distribution of colonies were conducted during the spring from 2019 to 2023. The method of counting reliably active nests was use...
Freshwater ecosystem pollution, primarily from human activities releasing pollutants e.g., pesticides, fertilizers, microplastics, and heavy metals, is a major environmental concern. This pollution may lead to physiological stress subsequently reducing biodiversity. In the present study, conducted in Pannonian Croatia during the 2023 spring–summer...
Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is one of the most economically important crops in the world due to its nutritional value. To optimize soybean growth and yield, a wide range of commercial herbicides intended for weed control in crops are used. Although the herbicides used are selective, they can still cause oxidative stress and disturb photosynthe...
The goal of the present study was to investigate differences in biomarker responses related to metal(loid)s in white stork Ciconia ciconia) nestling's blood from continental Croatia. To achieve this, a battery of biomarkers that can be affected by environmental pollutants, including metal(loid)s, was assessed (esterase activity, fluorescence-based...
The present study assessed the effect of agricultural practices on biomarker response in white stork (Ciconia ciconia) nestlings from continental Croatia. During the breeding season of 2022, blood was sampled (n = 54) from the landfill Jakuševec and the agricultural areas Baranja and Srijem. Different patterns of biomarker response in regard to the...
Zoos are our closest, independent, and continuous link to nature. Apart from providing the opportunity to observe captive and exotic wild animals, they also attract various species of wild birds. For that purpose, the main goal of this study was to provide a list of free-living bird species at the Osijek Zoo. During 2021, fieldwork was performed mo...
Earthworms are key organisms of the soil ecosystem and bioindicators for soil quality. While pesticides are used for the improvement of crop yields, they also present a burden for soil organisms. To understand the complex effects of pesticides on soil organisms, it is important to test these effects in soil exposures to include influences of the so...
Microgreens are young, immature vegetables that contain higher concentrations of active compounds compared to mature vegetables and seeds. Radish microgreens are a good source of antioxidants, phenolic compounds, ascorbic acid, carotenoids, and anthocyanins. The production of microgreens is limited by their short shelf life due to higher dark respi...
The constant increase in the intensity of agricultural production simultaneously increases the risk of negative effects of long-term agricultural practices. By-products of agricultural, forestry, and food production, as well as other types of organic waste, can be used as raw materials in the production of organic fertilizers and substrates for see...
Breeding of White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla in Kopački rit Nature Park is known since 19th century and it is continuous until these days. Breeding population has reached its minimum of 11 pairs during 1976 due to pesticide use and persecution, but the area still served as an oasis that enabled survival of remaining individuals. With legal p...
The present research provides data on the concentrations of metals: lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), and metalloids: arsenic (As), selenium (Se) in the blood of white stork (Ciconia ciconia) nestlings. Blood was sampled (n = 106) during breeding season 2021 in continental Croatia on seven locations: Jakuševec, Lonjsko polje, Crnac polje, Jela...
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia is a regular breeding birds pecies in Croatia whose population has been fairly well monitored since 1962. They bred in a single colony (Krapje Djol) until 1989 when the population dispersed due to drought and colonised new breeding sites, primarily man-made carp fishponds. Krapje Djol colony, situated in forme...
Kopački rit is the best-preserved floodplain of large rivers and is a functional inner delta of the central Danube river. Stable populations of certain rare or endangered species of plants and animals live here. It is one of the last habitats for species that are exclusively associated with wet wetlands. The aim of this paper is to compare all hist...
Apex bird species, e.g. white stork (Ciconia ciconia), are non-target organisms to pollutant exposure in environments such as wetlands, agricultural ponds, or landfills. Their health status is influenced by their dietary habits, and their body content reflects pollutant levels in the food they forage in the vicinity of the breeding area. In season...
A direct carrier of chemicals to birds are microplastics and potential vector for the transmission of pollutants contained in plastics and pollutants adsorbed to the plastic itself. The possibilities of absorption, adsorption and release of persistent plastic pollutants into nature are determined by the polymers themselves that make up the plastic....
The white stork (Ciconia ciconia) is an abundant breeding species in continental Croatia, a top predator inhabiting mostly agricultural fields, wetlands, and meadows. White stork nestlings are a good bioindicator species providing information regarding the local environment. Due to environmental transformation and intensive agriculture, white stork...
White stork nestlings can provide quantitative data on the quality of the environment, as they are dependent on their parents that provide locally foraged food. Blood was sampled from the brachial vein (n = 109) and the sampling was performed in parallel with ringing during breeding season 2020 from five areas in eastern Croatia: Lonjsko polje, Jel...
The main goal of this research was to determine the sex ratio of White stork (Ciconia ciconia) in continental Croatia. The sex ratio is an indicator of population sustainability and future reproductive potential. Genomic DNA was isolated from blood. Sex determination was performed with the PCR method. Research is conducted in collaboration with the...
Zoo Osijek is located in the City of Osijek and it is a great example of greenspace in an urban environment. Due to its specific position and proximity to the forest, we can expect to see rural species as well as urban bird species. So far there is no published data on ornithofauna of this area, hence our main goal of this research was to provide a...
White stork (Ciconia ciconia L.) is a migratory bird species that is widespread in Europe and inhabits open arias, often wet grasslands, and agriculture habitats. It is an apex bird species and its diet mostly comprise of various amphibians, fish, small mammals and invertebrates. Nestlings are fed exclusively on local food sources and the food is p...
Ishrana i zimovanje male ušare (Asio otus) u gradu Osijeku tijekom zime 2020./2021. Diet and wintering Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) in Osijek during the winter of 2020/2021 Mala ušara (Asio otus L.) je sova srednje veličine s istaknutim čupercima na glavi po kojima je i dobila naziv. Ova vrsta se prilagodila životu u neposrednoj ljudskoj blizini te s...
Nature park Kopački rit is the most important breeding site for white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) in Croatia. The present study therefore investigated the exposure of local eagle nestlings to mercury (Hg), an ubiquitous contaminant well-known to cause toxic effects in apex bird species. Nestling body feathers (n = 72) showed significant va...
Plastic pollution is an emerging concern, swiftly increasing in terrestrial ecosystem due to anthropogenic activities. Ingestion of plastic fragments (and other anthropogenic particles) is of special concern due to detrimental effects on apex predators, especially those with opportunistic dietary habits. White storks (Ciconia ciconia) are known to...
Enzyme activities are extensively used biomarkers to assess the response of organisms to various chemicals from the environment. Biomarkers of effect could be used for providing crucial information and identifying harmful effects on non-target avian organisms such as white stork (Ciconia ciconia). Since white stork is an altricial species, the nest...
White stork (Ciconia ciconia) nestlings can provide quantitative information on the quality of the surrounding environment by indicating the presence of pollutants, as they depend on locally foraged food. This study represents the first comparison of biomarkers in two fractions of white stork nestling blood: plasma and S9 (the post-mitochondrial fr...
The white stork (Ciconia ciconia) is a breeding species in continental Croatia. It feeds usually close to the breeding site with small mammals, amphibians, snakes, fish, earthworms, large insects and their larvae in the flooded river plains, extensively farmed meadows and pastures or water meadows. White stork nestlings can provide quantitative inf...
This study represents the first analysis of heavy metals: lead and
cadmium, as well as two metalloids: arsenic and selenium, in the feathers of Grey Herons breeding in Croatia. The Grey Heron was chosen as a model apex predator of the wetland ecosystem due to high trophic level, feeding habits, long lifespan and abundance. Sampling was conducted du...
Apex predators, especially aquatic bird species, are proven to be relevant biomonitors for various xenobiotics, such as heavy metals due to their abundance, position in the food chain, and chemical exposure through diet. Considering all this, in the present study Grey Heron
(Ardea cinerea) was chosen as a model apex predator of the wetland ecosyste...
We made a rapid assessment of the impact of disturbances from tourism and kite-surfing on the resting and feeding of waterbirds at the Neretva river mouth, Croatia. The numbers of waterbird species were highest during early morning hours when no humans were present. With increasing numbers of people along the beaches and sandbars during the day, th...
Rook (Corvus frugilegus L. 1758) is the common breeding bird in Croatia. But until 1927 it was known just as a winter guest in Croatian ornithofauna. The aim of this research was to determine the number and prevalence of wintering and breeding population of the rook in the areas of eastern Slavonia. Nests and couples in the colonies were counted du...
Genetic markers are a useful tool for bird population monitoring, especially when combined with ringing data, and particularly so in vulnerable species. This study compared the effectiveness of two DNA extraction methods: a standard protocol and a commercially available kit. The molecular sex-typing was performed using PCR-based methods with a 2550...
The objective of this work was to evaluate the relative trap efficiency of the three modified traps baited with 1-octen-3-ol as attractant, Box, Nzi and Canopy, for horse fly (Tabanidae) survey. Nine traps (three traps per trap type) were tested in 3 x 3 Latin square designs during summer 2011 in riparian oak-ash forests in the Danube floodplain of...
The study presents the diet of the Long-eared Owl at wintering roosts in rural areas of Strošinci, Drenovci, Bošnjaci and Županja in Županjska Posavina. The total of 1,073 pellets were collected during the winter of 2014/2015; they contained remains of 2,473 specimens belonging to 13 species of small mammals and two bird species. The average number...
The breeding population of Rook was studied during 2014-2015 in the city of Osijek and the Vuka village. In total, 902 breeding pairs were counted in 14 colonies in 2014, while 928 pairs were counted in 13 colonies in 2015. Over one half of the colonies (ten colonies in 2014 and six colonies in 2015) were classifid as small (below 50 pairs), with a...
Spoonbills colonies in Croatia are situated in hard-to-reach areas such as oxbows or large fishponds. They are built in extensive reedbeds or on the lower parts of willow trees in a way that their nests are inaccessible for the ground-dwelling predators and not visible for scientists from the ground or observation posts. Regular monitoring of the b...
Despite the fact that Rook was a typical bird of the steppe habitats, their numbers are nowadays increasing in urban areas. The aim of this study is to present the trend of breeding population and size of wintering population of Rook in Osijek town. Breeding population was established by counting Apparently Occupies Nest in Rook colonies during spr...
In the past 20 years, fauna and ecology of horse flies (Tabanidae) were intensively studied in Croatia, especially in the Ramsar sites as wetlands of international importance. Different habitat requirements of larvae were recognised and adults of 78 species in 10 genera were recorded. The true aquatic and semiaquatic larvae are represented by sever...
The paper describes impacts of the main ecological factors on the development of horse fly populations in the alluvial floodplains of the Danube River in the Pannonian plain. The study has been conducted from 2004-2009 in the four, water dependent, succession stages of alluvial forest communities of Kopacki rit wetlands. In total more than 23 000 a...
Synthetic and natural attractants in traps are used in many parts of the world to attract female tabanids. Certain attractants in different geographic regions may be ineffective or effective under different environmental conditions for horseflies. One-octen-3-ol, as a compound present in bovine emanations, has a behavioural effect on many horsefly...
The horse fly (Diptera: Tabanidae) fauna of Bosnia and Herzegovina consists of 62 species belonging to ten genera. The present study adds eight new records for the fauna of Bosnia and Herzegovina. These new records are Chrysops flavipes Meigen, Hybomitra tropica (Linnaeus), Tabanus darimonti Leclercq, Tabanus eggeri Schiner, Tabanus miki Brauer in...
This paper shows the horse fly fauna of three different forest communities in the Croatian part of Baranja which extends from the Drava and Danube rivers to the Hungarian border. 22 horse fly species, which make the majority of the species, were determined in Monjoroš Forest in the belt of the white willow and black poplar (ass Salici-Populetum nig...
During the 1992-1998 and 2000-2002 period a total of 1397 horseflies, representing 28 species of the genera Silvius, Chrysops, Atylotus, Hybomitra, Tabanus, Heptatoma, Haematopota and Philipomyia, were collected in the Gorski Kotar region, Croatia. Tabanus is the most common genus, represented by 13 species, followed by the genera: Hybomitra - 5 sp...
The horse fly (Dip~era; Tabanidae) fauna of Bosnia and Herzegovina consists of 62 species belonging to ten gen~r~ The. present stud~ adds eight n~w records for the fauna of Bosnia and Herzegovina These new records are Chrysops J!aVlPes Melgen. Hybomltra troplca (Lmnaeus), Tabanus darimonti Leclercq, Tabanus eggeri Schiner, Tabanus miki Brauer ill B...
The response of female tabanids to natural attractants was studied in the Monjoros Forest along the Nature Park Kopacki rit in eastern Croatia. Tabanids were caught in canopy traps baited with either aged cow, horse, sheep, or pig urine and also in unbaited traps. Tabanids were collected in a significantly higher numbers in traps baited with natura...
The faunistical research of horse-flies along the middle course of the river Drava during 2005 resulted with 23 species of which Atylotusflavoguttatus (Szilddy 1915), Hybomitra distinguenda (Verrall 1909), Heptatoma pellucens (Fabricius 1776) and Haematopota italica Meigen 1804 were new for the study area. The total number of Tabanidae species curr...
The response of female tabanids to natural attractants was studied in the Monjoros Forest along the Nature Park Kopaeki rit in eastern Croatia. Tabanids were caught in canopy traps baited with either aged cow, horse, sheep, or pig urine and also in unbaited traps. Tabanids were collected in a significantly higher numbers in traps baited with natura...
The faunistical research of horse-flies along the middle course of the river Drava during 2005 resulted with 23 species of which Atylotus flavoguttatus (Szilády 1915), Hybomitra distinguenda (Verrall 1909), Heptatoma pellucens (Fabricius 1776) and Haematopota italica Meigen 1804 were new for the study area. The total number of Tabanidae species cur...
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea is the most abundant heron
species in Croatia, with an estimated population
of 1500 − 3000 pairs. We conducted a survey of
existing colonies during the 2004 breeding season
and counted 3674 pairs in 19 colonies. Based on this
data the Grey Heron breeding population thresholds
should be increased and set to 3000 − 4000 pairs...
Systematic research into the distribution of t horse flies (Tabanidae) in Croatia was carried out in the period from 1992 to 2008. Horse flies were collected using different entomological methods, and in addition to field research, all relevant literature data were reviewed. In total, 5872 specimens, representing 12 species of four genera: Philipom...