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Introduction
Publications
Publications (80)
Understanding how large carnivores utilize space is crucial for management planning in human-dominated landscape and enhances the accuracy of population size estimates. However, Eurasian lynx display a large inter-population variation in the size of home ranges across their European range which makes extrapolation to broader areas of a species dist...
In the Brno region, the Rook (Corvus frugilegus) has been wintering with the Western Jackdaw (Coloeus monedula) for more than a century, and they usually used the Knížecí les Forest near Židlochovice as a night roost. In winter 2011/12, they however left the traditional roost and began to spend nights in the city of Brno
(Pisárky district). From th...
Over the last few decades, the beaver has settled most of the European continent including the Czech Republic. Until recently, it was a species typically found in lowland floodplain forests. However, as the population grew, it began to spread into the agricultural landscape, where it has less favorable living conditions. In the Czech Republic, beav...
Native ecosystems have been transformed by humans into cultural landscapes, resulting in the disruption of natural interactions, with some species unable to adapt and disappearing from such landscapes. Other species were able to adapt their behavior to current environmental conditions. In some places, forest management has gradually transformed nat...
This study focuses on factors that affect tree species selection by Eurasian beavers in commercial and close-to-nature forests, with the aim of identifying practical proposals for protecting target commercial tree species while still maintaining high numbers of beavers. In forests dominated by commercial tree species, the food of beavers mainly com...
In areas with high population density, the Eurasian beaver may be forced to utilise sparsely forested landscapes where living conditions may not be optimal for the species. Here, we examine the feeding strategy of Eurasian beavers along a number of small (mainly) forested streams in the Czech agricultural landscape. Diet availability in these spars...
This study focuses on factors that affect tree species selection by Eurasian beavers in commercial and close-to-nature forests, with the aim of identifying practical proposals for protecting target commercial tree species while still maintaining high numbers of beavers. In forests dominated by commercial tree species, the food of beavers mainly com...
Floodplain forests provide a highly suitable environment for wild boar, especially because they offer a sufficient quantity of good-quality food across the seasons. Combined with year-round additional feeding and treatment, wild boar enjoy ideal living conditions in floodplain forests, which should have a positive effect on reproduction and, in tur...
In this study we analyse the effects of the cycle and hiking trails on the abundance, spatial activity and behaviour of roe deer and wild boar. We found low effect of disturbance on the presence and density of roe deer and wild boar population. The density of ungulates was more affected by the development of shrub layer than by human activities. In...
Wild boar (Sus scrofa) is now an important species of wild ungulates in Central Europe. Next to conflicts of wild boar with agriculture, the main threat of wild boar presence lies in the expansion of African swine fever across Europe. The regulation of the wild boar population is complicated by the high reproduction rate and intelligent behavior of...
The European beaver (Castor fiber) has extended its range into most Central European countries over the past 30 years, resulting in increased forestry damage and water management issues. As the number of beavers increases populations become established in new types of habitat. In the Czech Republic, for example, established beaver populations are n...
Presenter: Ondřej Mikulka, ondrejmikulka@seznam.cz Presentation type: Poster 1.S. Wildlife-human conflicts and its mitigation The European beaver returned to the Czech Republic about thirty years ago. During this time, about two-thirds of the country's territory was settled. As population increases, the number of conflicts increases too. One of the...
Sustainable management of European forests aims to ensure economic targets (timber production) as well as ecological aims of the forest (maintenance of biodiversity). Smaller-sized clear-cutting followed by artificial planting creates a mosaic of small forest patches suitable for many small mammals including three possible pest species-the bank vol...
The aim of the study is to compare the populations of small mammals in forest tree plantations in different regions and under different conditions (forest vegetation zones - FVZ). Trapping to snap traps took place over 13 days in October 2015. Plots were deployed in regions of the Czech Republic (Beskydy Mts., Jeseníky Mts., Litoměřicko region, Kru...
The botanical composition of red and roe deer and mouflon diet was studied in the mosaic landscape in Drahanska vrchovina highlands, Czech Republic. We focused on the proportion and quality of agricultural crops and natural forest plants and estimated quality of the herbivore diet. Diet quality was monitored by the near infrared reflectance spectro...
Preference of biotopes and selection of food by wild herbivores are more complicated in a cultural landscape used for agriculture than in natural conditions. Agricultural management significantly affects the feeding as well as cover conditions of the environment and changes in quality and accessibility of food sources occur throughout the year. We...
The wild boar is a native animal species of the Czech Republic that has significantly increased its population density in recent years. Objective methods of population density estimation are required to inform the intensity of regulation needed for the sustainable management of the wild boar. Population estimation and regulation of the abundance of...
Wild boar is a native species in the fauna of the Czech Republic. It is becoming a problematic game species both in the Czech Republic and in other European countries due to its harmful impacts. So far no suitable method of its sustainable management has been devised. Yet, a correct abundance estimate is essential for proper management, field crop...
Impact of small rodents on mountain forest regeneration was studied in National Nature Reserve in the Beskydy Mountains (Czech Republic). A considerable amount of bark damage was found on young trees (20%) in spring after the peak abundance of field voles (Microtus agrestis) in combination with long winter with heavy snowfall. In contrast, little d...
Recently, a great effort has been applied in the Czech Republic to replace forest monocultures of coniferous species by mixed coniferous-broadleaved stands in a 'close to nature' composition. These reforestation activities are complicated by impact of vole species (above all Microtus arvalis, M. agrestis and Myodes glareolus) through damage to tree...
Wild boar is an autochthonous animal species of the Czech Republic that has signifcantly increased its population density in recent years. There are concerns that there is an associated negative impact upon agricultural crop production however, objective methods for sustainable management of wild boar, especially for estimation of its population de...
High population densities of field and forest voles cause economic losses by consuming crop or slowing down forest regeneration by damaging the bark of young trees. Consequently, programs to monitor abundances are often implemented as part of population management. Whereas abundances of the common vole (Microtus arvalis) in the Czech Republic has r...
In the last ten years a strong intention was observed to replace spruce monocultures with mixed coniferous-broadleaved stands close to natural composition. This was accompanied by much higher rodent impact on the broad-leaved plantations than previously. To protect planted trees on forest clearings, we conducted the research in Drahany Highland (35...
Conversion of coniferous monocultures to more stable mixed stands is one of the crucial tasks of present forestry in the Czech Republic. One of the factors hampering this process is the activity of small rodents that can cause severe damage to young plantations in winter. Little knowledge is still available of the ecology of small mammals in the fo...
Norway spruce is a wide-spread food resource and its utilisable biomass exceeds the needs of herbivores. Needles seem to be a generally ignored food component in temperate forests that is consumed only when there are no better food sources. It is used especially during winters with deep snow cover. The aim of this study was to test presumption of n...
The dietary composition of the western Derby eland (Taurotragus derbianus derbianus), a critically endangered antelope, was investigated using microhistological analyses of faeces. Samples were collected in the Niokolo Koba National Park, the refuge of the last wild population, and in the Bandia wildlife reserve, where the animals foraged on natura...
The paper evaluates the impact of Lepus europaeus, Capreolus capreolus and Cervus elaphus
on European beech (Fagus sylvatica) as the main tree species in recent forest
plantations in the Beskydy and Jeseniky Mts. The damage was assessed according
to browsing intensity. Beech browsing in both sites accounted for approximately
30% and the diff erence...
Small mammals cause serious damage to forests but there is only little knowledge of their ecology and possibilities of plantation protection. The objective of our study was to collect information on the damage caused by rodents to plantations of forest tree species. Data were obtained from a survey conducted in 2008 that was aimed at damage caused...
Large herbivores are the key species for game management in the Central Europe. Analyses of factors affecting the feeding
behaviour of herbivores and consequences of their browsing are therefore highly important both for farmers and for game managers
as the protective measurements should be focused on the most threatened fields. The influence of fa...
Browsing of overabundant free-living herbivores often limits the natural as well as artificial regeneration of forest in Central-European
Mountains. The aim of the study was to assess the efficiency of the extensive reductions of herbivore populations for protection
of forest regeneration in preferred areas. We analysed the relationship between the...
In National Nature Reserve Kněhyně-Čertův mlýn in Beskydy Mountains young trees are affected by bark damage caused by a rodent species. Young tree species were injured selectively as bark of deciduous trees were more attractive for voles than coniferous. Differences were found also in various tree categories as to age. To explain rodent selectivity...
In last ten years strong intention to replace forest monocultures of coniferous species to mixed coniferous -- broadleaved stands which are close to nature composition is promoted. Mountains forests under study are of different character. In Beskydy Mts forests of beech-spruce mixture prevail but in Jeseniky spruce monocultures prevail. In both, re...
a b s t r a c t . White-tailed deer were introduced into the Czech republic about one hundred years ago. Population numbers have remained stable at low density despite almost no harvesting. this differs from other introductions of this species in europe. We presumed that one of the possible factors preventing expansion of the white-tailed deer popu...
An impact of herbivore rodents on forest regeneration was studied at the area of Smrk--Kněhyně in Moravian--Silesian Beskydy Mountains. First results confirmed importance of detailed environmental mapping on each of the plots and relation of food supply quality with the rodent species damage. Individual plots of artificial plantations were damaged...
Forest seed crop, particularly beechnuts and acorns, significantly influence the population dynamics of granivorous rodents negatively affecting the development of forest stands. In seven beech stands of various age and at various altitude, we determined the actual food supply for seed--eating species. The average feeding supply biomass in autumn 2...
The aim of this study was to compare the diet composition based on rumen contents of mouflons from two localities differing in food supply. In northern Moravia (NM), secondary forests with dominance of conifers prevailed, whereas in southern Moravia (SM) forests with broad-leaved trees dominated. A total of 50 (NM, n = 23; SM, n = 27) quantitative...
A b s t r a c t . Deer are an important limiting factor for the growth of broadleaved trees in the forests of temperate zones. Their influence on vegetation was extensively studied in various forest types; however, data from floodplain forest is missing. The aim of this study was to confirm following hypothesis: The regeneration of the young tree s...
Pipistrellus pipistrellus, Eptesicus serotinus, Nyctalus noctula, N. leisleri, Myotis daubentonii, M. myotis, unidentified small Myotis spp. and Plecotus spp. were recorded during bat detector transects within a central European city of 350,000 inhabitants. Bats were recorded in all seven habitat types under study, the levels of activity for each s...
a b s t r a c t . Density and distribution of red deer (Cervus elaphus l., 758) and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus l., 758) in relation to habitat structure and distribution of food sources was studied using simple faeces transects and monitoring plots during winter in a floodplain forest along the Morava river. Deer densities detected on monitoring...
A b s t r a c t . The relationship between faecal nitrogen (FN), dietary nitrogen (DN) and dietary metabolizable energy (DE) was studied in two localities in the region of the Jeseníky Mts, Czech Republic, during four seasons. The content of nitrogen in plants significant for nutrition ranged between 0.99 and 3.86 g/kg of dry matter and DE was from...
In this study, we tested the efficiency of near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) to assess nitrogen content in faeces of free-living ruminants. Faecal nitrogen (FN) content was analysed in 168 pellet groups from red deer Cervus elaphus and roe deer Capreolus capreolus in the growing season and in winter using both the standard Kjeldahl meth...
The impacts of three herbivorous mammals (brown hare Lepus europaeus, roe deer Capreolus capreolus and red deer Cervus elaphus) on woody species were investigated in the Kněhyně supra-regional biocentre (Beskydy Mountains, Czech Republic, 950–1257 m a.s.l.) in relation to forest management. The study focused on the question of whether large herbivo...
Young rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) are damaged by stem breakage in areas occupied by mountain spruce stands in the Beskydy Mountains, Czech Republic. Red deer break trees with stem diameter of 8.8±2.1 mm at a height of 148±19 cm above the ground. Breakages occur during the first half of the summer, and are clearly intended to permit access to the leave...
A b s t r a c t . An experiment was conducted to monitor the effect of the length of environmental exposure of faeces on the content of nitrogen and diaminopimelic acid. We used samples of the droppings of wild red deer and examined them for the content of N and DAPA upon exposure to field conditions for 0–7 days during the growing season and for 0...
Differences in weight, nitrogen content and diaminopimelic acid (DAPA) content between individual pellets within pellet groups were assessed in red-deer (Cervus elaphus) faeces. Mean pellet weight in winter varied between pellet groups in 82% of cases. A 10 pellet snbsample movided a 100% likelihood of getting a representative sample whereas 5 pell...
Altogether 701 adult barbel, Barbus barbus were captured by electrofishing and individually tagged to study their local displacement and movements in a stretch of the River Jihlava (Czech Republic). A total of 149 fish were recaptured and 105 of them (70.47 %) were considered as "resident" because they were always recaptured in the same, relatively...
In the higher altitude parts of the Jeseníky Mountains (1100-1490 m a. s. l.) high density of red deer and chamois populations had a significant damaging impact on the vegetation structure and caused problems in forestry and nature conservation management. In terms of their trophic requirements we compared native red deer and introduced chamois fee...
In the second part ofthe 20th century, the spontaneous reappearance of several native mammal species (Castorfiber Canis lupus, Lynx lynx, Ursus arctos, Alces alces) occurred in the Czech Republic (CR). At the same time, several new non-native species (Mustela vison, Nyctereutes procyonoides, Procyon lotor) were recorded for the first time. In most...
In subalpine meadows and climax spruce forests of the Jeseniky Mountains (northern Moravia, Czech Republic), the distribution and numbers of red deer (Cervus elaphus) and chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) were studied over two growing seasons, based on counts of faeces found in four different habitat types. Both ungulate species utilized the environmen...
In 1996 and 1997, research was performed focused on obtaining basic information on the local population of the moose (Alces alces) in the Czech Republic. Based on own research, published data, and information obtained from regional administration, foresters, and hunters, constituent characteristics of the population were evaluated, i.e. the populat...
The trophic strategies of ungulates were studied in three types of woodland in the Czech Republic. The composition of food of the particular species was greatly affected by food availability, which was better utilise by opportunistic feeders (red deer, chamois) and grass feeders (mouflon) than by a concentrate selector (roe deer). Evidence of inter...
Previous dietary analyses made in roe deer Capreolus capreolus, red reed Cervus elaphus and mouflon Ovis musimon in mixed woodland in the Drahanska vrchovina Uplands were used to study the similarity of their diets and the overlap of their trophic requirements. Similarity of diets of all three pairs examined varies between 30-80%. Greatest similari...
Two methods were applied to analyse the food eaten by Capreolus capreolus, Cervus elaphus, Cervus nippon and Ovis musimon: macroscopic analysis fo the stomach content, and microscopic study of the faecal samples composition. No significant differences were found in the number of food items determined either in stomach or in faecal samples. All majo...
Roe deer diet consisted mainly of woody plant sprouts (62%). Broadleaved woody plants predominated during the growing season, coniferous ones during winter. Rubus spp. were the most important species in the diet, followed by dicotyledons (20%). Throughout the year, grasses were consumed in small amounts only (5%). The diet was most diverse in autum...
Microscopic analysis was applied to faecal samples of mouflon from a mixed coniferous and broadleaved forest. The principal food components were sprouts of woody species (mean importance 35%). This component comprised mostly broadleaved woody species, conifers represented an average of 8%. Throughout the year grasses formed 30% of the food and dico...
Describes the amount of food supplied to Lepus europaeus, Capreolus capreolus, Cervus elaphus and Ovis musimon in the forest environment in the southern part of the Drahanska vrchovina Highlands, Czechoslovakia. -from Authors
In the growing season Alces alces diet is dominated by leaves of trees and shrubs (58%), mainly Salix caprea and Betula pubescens. Green parts of herbs (35%) were the 2nd most important component. In winter, elk preferred needles of Pinus sylvestris and sprouts of broadleaved trees or shrubs, predominantly Populus tremula, Salix caprea and Rhamnus...
In agrocoenoses most common forest species occurred, but in small numbers (Sciurus vulgaris, Meles meles, Martes martes, Sus scrofa, Cervus elaphus). Only Vulpes vulpes achieves a density comparable to forest environment in agrocoenoses. Some of the species which live mainly in open or semi-open countryside had adapted well to life in agrocoenoses...
The importance of windbreaks for brown hare and roe deer in winter was evaluated in the otherwise treeless agricultural landscape of S Moravia. There was an average of 199.6 kg sprouts ha-1 windbreak. During winter, the animals browsed on 67% sprouts. The most heavily damaged species included Colutea arborescens, Ulmus effusa, Cornus sanguinea, Euo...
Rabbits were studied in the slopes of a sand pit between fields and an old orchard in the Dyje-Svratka valley, Czechoslovakia. The main component of the diet in the growing season was the green part of plants (76-98%), with a predominance of Poaceae (cultured and wild varieties). In winter the composition of the diet changed considerably. In additi...
In agrocenoses and forest borders, for the greater part of the year, the trophic niches of hare and rabbit overlapped. In both localities quantitative food composition was similar in 69% of cases; qualitative food composition was similar in 78% in the agrocenosis and in 49% in the highlands. -from Author
Faecal and stomach content samples were examined to study the composition of the diet of Lepus europaeus, using material from the lowland and hilly parts of S Moravia and from central Bohemia. -from Author
In agrocoenoses in S Moravia, Czechoslovakia, in winter and spring the foraging activity of the hare begins between 1600 and 1700 hrs and ends round 0700 hrs. The period of daily rest lasts 9-10 hr. In summer the boundaries between the periods of activity and rest are indistinct, a considerable part of individuals being active throughout the day, e...
In some cases marked differences in terms of qualitative and quantitative composition were found between individual stomach and faecal contents but no significant differences were found in pooled samples or in those for successive seasons of the year. -from Author
In lowland agrocoenoses an average of 59% of individuals shifted habitats when foraging, and 52% in highland ones. The remaining individuals fed in a single habitat type. In lowland habitats with good trophic conditions forays averaged 264 m, compared to 378 m under impaired trophic conditions. The longest distances moved were recorded in maize fie...
Rabbit faeces contained plant remnants only. In the growing season, vegetative parts of herbs constituted >80% of the diet, Poaceae being most important. In winter the importance of the vegetative parts of herbs decreased and they were replaced by sprouts of woody plants, spruce and pine needles. Seeds and underground parts of plants were food comp...
A heavy occurrence of Norway rats occurred in field habitats in the spring of 1981. The rodents populated 1500 ha of arable land. Occurrence was primarily associated with fields of maize grown for grain and partly also with various structures offering supplementary food to game animals. -from Author
Poaceae (wild-growing and cultivated) are the major food source, their importance amounting to 79.5% (annual average). During the growing season, Poaceae were supplemented by additional forbs (mainly Viciaceae and Asteraceae). During winter, hare consumed greater amounts of needles of Picea abies and Pinus sylvestris, and shoots of trees and shrubs...
