Principal investigator: prof. Ing. Jiří Kopáček, PhD
(Co)investigator from the Department: Hana Šantrůčková
Duration: 2012 - 2016

Project goals: 
Complex evaluation of effects of natural dieback of Norway spruce forests on microclimate, hydrology, and chemistry and biodiversity of soil and water.

Project description: 
Windthrows and climatic factors have promoted bark beetle (Ips typographus) development and a large-scale dieback of Norway spruce in the unmanaged parts of the Bohemian Forest (central Europe). In 2004–2007, the defoliation killed >90% of forest in the Plešné Lake catchment. Windthrows occurred also in catchments of Čertovo and Laka lakes. All these areas have been subjects of our intensive long-term ecological research (water, climate, soil, and forest) since 1984–2002. Available pre-disturbance data, current research, and new proposed studies provide a worldwide unique opportunity for a complex ecological research on the effects of natural forest dieback on the individual ecosystem parts. We study (1) changes in element fluxes and pools on a whole-catchment scale (forest, soil, waters); (2) effects on microclimate, hydrology, and soil and aquatic chemistry and biodiversity; and project the net effects to other mountain areas, for different forestry practices, and along the anticipated trends in climate and atmospheric pollution.

Principal investigator: Jiří Kopáček
(Co)investigator from the Department: Eva Kaštovská
Funding provider: Czech Science Foundation
Duration: 2014 to 2016

Project goals: 
An integrated study on effects of changing environmental chemistry and climate on biogeochemical processes in soils (weathering, mineralization, P and Al mobility) and lakes (nutrient availability, toxicity) and their biodiversity (soil and water invertebrates).

Project description:
The Tatra Mountains have been exhibiting world largest recovery of aquatic and terrestrial alpine ecosystems from atmospheric acidification due to unique declines in S (>60%) and N (40%) deposition since 1989. Resulting changes in biogeochemical processes and biodiversity are, however, confused by parallel effects of increasing temperature. Disentangling these effects is crucial for assessing future development of natural ecosystems under anticipated trends in atmospheric pollution and climate change. On the basis of our long-term research in this area, we study effects of the chemical and climatic changes in natural alpine ecosystems on (i) weathering rates, soil chemistry, and leaching of nutrients (P, N, and C), base cations, and toxic Al forms to waters, (ii) in-lake processes responsible for P immobilization in waters and sediments, (iii) biological recovery (phytoplankton, zooplankton, and benthos) in lakes, and (vi) soil biodiversity (microbial composition and soil invertebrates) along gradients of soil pH and elevation (vegetation zones, temperature).

(Spolu)řešitel na KBE: Jana Jersáková
Nositel projektu: Katedra biologie ekosystémů
Doba trvání: 2014 - 2016

Cíle projektu: 
Cílem projektu je zjistit, do jaké míry je rozšíření lesních mykoheterotrofních rostlin v krajině určeno šířením semen a stanovištními podmínkami v kontextu závislosti klíčení a následného růstu na přítomnosti vhodných mykorhizních symbiontů.

Popis projektu: 
Limitace šíření semeny a stanovištními podmínkami představují dvě základní teorie vysvětlující rozšíření druhů v krajině. Úspěšné obsazování stanovišť a následné přežívání je obzvláště komplikované u druhů rostlin, jejichž klíčení a následný růst závisí na přítomnosti vhodného mykorhizního symbionta. Protože v současnosti není známo, do jaké míry je rozšíření těchto rostlin určováno šířením semen či (a)biotickými podmínkami stanoviště (např. lesním prostředím), vytvořili jsme projekt osvětlující tyto závislosti pomocí studia (a)biotických podmínek obsazených a neobsazených stanovišť, produkce semen a schopnosti šíření, genetické podobnosti populací v závislosti na struktuře krajiny, klíčení semen a identity mykobiontů a detekce vhodných mykorhizních hub v půdě moderní metodou pyrosekvenace. Za tímto účelem jsme vybrali čtyři druhy lesních orchidejí závislých na různých čeledích ektomykorhizních hub a lišící se v požadavcích na výskyt vápencových výchozů v krajině.

(Co)investigator from the Department: Zuzana Urbanová
Funding provider: GAČR, project no. 14-17403P
Duration: 2014 - 2016

Project goals: 
To investigate the effect of restoration on soil microbial community diversity and activity in relation to organic matter quality in long-term drained bogs and spruce swamp forests and determine the differences in post-restoration development between these peatland types with diverse nutrient status.

Project description: 
We will study the effect of restoration of long-term drained bogs and spruce swamp forests (SSF) on the structure and functioning of soil microbial communities in relation to organic matter (OM) quality. Long-term drainage (few decades) changed the vegetation composition, OM input, its decomposition and microbial community structure, so that the two originally distinct types of peatlands became functionally closer. However, it is still unknown how the post-restoration development of these peatland types will vary. We hypothesize that lowered availability of OM and nutrients on long-term drained peatlands decreased the activity and diversity of microorganisms, which was more obvious in SSF than in bogs. On the contrary, restoration will increase nutrient availability, diversity and activity of the microbial community towards those of pristine peatlands, which will be faster in SSF than in bogs. We will study pristine, drained and restored bogs and SSF in Central Europe and determine their microbial diversity and activity in relation to OM quality and peat physico-chemical properties.