Laboratory of Temperate Biodiversity (Martin Konvička)
Research projects
One decade of biodiversity changes in agricultural landcsape - informations from quarantine pests monitoring
Project number: SS07020400
Main beneficiary: Biology Centre CAS
Principal investigator: Mgr. Pavel Vrba, Ph.D.
Project duration: 01. 4. 2024 - 30. 6. 2026
The aim of the project: 1. To utilise existing system of Lepidoteran quarantine agriculture pests monitoring, based in stationary light traps, to study complete biodiversity of macro-moths in agricultural landscapes. 2. To compare the findings with existing data from last decade, to identify biodiversity changes, and to decipher, how these were influenced by farming practice changes, landscape structure, and climate. 3. To establish modernized and calibrated DNA-metabarcoding pipeline for future cost and labor efficient light-traps based moths monitoring. 4. To prepare research report containing recommendations for farming practices optimalisation and biodiversity support.
This project has been financed with the state support of the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic and the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic within the Environment for Life Programme .
The effect of fire on biodiversity and forest ecosystems in the Bohemian Switzerland National Park
Project number: SS06010261
Main beneficiary: Biology Centre CAS
Other beneficiaries: Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem / Faculty of Environmental Science
Principal investigator: RNDr. Alena Sucháčková, Ph.D.
Project duration: 01. 04. 2023 - 31. 03. 2026
The aim of the project: 1. To document the direct effect of fire on biodiversity of plants, insects, spiders and birds, and vegetation structure in Bohemian Switzerland NP, using modern methods (multi-taxa study, LIDAR). To assess the fire influence on different organisms, and impact on important groups (pollinators, pyrophilous, endangered species). To assess the succession development of biota during the following three years. 2. To evalulate the influence of fire intensity and forest type (deciduous or coniferous) on biodiversity and vegetation structure when compared to unburned areas. 3. To provide recommendations on biodiversity monitoring of burned areas, to assess their future development and recommend conservation management of burned protected areas based on biodiversity monitoring results.
This project has been financed with the state support of the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic and the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic within the Environment for Life Programme .
Rewilding of incomplete ecosystems by large ungulates in the context of the Nature Restoration Law
Project number: SQ01010203
Main beneficiary: Biology Centre CAS
Other beneficiaries: Czech Landscape, o.p.s., University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice / Faculty of Science
Principal investigator: Doc. Mgr. Martin Konvička, PhD.
Project duration: 01.03.2025 - 29.2.2028
The aim of the project: Rewilding incomplete ecosystems by large ungulates represents a sustainable approach to managing natural habitats. Expansion of rewilding actions should contribute to meeting requirements of the EU Nature Conservation Law. The TACR SS03010232 studied rewilding impacts on vegetation, insects, soils, and plant production, and identified drawbacks of current efforts. This project will 1) analyse strong and weak aspects of financial tools used for rewilding support; 2) investigate stakeholders’ attitudes to rewilding and propose appropriate communication strategies; 3) expand the ongoing monitoring by including effects of vegetation manipulation; 4) study habitat changes due to changing herds‘ structure; and 5) evaluate the potential of deer parks for integration with rewilding efforts.
This project has been financed with the state support of the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic and the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic within the Environment for Life Programme 2.
Mapping of Butterflies of the Czech Republic
Butterfly fauna of the Czech Republic consists of 161 species. As many as 18 have already been lost, and about half is endangered. See lepidoptera.cz for National recording scheme, coordinated by our member Jiri Benes.
Phylogeny of butterflies as a tool for understanding of evolution of Ecological phenomena
Butterflies rank among best known groups of insects. Life history, habitat requirements,
seasonal occurrence and other details are known for most of European species, but many
phenomena are tractable only with understanding the evolutionary history of entire
monophyletic groups, typically genera. Our phylogeny analyses contributed to elucidating the
evolution of seasonal polyphenism of European map butterfly (Fric et al. 2004, J. Evol. Biol.),
the evolution of parasitic myrmecophily in Large blues (Pech et al. 2004, Cladistics; Fric et
al. 2007, Syst. Entomol.). Ongoing research targets the complex radiation patterns in Erebia
satyrines, dwellers of northern and mountain areas of Northern hemisphere.
Ecology and conservation of butterflies in traditional managed landscape
The EU-protected Marsh fritillary still persists in strong populations in westernmost areas of the Czech Republic. Following its populations from 2002 onwards resulted into detailed understanding of its habitat requirements (Konvicka et al. 2003, EJE) and management needs (Hula et al. 2004, Entomol. Fenica). Our active involvement in the species conservation included designing NATURA 2000 sites, drafting a species action plan, and advisory participation in habitat management. Several publications used this endangered species as a model for studies of dispersal (Fric & Konvicka 2007, Basic and Applied Ecology) and metapopulation structure (Fric et al. 2010, Ecol. Res.) of butterflies inhabiting seminatural grasslands.
Ecophysiological limits of high mountain relics
Although there is general agreement that rare species of cold environments may be most severely impaired by ongoing climate change, the knowledge of precise mechanisms impairing such species is almost nonexistent. Until recently, most of research on insect thermal physiology focused on low-temperature limits of warm-adapted species, whereas cold-adapted species were neglected, partly due to difficulties with rearing such species in laboratory. We successfully developed methods of mass rearing of several high mountain butterflies (genera Colias, Erebia), and PhD student Pavel Vrba is recently experimenting with thermal limits of overwintering larvae, putatively the most sensitive stage.
Biodiversity in military training areas
Europe is scattered with hundreds of military areas, from huge training ranges to small garrison fields. Despite general view of such areas as deteriorated lands, they often host invaluable biological riches, not found in common farmland or woodland landscapes. Much of the standing biodiversity depends on small-scale disturbance succession dynamics typical for past military use. With changing military doctrine, these areas are progressively abandoned, and the fine-grained mosaics of various habitats are increasingly threatened either by succession, or by building development. In a cooperative project with several NGO, we carried out multi taxa comparison of 48 middle-sized abandoned military training areas, and our (not yet published) results advocate for a conservation use of these valuable sites.
Ekology of woodland butterflies
