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Major research subjects at the Department of Botany

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Phycology

Mycology

see on http://botany.natur.cuni.cz/myko/Index.html [only in Czech]

Plant ecology and population biology

  • Interaction of plants with herbivores and mycorhizal fungi. Effect of herbivory instects on plant population dynamics, relationship between distribution and dynamics of plant and herbivore on landscape level, differences in interactions between different species or ploidy levels of the plants, local adaptations to mycorhizal fungi. Effect of grazing on diversity and dynamics of species on pastures.(http://www.natur.cuni.cz/~zuzmun/Projekty.htm).
  • Population biology of rare and invasive species. Studies of dynamics of species at local level, identification of critical life cycle stages, comparative studies of rare and common species, dynamics of species in different parts of its distribution range, local adaptations. (http://www.natur.cuni.cz/~zuzmun/Projekty.htm).
  • Plant coexistence and dynamics of plant multispecies communities, with a special reference to mountain grasslands. The focus here is on fine-scale dynamics of species, development of spatiotemporal structure, spatially explicit modelling, genetic structure and functional differentiation of dominant species. (http://www.ibot.cas.cz/krkonose/)
  • Plant adaptations to extreme conditions and ecology of primary succession

Landscape ecology

  • Dynamics of species in the landscape. Relationship between current species distribution, and present and past landscape structure. . Relationship between species traits (e.g. dipersal traits) and species distribution in the landscape. Models of landscape dynamics of species. (http://www.natur.cuni.cz/~zuzmun/Projekty.htm).
  • Landscape history and dynamics and species richness. This project focuses on the landscape changes influencing the plant species and vegetation diversity. Historical and recent factors are investigated with a special attention to land abandonment.
  • BioHab – Developing new methodology for landscape and habitat monitoring. The aim of this project is to develop simple methodology for habitat mapping and monitoring based on Raunkier’s life-forms. This is a EESD project within Environment and Sustainable Management, Key action 1.1.4: Global change, climate and biodiversity, Research priority 2.2.3: Assessing and Conserving Biodiversity
  • Paleoecology of Central European landscape in Late Glacial and Early Holocene (http://botany.natur.cuni.cz/paleo/).
  • Phytogeography and vegetation of High Tropical Andes (http://botany.natur.cuni.cz/stancik/andy/andy.html).

Biosystematics and evolution

  • Biosystematics studies of polyploid alliances. The project is aimed at (i) elucidation of variation of polyploid taxa at different levels of organization, and (ii) understanding the causes and consequences of the observed variation. Morphological divergence, ecological requirements, geographic distribution, mode of reproductions, and genetic variation of particular cytotypes is investigated. A suit of molecular approaches, multivariate morphometrics, and cytometric techniques is used. (http://www.ibot.cas.cz/fcm/)
  • Evolutionary dynamics of polyploid groups, processes in sympatric diploid-polyploid populations. The project is aimed at gaining insights into microevolutionary processes shaping population dynamics of polyploid alliances. Specifically, we address the role of unreduced gametes, reproductive barriers, niche differentiation, interactions between and among cytotypes (competition, mating, siring success) as well as between cytotypes and other trophic levels (pollinators, parazites, mycorrhizal fungi) for the rise, establishment and further evolutionary success of particular cytotypes. Special attention is paid to sympatric diploid-polyploid populations because these systems reflect certain conditions characteristic of the early stage of polyploid evolution. Cytometric techniques, experimental approaches and ecological and phenological observations are used. (http://www.ibot.cas.cz/fcm/)
  • Phylogeography of polyploid complexes
  • Systematics of Festuca in High Tropical Andes (http://botany.natur.cuni.cz/stancik/descriptions/descriptions.html)
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