A5072605612- Plant and animal studies
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Plant Parasitism and Resistance
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- African Botany and Ecology Studies
- Plant Diversity and Evolution
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Avian ecology and behavior
- Agricultural pest management studies
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Seed and Plant Biochemistry
- Amazonian Archaeology and Ethnohistory
- Lichen and fungal ecology
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Fern and Epiphyte Biology
- Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
- Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology
Charles University
2016-2024
Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic
2024
Czech RE Agency
2024
Bridge University
2024
Naturalis Biodiversity Center
2016-2022
Wageningen University & Research
2015
Bolivian Forest Research Institute
2015
Understanding the patterns of biodiversity distribution and what influences them is a fundamental pre-requisite for effective conservation sustainable utilisation biodiversity. Such knowledge increasingly urgent as responds to ongoing effects global climate change. Nowhere this more acute than in species-rich tropical Africa, where so little known about plant diversity its distribution. In paper, we use RAINBIO - one largest mega-databases African vascular species distributions ever compiled...
The tropical vegetation of Africa is characterized by high levels species diversity but undergoing important shifts in response to ongoing climate change and increasing anthropogenic pressures. Although our knowledge plant distribution patterns the African tropics has been improving over years, it remains limited. Here we present RAINBIO, a unique comprehensive mega-database georeferenced records for vascular plants continental Africa. geographic focus database region south Sahel north...
Abstract Butterflies and moths are conspicuous flower visitors but their role in plant-pollinator interactions has rarely been quantified, especially tropical rainforests. Moreover, we have virtually no knowledge of environmental factors affecting the lepidopterans pollination networks. We videorecorded flower-visiting butterflies hawkmoths on 212 plant species (> 26,000 recorded hrs) along complete elevational gradient rainforests Mount Cameroon dry wet seasons. Altogether, 734 visits by...
Apart from floral morphology and colours perceived by the human eye, ultraviolet (UV) reflectance acts as an important visual advertisement of numerous flowering plant species for pollinators. However, effect UV signalling on attracting pollinators particular is still insufficiently studied, especially in Afrotropics. Therefore, we studied pollination system Hypoxis camerooniana montane grasslands Mount Cameroon, West/Central Africa. We focused mainly effects flowers' its visitors....
Many tropical plants are pollinated by birds and several bird phylogenetical lineages have specialised to a nectar diet. The long‐assumed, intimate ecological evolutionary relationship between ornithophilous phenotypically nectarivorous has nevertheless been questioned in recent decades, where such plant–pollinator interactions shown be highly generalised. In our study, we analysed two extensive interaction datasets: bird–flower insect–flower interactions, both collected on Mt Cameroon,...
Abstract Amazonian Dark Earths ( ADE ) are the result of human modification landscape since pre‐Columbian times. characterized by increased soil fertility compared to natural soils. In forest, influences understory herb and fern species composition. However, little research has been done evaluate effect on composition community. We evaluated effects in 36 plots (150 m × 4 m) established a Bolivian moist forest (La Chonta). For each plot, we determined nutrients, composition, richness,...
Despite a growing number of studies, the role pollinators as selection agent for nectar traits remains unclear. Moreover, lack data from some biogeographic regions prohibits us determining their general importance and global patterns. We analyzed carbohydrate determined main 66 plant species in tropical forests Mount Cameroon (tropical West Africa). The measured included total sugar amounts proportions sucrose hexoses (i.e., glucose fructose). report properties plants visited by five...
Abstract One of the most fundamental, although controversial, questions related to evolution plant mating systems is distribution outcrossing rates. Self‐compatibility, and especially autonomous self‐pollination, can become particularly beneficial in anthropogenically degraded habitats with impoverished pollinator assemblages increased pollen limitation. In a hand‐pollination experiment 46 meadow plants from Železné hory Mts., Czech Republic, we evaluated species' ability adopt different...
The deficiency of pollen grains for ovule fertilization can be the main factor limiting plant reproduction and fitness. Because ongoing global changes, such as biodiversity loss landscape fragmentation, a better knowledge prevalence predictability limitation is challenging within current ecological research. In our study we used supplementation to evaluate (at level seed number weight) in 22 species growing wet semi-natural meadow. We investigated correlation between index (PL) floral traits...
Although the Old World sunbirds are generally considered to be an ecological analogue of New hummingbirds, it is commonly believed that in contrast perch while feeding. Nevertheless, recent studies have shown nectarivores hover feeding more frequently than previously thought, and some plants seem adapted hovering bird pollinators. To reveal importance sunbird foraging behavior nectar acquisition test whether this determined by plant architecture rain intensity, we focused on specialized West...
Abstract Nectar robbers and thieves are common antagonists in plant–pollinator communities, where they deplete nectar without pollinating flowers, substantially affecting plant reproduction. Nevertheless, little is known about the relative abundance of such exploiters even though spatiotemporal changes frequencies mutualists can exert opposing selection pressures on traits interacting species. Although these effects highly dependent community context, interspecific interactions have almost...
Abstract The pollination syndrome hypothesis predicts that plants pollinated by the same pollinator group bear convergent combinations of specific floral traits. Nevertheless, some studies have shown relatively low predictive power for these trait combinations. This discrepancy may be caused changes in importance traits shaping interactions under different environmental conditions and groups. To test this, we studied systems along an elevational gradient on Mount Cameroon during wet dry...
<title>Abstract</title> Habitat fragmentation refers to the breaking of continuous habitat into multiple patches; these patches create less connected vegetation areas than before, which can result in smaller plant species populations due to, among other factors, limited pollinator visitation. Specific reproductive success traits related pollination filter remaining vegetation, affect their relative abundance and distribution further shed light on relevant conservation efforts. The European...
Abstract The drivers behind plant‐pollinator interactions still need to be fully understood. Previous research has suggested that observed result from either neutral interaction between species based on their abundance or niche‐based processes, which are reflected in the adaptations of both plants and pollinators. Furthermore, importance scenarios can differ depending seasonal dynamics translated into differences resource availability. Extensive been conducted New‐World hummingbirds (...
SUMMARY Nectar robbing and thieving can substantially affect the reproduction of animal-pollinated plants. Although intensity nectar exploitation remains unexplored at community level, it probably varies along environmental gradients. We video-recorded flower visits to plants in Afrotropical rainforests a complete elevational gradient wet dry seasons on Mount Cameroon. analysed how proportion communities changes spatiotemporally, especially association with floral traits flowering recorded...
Abstract Butterflies and moths are well-visible flower visitors. Nevertheless, almost no quantification of their role in plant-pollinator interactions exists at a community level, especially from tropical rainforests. Moreover, we have virtually knowledge on environmental other factors affecting lepidopteran visits. We focused the butterflies hawkmoths as visitors rainforests Mount Cameroon, its elevational seasonal changes. also analysed preferences to selected floral traits, with specific...