Krkonose Mountains Research Articles

Older is better? Age-related variation in ornamental and breeding traits in bluethroats, Luscinia s. svecica

Age-related variation in breeding performance is well-known in birds. Similarly, plumage ornamentation as a signal of male quality may affect breeding performance. However, because of inter-correlation between age and plumage ornamentation, it is difficult to estimate the relative contribution of these factors on breeding performance in natural variation. In the current study, we examined the relationship between breeding characteristics, age and throat ornament size of bluethroat males (Luscinia s. svecica). The study was conducted on 96 males in the Krkonose Mountains, Czech Republic, in 2003-2011. The results show that older males had higher reproductive performance: they arrived earlier, were more likely to be territorial, had larger clutches and thus had more hatchlings. On the other hand, ornamentation had a few, inconsistent correlations with breeding performances: well-ornamented males had fewer mates but had more fledglings. Our results suggest that age rather than ornamentation size is the main correlate of variation in breeding performance.

Genetic differentiation of Rubus chamaemorus populations in the Czech Republic and Norway after the last glacial period.

The population structure of cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus L.), collected from Krkonose Mountains (the Czech Republic), continental Norway and Spitsbergen, was examined using microsatellite analyses (SSR). Among 184 individuals, 162 different genotypes were identified. The overall unbiased gene diversity was high (h^=0.463). A high level of genetic differentiation among populations (FST = 0.45; p < .01) indicated restricted gene flow between populations. Using a Bayesian approach, six clusters were found which represented the genetic structure of the studied cloudberry populations. The value of correlation index between genetic and geographical distances (r = .44) indicates that gene flow, even over a long distance, could exist. An exact test of population differentiation showed that Rubus chamaemorus populations from regions (Krkonose Mountains, continental Norway and Spitsbergen) are differentiated although some individuals within populations share common alleles even among regions. These results were confirmed by AMOVA, where the highest level of diversity was found within populations (70.8%). There was no difference between 87 pairs of populations (18.7%) mostly within cloudberry populations from continental Norway and from Spitsbergen. Based on obtained results, it is possible to conclude that Czech and Norwegian cloudberry populations are undergoing differentiation, which preserves unique allele compositions most likely from original populations during the last glaciation period. This knowledge will be important for the creation and continuation of in situ and ex situ conservation of cloudberry populations within these areas.

Bacterial community associated with worker honeybees (Apis mellifera) affected by European foulbrood.

BackgroundMelissococcus plutonius is an entomopathogenic bacterium that causes European foulbrood (EFB), a honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) disease that necessitates quarantine in some countries. In Czechia, positive evidence of EFB was absent for almost 40 years, until an outbreak in the Krkonose Mountains National Park in 2015. This occurrence of EFB gave us the opportunity to study the epizootiology of EFB by focusing on the microbiome of honeybee workers, which act as vectors of honeybee diseases within and between colonies.MethodsThe study included worker bees collected from brood combs of colonies (i) with no signs of EFB (EFB0), (ii) without clinical symptoms but located at an apiary showing clinical signs of EFB (EFB1), and (iii) with clinical symptoms of EFB (EFB2). In total, 49 samples from 27 honeybee colonies were included in the dataset evaluated in this study. Each biological sample consisted of 10 surface-sterilized worker bees processed for DNA extraction. All subjects were analyzed using conventional PCR and by metabarcoding analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene V1–V3 region, as performed through Illumina MiSeq amplicon sequencing.ResultsThe bees from EFB2 colonies with clinical symptoms exhibited a 75-fold-higher incidence of M. plutonius than those from EFB1 asymptomatic colonies. Melissococcus plutonius was identified in all EFB1 colonies as well as in some of the control colonies. The proportions of Fructobacillus fructosus, Lactobacillus kunkeei, Gilliamella apicola, Frischella perrara, and Bifidobacterium coryneforme were higher in EFB2 than in EFB1, whereas Lactobacillus mellis was significantly higher in EFB2 than in EFB0. Snodgrassella alvi and L. melliventris, L. helsingborgensis and, L. kullabergensis exhibited higher proportion in EFB1 than in EFB2 and EFB0. The occurrence of Bartonella apis and Commensalibacter intestini were higher in EFB0 than in EFB2 and EFB1. Enterococcus faecalis incidence was highest in EFB2.ConclusionsHigh-throughput Illumina sequencing permitted a semi-quantitative analysis of the presence of M. plutonius within the honeybee worker microbiome. The results of this study indicate that worker bees from EFB-diseased colonies are capable of transmitting M. plutonius due to the greatly increased incidence of the pathogen. The presence of M. plutonius sequences in control colonies supports the hypothesis that this pathogen exists in an enzootic state. The bacterial groups synergic to both the colonies with clinical signs of EFB and the EFB-asymptomatic colonies could be candidates for probiotics. This study confirms that E. faecalis is a secondary invader to M. plutonius; however, other putative secondary invaders were not identified in this study.

The coal heap as an energy source - evaluation of its utilisation potential based on detailed field measuring and numerical model simulations

This article deals with thermal monitoring of coal heaps in the eastern Krkonose Mountains of the Czech Republic. Thermal activity was determined at four localities by means of contact thermometers and carbon dioxide emission measurements. Measured temperatures were used to calibrate the numerical model. A prognosis of the thermal field development was drawn. The highest temperatures found in the (thermally) most promising site for potential energy production (the Eliska coal heap in the Žacleř region) reached 337.35 K at a depth of 50 cm below the surface, where the surface temperature was 298.45 K and ambient air temperature was 284.15 K. On this site, the highest subsurface temperature reached 343.55 K in the control quadrat. The mathematical model showed that the temperature inside the coal heap should not fall below 293.15 K for at least 20 years. [Received: April 2, 2013; Accepted: December 26, 2013]

Suitable, reachable but not colonised: seasonal niche duality in an endemic mountainous songbird

The realized distribution of animals is often delimited by climatic factors which define, next to the specific habitat and food availability, their species-specific potential distribution. We studied the environmental limi- tations affecting the realized breeding and wintering dis- tributions of the Citril Finch (Carduelis citrinella), one of the few endemic bird species of European mountain ranges. To assess the environmental limits that shape the seasonal distribution, we used species distribution models (SDMs) derived from macroclimate in combination with land cover information. Our data suggest a high congruence between the potential modelled breeding distribution of the Citril Finch and the currently known breeding sites, indicating a high level of niche filling. The unusual absence in several suitable breeding habitats at the eastern and northern range limit (Eastern Alps, Carpathians, Bavarian Forest, Harz Mountains, Fichtelgebirge, Krkonose Mountains) is likely linked to a combination of both missing resources and restricted physiological migration capacities from the available wintering grounds. Since the accomplished migratory distances hardly exceed more than 500 km, it seems likely that the distance to the main wintering areas is too large for exceeding eastern and northern range limits. We discuss the differences in SDM outcomes when including distal predictor variables instead of using proxi- mal predictors alone, and highlight the importance of considering a seasonal niche duality to gain more insights into complex range effects in species with seasonal ranges.

Effect of Air Pollution on the Health Status of Spruce Stands

This paper presents the results of research on local air pollution (nitrogen and sulfur concentrations) and on the changes in the health status of trees observed in spruce stands in the period 1980–2011 in the Krkonose Mountains National Park. Data on precipitation and sulfur and nitrogen deposition were collected in regular 2-week intervals from 1994 to 2010. Precipitation was measured at 5 monitoring stations; the health status of forest stands was evaluated on 6 research plots located in stands dominated by Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst) in zones where there has been a significant threat from air pollution since 1980. The health status of spruce stands was assessed on the basis of the degree of defoliation, classified into 6 levels. In all localities since 1994, the total deposition of sulfates decreased significantly, from 50–80 kg ha−1 year−1 to 8–13 kg ha−1 year−1; however, no clear trend in the development of nitrogen deposition could be stated. The mean defoliation of living and all trees ...

Use of 10Be exposure ages and Schmidt hammer data for correlation of moraines in the Krkonoše Mountains, Poland/Czech Republic

Exposure ages and relative-age data are presented from eight sites in the Łomnica and Łomniczka valleys to provide essential information for reconstructing local glaciation chronology. A combination of 10Be exposure ages and Schmidt hammer data obtained for moraines indicate relatively short period of glacier accumulation lasting from 17.0 0.4 ka to 13.6 0.9 ka. Exposure age of 8.4 0.3 ka measured on the lowermost section of the Łomnica cirque headwall further confirms the view of glacier preservation in favourable sites until the beginning of the Holocene. A comparison of the obtained chronological data with timing of mountain glaciation in the nearby Upa Valley is used to propose the first correlative model of Late Quaternary glaciation in the eastern part of the Krkonose Mountains. The correlation implies that the lowermost preserved moraines originated during the local maximum of the last glaciation whereas recessional moraines were deposited until the Lateglacial period. A subsequent melting of glaciers terminated at the beginning of the Holocene. The implications of the model are discussed and further investigations are suggested to extend its validity to the whole mountain area.

Sediment lithology and stable isotope composition of organic matter in a core from a cirque in the Krkonoše Mountains, Czech Republic

This study presents detailed lithostratigraphy and stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic variations in a 520-cm-long sediment core from a cirque basin in the Labský důl Valley, Krkonose Mountains, Czech Republic. Detailed study of the core reveals five major periods of sedimentation during the last 7600 years: silt and sand deposition during ~7.6–5.1 ka cal BP, Sphagnum peat accumulation during ~5.1–4.0 ka cal BP, sandy silt and sand during ~4.0–2.8 ka cal BP, raised peat bog during ~2.8–2.0 ka cal BP (Sphagnum peat), and sedimentation of sandy silt since ~2.0 ka cal BP. The δ13C values of the organic matter in the core vary in the range typical for C3 plants, from −24.35 to −27.68‰, whereas the δ15N values vary from −2.65 to +4.35‰. Core sections having ash contents ≥70% have δ15N > 1‰ and δ13C −26‰. Strong linear correlations are observed between δ13C and δ15N values as well as between C:N ratios and δ15N values in the horizons with ash content >10%, primarily for sand and silt horizons. On the other hand, poor correlations between δ13C and C:N ratio, as well as δ15N and C:N ratio, were observed in Sphagnum peat layers (45–125 and 185–265 cm). We conclude that the primary stable isotope variations are not preserved in the layers where significant correlation between δ15N and C:N ratio is observed. The relatively small δ13C variation in the uppermost Sphagnum peat layer suggests stable temperature during ~2.8–2.0 ka cal BP.

Incubation behaviour of the Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis) in an alpine ecosystem of Central Europe

Incubation behaviour of the Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis) was investigated in mountainous conditions in Central Europe (the Krkonose Mountains of the Czech Republic), in relation to the time of day and weather. Twenty-four-hour recordings of incubation behaviour were made with a time-lapse video recorder and mini-camera. The influences of year, nest, time of day, temperature, precipitation and previous bouts on session and recess duration were then analysed. The incubation behaviour of Meadow Pipits in general did not differ from the behaviour of other small female-only incubating passerines. Despite relatively cold climatic conditions in the study area, the mean length of sessions and recesses (19.69 and 5.53 min), as well as nest-attentiveness (77.19%), agreed with values which are most often found in other species. However, the Meadow Pipit incubation in the study area was, in terms of nest-attentiveness, more intensive than in other surveyed populations of this species. Incubation behaviour was strongly influenced by the time of day—incubating females increased nest-attentiveness during the morning and evening hours. After the time of day was filtered out, the influence of temperature was found only on sessions (not recesses). Sessions were the longest when the air temperature was approximately 12–16°C and shortened when the temperature was lower or higher. Precipitation forced female Meadow Pipits to take longer sessions and shorter recesses, which corresponds to their general tendency to give priority to the needs of the clutch ahead of their own temporary feeding needs.

Measurement and age assignment of intact rock strength in the Krkonose Mountains, Czech Republic

Measurement and age assignment of intact rock strength in the Krkonose Mountains, Czech Republic

Seed banks of managed and degraded grasslands in the Krkonoše Mts., Czech Republic

Grassland seed banks are traditionally considered a source of new species in degraded communities. However, many recent studies have shown that the potential of the seed bank to restore many communities is rather limited. Two principal reasons for these limitations, loss of species from the seed bank or inability of the species to create any seed bank, are, however, usually not distinguished. This study aims to assess the role of seed bank composition and heterogeneity in the restoration of species-rich plant communities. It was carried out in mountain grasslands in the eastern part of the Krkonose Mountains, Czech Republic. The composition of vegetation and seed bank were recorded and their relationship was assessedin 1.5m × 1.5 m plots placed in non-degraded and degraded parts of seven grasslands. Vegetation at currently managed sites is not degraded; degraded parts were without management (dominated byHolcus mollis, Bistorta major orRumex alpinus). The degree of heterogeneity of seed bank and vegetation was tested as the relationship between subplot similarity, distance, and degradation stage. Degradation had significant effects on composition of both aboveground vegetation and seed bank and increased heterogeneity both in the vegetation and in the seed bank. Species absent from the vegetation of degraded plots were also absent from the seed bank of both degraded and non-degraded plots, indicating that the absence of species from the seed bank is not due to their loss during the degradation process but rather due to the low number of seeds in the seed bank already in the non-degraded communities. Furthermore, the seed bank of the degraded communities largely results from the present vegetation of these communities. This supports the limited role of the seed bank in these communities. Restoration of these sites is thus impossible unless management will include methods with which seeds will arrive at the degraded sites.

Genetics of a butterfly relocation: large, small and introduced populations of the mountain endemic Erebia epiphron silesiana

Species specific levels of genetic diversity are necessary for the viability of populations. Erebia epiphron (Lepidoptera: Satyrinae) is a relic species in the Sudetan Mountains, Czech Republic. These populations represent a suitable study object to test the population genetic effects of large, small and introduced populations by means of allozyme electrophoresis. A large continuous and viable population (>100,000 individuals) shows a significantly higher genetic diversity than a small isolated and declining population (ca. 5000 individuals), which most probably was founded during the Little Ice Age in the 17th and 18th centuries and became isolated afterwards. In 1932 and 1933, 50 females were transferred from the large population to the Krkonose Mountains, where they established a viable and quickly expanding population. The number of transferred individuals was sufficient to transfer most of the allozyme diversity of the large natural population. Due to the higher elevation of the Krkonose in comparison to the native range, this allocation might safeguard the survival of the Czech race of E. epiphron even under conditions of global warming.

An attempt to elucidate the increased incidence of tick-borne encephalitis and its spread to higher altitudes in the Czech Republic

In 1993 the incidence of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) showed a sharp rise in Central Europe and has remained high since--with some slight fluctuation. This increase is clearly evident in the Czech Republic and it could be roughly characterised as twofold in 1993-2001 in comparison with 1984-1992 (5,240:2,441 human cases). As yet in the Czech Republic the TBE increase has been manifested by: a) higher number of cases in areas well known for TBE occurrence in humans; b) re-emergence in areas where TBE human cases were not observed, or only sporadically, for a long time; c) emergence of TBE in places unknown previously (including highly elevated areas). This phenomenon has not been fully elucidated yet and we would like to contribute to a better understanding of its cause by comparing the present situation with historical data. Besides TBE epidemiological data (1965-2001) we use the twenty-year all season dynamics data of Ixodes ricinus host-seeking activity (1953-1972) supplemented by the data in 1982, 1992 and by meteorological data characterising periods under study. The fluctuation in annual averages of I. ricinus occurrence was irregular. These irregularities when compared with meteorological data can be explained by different meteorological conditions in particular years. In corresponding long-time series, the peaks of I. ricinus occurrence and TBE incidence were reached at the same time. Analyses of relevant meteorological data displayed that joint I. ricinus and TBE maximal occurrence values had been preceded by mild (or warm) autumn seasons allowing a prolongation of I. ricinus activities (including development) up to November at least, thus resulting in a higher tick volume the following year. Based on these data we conclude that the increased TBE incidence rates reported in 1993 and afterwards are attributable to a more abundant occurrence of I. ricinus ticks and that their higher abundance is due to modified climatic conditions in the last decade. Such a situation has appeared in the past as well; however, it was rare and in isolated years only. At that time, although the tick population had been more abundant, in the following year it reached the usual level again. In the 1990s the prolonged mild autumn for consecutive several years led to permanently more abundant populations of I. ricinus. The same conclusion explains the shift of I. ricinus occurrence and of TBE distribution to higher altitudes in Sumava and Krkonose Mountains.

Mathematical and Numerical Study of the 3D Atmospheric Boundary Layer Flows Including Pollution Dispersion

AbstractThe paper presents a mathematical and numerical investigation of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) flow over 3D complex terrain part of which is represented by the real topography of the Krkonose mountains located in the Czech Republic. The flow is supposed to be turbulent, non‐stratified, viscous, incompressible and stationary. Two mathematical models have been formulated. The first model is based upon the RANS equations in the conservative form and the second one uses the Boussinesq approximation of RANS equations and takes the non‐conservative form. Also pollution dispersion over the complex 3D terrain has been considered in both models. The problem closure is achieved by an algebraic turbulence model and given boundary conditions.

Reversing borealization as a means to restore biodiversity in Central-European mountain forests - An example from the Krkonose mountains, Czech Republic

Forestry in the Central-European mountains is confronted with a severe forest decline, which is attributed to the combined effects of 'borealization', brought about by large scale continued spruce (mainly Picea abies) monocultures, and atmospheric deposition. Borealization is defined as enhanced soil acidification and litter accumulation, retarded nutrient cycling and changed forest climate in such planted coniferous forest ecosystems. An additional effect of borealization is a major decline in biodiversity of the stands. Based on a comparative study of Norway spruce and European beech stands in the Krkonose National Park (Czech Republic), it is concluded that traditional management should be abandoned and that management should instead focus on regeneration towards broad-leaved or mixed forest stands, to enhance the stability of forest ecosystems and their biodiversity, and to reverse borealization in lower montane zones. Available surveys of forest typology were evaluated for their suitability in regeneration management and were found to be unsuitable, since they reflect the effects of borealization rather than true site conditions. The two main pioneer tree species, birch (Betula pendula) and mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia), were found to improve soil conditions and reverse borealization. Furthermore, trends in natural vegetation and soil development in declined forests and clear-cuts, and their relevance for forest restoration management were studied, focusing on borealization and plant species diversity. It is concluded that this natural development offers very good possibilities for a more passive, low-cost restoration management.

Arthropods of Stony Debris in the Krkonose Mountains, Czech Republic

Arthropods of Stony Debris in the Krkonose Mountains, Czech Republic

Plant communities of mires in the western part of the Krkonoše mountains, Czechoslovakia

Mire plant communities of the W. Krkonose mountains may be grouped in 11 associations and 3 alliances:Caricion canescentis-fuscae, Rhynchosporion albae andOxycocco-Empetrion hermaphroditi. The ecology, structure and geographical distribution of the communities, as well as the ecology of the species occurring in them are discussed.