Research
Diversity

During my PhD, I focused on factors that affect the diversity of forest herb-layer across different regions and scales (see the main papers below). I tested the relative importance of productivity, soil pH, light availability, moisture, and other environmental factors. To answer my questions, I used my own vegetation records, data from my bioassay experiments and additional data compiled from previously conducted studies.

I undertook a stay at the University of Bremen, in the research group of Prof. Martin Diekmann. I also gained valuable experience with vegetation sampling in the Czech Republic, Yakutia, Crete and Bulgaria. For my PhD thesis, I was awarded a Prize of the Dean of the Faculty of Sciences.

Main papers of the PhD thesis

Diversity in Europe Comparison: boreal zone Bioassay experiment Biomass estimation

Even nowadays, I am still fascinated by different aspects of plant diversity.

I was interested in the diversity relationships at different scales and vegetation types.
Explained variability of the forest herb-layer diversity.
Czech Republic: spring aspect of the forest vegetation

Diversity in the Czech Republic

Crete: Effect of soil pH on the diversity of phrygana

Diversity of phrygana

Bulgaria: diversity of steppe vegetation

Fine-scale diversity of steppe

Bulgaria: diversity of steppe vegetation

Nutrient limitation and diversity

Yakutia: Finding analogies of the Pleistocene landscapes

Pleistocene landscape

Functional and phylogenetic diversity

Plant characteristics (traits) reflect the adaptations of plants to the environment and their evolutionary history. We suggested decoupled patterns to challenge the expected positive relationship between functional and phylogenetic diversity. In another study, we asked how the environment affects the traits and abundance of plants.

Effect of the environment on the plant traits Distribution of plant families in Europe

Representation of plant families in Europe - forest vegetation
Alien species in the European vegetation

Alien species, especially those invasive, significantly contribute to the current biodiversity crisis. Therefore, studying their traits, distribution and invasion potential is essential. Together with other colleagues, I prepare overviews of alien species in different vegetation types in Europe and their biogeographical patterns (EVA project 116).

Together with Veronika Kalusová, we showed the need for updated alien species lists for individual countries. We prepare a revised and gap-filled database of European alien species, which will become available in our FloraVeg.EU database.

Alien species in grassland vegetation - proportions of invaded plots

Alien species in European grasslands

One of the most frequent alien species in Europe: Erigeron annuus, native in North America

Alien species in the European shrub vegetation

Example of different assignments of one species in different countries. We use all available sources, compare and revise them critically,  and decide on the final residence and invasion status of the species in individual European regions.
One of the typical alien invasive species in the Czech Republic, Solidago canadensis.

Catalogue of alien species in the Czech Republic

Our database of European vegetation and flora. I manage nomenclature and species traits.

Vegetation and flora in FloraVeg.EU

My team

Veronika Kalusová. We published overviews of aliens in selected habitats, recently we work on the updated database of alien species in Europe.
Martin Večeřa. Together we focus on the biogeography of alien species, but also other aspects of diversity.
My PhD student, Barbora Klímová, studying biases in spatial patterns of diversity and species distribution models.
My PhD student, Nina Fahs, studying the ecology of nitrogen-fixing legumes, parasitic plants and their interaction.
My bachelor student, Bianka Matisová, studying alien species in the Slovak Paradise National Park
My bachelor student, Klára Kučerová, studying alien species in the Moravian Karst Protected Landscape Area.

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