Search

We studied the spatial structure of spiders and beetles in 4 types of habitats in the Poloniny National Park. Between the years 2020 and 2021, we recorded 1,597 beetle specimens and 3,765 spider specimens using the pitfall trap method. The most represented beetles were Poecilus versicolor (53.4%), Nebria brevicollis (10.3%), Staphylinus caesareus (4.4%) and Amara familiaris (4.1%). Among the spiders, there were species Pardosa pullata (21.81%), Pachygnatha degeeri (14.21%), Xerolycosa nemoralis (10.28%), Pardosa palustris (7.86%), Trochosa ruricola (6.24%) and Alopecosa pulverulenta (4.38%). We confirmed the occurrence of two European important species of beetles (Carabus zawadzkii, Carabus variolosus) and 3 species of spiders belonging to the vulnerable species according to the IUCN threat status (Gongylidiellum vivum, Palliduphantes milleri and Xysticus lineatus). We also found the spider Micaria micans, which is new to the Slovak fauna and information about its distribution and habitat preferences in Slovakia is presented. Using multivariate analyzes (CCA, RDA) and classification species into bioindicative groups, we found a greater connection of adaptable and eurytopic species of ground beetles to the mesophilic meadow and of spiders to the habitat Nardetum pasture. Based on bioindicative groups of species (adaptable, eurytopic and relict), we found only a small difference in percentile points between spiders and beetles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three years of study (2016-2019) of endangered habitats of inland salt marshes and salt steppes have yielded several interesting and novel data about the araneofauna of Slovakia. Ground-active spider communities were studied at nine localities belonging to Natura 2000 sites in the Pannonian region. A total of 220 species were recorded, of which 28 species are listed in the Slovak Red List as threatened and 18 species as potentially threatened. The other 11 documented rare species were recorded only in the last decade and are known from only one or a few localities. During the first part of the study, six first records for our fauna from salt marshes (already published) were revealed. Moreover, the continuation of the research brought other new findings for the Slovakian araneofauna Pardosa tenuipes (Lycosidae), Dactylopisthes digiticeps (Linyphiidae) and Ozyptila sanctuaria (Thomisidae). Their characteristic features, photos of the habitus and genitalia, notes on their phenology, habitat, an overview of the currently known distribution, and the dominant species of spider assemblages are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research was conducted to study assemblages of selected ground-living arachnids of the chemical waste dump in Vrakuňa (Bratislava, Slovakia). Arachnids were sampled between October 2018 and October 2019 at three study sites using pitfall traps. In total 3,261 spider individuals, belonging to 92 species and to 24 families, and 1,284 harvestman individuals, belonging to eight species and to four families, were captured. The identified spider species were divided into five groups according to their different habitat type preference and on the basis of association with the originality of habitats and their expansion/invasion potential. The studied assemblages of arachnids were compared according to their composition and analyse the variation of species occurrence across the study sites was done. In order to evaluate the relationship between the assemblages of the spiders and harvestmen at the sampling sites, we used multivariate analysis. The biplot of correspondence analysis formed groups of species with different preferences for humidity and light conditions at individual study sites. The research found the species Zodarion italicum, recorded for the first time in Slovakia. The characteristic features of the spider species found, photos of habitus and genitalia, notes on phenology, habitat, an overview of the presently known distribution, and the dominant species of spider assemblages are here presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Arachnology Letters / Arachnologische Mitteilungen is the property of Arachnologische Gesellschaft e.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The spiders Walckenaeria stylifrons (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1875) and Spiracme mongolica (Schenkel, 1963) are reported from Slovakia for the first time. These new records are based on adult males found in Western Slovakia in xerothermic habitats. The occurrence of W. stylifrons in Slovakia fills the gap in its distribution in Pannonian Basin and between Austria and Ukraine. Spiracme mongolica has been known only from the Balkans and south-eastern part of Europe to central Asia, this is the first record for Central Europe. We suggest Spiracme mongolica (Schenkel, 1963) new combination for Xysticus mongolicus Schenkel, 1963. Characteristic features, photographs of habitus and copulatory organs, and habitats of the new records are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two spider species, Clubiona pseudoneglecta Wunderlich, 1994 and Paratrachelas maculatus (Thorell, 1875), have been recorded for the first time in Slovakia. One male and five females of C. pseudoneglecta were collected at three sites in the Danube Plain. Two females of P. maculatus were found in the parks of the town of Galanta. Photos of the habitus and genitalia, an overview of the current distribution and habitat preferences are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors have prepared a detailed map of Slovakia's ecosystems, which identifies individual ecosystems and their spatial distribution, status, and selected properties. The impetus for the production of this map is the need of various stakeholders, especially nature protection bodies, forestry management, agricultural management and public administration, for better data on the distribution of ecosystems. The methodology mostly involves using GIS analytical tools to combine datasets on nature protection, forestry, and agriculture which list attributes related to habitat identification. The results can be used for ecosystem services assessment, spatial planning, nature protection analysis, and other related purposes. The spatial precision of the data is determined by that of the field data, which was mostly created at scales between 1:10000 and 1:5000. The data are stored in the form of a geodatabase containing more than 1,000,000 polygons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The composition of spider communities in forests is affected by habitat characteristics, such as canopy openness, vegetation cover or tree species diversity; therefore, we assume that the effect of canopy will differ among tree species.As research in European beech forests has not been conducted, we studied the effect of understory environmental characteristics associated with a gradient of overstory canopy openness in beech forest on ground‐dwelling spider richness, abundance and guild composition in the Western Carpathians, Slovakia. Canopy openness, the cover of understory vegetation and litter, litter thickness and variability and soil reaction were recorded. In total, 17 332 individuals of 174 spider species were trapped during 518 days. We used Generalised Linear Models to explain the effect of environmental characteristics on the assemblages of ground‐dwelling spiders; the unique and shared contributions of the predictors were calculated using variation partitioning.The association of canopy openness with spider species richness was hump‐shaped and displayed positive linear relationship with abundance. Abundance was also affected by soil pH.The composition of spider communities was significantly affected by canopy openness and understory characteristics; a major part of this variation was shared between all variables. The guild composition of the assemblages interacted with canopy openness, as sheet‐web weavers were dominant under the most closed canopy, that below 20% of canopy openness, while ground hunters dominated in the rest of the canopy gradient.The gradient of beech forest canopy openness affected spider species richness, abundance and guild composition and supported distinct assemblages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past, historical rural Europe possessed a broad range of biological and cultural values due to landscape diversity and the use of low-impact agricultural practices. It's typical feature was the presence of varied semi-natural habitats. The massive socioeconomic changes of the 20th caused significant loss of these habitats. The term traditional agricultural landscape (TAL) denotes the surviving remnants of this landscape heritage. Despite its exceptional value, conservation practice for TAL is very poor. The concept of "biocultural diversity" provides linkages between cultural and biological diversity and opens up new possibilities for practical conservation of TAL. In our work we have tried to develop and apply this concept. The main goal was to design an approach for assessment of biocultural value at plot level and apply it to the three different traditional rural landscapes in Slovakia—Liptovská Teplička village, Hriňová town and Svätý Jur town, representing the most typical TAL in Slovakia. The approach was based on determination of a measurable link between ecological and cultural–historical significance. The concept of ecological significance, assessed by comparing the results of the monitoring and evaluation of taxonomic diversity and nature conservation value of vascular plant communities and selected ground-dwelling invertebrate groups (Araneae, Diplopoda, Orthoptera), was complemented by evaluation of cultural–historical significance, leading to the identification of biocultural values in TAL. These evaluations were performed on productive plots of arable lands, grasslands, vineyards, and orchards, and unproductive agrarian landforms (mostly field margins) such as terraced slopes, terraced steps, heaps, mounds and unconsolidated walls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the problems of transformation of social-spatial situation in Slovakia, which in many respects reflects the happening and turbulence of contemporary transformation process. After 1989, the reform of social-spatial sphere became one of the most expansive reforms. This study indicate the further fragmentation and polarisation of Slovak society as the developmental and modernisation processes of these differentiating social and social-spatial subjects are quite asynchronous contributing to the society shocks and complicating its developmental dynamics. Polarisation of society rests on the horizontal social-spatial differentiation as well as on the vertical social-economic polarisation. Existing residential and regional differences usually represent the social inequalities. So is the case with the vertical social-economic polarisation, which has striking regional and residential impacts. This vertical polarisation deeply influences social stratification of contemporary society and creates new social stratum of poor and unemployed.

The article discusses the historical development of socio-spatial situation in Slovakia. It concentrates especially on its developmental problems resulting in unfavorable conditions of this contemporary situation influenced also by social, demographic, economic, ecological and civilization problems. It analyzes the regional level of society in the 20th century with a special attention being paid to the period of the industrial urbanization. It presents the circumstances related to the shift in the civilization basis of society's development, its supposed sources and influence on the socio-spatial organization of Slovak society. The original situation in the first half of the 20th century was difficult, due to the delay in industrial and urbanization processes, which later became intensified in the 1950's. As the context and impacts of the shift from agrarian to industrial society as well as the transformation from rural to urban society indicate, these shifts were asynchronic, notably the urbanization process was significantly delayed. It also discusses the factors influencing the formation of socio-spatial situation of society, presenting how the industrialization and urbanization processes intensified the industrial and social development of society.

Selected Interrelations of the Housing Transformation in Slovakia. Paper deals with the problem of transformation of housing in Slovakia with the emphasis on its specific social, socio- economic and socio-spatial relations. Its aim is to show how far the transformation process in the domain of housing and housing construction has proceeded, and which positive and negative interconnections and effects go with this process. The special emphasis is given on its local (settlements) and regional forms and consequences. Paper suggests that the previous developmental unbalances in the domain of housing have entered the transformation process and significantly influence its present state. The present housing situation is characterised by value clashes and framed by dynamic increase of changes in housing needs, interests and demands. At the same time there is an increasing tension issuing from unsatisfied quantitative housing needs that are the outcome of the radical restriction of housing construction after the 1990. Author points at paradoxical of situation in which increasing shortage of apartments goes in hand with an ineffective utilisation of available housing situated mainly in villages (countryside). Author analyses the developmental tendencies in housing needs and conditions for their saturation. The objectives of the state conception of housing development are confronted with contradictory actual results and application effects. Author presents the unbalances typical of the present housing situation and analyses factors and effects of sharpened regional and local differences in available housing, its accessibility and utilisation, economic problems of new housing construction (both in cities and villages) and formation of effective housing market, including social housing. Special part of the paper is devoted to the present state of housing construction in Slovakia and new aspects of housing development in villages that is connected with increasing preferences of living in villages. Finally the author outlines the prognosis of the next housing development that takes in regard present problems and unbalances as well as the fact of the lasting low dynamics in housing construction and not yet implemented the state conception of housing development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims at problems of developmental unbalancies of housing in Slovakia and discusses the possibilities of their solving. The stress is on social aspects of housing. The attention is primarily on, presenting the basic situation in which the sphere of housing entered the transformation process. It presents developmental unbalancies and problems as the residua of the preceding development in housing policy that failed to solve the housing problem neither in the quantitative nor in the qualitative aspect in spite of enormous investments, and make now the housing to be a major social problem. The article also discusses especially the financial aspect of ensuring housing, the present efforts to create a flat market and the development of needs in the sphere of housing aimed unequivocally at increased interest in higher quality of housing and dwelling environment. It points to a growing expensiveness of housing and informs about the most threatened social groups in this regard. Effective functioning of the flat market is complicated by considerable high prices of flats, conspicuous physical shortage of flats as well as legislative ambiguity of subsidizing the construction of flats.

The article focuses on the problems of marginal territories, which have not been considered from a sociological point of view in the past. These problems became especially important in Slovak society's period of transition after 1989. In post-Communist society involved in this transition and its transition to a market economy, marginal territories were unexpectedly expanded and their economic and social problems increased. This fact surprised people living in marginal territories, which were created as a consequence of socialist industrialization and urbanization in the second half of the 20th century. People who lived in regions of heavy metallurgy, mining and military industry were even more surprised because the conversion and degression strongly affected them. The resultant results, long-term unemployment, the growth of poverty, crime and other socio-pathological phenomena had not been known for many generations. The process of solving these problems increased the costs of social transformation, and unbearable social costs threatened the course of society's transition.

This article attempts at presenting a more complex sociological-historical outline of the development of social-spatial problems of Slovakia, whereby stress is laid upon the period of industrial urbanization (1961-1990). It analyzes the differentiation of regional and settlement development of the Slovak Republic in the period of industrial urbanization and its social, social- economic and social-spatial consequences. It further points to changes and factors influencing contemporaly regional and settlement growth, as they became manifest in the ongoing social and economic transformation. The paper also points to manifesting the new differentiation of regional and settlement development in the current transformation process. This is influenced mainly by the level of social, economic and civilizational growth of the region, by the character and intensity of capital inputs into the region by the existing rate of unemployment and by preconditions for its lowering, by the quality of social potential of the region, and by its activities.

The article focuses on the economic conditions of the marginalized territories in Slovakia. Marginalized territories in Slovakia reflect the existing regional differences. The emergence of territories that diverge, in the negative sense of the word, from acceptable standards, that is, marginalized territories, is not a new phenomenon. The very denotation of this quality of a territory indicates that it represents territories. The term marginality can be associated with the geographic or urban location of the territory in question. The substance of this marginality does not refer to its geographic or urban character but to its social character. A discussion of marginalized territories should take into consideration the status quo, that is, the status of the marginality- non-marginality phenomenon, as well as the process of marginalization. It is the latter aspect, the process, that is important as it enables us to consider the extent to which a given situation is transient, or a long-term phenomenon with a historical basis.

This article cites a study concerning the acquaintance with the situation in the Bratislava, Slovakia citizens' knowledge of their city, or their dwelling districts. It is based on research findings obtained in Bratislava in 1991. The research included among others also the problems of the citizens' knowledge of important issues concerning their city or dwelling districts, the existence and quality of information channel between the municipal authorities and dwelling district autonomous bodies on the one hand and the citizen on the other, in both directions. In general the situation seems to be the best especially in villages administratively joined to Bratislava. However in these municipalities there is the highest lack of interest in the problems of Bratislava as well. It is necessary to ensure substantially higher effectiveness and extent of information flows and to create conditions and platform for mutual informing of both the municipal authorities and autonomous district bodies and the citizens and special-interest groups.

The article examines the localism and regionalism in socio-spatial connections of regional development in Slovakia. The author notes that the main socio-spatial trends in Slovakia after year 1989 can be characterized as efforts to renewal of localism and regionalism, to fortify of importance and authority of local and regional communities. The character of settlement and territorial development in Slovakia in post-war term imagines complicated social-political, economical and socio-cultural problems. And that was in spite of the fact that localism and regionalism have the deeper roots in Slovakia in respect to the traditional rural character of the society and to the late of process of urbanization. With respect to existing social and spatial situation in Slovakia that is characteristic by a significant territorial and residential differentiation, one can presume the following intensification of regional differences, but also the changes, or divergence in the strategy of development of particular regions.

Three species of spiders (Araneae), Altella aussereri Thaler, 1990, Mimetus laevigatus (Keyserling, 1863), and Trichoncyboides simoni (Lessert, 1904), are reported from Slovakia for the first time. These new records originate from southern Slovakia. The record of A. aussereri provides new data on the distribution and natural history of this range-restricted species of very high conservation value. The records of M. laevigatus and T. simoni in Slovakia extend their known distribution in Central Europe. Characteristic features, pictures of the habitus, copulatory organs, and habitats are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diplotemnus balcanicus (Redikorzev, 1928) is reported for the second time from Slovakia. The species was first recorded from Slovakia in 1955 when two specimens were found in bat guano on the loft inside a church. After 65 years, one male was discovered inside a private family home 8 km from the 1955 record. The original 1955 material of D. balcanicus, from a private collection, has been revised. Additionally, a short description of the male of D. balcanicus and some identification notes on Eurasian diplotemnids are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tegenaria hasperi Chyzer, 1897 (Agelenidae) and Zoropsis spinimana (Dufour, 1820) (Zoropsidae) are recorded in Slovakia for the first time. Both species were collected in synanthropic habitats in Western Slovakia. Two males of T. hasperi were collected in the garden of a family house, and both sexes of Z. spinimana were recorded from the interiors and exteriors of buildings in four separate cities, representing the first record of the family Zoropsidae in Slovakia. This contribution provides additional information on the morphological characteristics of these species. Digital images of their habitus and copulatory organs, as well as their distribution and habitat preferences are included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]