Search

Aim: The distribution of within‐species lineages has been affected by Quaternary climate changes, and population differentiation has been influenced by species life history traits. We investigated whether the distribution of individual mitochondrial genetic lineages reflects the constituent species' traits. Using the functionally diverse group of butterflies, we examined which lineages are present in Central Europe, an important suture zone. Location: Czech Republic and Western Palearctic. Taxon: A total of 140 butterfly species. Methods: We sequenced DNA barcodes (cytochrome c oxidase 1) (959 sequences) of the entire Czech Republic butterfly fauna and used Barcoding of Life Data System to visualise the species' biogeographic patterns across Europe. We categorised the distribution patterns of lineages inhabiting the Czech Republic, and used multivariate statistics to interpret these categories by the butterflies' habitats, life history traits and threat levels. Results: Open habitat dwellers with specialist traits belonged to Eastern, Southern and temperate lineages. Habitat generalists and woodland dwellers belonged to the Western lineage, formed several lineages or displayed low genetic diversity; they often developed on woody plants, were large‐winged and had long flight periods. The most threatened species were the specialists of Southern, Eastern and temperate lineages. Main Conclusions: The distribution of lineages in Central Europe reflects the history of Quaternary ecosystems: during cold periods of the Pleistocene, the diverse open habitats prevailed and species could expand westwards. Such species also suffer the most under the current anthropogenic habitat alteration. On the other hand, the mobile generalists and woodland dwellers expanded to Central Europe during the Holocene. Our approach of linking the distribution of lineages with species traits can be transferred to other study systems, and we show that DNA barcoding of under‐sampled areas represents a powerful tool for discovering the driving forces of biogeography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I investigate the functional dimension of non-finite causal constructions, exemplified using the English because X constructions. The analysis identifies two functions of these constructions: expressing causality and commenting. Primarily, non-finite causal constructions express cause or reason. Secondarily, however, speakers can also use these constructions to offer a comment about the expressed cause or reason. These two functions represent two poles on a functional continuum. While some non-finite causal constructions only express causal meaning and some serve predominantly as comments, they usually combine both functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quarrying has a crucial impact on the environment, but it could enhance species diversity. Mining sites represent important refuges for countless species disappearing from homogenous landscapes. Our study focused on assemblages of heterotrophic communities such as moths (Lepidoptera), carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae), spiders (Araneae), and macromycetes (fungi: Basidiomycota, Ascomycota) in an active part of kaolin quarries and their immediate surroundings in the Pilsen region, Czech Republic. We compared differences between mined and unmined sites, sites with spontaneous succession and sites with replanted pine trees. In total, we recorded 178 moth, 63 spider, 27 carabid beetle, and 81 macromycetes species, including 21 Red‐listed species. The moths, carabid beetles, and macromycetes tended to inhabit unmined sites; on the contrary, open habitat spiders preferred open sites with replanted pine trees. Based on the life history traits analyses, moth species feeding on forbs and grasses prevail at the active part of kaolin quarries, where higher plant diversity was detected. Large body carabid beetles such as Carabus spp. favored unmined sites, as well as macromycetes with long‐lived fruit bodies. Open habitat and xerophilous spiders inhabited the replanted sites by pine trees where the sparse vegetation was obvious. Our results indicated that groups with radically different life histories such as moths, carabids, and macromycetes may react to mining remarkably similarly, although spiders, despite sharing predatory habits with the majority of carabids, reacted differently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alpine grasslands above the treeline are severely threatened by climate change, mainly due to forest expansion driven by warmer conditions. Analogous lowland grasslands experience severe reductions due to land‐use abandonment and forest encroachment.To address how climate change impacted open‐areas insects, we used Parnassius apollo as a model, a butterfly with wide Palearctic distribution inhabiting both alpine and low‐altitude steppe grasslands. We modelled upper Pleistocene range changes from the Last Interglacial (130 Kya) to the present and future (2050/2070), using medium and high greenhouse gas emission rates for the latter.We combined bioclimatic variables (Worldclim, Paleoclim, Chelsa) with distribution records of P. apollo and two of its most often used larval host plants (Sedum album; Hylotelephium telephium) to formulate species distribution models (SDMs) via the Maximum entropy method.We estimated a substantial range expansion during cold periods (last glacial maximum, 22 Kya) and contractions in warmer periods. Including the host plants in the models brought reduced suitable areas estimate, possibly due to differences in climatic requirements of hosts and the butterfly. Future projections of the extent of suitable climates are surprisingly better than would be expected from a warming climate, likely because the current distribution, especially at lower elevations, is probably restricted by habitat loss due to land abandonment and afforestation.We recommend preventing afforestation in critical habitats across Europe and Asia, and increasing survey activities to perform more accurate SDMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A selection of sites occupied by the EU-protected marsh fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia) in western Czech Republic were subjected to a vegetation survey 15 years ago and again recently. In the 66 time-replicated 25 m2 plots from 12 sites, representing the diversity of E. aurinia-occupied oligotrophic grasslands in the Slavkovský les Protected Landscape Area (and covering a fifth of the currently-occupied Czech sites), we recorded quantitative representation of vascular plants and mosses. We analysed the data using multivariate ordinations, asking how the vegetation changed between the surveys, how was it affected by the conservation management applied and how it affected occupancy by the butterfly larval nests; the vegetation patterns were interpreted using Ellenberg's plant indicator values. Between the two surveys, the overall representation of the larval host plant, Succisa pratensis, did not change; tree and herbs layers (both grasses and forbs) increased and the moss layer decreased. Across surveys, the main driver of vascular plants' species composition was moisture, followed by soil reaction and nitrogen, whereas in mosses, nitrogen was the main factor. The main change between the surveys was the increase of nitrogen accompanied by decreased light, probably due to increase of competitively strong plants. Butterfly occupancy declined at sites with high soil moisture and increased at sites with higher soil reaction. Mowing of moist nitrogen-rich sites, but not drier nitrogenpoor sites, increased occupancy, illustrating the need for context-dependent interventions. All the evidence thus shows that E. aurinia prefers drier, warmer and less acidic conditions within the generally moist acidic grasslands and that ongoing eutrophication represents a potential problem in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]