Biologia

https://link.springer.com/journal/11756

List of Papers (Total 199)

Bryophytes in classification and ecology of calcareous beech forests in Central Slovakia

Traditionally, calcareous beech forests were classified and differentiated according to vascular plants. Bryophytes were often omitted or not all substrates were sampled in relevés, and therefore, the role of bryophytes in plant community differentiation remained unclear. In this paper, we studied bryophyte species richness, composition and functional patterns in vegetation units...

Mid-term changes of dry grasslands with conservation management in the Hainburger Berge Mountains

Our study focused on evaluating plant diversity and vegetation changes in the dry grasslands of the Hainburger Berge Mountains protected within the NATURA 2000 reserve Hundsheimer Berge. Traditionally, these grasslands have been managed through intensive grazing but have experienced significant land-use changes since the 1950′s, including a prolonged period of abandonment. We...

Reproductive capacity and seed germination after various storage of the invasive alien plant Amorpha fruticosa L. - a case study from Bratislava

Amorpha fruticosa L. (Fabaceae) shows two reproductive modes, generative via seeds and vegetative via root-shoots. We studied the reproductive ability on a mixed sample collected from 6 localities in the city of Bratislava: compound fruiting per bush (12.55 ± 8.55), fruiting per bush (70.33 ± 48.04) and fruits per bush (16127.33 ± 24212.25). No significant difference was found...

The beneficial effect of barley straw extract addition on the growth of two aquatic invasive alien species (Elodea nuttallii and Cabomba caroliniana) under laboratory conditions

Barley straw has been used around the world for decades as a simple, cost-effective and harmless phytoplankton growth inhibition method. Although the effect of this method on algal blooms is quite well depicted, it has not yet been tested what effect it has on submerged vascular plants and if it could be used to control the spread of alien macrophytes. In this study two highly...

First records of two new silverfish species (Ctenolepisma longicaudatum and Ctenolepisma calvum) in Slovakia, with checklist and identification key of Slovak Zygentoma

In recent years, introduced synanthropic species of the order Zygentoma (especially Ctenolepisma longicaudatum and C. calvum) have begun to spread in Central Europe. The two above-mentioned non-native species of silverfish have also recently been confirmed in Slovakia. This paper aims to comment on the occurrence of the two non-native species in Slovakia, to compile an...

Complex secondary structure in small Rep_3 plasmids of Acinetobacter spp.

Bacterial plasmids are important mobile genetic elements which often carry specific genes important for bacterial successful survival under various inhospitable environmental conditions. Most of the previous research has focused on large plasmids providing these beneficial traits to their host cells. In this study, small cryptic plasmid pALK1 (3 051 bp) was isolated from...

Recombinant production of human antimicrobial peptide LL- 37 and its secondary structure

Antimicrobial peptides, including the human cathelicidin LL-37, offer a possible solution to the global problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotics. LL-37 peptide has potent antimicrobial effects against current multi-drug resistant bacterial strains. The peptide itself is also characterized by a very diverse range of immunomodulatory effects. The aim of this study was to...

Diet of the otter Lutra lutra inhabiting a forest stream in SW Poland

Diet of the otter inhabiting a forest stream in SW Poland was studied in order to show the impact of the otter on fish and other aquatic animals. The diet was examined by means of spraint analysis. A total of 157 spraints were collected from 14 sites, and 605 prey items were extracted. Fish comprised the staple diet. It was supplemented by frogs, birds, small mammals and...

Lizards on the borders: source and patterns of colonization of an opportunistic reptile, Podarcis siculus, on the remote island of Pantelleria (Italy) depicted by mtDNA phylogeography and dorsal pattern

Understanding patterns and modalities of species’ colonization in insular ecosystems is a major goal of biogeography and may be key to decision makers, in terms of e.g., management and conservation. In this paper, we assess source and patterns of colonization of an opportunistic reptile, Podarcis siculus, on the remote island of Pantelleria (Italy), following a multidisciplinary...

Degradation of crude oil and the pure hydrocarbon fractions by indigenous soil microorganisms

Petroleum hydrocarbons are a major concern due to their widespread distribution in the environment, and their harmful effects on humans. The use of biodegradation methods to clean soil that has been contaminated by spilt petroleum can be an effective remediation strategy. Therefore, in this study, the presence of indigenous microorganisms in soil contaminated with crude oil was...

Structure of forest stands of alien tree Quercus rubra in Central Europe

The diversity of planted forest stands of the alien species Quercus rubra L. in Central Europe was studied. The northern red oak is a neophyte that has been cultivated in Europe since the seventeenth century as an ornamental as well as a useful tree. In 38 phytosociological relevés from Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic, we recorded a total of 223 vascular plant taxa, of...

Correlation between the level of sulfane sulfur and the expression/activity of sulfurtransferases in chicken tissues – a possible ways of cyanide detoxification

Cyanogenic glycosides are a large group of secondary metabolites that are widely distributed in the many plants commonly consumed by humans, birds, and other animals. Thiosulfate sulfurtransferase (TST) and 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (MPST), are two evolutionary-related enzymes that constitute the defense against cyanide toxication and participate in the production of...

Biocontrol efficacy of endophytic fungus, Acremonium sclerotigenum, against Meloidogyne incognita under in vitro and in vivo conditions

Biocontrol microorganisms are important tools for the control of root knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.). Endophytic fungi have shown great potential as biocontrol agents in such applications. We here isolated an endophytic fungus from tomato root galls infected with M. incognita and identified the isolate as Acremonium sclerotigenum based on morphology and the internal...

Hares from the Late Pleistocene of Ukraine: a phylogenetic analysis and the status of Lepus tanaiticus (Mammalia, Lagomorpha)

Hares (genus Lepus) are widely distributed in Europe, and they are adapted to various types of habitats. Many species are known to hybridise, and previous molecular genetic studies have revealed recurrent introgressions between species at all stages of the genus’s radiation. The Don hare (Lepus tanaiticus) was described from the Late Pleistocene of the Southern Urals and...

First observation on morphological and molecular characters of Bitylenchus ventrosignatus (Tobar Jiménez, 1969) Siddiqi, 1986 isolated from tomato in Dalmada, South Africa

During a survey on the biodiversity of plant-parasitic nematodes in Limpopo Province, South Africa, Bitylenchus ventrosignatus was discovered around the rhizosphere of a tomato in Dalmada. The nematodes were extracted using the tray method and then fixed according to available protocols. The morphological characters fit well with the description of B. ventrosignatus. In addition...

Scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae) of subterranean habitats in Slovakia: a review and a case study

During biospeleological surveys in Slovakia in the past, phorid flies were usually overlooked or ignored. Only one species, Triphleba antricola (Schmitz, 1918), has been reported from some caves in Slovakia. The first more comprehensive study of phorid flies of subterranean ecosystems in Slovakia is herein presented. During the investigation of seven caves and one gallery located...

Characteristics of Clostridioides difficile isolates circulating in the Slovak hospitals

Clostridioides difficile is a frequent cause of hospital-acquired diarrhea associated with antibiotics. Hypervirulent strains of Clostridioides difficile are associated with a severe course of Clostridioides difficile infection and a higher mortality. We have confirmed 322 non-duplicate Clostridioides difficile isolates in stool samples of patients hospitalized in three Slovak...

Key ecological determinants of the reproductive success and conservation strategy of Delphinium pentagynum subsp. formenteranum (Ranunculaceae), an endangered endemic species of the western Mediterranean Basin (Balearic Islands)

Delphinium pentagynum subsp. formenteranum is an endemic species restricted to the island of Formentera (Balearic Islands), where it is considered an endangered species. Ecological traits such as pollination and pollinator-plant interaction, and seed germination are key processes required for conservation efforts but remain poorly characterized. Floral traits were evaluated...

Glomus versiforme and Micrococcus yunnanensis reduce the negative effects of salinity stress by regulating the redox state and ion homeostasis in Brassica napus L. crops

Salinity stress is a major threat that negatively affects plant growth and production in arid and semi- arid regions. Application of biofertilizers could mitigate this stress. Accordingly, a pot experiment was conducted on rapeseed grown under salinity stress (0, 5, 10, and 15 dS m−1) while considering the following additives: (1) AMF (non-inoculated and inoculated with Glomus...

Changes in the Nardus grasslands in the (Sub)Alpine Zone of Western Carpathians over the last decades

Nardus stricta dominated grassland is a specific habitat occurring on the nutrient-poor soils. Its large areas were formed as a result of livestock grazing. However, landscape management underwent significant changes over the last decades including grazing cessation. This triggered successional processes leading to considerable changes in floristic composition reported from...

Quantitative and physiological behavior techniques to investigate the evolution of monospecies biofilm of pathogenic bacteria on material surfaces

In most natural habitats, microbes are not discovered in the planktonic phase but in multispecies biofilm communities. Bacteria in diverse microbial biofilm may interact or conflict relying on the varieties and features of solid surfaces. Hence, mono-species biofilm formed some potentially Gram-negative pathogenic species, including Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, and...

Relationship of nematodes in natural and disturbed land with physicochemical properties in Magoebaskloof, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Magoebaskloof is an evergreen mountainous landscape covered with Afromontane forests. During a survey on soil nematode diversity, the soil samples were collected from the rhizosphere of a forest tree (no cultivation over 50 years), grassland, prepared kiwi land, oak tree, kiwifruits trees (37-year-old), and 8-year-old kiwifruit in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. Overall...