SubjectsSubjects(version: 945)
Course, academic year 2021/2022
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Insect ecology and conservation - MB162P26
Title: Insect ecology and conservation
Czech title: Ekologie a ochrana hmyzu
Guaranteed by: Department of Ecology (31-162)
Faculty: Faculty of Science
Actual: from 2020 to 2021
Semester: summer
E-Credits: 3
Examination process: summer s.:
Hours per week, examination: summer s.:2/0, Ex [HT]
Capacity: unlimited
Min. number of students: 6
4EU+: no
Virtual mobility / capacity: no
State of the course: taught
Language: English
Note: enabled for web enrollment
Guarantor: doc. RNDr. Robert Tropek, Ph.D.
Teacher(s): doc. RNDr. Robert Tropek, Ph.D.
Annotation -
Last update: doc. RNDr. Robert Tropek, Ph.D. (07.02.2022)
The course is focused on introduction to ecology of insects and their role in ecosystems. The main emphases are laid on interactions among organisms, ecology of communities, biodiversity patterns and theoretical backgrounds and practical principles of conservation of various insect groups.

In the summer semester 2022, the course will be organised primarily on Thursdays. The Tuesday terms are a reserve for a few lectures in the spring, when the lecturer will be doing how field research.
Literature -
Last update: doc. RNDr. Robert Tropek, Ph.D. (29.05.2019)

Speight, M. R., Hunter, M. D., & Watt, A. D. (1999). Ecology of insects: concepts and applications. Blackwell Science Ltd.

Price, P. W., Denno, R. F., Eubanks, M. D., Finke, D. L., & Kaplan, I. (2011). Insect ecology: behavior, populations and communities. Cambridge University Press.

 Schowalter, T. D. (2016). Insect ecology: an ecosystem approach. Academic Press.

 Stewart, A. J., New, T. R., & Lewis, O. T. (Eds.). (2007). Insect Conservation Biology. CABI.

Requirements to the exam -
Last update: doc. RNDr. Robert Tropek, Ph.D. (23.10.2019)

Oral exam and a synthesis of two selected scientific papers.

Syllabus -
Last update: RNDr. Veronika Sacherová, Ph.D. (27.04.2016)

Diversity of insect: how diverse insect is, causes of insect diversity, patterns and causes of unequal distribution of insect diversity - latitude, altitude, and other factors, biogeography, hotspots.

Insect in communities and ecosystems: Herbivory - advantages and disadvantages of herbivory for insects, plant defence against herbivores, specialisation of insect herbivores, impact of insect herbivory on ecosystems and communities. Pollination - origin and evolutionary importance of pollination by insects and other animals, rewards for plant visitors, insect-related pollination syndromes, specialisation/generalisation of pollination systems. Predation - insects as predators and prey, impact of insect predation on communities, specialisation of insect predators, interactions among predators and prey in complex trophic networks. Other roles of insects in communities - parasitoids, parasites, entomochory, relationships with ants, more complicated mutualism, trade-offs.

Importance and conservation of insects: Importance of insects for humans, ecosystem service and other economic aspects, insects as pathogen vectors, reasons for insect conservation, status and causes of insect endangerement, insect specifics in conservation biology, causes of endangerement and principles of conservation of insects in Czechia.

 
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