Etnobotanično izročilo v slovenskih ljudskih ljubezenskih pesmih

Odnos med človekom in rastlinami lahko raziskujemo na različne načine, med drugim ga lahko zaznamo tudi skozi proučevanje ustnega in pisnega izročila naših prednikov, na primer pripovedi ali ljudskih pesmi. V okviru raziskave smo želeli izvedeti, kako pogosto so v slovenskih ljubezenskih ljudskih pesmih zastopane rastlinske vrste, katere vrste se pojavljajo in kakšna je njihova vloga ter njihov simbolni pomen. V ta namen smo analizirali 3722 slo- venskih ljudskih pesmi, zapisanih do začetka 20. stoletja. Analiza je pokazala, da so rastline omenjene v 410 pesmih, skupno pa smo v pesmih zabeležili 63 različnih rastlinskih taksonov. Najpogosteje so omenjeni rožmarin, nagelj, ja- blana oz. jabolko in pšenica, sledijo jim nemški rožmarin, javor, lilija, trta, vrtnica, lipa in druge. Večina omemb rastlin v ljudskih ljubezenskih pesmih je povezanih z izkazovanjem ljubezni, z lepoto ter z žalostjo ali smrtjo

Utjecaj ispaše, sukcesije i košnje na proljetnu faunu danjih leptira (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera) na suhim krškim livadama i pašnjacima

Karst meadows belonging to the class Festuco-Brometea are regarded as species-rich habitats of national and European importance. Biodiversity in these areas is relatively high, but unlike most other semi-natural habitat types, it is highly influenced and facilitated by human activities. In the present study we document the presence and estimate abundance of butterfly species from three sampling plots in Kraški rob (SW Slovenia): two dry karst meadows and one pasture, which also includes an overgrown area. Over 16-day sampling occasions in May and June 2012, 63 species (including species complexes) were recorded. Nearly all of the species were recorded from dry karst meadows (60 ssp., 95%), while pasture (34 spp., 54%) and the overgrown site (28 spp., 44%) were less diverse. The abundance of butterflies was the lowest on the overgrown area. Although both grazing and overgrowth result in a decline in the number and abundance of species, we believe that traditional land use positively affects butterfly diversity, as it maintains open grasslands, a habitat that is preferred by most butterfly species to the later phases of succession. We therefore recommend the maintenance of a mosaic landscape structure, as it supports a wide range of butterfly fauna.Krške livade razreda Festuco-Brometea su vrstama bogata staništa od nacionalne i europske važnosti. Bioraznolikost na tim područjima je relativno visoka, no u suprotnosti s nekim drugim poluprirodnim staništima, njihova bioraznolikost je pod velikim utjecajem ljudske aktivnosti. U ovom istraživanju smo zabilježili prisutnost i procijenili brojnost danjih leptira na tri uzorkovane plohe na Kraškom rubu (jugozapadna Slovenija): dvije krške livade i jednom pašnjaku koji je uključivao i zarasla područja. Tijekom 16-dnevnog terenskog istraživanja u svibnju i lipnju 2012., zabilježili smo 63 vrste leptira (uključujući i komplekse vrsta). Gotovo sve vrste su bile zabilježene na suhim krškim livadama (60 vrsta, 95%), dok je na pašnjaku (34 vrste, 54%) i na zaraslom području (28 vrsta, 44%) raznolikost bila manja. Brojnost leptira je bila najmanja na zaraslim površinama. Iako i zaraštanje i ispaša imaju za posljedicu opadanje u broju vrsta i brojnosti, smatramo da tradicionalno korištenje zemlje pozitivno utječe na raznolikost leptira. Razlog za to je prije svega sprječavanje zaraštanja livada, koje leptiri preferiraju više od staništa u kasnijim fazama sukcesije. Zato predlažemo održavanje mozaične strukture krajolika, jer će na taj način on biti primjeren za veći broj vrsta leptira

Identifying bottlenecks in the life cycle of plants living on cliffs and rocky slopes : lack of knowledge hinders conservation actions

Long term survival of plant populations relies on successful reproductive cycle to obtain generation turnover. Focusing on plant species of conservation concern, we brought together a group of plant conservationists from different countries to assess whether the already available information on plant reproductive biology and autecology is adequate for identifying which phases of single species life cycle might act as bottleneck. We compiled a list of 80 plant species of conservation concern living on European cliffs and rocky slopes, for which biological and autecological information was collected from scientific literature, technical reports, and expert knowledge. Results have shown that the available information on species reproductive biology and autecology is inadequate to identify bottlenecks in the life cycle of many species and to provide insights for the practical conservation of many more. Available knowledge is mainly referred to the flowering phase, less on seed production and much less on seedling establishment and on cloning. Meanwhile and noteworthy, flowering resulted to be the less critical phase for the fulfilment of the species life cycle. Overall, with this perspective article we aim to encourage a constructive debate among the scientific community members and policymakers to set up novel concerted strategies for the conservation of plant species of conservation concern. The challenge of the discussion is the implementation of the current approach with new biological and ecological information to be exclusively targeted at identifying the constraints that limit the generation turnover and furnishing specific indications for active management.peer-reviewe

“I Climbed a Fig Tree, on an Apple Bashing Spree, Only Pears Fell Free”: Economic, Symbolic and Intrinsic Values of Plants Occurring in Slovenian Folk Songs Collected by K. Štrekelj (1895–1912)

In this study we examine the occurrence of plants and their symbolic, economic, and intrinsic values in Slovenian folk songs. We have analyzed songs published by the ethnologist Karel Štrekelj between 1895 and 1912. Of the 8686 songs studied, plants occur in 1246 (14%) of them. A total of 93 plant taxa were found, belonging to 48 plant families. Grapevine is the most frequently mentioned species, followed by rosemary, wheat, carnation, and lily. About half of the taxa belong to cultivated plants (52%), followed by wild plants (42%). Exotic plants (i.e., not growing in the area) are mentioned only occasionally (6%). Half of all citations (49.3%) refer to the symbolic values, such as religion, love, death, economic status, or human qualities. More than a third of the citations (36.7%) are associated with plant’s usefulness, especially consumption, while only a small percentage of citations (14.0%), relate to environmental representation. Several verses show how our appreciation of some plants, especially those used as food, has changed over the centuries. Folk songs have turned out to be interesting sources of information, and although they cannot be fully trusted as historical documents, they can still be used as sources for understanding the relationship between people and plants

assessment of the conservation status of Blagayʼs daphne (Daphne blagayana) with phylogeographic analysis

Blagajev volčin (Daphne blagayana) je nizka polegla grmovnica iz družine volčinovk (Thymelaeaceae). Zaradi svoje redkosti je praktično v vseh državah, v katerih se pojavlja, zavarovan z nacionalnimi akti. Namen naloge je bil ovrednotiti varstveni status Blagajevega volčina na podlagi različnih molekularnih markerjev. Današnji areal Blagajevega volčina je fragmentiran in obsega Balkanski polotok in južne romunske Karpate. Način nastanka fragmentiranih nahajališč ni znan. Po eni od razlag naj bi Blagajev volčin v interglacialu zasedal strnjen areal in se iz njega širil proti severu in severozahodu, po drugi pa naj bi bila fragmentirana severna nahajališča posledica razkosanja v glacialu in kot taka naj bi se ohranila do danes. Način nastanka izoliranih populacij igra vlogo pri znotrajpopulacijski in medpopulacijski genski variabilnosti, kar posledično vpliva tudi na varstvo vrste. Vzorčenje Blagajevega volčina je potekalo na 21 lokacijah znotraj celotnega areala vrste v letih 2009 in 2010. Kot orodje za oceno varstvenega statusa smo uporabili kloroplastno DNA ter AFLP markerje. V filogeografsko analizo smo vključili 95 rastlin iz vseh 21 populacij. Raziskava je temeljila na analizi petih medgenskih vmesnikov kloroplastne DNA: rpl20-rps12, atpB-rbcL, trnL-F, psbA-trnH ter trnK-matK skupaj z genom matK. Rezultati kažejo na obstoj treh skupin: severne skupine, ki vključuje slovenske in italijanske populacije, južne skupine, ki vključuje populacije iz Makedonije, Črne gore in Stolca (BiH) ter osrednje skupine, ki vključuje ostale vzorčene populacije. Tako haplotipna kot nukleotidna raznovrstnost sta najvišji v osrednji, najnižji pa v severni skupini. V drugem delu raziskave smo s pomočjo dominantnih AFLP markerjev ocenili genetsko strukturo izbranih 13 populacij ter ocenili genski pretok med njimi. Rezultati kažejo na razmeroma močno genetsko diferenciacijo vrste (FST = 0,4) in na odsotnost genskega pretoka med oddaljenimi populacijami. S pomočjo programov STRUCTURE in BAPS smo populacije razvrstili v skupine, ki pa niso popolnoma usklajene s skupinami glede na kloroplastno DNA. Neusklajenost vzorcev, ki jih kažeta kloroplastna DNA in AFLP, lahko pripišemo različnim načinom razmnoževanja posameznih populacij ter različnemu načinu dedovanja kloroplastne in jedrne DNA. Na podlagi obeh markerskih sistemov lahko za Blagajev volčin predlagamo identifikacijo treh evolucijsko pomembnih enot (angl. Evolutionary significant unitsESU) in ene dodatne upravljavske enote (angl. Management unitsMU), na katere bi se moralo osredotočiti varovanje vrste v prihodnosti.Blagay\u27s daphne (Daphne blagayana) is a small decumbent bush from the family Thymelaeaceae. Due to its rarity it is protected by national legislation in almost all countries within its range. The aim of this work was to assess the conservation status of Blagay\u27s daphne (Daphne blagayana) throughout its distribution range, using chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) and AFLP markers. The present distribution of D. blagayana is fragmented and comprises the Balkan Peninsula and the southern Romanian Carpathians. However, the mechanism leading to such fragmented distribution range is not well understood. According to one interpretation, D. blagayana had a smaller distribution range during the interglacial, after which it expanded north and northwest. According to another interpretation, the fragmented areal is the result of fragmentation during the glacial and is still preserved today. The mechanisms leading to isolated populations play an important role in within-and between-population genetic variability, which in turn is relevant to species conservation.Sampling of D. blagayana was conducted at 21 locations across the entire distribution range in 2009 and 2010. cpDNA and AFLP markers were used as a tool for assessing its conservation status. The phylogeographic analysis included 95 plants from 21 populations. The study was based on the analysis of five spacer regions of chloroplast DNA: rpl20-rps12, atp-BrbcL, trnL-F, psbA-trnH and trnK%matK with the gene matK. The results suggest the existence of three clusters: the northern cluster (SLO), including Slovenian and Italian populations, the southern cluster (J), including populations from Macedonia, Montenegro and Stolac (BiH), and the central cluster (SR), including the remaining populations. Both haplotype and nucleotide diversity were highest in the central cluster and lowest in the northern cluster.In the second part of the study we assessed genetic structure and gene flow between 13 selected populations using dominant AFLP markers. The results showed a relatively strong genetic differentation (FST = 0.4) and absence of gene flow among distant populations. Using programs STRUCTURE and BAPS populations were subdivided into 2 and 7 groups, respectively. The groupings proposed by STRUCTURE and BAPS are not fully congruent with cpDNA clusters. This incongruence might be attributed to different reproduction strategies within populations, and to different modes of inheritance of chloroplast and nuclear DNA.Based on both marker systems we can suggest the identification of three evolutionarily significant units (ESU) and one additional management unit (MU), on which conservation efforts should be focused in the future

Potential for using student-centred teaching and learning methods in biological subjects at UP FAMNIT

In order to successfully acquire theoretical knowledge and to gain a deeper understanding of the structure and functioning of biological structures and phenomena, theoretical lessons in biological subjects are supported by practical exercises at all levels of education. At the higher education level, the importance of practical lessons can even equal that of lectures. Student-centred learning and teaching approaches, supported by ICT, can help improve knowledge acquisition as well as provide students with digital competencies. In order to understand which teaching methods are currently being used in practical biological courses, we conducted a survey among UP FAMNIT’s teaching assistants. Only half of the respondents incorporate innovative teaching and learning methods in their lessons. Among the ICT tools we surveyed, the majority know and use the freely available virtual learning environment, Moodle. Many are familiar with other web applications but do not incorporate them into the teaching process. Most respondents are in favour of using ICT tools but do not use them due to time constraints or poor knowledge of them.Za uspešno pridobivanje teoretičnega znanja in globlje razumevanje zgradbe in delovanja bioloških struktur ter pojavov je teoretični pouk bioloških predmetov na vseh stopnjah izobraževanja podprt s praktičnimi vajami. Na visokošolski stopnji so praktične vaje pri posameznih predmetih celo bolj ali manj enakovreden del predavanjem. Na študenta osredinjeni pristopi učenja in poučevanja, podprti z orodji informacijsko-komunikacijske tehnologije (IKT), lahko pripomorejo k učinkovitejšemu razvoju znanja, izjemnega pomena pa so lahko tudi z vidika pridobivanja digitalnih kompetenc pri študentih. Na Fakulteti za matematiko, naravoslovje in informacijske tehnologije Univerze na Primorskem (UP FAMNIT) smo izvedli anketno raziskavo, v kateri smo želeli ugotoviti, kakšne metode poučevanja uporabljajo izvajalci praktičnega pouka bioloških predmetov. Rezultati so pokazali, da le slaba polovica anketiranih izvajalcev v praktični pouk vključuje inovativne metode učenja in poučevanja. Med orodji IKT, po katerih smo spraševali v anketi, več kot 80 % vprašanih pozna in uporablja prosto dostopno virtualno učno okolje Moodle. Mnogi poznajo tudi druge spletne aplikacije, vendar jih ne vključujejo v pedagoški proces. Večina vprašanih je naklonjena uporabi orodij IKT, a jih največkrat ne uporabljajo zaradi stiske s časom ali zaradi njihovega slabega poznavanja