Veronico beccabungae-Mimuletum guttati, a new plant community in Slovakia

Vegetation with high coverage by the alien species Mimulus guttatus was studied in the hilly regions of central Slovakia in 2015 and 2016. The floristic composition of these stands was recorded in ten phytosociological relevés corresponding to the Veronico beccabungae-Mimuletum guttati (alliance Glycerio-Sparganion) association. This association was reported for the first time in Slovakia in this study. This association was found to be closed or almost closed (mean coverage value of herb layer = 92%) and formed relatively species-rich stands (15 species per relevé), usually in narrow and small patches along the upper parts of streams and their spring areas in uplands at altitudes from 561 to 1,048 m. Localities with the Veronico beccabungae-Mimuletum guttati association were characterized by typical mountain climates, with both relatively low mean annual air temperature (5.5°C) and high mean annual precipitation (885 mm). While water temperature (~13°C) of these habitats varied considerably among streams (7.4–19.9°C), their herbaceous vegetation preferred neutral to slightly alkaline water (pH = 6.1–7.5) with low amounts of soluble mineral matter (~72.6 μS cm−1). This kind of vegetation was most often developed on sites with coarser sediments (stone, gravel, and sand) formed from crystalline bedrock. A comparison of vegetation data of the Veronico beccabungae-Mimuletum guttati association across Central Europe demonstrated considerable floristic variability among regions

A new marsh plant community of Eleocharito palustris-Alismatetum lanceolati (Eleocharito palustris-Sagittarion sagittifoliae alliance) in Slovakia

Open and species-poor stands with a dominance of Alisma lanceolatum were recorded in periodically flooded habitats of the southern part of central Slovakia (Ipeľ River catchment area) during the summer of 2013. Phytosociological relevés correspond to the association Eleocharito palustris-Alismatetum lanceolati (alliance Eleocharito palustris-Sagittarion sagittifoliae), which is reported and documented here for the first time from the territory of Slovakia. It inhabits predominantly temporarily flooded depressions on agricultural land – wet arable fields and extensively used pastures. Detrended correspondence analysis showed that the variability in species composition was most significantly influenced by water depth, the presence of arable fields in the contact area and water conductivity. Special attention was paid to a detailed description of the floristic composition, habitat requirements, distribution patterns and nomenclature of the community

Variability of alder-dominated forest vegetation along a latitudinal gradient in Slovakia

Syntaxonmical revision of azonal forest vegetation with dominance of Alnus glutinosa and A. incana was done along a latitudinal transect of Slovakia. A data matrix consisting of 240 phytosociological relevés was obtained in accordance with the standard Zürich-Montpellier approach. Detrended correspondence analysis was used to clarify the relationships between the vegetation composition and environmental variables, whereas one-way ANOVA was applied to quantify the differences in site requirements of particular vegetation types. The unsupervised numerical classification resulted in identification of five clusters corresponding to the traditionally described and ecologically interpretable associations within the Euro-Siberian alder carr forests of Alnion glutinosae and the European broad-leaved floodplain forests of Alnion incanae: Carici elongatae-Alnetum glutinosae Schwickerath 1933 (alder carr forests on permanently waterlogged soils), Stellario-Alnetum glutinosae Lohmeyer 1957 (riparian alder vegetation on mesic to humid sites along small brooks), Piceo-Alnetum Mráz 1959 (submontane and montane oligotrophic spruce-alder forests on waterlogged habitats), Cardamino amarae-Alnetum incanae Šomšák 1961 (grey alder vegetation in spring fed areas) and Alnetum incanae Lüdi 1921 (submontane and montane streamside grey alder forests on mesic sites). They significantly (P < 0.05) differed in the Ellenberg's indicator values for nutrients, moisture, temperature and altitude. These environmental variables were also established by DCA analysis as underlying sources of variation in alder-dominated forest composition. Special attention was given to discussion of their syntaxonomy, nomenclature, floristic structure, ecological features and distribution

XXV. mezinárodní kolokvium o regionálních vědách

Title in English: 25th International Colloquium on Regional Sciences: Conference proceedings The conference proceedings consists of papers presented at the 25th International Colloquium on Regional Sciences that was organized by Department of Regional Economics and Administration FEA MU. It contains 57 articles arranged by topic. The individual articles deal with e.g. socioeconomic disparities among regions, regional policy, territory attractiveness, tourism, or regional public administration

XXIV. mezinárodní kolokvium o regionálních vědách

Title in English: 24th International Colloquium on Regional Sciences: Conference proceedings. The conference proceedings consists of papers presented at the 24rd International Colloquium on Regional Sciences that was organized by Department of Regional Economics and Administration FEA MU. It contains 79 articles arranged by topic. The individual articles deal with e.g. socioeconomic disparities among regions, regional policy, territory attractiveness, tourism or regional public administration

Emergence of Product and Service Innovations of Different Level of Novelty in Knowledge Intensive SMEs: The Role of Open Innovation Patterns

Purpose: The aim of the contribution is to evaluate the importance of domestic and foreign collaborative ties between knowledge-intensive SMEs and knowledge sources for the creation of product and service innovations which we differentiate according to the spatial level of novelty. Methodology/Approach: In order to test the validity of the hypotheses which were justified in the context of previous research we adopt an econometric approach and specifically, due to the nature of the dependent variable, the logistic regression. Findings: The results support the hypotheses that the determinants of innovation in SMEs vary in case of innovations with different level of novelty. Open innovation practices are crucial rather for SMEs delivering innovations of products and services novel on national and international markets. Research Limitation/Implication: The research does not reflect the frequency of innovative products and services at the enterprise level as well as the impact of new products and services on turnover. Originality/Value of paper: In particular, the study brings new insights into the determinants of product innovation of a lower degree of novelty applied in local and regional markets which can be an important source of development for low-density economies

Does Civic Engagement Support Relational and Mental Health of Urban Population?

There is a general assumption that there is a relationship between civic engagement and mental health, but it has still received limited attention in empirical studies. This study provides estimates of the impact of civic engagement (measured in terms of political and community engagement) on the health of individuals in the case of a medium-sized urban settlement within the context of a post-socialist country. The impacts of civic engagement on mental and relational health are distinguished, which have received little attention in studies on the topic. Using primary data and utilising the tools of econometrics, we found positive effects of the population’s community engagement, including positive effects of volunteering, on relational health. Political participation of the population contributed to the reduction of depressive symptoms, but the relationship between community engagement and mental health was not found. A relatively high propensity towards participation in health and well-being projects, leading to improvements in the collective approach to public health and addressing unhealthy conditions in communities, was identified in the sample

Drivers of Academic Engagement and University–Industry Collaboration in Conditions of Slovakia

Universities have been perceived for several decades as an important development factor in the space that shapes the regional environment throughout the generation of new knowledge or technologies and the production of human capital. Our paper focuses on the less researched phenomenon of academic engagement, and thus, the development of university knowledge transfer based on interpersonal links between researchers and application actors from an academic perspective. This empirical study evaluates the results of a nationwide survey of academic researchers devoted to unhiding various aspects of formal and informal cooperation on an interpersonal basis. Using an econometric approach, the study investigates determinants of academic engagement of individual researchers and describes patterns of formal and informal ties between academics and businesses. The results explain which researchers participate in academic engagement activities and elaborate on the motivations and barriers of university–industry cooperation at the level of the individual. We also identified a significant volume of informal dissemination of knowledge of universities in the space via various channels

Drivers of Academic Engagement and University–Industry Collaboration in Conditions of Slovakia

Universities have been perceived for several decades as an important development factor in the space that shapes the regional environment throughout the generation of new knowledge or technologies and the production of human capital. Our paper focuses on the less researched phenomenon of academic engagement, and thus, the development of university knowledge transfer based on interpersonal links between researchers and application actors from an academic perspective. This empirical study evaluates the results of a nationwide survey of academic researchers devoted to unhiding various aspects of formal and informal cooperation on an interpersonal basis. Using an econometric approach, the study investigates determinants of academic engagement of individual researchers and describes patterns of formal and informal ties between academics and businesses. The results explain which researchers participate in academic engagement activities and elaborate on the motivations and barriers of university–industry cooperation at the level of the individual. We also identified a significant volume of informal dissemination of knowledge of universities in the space via various channels