Malacological news from the Czech and Slovak Republics in 2023

This paper presents important faunistic records conducted in the Czech and Slovak Republics during 2023. We also include records generated before 2023, which have yet to be published, mainly because their correct identification was unavailable earlier. In a separate section we present records of unintentionally introduced species, reported for the first time for the countries from greenhouses (Dryachloa dauca and Guppya gundlachii). The first outdoor colony of Melanoides tuberculata was found in a stream artificially heated by wastewater from the Dukovany nuclear power plant and Planorbella duryi found in a brook with thermal water flowing from the Sliač spa. Records of native species include findings of protected and rare species (e.g., Aplexa hypnorum, Ladislavella occulta, Daudebardia brevipes, and Theodoxus danubialis), but also still poorly known species (Ampullaceana lagotis and Pyramidula saxatilis). During 2023, many new records were made for non-native and currently spreading species as for example Clathrocaspia knipowitschii, Corbicula fluminea, Hygromia cinctella, Krynickillus melanocephalus, Sinanodonta woodiana, and Tandonia kusceri

Měkkýši Hostýnských vrchů

This study deals with the molluscan fauna of the Hostýnské vrchy Hills (Central Moravia, Czech Republic). The main goal was to make a systematic inventory of the molluscan fauna in this area. Snails were collected in September 2010 by hand picking and litter sampling at selected sites. Final database was pooled with earlier published and unpublished data. In total, 85 terrestrial and 20 freshwater mollusc species were recorded at 56 study sites across the area during 2000–2010. Terrestrial snails Monachoides incarnatus, Punctum pygmaeum, Vitrina pellucida, and freshwater molluscs Pisidium casertanum, and Radix labiata were the most frequently recorded species. The land snails Daudebardia brevipes, Eucobresia nivalis, Vitrea transsylvanica, and Chondrula tridens are notable species from the local viewpoint. The clausilid Vestia ranojevici moravica, an endemic subspecies that colonized some regions of Moravia during the Holocene climatic optimum, is an iconic mollusc species in the area, deserving high conservation priority

Vodné mäkkýše ochranársky významných lokalít na Podunajskej nížine

In the autumn of 2014, we conducted a malacological survey at 23 freshwater bodies in the Danubian lowland, SW Slovakia. We aimed to conduct a malacological inventory of semi-natural sites of a high conservation value. During the fieldwork, we used conventional methods of sampling; mostly sweeping by a hemispherical metal kitchen strainer from both natant and submerged vegetation and also from bottom sediments. At each site, ten people have collected molluscs for 60 to 90 minutes (except site No. 3, 5 and 15 – 1 person/2 hrs.). During the sampling we did not use any destructive methods. A total of 67 species were found in the whole surveyed territory (43 gastropods, 24 bivalves), which is the complete current species richness of the aquatic mollusc fauna in the Danubian lowland. The most species rich sites include the Číčovské rameno Oxbow lake (36 species, No. 2), Klátovské rameno Side arm (32 spp., No. 10) and Parížske močiare Swamp (24 spp., No. 11). Bithynia tentaculata and Planorbarius corneus were the most frequent species (i.e. found at +65% of sites) and the following eight species were recorded at 44–52% of sites (i.e. 10–12 individual sites; given in a descending order): Anisus vortex, Lymnaea stagnalis, Planorbis planorbis, Anisus vorticulus, Bithynia leachii, Stagnicola palustris, Viviparus acerosus and V. contectus. In contrast, Bithynia transsilvanica, Gyraulus riparius, Pisidium personatum, Planorbis carinatus, Sphaerium nucleus and Valvata macrostoma were found at only one site (species recorded only in flood debris of the Danube River were not considered)

A European map of groundwater pH and calcium

Water resources and associated ecosystems are becoming highly endangered due to ongoing global environmental changes. Spatial ecological modelling is a promising toolbox for understanding the past, present and future distribution and diversity patterns in groundwater-dependent ecosystems, such as fens, springs, streams, reed beds or wet grasslands. Still, the lack of detailed water chemistry maps prevents the use of reasonable models to be applied on continental and global scales. Being major determinants of biological composition and diversity of groundwater-dependent ecosystems, groundwater pH and calcium are of utmost importance. Here we developed an up-to-date European map of groundwater pH and Ca, based on 7577 measurements of near-surface groundwater pH and calcium distributed across Europe. In comparison to the existing European groundwater maps, we included several times more sites, especially in the regions rich in spring and fen habitats, and filled the apparent gaps in eastern and southeastern Europe. We used random forest models and regression kriging to create continuous maps of water pH and calcium at the continental scale, which is freely available also as a raster map (Hájek et al., 2020b; https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4139912). Lithology had a higher importance than climate for both pH and calcium. The previously recognised latitudinal and altitudinal gradients were rediscovered with much refined regional patterns, as associated with bedrock variation. For ecological models of distribution and diversity of many terrestrial ecosystems, our new map based on field groundwater measurements is more suitable than maps of soil pH, which mirror not only bedrock chemistry but also vegetation-dependent soil processes.publishedVersio

A European map of groundwater pH and calcium

Water resources and associated ecosystems are becoming highly endangered due to ongoing global environmental changes. Spatial ecological modelling is a promising toolbox for understanding the past, present and future distribution and diversity patterns in groundwater-dependent ecosystems, such as fens, springs, streams, reed beds or wet grasslands. Still, the lack of detailed water chemistry maps prevents the use of reasonable models to be applied on continental and global scales. Being major determinants of biological composition and diversity of groundwater-dependent ecosystems, groundwater pH and calcium are of utmost importance. Here we developed an up-to-date European map of groundwater pH and Ca, based on 7577 measurements of near-surface groundwater pH and calcium distributed across Europe. In comparison to the existing European groundwater maps, we included several times more sites, especially in the regions rich in spring and fen habitats, and filled the apparent gaps in eastern and southeastern Europe. We used random forest models and regression kriging to create continuous maps of water pH and calcium at the continental scale, which is freely available also as a raster map (Hájek et al., 2020b; https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4139912). Lithology had a higher importance than climate for both pH and calcium. The previously recognised latitudinal and altitudinal gradients were rediscovered with much refined regional patterns, as associated with bedrock variation. For ecological models of distribution and diversity of many terrestrial ecosystems, our new map based on field groundwater measurements is more suitable than maps of soil pH, which mirror not only bedrock chemistry but also vegetation-dependent soil processes

A European map of groundwater pH and calcium

Water resources and associated ecosystems are becoming highly endangered due to ongoing global environmental changes. Spatial ecological modelling is a promising toolbox for understanding the past, present and future distribution and diversity patterns in groundwater-dependent ecosystems, such as fens, springs, streams, reed beds or wet grasslands. Still, the lack of detailed water chemistry maps prevents the use of reasonable models to be applied on continental and global scales. Being major determinants of biological composition and diversity of groundwater-dependent ecosystems, groundwater pH and calcium are of utmost importance. Here we developed an up-to-date European map of groundwater pH and Ca, based on 7577 measurements of near-surface groundwater pH and calcium distributed across Europe. In comparison to the existing European groundwater maps, we included several times more sites, especially in the regions rich in spring and fen habitats, and filled the apparent gaps in eastern and southeastern Europe. We used random forest models and regression kriging to create continuous maps of water pH and calcium at the continental scale, which is freely available also as a raster map (Hájek et al., 2020b; https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4139912). Lithology had a higher importance than climate for both pH and calcium. The previously recognised latitudinal and altitudinal gradients were rediscovered with much refined regional patterns, as associated with bedrock variation. For ecological models of distribution and diversity of many terrestrial ecosystems, our new map based on field groundwater measurements is more suitable than maps of soil pH, which mirror not only bedrock chemistry but also vegetation-dependent soil processes