INSTITUTE OF VERTEBRATE BIOLOGY ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC 2007–2008 Biennial Report 2007–2008 Periodical continuation of the former Institute’s bulletins Vertebratologické Zprávy (1969–1987), Zprávy ÚSEB (1988–1991) and the ILE Biennial Report (1993–1994). Edited by Miroslav Čapek, Hana Slabáková and Jan Zima Published by the Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the ASCR, v. v. i., Brno Graphic design by Jan Dungel Printed by Metoda, spol. s r. o., Brno © Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v. v. i. ISBN 978–80–87189–04–7 CONTENTS Contents ........................................................................................................................ 3 Preface ........................................................................................................................... 5 Structure of the Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the ASCR, v.v.i. .............................................. 7 Addresses ....................................................................................................................... 8 Management and Services ................................................................................................. 9 Board of the Institute ...................................................................................................... 11 Supervisory Board .......................................................................................................... 11 Research projects ........................................................................................................... 12 Institutional Research Plan .......................................................................................................... 12 Projects supported by the Grant Agency of the Academy of Sciences ................................... 12 Projects supported by the Czech Science Foundation ............................................................... 14 Projects supported by the Ministry of Agriculture .................................................................... 15 Projects supported by the Ministry of Environment ................................................................. 15 Projects supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport ........................................ 16 International projects ................................................................................................................... 16 List of publications ......................................................................................................... 18 Books, textbooks, edited proceedings ......................................................................................... 18 Chapters in books ......................................................................................................................... 18 Papers in journals included in the databases ISI Web of Knowledge ...................................... 19 Papers in other refereed journals ................................................................................................. 25 Papers in proceedings ................................................................................................................... 26 Book reviews ................................................................................................................................. 27 Popularization books and articles ............................................................................................... 27 Principal scientific divisions ............................................................................................. 30 Department of Medical Zoology ................................................................................................. 30 Department of Population Biology ............................................................................................. 39 Department of Ichthyology ........................................................................................................... 51 Department of Fish Ecology ....................................................................................................... 60 Department of Avian Ecology ..................................................................................................... 68 Department of Mammalian Ecology .......................................................................................... 76 Obituaries .................................................................................................................... 85 Awards ........................................................................................................................ 89 International activities .................................................................................................... 90 International scientific meetings organized by the Institute ..................................................... 90 Participation in international conferences ................................................................................. 95 Membership in international organizations ............................................................................... 97 Membership in editorial boards .................................................................................................. 98 Education and teaching activities ....................................................................................... 99 Teaching at universities ................................................................................................................ 99 Undergraduate students (bachelors) .......................................................................................... 100 Undergraduate students (MSc) ................................................................................................... 101 PhD students ............................................................................................................................... 103 Editorial activities ......................................................................................................... 105 Books authored or edited by the Institute’s fellows ................................................................ 106 3 PREFACE The last two years provided the Institute with interesting blend of new experience. After our transformation into a public research institution in 2006, we gained new stimuli and challenges for research and its logistic background. The new management bodies started their activities, and the staff could evaluate their efficiency and contribution. I can say that changes following the transformation were mainly positive and promising. The institute became deeply involved in international research programmes, particularly in the projects of the 6th Framework Programme of European Union. The laboratories of the Institute participated in three integrated projects, a project of the INTAS Programme, one Marie Curie research training network, and a Marie Curie intra-European fellowship. We were engaged in three research networking programmes of the European Science Foundation, in inter-regional programmes and European projects supported by IUCN. The staff of the Institute was further involved in various bilateral and individual projects. As a result, the quality of our research as well as reputation of the Institute in national and international circles continues to grow. The publication output has significantly increased. The staff of the Institute co-authored 69 scientific papers in international journals with the total impact factor (ISI) of 97.2 in 2007 and 63 papers with the total impact factor of 117.4 in 2008. The growth in enrolment of undergraduate and graduate students is further evidence of the increasing quality of research performed in the Institute. In 2007 and 2008, 100 undergraduate and 62 graduate PhD students worked in the Institute under supervision of its fellows. The success in obtaining grant money also enabled our Institute to increase the number of staff. In the previous two years, the Institute employed 61 fellows paid from the institutional sources, whereas additional 48 fellows were contracted on the basis of research grant funding. In the same time period, 29 foreign workers were employed. The institutional budget assigned from the state contribution in the frame of the Institutional Research Plan reached approximately 22.68 and 23.43 million of CZK in 2007 and 2008, respectively. An additional 4.5 million of CZK was provided in both years for investments of laboratory equipment and maintenance of buildings. Research grants and diverse contract funding contributed to the budget, with 30.87 and 38.47 million CZK in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Recently, the Institute has devoted considerable efforts to prepare applications for projects financed from the European Regional Development Fund. These applications were submitted in 2008 or are currently in submission and are aimed towards operational programmes “Research and Development for Innovations” and “Education for Competitiveness”. These programmes provide unique opportunities for the development of the Institute and building its research infrastructure. I finished my period of heading the Institute at the end of March, 2009. The new director was appointed in April, 2009, and I expect this change will offer new challenges, insights and ideas for further development of the Institute. I believe the future of the Institute will be successful and feel confident that the management and