Institute of Landscape Ecology
Topic
Dynamics of dragonfly communities (Odonata) along the elevational gradient of the Western Carpathians in the context of landscape structure and climate changes
PhD. program
Environmentalist
Year of admission
2026
Name of the supervisor
Mgr. Jozef Kollár, PhD.
Contact:
Receiving school
Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra
Annotation
The dissertation will focus on assessing the current state and changes in the diversity of dragonfly communities (Odonata) in non-forest ecosystems of selected model areas in the Western Carpathians. Dragonflies will serve as key bioindicators of habitat quality and landscape dynamics.
The study will evaluate species composition and community structure along environmental gradients, with particular emphasis on altitude and the level of anthropogenic disturbance. At selected sites, all life cycle stages will be monitored, enabling verification of reproductive success under changing environmental conditions.
The work will include a comparison of current data with historical records to assess long-term changes in the distribution of taxa. Special attention will be paid to the upward shifts of thermophilous species to higher elevations compared to the past, which represent a key indicator of biotic responses to climate change.
The dissertation will also analyze the effects of successional processes and land-use changes (secondary landscape structure) on the stability of populations of stenotopic species. The results will be evaluated in relation to abiotic environmental factors and will contribute to predicting future trends in biodiversity in non-forest ecosystems in the context of climate change and the synanthropization of mountain regions.
The study will evaluate species composition and community structure along environmental gradients, with particular emphasis on altitude and the level of anthropogenic disturbance. At selected sites, all life cycle stages will be monitored, enabling verification of reproductive success under changing environmental conditions.
The work will include a comparison of current data with historical records to assess long-term changes in the distribution of taxa. Special attention will be paid to the upward shifts of thermophilous species to higher elevations compared to the past, which represent a key indicator of biotic responses to climate change.
The dissertation will also analyze the effects of successional processes and land-use changes (secondary landscape structure) on the stability of populations of stenotopic species. The results will be evaluated in relation to abiotic environmental factors and will contribute to predicting future trends in biodiversity in non-forest ecosystems in the context of climate change and the synanthropization of mountain regions.