MENDELU Repository

Welcome to the Open Repository of research and development results of the Mendel University in Brno. The repository serves to archive Open Access publications of university authors. Publications are automatically sent from the OBD system to the repository in the DSpace system.

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To upload articles and other publications to the repository, contact the Open Science Centre: repozitar@mendelu.cz. Before uploading publications, the record must be created in the OBD system.

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Recent Submissions

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    Annual Dynamics of Mycobiota in Symptomatic Century-Old Trees of Aesculus hippocastanum, Fagus sylvatica, Populus alba, and Quercus robur
    (MDPI AG (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute-MDPI), 2026) Špetík, Milan; Frejlichová, Lucie; Čechová, Jana; Bulíř, Pavel; Miksová, Lenka; Štefl, Lukáš; Šimek, Pavel; Eichmeier, Aleš
    This study investigated the composition and temporal dynamics of wood-inhabiting fungal communities in four aging tree species in Lednice Castle Park (Czech Republic), located within the Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Forty wood cores were collected from 20 trees at two time points (2023 and 2024). The hosts included horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum L.), copper beech (Fagus sylvatica 'Atropunicea' L.), oak (Quercus robur L.), and poplar (Populus alba L.), each exhibiting visual signs of decline. Fungal assemblages were profiled using ITS2 high-throughput amplicon sequencing. Ascomycota dominated across all hosts (72-89% of reads), while Basidiomycota contributed 8-24%, largely represented by Agaricomycetes in F. sylvatica. Alpha diversity varied significantly among hosts (Shannon: F3,36 = 10.61, p = 0.001 in 2023; F3,36 = 10.00, p = 0.001 in 2024). Temporal shifts were host-dependent: F. sylvatica exhibited the strongest year-to-year decline in richness (Chao1: MINUS SIGN 83%, p = 0.007) and increased beta dispersion, while A. hippocastanum and P. alba showed significant increases in diversity (+65% and +42%, respectively). Community composition was shaped by host species (PERMANOVA Bray-Curtis: p = 0.001) and shifted over time (Jaccard: p = 0.001), with F. sylvatica showing the highest temporal turnover. Functional guild analysis revealed consistent dominance of saprotrophs (29-41%) and mixed pathotroph-saprotroph guilds (23-36%) across hosts, indicating active degradation processes inside functional xylem. These results indicate that, within the studied system, the wood mycobiome of aging trees is host-dependent and temporally dynamic rather than static or functionally neutral. Short-term temporal turnover observed between sampling years may contribute to shifts in fungal community composition and succession within wood, with potential implications for tree decline processes in managed historical park landscapes.
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    Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) establishment success under climate change: Effect of site, stock type and planting time
    (Česká akademie zemědělských věd, 2025) Plačková, Anna; Vacek, Zdeněk; Vacek, Stanislav; Cukor, Jan; Černý, Jakub
    Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) is one of the most widespread and economically important coniferous species in the Northern Hemisphere. However, its regeneration success has recently been increasingly affected by global climate change (GCC), particularly through increasing mortality. This research aimed to evaluate the early establishment success of 30 400 bare-root and containerised Scots pine seedlings and saplings of different height classes, planted at various times on acidic and gleyed sites (479-610 m a.s.l.) across four locations in the Czech Republic. On acidic sites, seedlings exhibited 16% higher height growth and 11% lower mortality compared to gleyed sites. Containerised planting stock achieved significantly (P < 0.05) greater height growth (by 83%) and lower mortality (by 36%) than bare-root stock. For containerised material, spring plantings showed superior growth and vitality compared to autumn plantings. Planting stock height class had a stronger influence on height growth than on mortality. Based on the results, planting containerised saplings of 26-35 cm or 36-50 cm height in April is recommended for optimal establishment success of Scots pine under GCC.
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    Sexual Size Dimorphism Depends Drastically on Environment: The Case Study in Ground Beetles
    (MDPI AG (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute-MDPI), 2025) Ferracini, Chiara; Busato, Enrico; Alexanov, Viktor; Solodovnikov, Igor A.; Teofilova, Teodora; Langraf, Vladimir; Borisovskiy, Alexander; Luzyanin, Sergey; Ruchin, Alexander; Stočes, Dominik; Anciferov, Anatoliy L.; Gorbunov, Roman P.; Sukhodolskaya, Raisa A.
    The issue of sexual size dimorphism (SSD) variation is relevant due to the identification of mechanisms by which animals adapt to changing environmental conditions. Using the database of the ground beetle Carabus granulatus, compiled from measurements of more than 8000 individuals, we estimated the nature of size variation in beetles captured in different parts of their range, including most of Russia and Europe. ANOVA showed that the sizes of both females and males vary statistically significantly across regions, although not always to the same extent. Therefore, SSD values were assessed not only for each sample by region as a whole, but also for each of the six studied traits (for C. granulatus as a whole), as well as the variability of SSD values for each trait in each of the 13 studied populations. SSD was the highest in the southern regions of the species' range (Bulgaria, Italy) and decreased monotonically northward. The highest SSD values were recorded for elytra length and pronotum width (0.08-0.09), while for the others, they were significantly lower (0.05). Methodological and ideological issues in assessing and applying SSD data in animal populations are discussed.
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    Implementing AI Chatbots in Customer Service Optimization—A Case Study in Micro-Enterprise
    (MDPI AG (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute-MDPI), 2025) Marcineková, Katarína; Janáková Sujová, Andrea; Ďurica, Rastislav
    Digitalization, including the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) applications, is one of the key enablers of business agility in contemporary enterprises. Micro and small enterprises (MSEs) are increasingly expected to adopt scalable and cost-effective AI tools as part of their digital transformation. This study investigates the implementation of an AI-powered chatbot in a Slovak micro-enterprise operating an e-commerce platform, aiming to assess its effectiveness in automating customer service processes. Using a mixed-method case study approach, the research combines quantitative data on service performance (e.g., number of inquiries handled, response time, and automation rate) with qualitative insights from employee and customer feedback. The findings show that the chatbot significantly reduced staff workload and improved response speed and customer satisfaction. However, challenges were identified in handling ambiguous queries and maintaining empathetic communication in complex situations, underscoring the need for regular updates and human oversight. The study contributes to the limited empirical literature on AI integration in micro-enterprises and provides practical recommendations for MSEs seeking to enhance their operational efficiency through AI-driven tools without large-scale investments. These results offer a nuanced perspective on how even resource-constrained businesses can benefit from AI adoption when implementation is carefully aligned with their specific needs and capabilities.
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    The Energy Potential of Woody Vine Shoots Depending on the Training System, Cultivar, and Colour of the Fruit
    (MDPI AG (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute-MDPI), 2025) Danko, Richard; Sotolář, Radek; Baroň, Mojmír; Kapłan, Magdalena; Klimek, Kamila E.; Maj, Grzegorz
    The aim of this study was to assess the energy potential of woody grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) shoots depending on the cultivation system, cultivar, and fruit colour. Field studies were conducted in 2024 at the Mendel University Vineyard in Lednice (Czech Republic) on Chardonnay, Merlot, Riesling, and Zweigelt cultivars, cultivated using the Guyot and Cordon systems. The cultivar analysis covered both the amount of biomass produced during pruning and its energy and emission properties. Laboratory tests of the energy potential of the biomass obtained were carried out at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin. The results showed that the varietal factor significantly influenced the biomass parameters-Chardonnay was characterised by the highest total plant weight (773.57 g), while Zweigelt (8.60 pcs.) had the highest number of shoots with the lowest unit weight (74.82 g). The Cordon system generated significantly higher biomass yields and more favourable combustion properties compared to Guyot. Differences in fruit colour indicate that, among the studied cultivars, white-berried varieties produce heavier shoots, whereas red varieties produce a greater number of shoots. The analysis of gas emissions showed a significant influence of the cultivar and training system, with the highest CO, CO2, and NOx emissions recorded for the Zweigelt cultivar. The results emphasise that an integrated approach, taking into account both genotypic factors, training systems and phenotypic characteristics of the vines, is crucial for optimising the use of wine biomass as an energy source in the context of a circular economy.