Research activities:<\/p>\n
The department deals with a wide scale of biological problems connected with ecology and zoology, with the help of methods widely used in hydrobiology, parasitology, epidemiology, systematics, zoogeography, ethology, entomology, acarology, ornithology, and mammalogy. It is concerned with different groups of aquatic and terrestrial animals, namely Oligochaeta, Isopoda, Amphipoda, Acarina, Mallophaga, Opiliones, Coleoptera, Trichoptera, Plecoptera, Ephemeroptera, Aves and Mammalia.
\n– ecology, ethology, population and reproduction biology of invertebrates and vertebrates including humans, of ticks and tick-borne micro-organisms and tick-host-pathogen interactions
\n– bioindication of natural and anthropogenic changes of environment, with focus on floodplain, alpine aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems and their restoration, as well as impact of climatic changes on ecosystems,
\n– relationships of bird ecto- and endoparasites and non-parasitic arthropods inhabiting bird nests,
\n– ecology, physiology and host-pathogen interactions of the tick-borne diseases,
\nThe members of the department participated successfully in projects supported by the 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7FP of the EU (Alpe 2, MOLAR, EMERGE, STAR, EDEN, ICCTD3, EDENext) and in national projects funded by the Scientific Grant Agency of the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic and Slovak Academy of Sciences (VEGA) and by the Slovak Research and Development Agency (APVT, APVV).<\/p>\n
Head of the Department:<\/b>
\nprof. doc. Ing. Ladislav Hamerl\u00edk, PhD.<\/p>\n
Members:<\/b>
\nRNDr. Al\u017ebeta Darolov\u00e1, CSc. \u2013 senior researcher
\nEthology, ecology and reproductive strategies of birds, influence of parasites and bacteria on reproductive and physiological parameters of birds, analyses of song quality of birds <\/p>\n
Mgr. Igor Kokavec, PhD. – junior researcher
\nBiodiversity, population structure and ecology of non-insect benthic invertebrates \u2013 flatworms (Turbellaria), aquatic worms (Oligochaeta), molluscs ( Mollusca), leeches (Hirudinea) and crustaceans (Crustacea); ecology of regulated streams, effect of reservoirs on riverine ecosystems; invasive invertebrates<\/p>\n
RNDr. J\u00e1n Kri\u0161tof\u00edk, CSc. \u2013 senior researcher
\nEcology and distribution of mammal in Slovakia, reproductive biology of birds, relationship between birds, parasites (Mallophaga, Acarina, Diptera) and bacteria, analyses of song quality of birds<\/p>\n
RNDr. Peter Ma\u0161\u00e1n, PhD. \u2013 senior researcher
\nAcarology, especially systematics and biology of mesostigmatic mites (Acarina, Mesostigmata), including morphology, taxonomy, ecology and zoogeography of taxa living in Palaearctic Region, primarily based on free-living edaphic mites, parasitic mites associated with small mammals and birds (and their nests), and phoretic mites associated with coprophilous, necrophilous and mycophilous arthropods.<\/p>\n
RNDr. Tom\u00e1\u0161 Navara, PhD. – junior researcher
\nEcology of water insect – mayflies (Ephemeroptera), stoneflies (Plecoptera) and caddisflies (Trichoptera); population structure, biodiversity and distribution of the listed insect orders in river ecosystems, mountain and submountain streams, and springs; impact of anthropogenic factors on water insect taxocoenoses<\/p>\n
RNDr. Pavol Prokop, PhD. \u2013 senior researcher
\nEvolution of nuptial feeding and sexual cannibalism in arthropods, sexual selection of animals including humans.<\/p>\n
Mr. Daniel Kosa – laboratory technician<\/p>\n
Consultant:<\/b>
\nRNDr. Marian Vranovsk\u00fd, CSc.
\n \u2013 zooplankton of standing and flowing waters, ecology and taxonomy of Copepoda and Cladocera
\n <\/p>\n