1. Response of the invasive alien plant Duchesnea indica (Andrews) Teschem. to different environmental and competitive settingsMaja Kreća, Nina Šajna, Mirjana Šipek, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: Indian mock strawberry (Duchesnea indica, syn. Potentilla indica), a clonal invasive plant native to Asia, has rapidly spread in Europe, where its ecological adaptation allows it to thrive under varying environmental conditions. It is mostly found in urban habitats such as lawns, parks, and urban and peri-urban forests, where it thrives in various plant communities. It can become dominant in certain communities, indicating its competitive advantage over native plants. Due to similar habitat preferences, it often coexists with the native species Glechoma hederacea, with which it shares other characteristics such as clonal growth. This study investigates the effects of light, nutrients, and competition on the growth, morphology, and physiology of D. indica. A controlled pot experiment exposed plants to combinations of sunlight and shade, optimal and increased nutrient levels, and competitive scenarios with the native plant G. hederacea. The plant traits of biomass, leaf and ramet number, stolon and flower production, leaf greenness, the photosynthetic efficiency of Photosystem II, and stomatal conductance were assessed. Results revealed that light and nutrient availability significantly enhanced growth metrics. In shaded conditions, D. indica adapted with elongated petioles and increased specific leaf area. Competition significantly reduced growth, with G. hederacea outperforming D. indica. These findings highlight the complex interplay between abiotic and biotic factors in influencing invasive species impact, providing essential insights for ecosystem management.
Keywords: non-native species, light availability, nutrient availability, intraspecific competition, interspecific competition, pot experiment, morphological traits, ecophysiological traits
Published in DKUM: 23.06.2025; Views: 0; Downloads: 2
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2. Domestic cat - the unspoken threat to wildlife in the sub-urban location of MariborLarisa Bedrač, Nina Šajna, 2024, original scientific article Abstract: The monitoring of domestic cats' prey brought home was conducted between the 13th of March and the 1st of May 2023 in two residential areas near Maribor, Slovenia. This study aimed to provide information about the amount, diversity, and frequency of prey that the cats captured to identify the predatory impact of domestic cats in peri-urban areas. We present the results of the prey return, whether the prey was brought alive or not, and whether it was eaten or not. We further provide information about the predation frequency of domestic cats concerning circadian activity according to weather conditions and air temperature. The frequencies of various taxonomic groups of prey captured were described in relation to land use in a location and species' biology. Our results include a total of 50 records of 12 species (3 species of birds and 9 of mammals). Domestic cats were more active during the mornings and on days without rain, and the frequency of bringing home prey increased with higher temperatures.
Keywords: cat predation, wildlife, indoor-outdoor cat, survey
Published in DKUM: 25.03.2025; Views: 0; Downloads: 3
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3. Ekologija in kompeticija tujerodnih hroščev semenarjev Megabruchidius dorsalis (Fåhræus, 1839) in Megabruchidius tonkineus (Pic, 1914) : Magistrsko deloAdla Bešić, 2025, master's thesis Abstract: Hrošči semenarji iz poddružine Bruchinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) vključujejo približno 1700 vrst. Megabruchidius dorsalis in M. tonkineus sta funkcionalno in ekološko zelo podobni vrsti. V Evropi se obe vrsti razvijata v trdih semenih okrasnega severnoameriškega drevesa Gleditsia triacanthos. Namen magistrskega dela je bil raziskati sobivanje hroščev v razmerah samostojnega življenja ter njihove odzive v situacijah, ko se znajdejo v medsebojni kompeticiji. Načrtovali smo dva različna laboratorijska poskusa; spremljanje razvoja obeh vrst hroščev v semenih dveh vrst gledičevk in ugotavljanje kompeticije med obema vrstama hroščev, ko se hranita s semeni trnate gledičevke. Pri obeh vrstah hroščev smo zabeležili uspešnejši razvoj na semenih zanje domorodne vrste G. sinensis. Megabruchidius tonkineus se je razvijal hitreje kot M. dorsalis ne glede na vir hrane. Prav tako je izkazal večji reproduktivni uspeh kot M. dorsalis samostojno in v sobivanju.
Keywords: Megabruchidius, Gleditsia, kompeticija, sobivanje, semena
Published in DKUM: 13.03.2025; Views: 0; Downloads: 4
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4. First record of the Asian seed beetle Megabruchidius dorsalis (Fåhræus, 1839) (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Bruchinae) in CroatiaEva Horvat, Nina Šajna, 2021, original scientific article Abstract: The seed beetle Megabruchidius dorsalis is an alien species first found in Europe in 1989 in Italy. Since then, it has been recorded in many European countries, developing inside the seeds of the ornamental trees Gleditsia triacanthos and Gymnocladus dioicus. Mature G. triacanthos pods were collected from the ground in Zagreb, Croatia in February 2020. Four adult specimens of M. dorsalis emerged from the collected material by the end of May 2020, which confirms the first record of this species in Croatia. We also provide a temporal distribution map of M. dorsalis and another species, M. tonkineus, in Europe.
Keywords: alien species, non-native species, Gleditsia triacanthos, range expansion, Europe
Published in DKUM: 28.02.2025; Views: 0; Downloads: 4
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5. Additional records of Megabruchidius dorsalis (Fåhræus, 1839) (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Bruchinae) in Zagreb, CroatiaEva Horvat, Mirjana Šipek, Nina Šajna, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: In this paper, we report two new locations of the alien invasive seed beetle Megabruchidius dorsalis in Zagreb, Croatia. Additionally, we confirm for the second time the presence of M. dorsalis at one location in the same city. All beetles were reared from mature Gleditsia triacanthos pods collected from the ground (three locations) and from trees (one location). These records contribute to the knowledge of the distribution of M. dorsalis in Europe.
Keywords: new locations, seed beetle, alien species, range expansion, coexistence, Europe
Published in DKUM: 04.02.2025; Views: 0; Downloads: 6
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6. Urban hedges facilitate spontaneous woody plantsEva Horvat, Mirjana Šipek, Nina Šajna, 2024, original scientific article Abstract: Most trees and other woody plants growing within urban areas are deliberately cultivated native or non-native plants. Opportunities for spontaneous establishment and spread of woody species are scarce in an urban environment, especially if the establishment begins from seeds. We hypothesized that urban hedges might offer safe sites for the spontaneous establishment of woody plants, which reach the hedges through propagule dispersal. We recorded the species composition of urban hedges in Maribor (NE Slovenia) in a gradient from the city centre outwards and evaluated the species' invasive potential and ecological requirements, along with hedge characteristics. Results show that hedges facilitated the survival and growth of 69 woody plants from 28 families. Among these, 62% were non-native and 10% were locally invasive. Most of recorded non-native woody plants were ornamentals. Moreover, for native species, we show that the stressful, warmer urban environment mostly facilitates the establishment of species in the genera Hedera and Acer. Comparison of non-native and native plants showed the former are more drought and heat tolerant than the latter. We further show that with distance from the city centre, the number of bird-dispersed species increases, in contrast to the wind-dispersed species. Additionally, our results suggest evergreen hedges may be less permeable to wind-dispersed propagules than deciduous hedges. Next, we stress the importance of paved surfaces and urbanization, selecting for the thermophile, drought tolerant, wind-dispersed woody plants that find refuge in urban hedges. Our results suggest urban hedges can facilitate the establishment of a wide range of woody plant species.
Keywords: biodiversity, green infrastructure, ornamental plants, species richness, urban ecosystem, vegetation
Published in DKUM: 03.12.2024; Views: 0; Downloads: 14
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7. Lowland forest fragment characteristics and anthropogenic disturbances determine alien plant species richness and compositionMirjana Šipek, Nina Šajna, 2024, original scientific article Abstract: Loss of habitat and biological invasion are the main threats to biodiversity. In intensive agricultural or urban landscapes, forest fragments, even if they are small and isolated represent biodiversity refugia. Environmental variables such as landscape structure, abiotic conditions and anthropogenic disturbance affect the biodiversity of the fragments. In this study, we explored plant species richness in 48 forest fragments embedded in predominantly agricultural landscapes on the alluvial plains of the Mura and Drava rivers in NE Slovenia. We determined several forest fragment characteristics such as perimeter, area, shape complexity, length and proportion of edge shared with adjacent land-cover types and anthropogenic disturbance indicated by the presence of footpaths and waste disposed in fragments. The abiotic condition of these fragments was assessed by Ellenberg indicator values. We built generalized linear models and ordination analyses to assess the importance of environmental variables for the richness and composition of alien plant species and other ecologically meaningful plant groups. Shape complexity had a consistent positive effect on the richness of native and alien plants species. Major drivers of alien plant composition in forest fragments included adjacent land-cover and urbanization level. An increasing proportion of arable land along the forest fragment perimeter negatively affected the richness of alien plants, while the effect of urban areas was positive. Our results confirmed that forest fragments in the rural-urban matrix represent biodiversity refugia and support native plant species; however, they are not resistant to invasions; instead invasion depends on the land-cover type in the surroundings of a given forest fragment.
Keywords: agricultural land, urban area, settlements, fragment size, fragment shape complexity, ornamental plants
Published in DKUM: 29.11.2024; Views: 0; Downloads: 14
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8. Tujerodni invazivni hrošč semenar Megabruchidius dorsalis (Chrysomelidae) živi v SlovenijiEva Horvat, Nina Šajna, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: Azijski hrošč semenar Megabruchidius dorsalis, ki se razvija v semenih azijskih vrst gledičevk (Gleditsia), je bil v Evropi prvič zabeležen v Italiji leta 1989, v Sloveniji pa prvič v Mariboru leta 2017. Pojavlja se še v 15 drugih evropskih državah. V novem okolju je vrsta preskočila na dva nova gostitelja iz Severne Amerike, trnato gledičevko (Gleditsia triacanthos) in rogovilarja (Gymnoladus dioicus), sicer oba sorodna azijskim vrstam gledičevke. Med našo raziskavo smo nabrali zrele stroke trnate gledičevke in rogovilarja na različnih lokacijah po osrednji in severovzhodni Sloveniji z namenom raziskati razširjenost M. dorsalis zunaj prvih opisanih lokacij v Mariboru. Stroke smo gojili v gojitvenih vrečah pod stalnimi razmerami v laboratoriju. Vrsto M. dorsalis smo potrdili v šestih krajih po Sloveniji. Na 36 lokacijah (97 %) smo našli izhodne luknje na strokih in semenih, značilne za M. dorsalis, žive ali mrtve hrošče pa smo našli na 26 lokacijah (70 %).
Keywords: tujerodne vrste, trnata gledičevka, bioinvazije
Published in DKUM: 27.09.2024; Views: 0; Downloads: 14
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9. First records of seed beetles Megabruchidius dorsalis (Fåhræus, 1839) and M. tonkineus (Pic, 1904) from three Balkan countriesMirjana Šipek, Eva Horvat, Nina Šajna, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: Asian seed beetles of the genus Megabruchidius have been recorded recently in many European countries. Our contribution serves to formally report the first records of M. dorsalis in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Albania and the first record of M. tonkineus in Montenegro, all found in 2021. Both species develop inside the hard seeds of the ornamental tree Gleditsia triacanthos. Mature G. triacanthos pods were collected from the ground in urban parks of Nikšić and Podgorica (Montenegro) and Tirana (Albania) in July 2021, and Banja Luka (Bosnia and Herzegovina) in August 2021. Fully developed beetles were recorded after two weeks. Megabruchidius dorsalis emerged from the pods collected in all locations, while M. tonkineus was reared only from the pods collected in Podgorica. Because in Podgorica both species were found in the same pods, this also represents confirmation that in some locations these species do co-exist. Overall, M. dorsalis was more widespread and abundant.
Keywords: alien species, invasive species, range expansion, Gleditsia triacanthos, Europe
Published in DKUM: 25.09.2024; Views: 0; Downloads: 6
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10. Transpiracija in alelopatski potencial sončnih in senčnih rastlin indijskega jagodnjaka (Potentilla indica (Andrews) Th.Wolf) : magistrsko deloAnamari Draškovič, 2024, master's thesis Abstract: V sklopu magistrske naloge smo preučevali razlike v prevodnosti listnih rež in alelopatski potencial indijskega jagodnjaka (Potentilla indica (Andrews) Th.Wolf) med sončnimi in senčnimi rastlinami. Na izbranem rastišču indijskega jagodnjaka smo skozi daljše časovno obdobje s porometrom spremljali prevodnost listnih rež. Za testiranje alelopatskega potenciala indijskega jagodnjaka smo izbrali test kalitve s semeni vrtne kreše (Lepidium sativum L.). Slednje smo za 4 dni izpostavili različnim koncentracijam vodnih izvlečkov sončnih in senčnih listov (0,1 %, 1 %, 5 %, 10 %). Na podlagi deleža vzkaljenih semen in rasti radikule in hipokotila smo ugotovili, da vodni izvlečki listov indijskega jagodnjaka močno vplivajo na kalitev semen, medtem ko na rast vrtne kreše nimajo takšnega vpliva. Z naraščanjem koncentracije vodnih izvlečkov listov indijskega jagodnjaka se je delež vzkaljenih semen zmanjševal. Razlike v alelopatskem potencialu sončnih in senčnih rastlin niso bile tako očitne kot smo pričakovali. Smo pa opazili sezonsko nihanje alelopatskega potenciala. Ugotovili smo, da je ta bil najnižji v času, ko so bili prisotni plodovi. Razlike med sončnimi in senčnimi rastlinami pa so bile bolj opazne pri merjenju prevodnosti listnih rež. Ta je bila skozi celotno raziskavo višja pri sončnih rastlinah. Ugotovili smo tudi, da prevodnost listnih rež pada z naraščajočo temperaturo in svetlobnim sevanjem ter narašča s povečevanjem vlage tal.
Keywords: indijski jagodnjak, prevodnost listnih rež, alelopatija, tujerodne invazivne vrste, porometrija
Published in DKUM: 05.09.2024; Views: 41; Downloads: 20
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