Environmental Science

Doctoral Program in Applied and Landscape Ecology

Since 1993 the Institute for Environmental Studies (IES) offers a PhD program in the field of Applied and Landscape Ecology. The PhD program is suitable for graduates from the Faculty of Science as well as for those from other universities. Applicants with a master's degree in environmental science, chemistry, biology, geography, chemical engineering or related fields will be considered for admission. The decision of acceptance is based on an oral interview with the applicant. Individual scientific project in connection with specialized courses selected by the student and his/her tutor have a key importance. After passing all the prescribed exams including a rigorous exam and successful defense of the PhD thesis a graduate is awarded by the PhD degree. The graduates find jobs as experts, consultants and scientists in the governmental, nongovernmental as well as in the private sectors.

Every PhD student is supervised by one or more scientists working in the same field at the IES, at the Academy of Science of the Czech Republic or in other environmentally oriented Research Institutions in the Czech Republic. Students take a structured program involving planning of research, research methods, maths and statistics, thesis writing and presentation skills. Applicants will be expected to make up any deficiencies in their academic background with specific courses selected individually according to the needs of the student and focus of the doctoral project. The programme requires a minimum of three years full-time study.

There is also a possibility for students to gain teaching experiences in undergraduate classes and to participate in the University's teacher training scheme. Students´ progress is reviewed every year. One publication in English before rigorous exam and a next one before the final defense of PhD Theses in a referred journal (with impact factor) is required. Dissertation research should focus on one of the following subjects: Limnology, hydrology, water quality, water pollution control, waste disposal, environmental quality, remediation, applied ecology, conservation biology, restoration ecology, environmental contaminants, air quality, atmospheric chemistry, environmental geochemistry, environmental microbiology, reclamation and remediation, or other anthropogenic changes.

The Applied and landscape ecology Ph.D. program emphasizes advanced research and is designed for superior students. All candidates are expected to demonstrate creative thinking and self-motivation. Applied and Landscape Ecology doctoral candidates address difficult problems and are committed to achieving new and exceptional results. The ability to understand and solve environmental problems requires strong interdisciplinary training. The programme is therefore designed to broadly expose students to both traditional and emerging areas of environmental sciences, and the ability to focus on research in a more defined area.

List of dissertations defended during 2000-2006

Jan Wild, 2006: Krumholz and grassland in the summit plateau of the Krkonoše Mts: their interactions and long-term dynamics
Ondřej Klouček, 2005: The influence of agitation conditions on the size structure of flocs aggregates
Ondřej Vítek, 2005: Impact of road network on subalpine vegetation in the Giant Mountains
Viktor Třebický, 2005: Analyze of nature tourism in the Šumava National Park: 1997-2004
Martin Humpl, 2005: Fish assemblages in Czech streams as influenced by environmental factors
Gilberto C.C. Sylva, 2004: Ecological optimization of land use system in the rural region of Cape Verde Islands
Michaela Vítková, 2004: Black locust stands in Bohemia
Zdeňka Chocholoušková, 2002: Trends in species diversity and composition trends of urban vegetation of Plzeň over 25 years
Pavel Belanský, 2003: Amphibians breeding sites environment and amphibians communities diversity in the Orava River basin
Jan Hovorka, 2002: Aerosol source apportiment using by multielemental and isotopic composition
Martin Pivokonský, 2002: The influence of the velocity gradient on the size characteristics of the aggregates formed during water treatment
Tomáš Cajthaml, 2002: Biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by lignolytic fungi and method of composting
Tomáš Hák, 2002: Materials flows and environmental pressure
Martina Vrbová, 2002: Household waste collection and separation system analysis in the CZ.
Lucie Kupková, 2001: Analysis of development of the Czech cultural landscape in period 1845-2000
Dana Komínková, 2001: Pollution of aquatic ecosystems by heavy metals – The Kocába and the Točnický Stream

Recent research activities

Small watersheds, water quality and its dynamics in relation to human activities;
Water management, hydrochemistry, limnology, eutrophication, structural aspects of small river basins, mountain lake research, applied hydrobiology, ichthyology
Integrity of small streams in relation to activities in watersheds;
Macrozoobentos as a robust tool for biomonitoring of natural reserves and protected areas
Population dynamics and community structure of fish, amphibians and small mammals in the area of special interest (protected areas, reservoirs);
Waste water treatment and drinking water purification projects (sludge decontamination, pollutants biodegradation);
Indoor and outdoor air pollution in relation to human health;
Personal exposure and microenvironmental measurements research;
Aerosol chemistry and physics, atmospheric deposition;
Research into passive sampling methods in ecological applications;
Heavy metals in soils, water, air, and organisms;
The use of stable isotopes Pb for tracing pollution sources;
Geochemistry of environment, trace analysis (AAS, ICP-MS),
Geological and geophysical research on dumps and recommendations for restoration;
Biodiversity and recreational activity studies in natural parks and reserves;
Development and application of the computer models for the research and decision making processes;
General, applied and landscape ecology, mountain ecology, nature protection, biodiversity, recreation, tourism, land use, environmental modeling, geographical and landscape information systems (GIS, LIS), environmental impact assessment

Examples of lecture offer for PhD students

Risk Assessment: Doc. RNDr. Martin Braniš, CSc.
Literature
J.V. Rodricks, 2001, Calculated risks, Cambridge univeristy Press
UNEP, 2002 Principles and Methods for the Assessment of Risk from Essential Trace Elements, UNEP, ILO, WHO, Geneva
U.S. EPA (1989): Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund, Volume I, Part A-E
U.S. EPA (1991): Guidelines for Developmental Toxicity Risk Assessment, Federal Register 56(234):63798-63826
U.S. EPA (1991): Guidelines for the Health Risk Assessment of Chemical Mixtures, Federal Register 51(185):34014-34025.
WHO, 2001, Biomarkers in Risk Assessment: Validity and Validation, , ILO, WHO, Geneva
WHO, 2001 Neurotoxicity Risk Assessment for Human Health: Principles and Approaches, WHO, Geneva

Atmospheric aerosol: RNDr.Jan Hovorka, PhD
Literature:
W.C. Hinds, Aerosol Technology, properties, Behavior, and Measurement of Airborne Particles, John Wiley&sons, Inc., N.Y., 1999
S.K.Friedlander, Smoke, Dust, and Haze, Oxford Unversity Press, 2000
Paul A. Baron, Klaus Willeke, Aerosol Measurement: Principles, Techniques, and Applications, 2nd Edition John Wiley&sons, Inc., N.Y., 2001
J.:Seinfeld., S.N.Pandis, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, John Wiley&Sons, Inc., N.Y., 1998
Environ. Sci Technol., J.Atmos. Sci., Atmos.Environ., Chemosphere, J. Atmos. Chem., J. Aerosol Sci, Aerosol Sci Technol., J Air Waste Manage Assoc.

Chlorine in the forest ecosystems: Ing. Miroslav Matucha, CSc.
Literature:
R. W. Bovey: Woody Plants and Woody Plant Management: Ecology, Safety and Environmental Impact. Marcel Dekker, N.Y., Basel, 2001
J. Reichholf: Les. Ekologie středoevropských lesů. Euromedia Praha 1999
Kyoji Sassa (Ed.): Environmental Forest Science. Kluwer Acad. Publ., Dordrecht, Boston 1998
L.J. De Kok, I. Stulen: Response of Plant Metabolim to Air Pollution and Global Change. Backhuys Publishers Leyden, 1998
K. Talaro, A. Talaro: Microbiology. McGraw-Hill, Boston, N.Y., 1996
Environmental Journals www.sciencedirect.com/, web of science: http://portal.isiknowledge.com/portal.cgi? (Chemosphere, Atmospheric Environment, Environmental Science and Technology, Environmental Science and Pollution Research, Biogeochemistry, Environmental Pollution, Science of the Total Environment, Forestry, etc.

Applied ecology and management : Prof. RNDr. Karel Pivnička, DrSc
Literature
Caughley G., Sinclair A.R.E. 1994:Wildlife ecology. Blackwell Sci.330 pp.
Ricker, W.E., 1975: Computation and Interpretation of Biological Statistics of Fish Populations.Bull. Fish. Rs. Bd. Canada No.191. Ottawa.382 pp.
Newman E.I. 1993: Applied ecology. Blackwell Sci. 320 pp.
Chapin, S.F., Matson, P., Mooney, H.A. 2002: Principles of Terresteial Ecosystem Ecology. Springer.435 pp.
Hart, P.J.B., Reynolds, J.D., 2002: handbook of Fish Biology and Fisheries. Vol. I. and II.
Evans, J., 2001: The Forest Handbook. Vol. I. and II. Blackwell Sci.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/; http://www.suweco.cz/

Environmental microbiology RNDr. Čeněk Novotný, CSc.
Literature:
Alexander, M. Biodegradation and Bioremediation. Academic Press San Diego 1994.
Bioremediation: Principles and Applications. R.L. Crawford, D.L. Crawford (eds.), str. 13-34. Cambridge University Press 1993.
Microbial Degradation of Organic Compounds, D.T. Gibson (ed.), Marcel Dekker Inc., New York 1984
Organic Substances and Sediment in Water, R.A. Baker (ed.), Chelsea, MI: Lewis 1991.
Environmental Microbiology, R.M. Maier, I.L. Pepper, C.P. Gerba (eds.), Academic Press San Diego London 2000.
Hydrocarbon Bioremediation, R.E. Hinchee,, R.E. Hoeppel, R.N. Miller (eds.), Boca Raton, Fl.: Lewis Publishers, CRC Press 1994.
Environmental Biotechnology, G.S. Omenn (ed.), Plenum Press, New York 1988.
National Research Council (1984) Toxicity Testing; National Academy Press: Washington, D.C.
Pitter, P., Chudoba, J. Biodegradability of Organic Substances in the Aquatic Environment. CRC Press, Ann Arbor MI 1990.
Biotreatment of Industrial and Hazardous Waste, M.A. Levin and M.A. Gealt (eds.), New York: McGraw-Hill 1993.
Schlegel, H.G. General Microbiology, Cambridge University Press, 6th Edition 1992.
World Resources Institute, International Institute for Environment and Development in collaboration with U.N. Environment Programme. World Resources 1988-1989, Freshwater; Basic Books: New York 1988.
Zakrzewski, S.F. Principles of Environmental Toxicology, American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C., 1997.
Science (Washington, D.C.), Nature (London), Critical Reviews in Environmental Control, Current Opinion in Biotechnology, Microbiological Reviews, Annual Review of Microbiology, Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology , Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Subject-area Board

The subject-area board is available in Czech (Oborová rada). The Chairman is highlighted.