A syntaxonomical synthesis of calcicolous forests dominated by Fagus sylvatica (Cephalanthero-Fagenion suballiance) in the Czech Republic was carried out using the Braun-Blanquet approach. Relevés included in the analyses were selected following formalized approach by using an expert-delimited group of 38 calcicolous and/or xerothermophilous species. Only one association Cephalanthero-Fagetum was distinguished, which usually occurs on limestone, calcareous sandstone and calcareous sandy marlite; however, can be found also on base-rich siliceous bedrock (e.g. basalt, phonolite). Based on TWINSPAN analysis, three subassociations were recognized within the Cephalanthero-Fagetum: (i) Cephalanthero-Fagetum seslerietosum caeruleae on shallow rocky soils with frequent dominance of Sesleria caerulea and presence of petrophytes, (ii) Cephalanthero-Fagetum typicum on dry, shallow soils with a significant presence of light-demanding, thermophilous, and calcicolous species, and (iii) Cephalanthero-Fagetum actaeetosum spicatae on deeper, sufficiently moist soils with an abundance of mesophilous, nitrophilous and acidophilous species. The name Cephalanthero-Fagetum actaeetosum spicatae is a new nomenclatural combination. The relationships between Cephalanthero-Fagetum and similar forest vegetation types containing xerothermophilous and/or calcicolous species in the Czech Republic are discussed. The main gradients in species composition of Cephalanthero-Fagetum subassociations were revealed by gradient analysis. The Ellenberg indicator values, altitude, slope, and ‘southness’ were used to interpret these gradients. Using unconstrained ordination analysis (DCA) the syntaxonomical interpretation indicated three relatively distinct groups. Moreover, further DCA analysis revealed the well-defined position of Cephalanthero-Fagetum within Czech beech forests. The results of the above delimitation of Cephalanthero-Fagetum were compared with the results based on Cocktail-defined species groups improved by similarity-based assignment of relevés (using frequency-positive fidelity index). When the Cocktail-based formulas for beech forests were applied to the relevés selected by our 38-species diagnostic group, the correspondence between these two approaches was only 36%. However, at the lower subassociation level, the highest correspondence occurred for Cephalanthero-Fagetum seslerietosum (84%). The reason for this high correspondence is that the species composition includes many specialists (i.e. good diagnostic species) and it occurs at the end of an ecological gradient. To sum up, it is possible to define vegetation units accurately using strict formulas, as opposed to the less rigorous ‘soft’ traditional approach. However, both approaches fail when defining central units.
The article strives to contribute to the debate on the concept of corporate social responsibility by focusing on the under-researched area of the effects of firms’ grants on local and regional development from the perspective of local governments and inhabitants. This concept is typically studied from the corporate perspective. While normally ignored, the spatial dimension plays a substantial role in firms’ grant allocation decisions. The article tries to fill the gap by studying the case of spatial distribution of financial grants of the ČEZ Corporation to communities in the vicinity of the Dukovany nuclear plant, which is located at the peripheral border of the regions of Vysočina and South Moravia. The considerable amounts of money
sent to local budgets are intended to compensate communities near the nuclear plant for the risks related to its existence.
The first aim of the article is to present the spatial distribution of selected ČEZ grants to communities near the Dukovany plant and to compare them with the mean revenues of local budgets in 2003–2012. The second aim is to present in more detail selected ČEZ grants to communities near the Dukovany plant in 2003–2012 and the ways they were earmarked. The data was drawn from publicly available databases on local budgets, annual reports of the ČEZ Foundation, which distributes a large part of ČEZ grants, and interviews with members of local governments and the ČEZ Foundation on additional grants allocated on a contract basis to communities in the immediate vicinity of the power plant.
Although mean per capita local revenue exhibits a relatively even distribution (except for above-average revenues in the five-kilometre Emergency Planning Zone), ČEZ Foundation grants were distributed unevenly, with communities further away from the power plant receiving considerably lower financial support. The municipalities of Rouchovany and Dukovany where the power plant is located obtained the most money, especially after 2003 when an expansion of its medium-term nuclear waste facility was underway. The distribution became more-or-less even in the final years of the period studied. The local governments earmarked a significant majority of the grants for infrastructure improvements. The grants played
a substantial role in the budgets of local communities that exist in the peripheral region marked by considerable economic difficulties. They allowed the local governments to fund projects that would have been fully beyond the scope of their budgets, thus importantly contributing to improving their image, local facilities, and local people’s quality of life. ČEZ Corporation’s activities have been a significant help for the region and some communities have reached such level of facilities that exceeds regional standard. The region’s peripheral nature, which was one of the reasons for building the power plant, has been changing due to the plant owner’s grants, helping the territory somewhat escape traditional definitions of periphery. ČEZ Corporation’s grants have gradually become an important part of the revenues of local governments and an important impetus for their development. The long-term and systematic effects of the extensive and more-or-less stable grants may have influenced the region’s development much more than any other development programme. Along with the growing pressure for corporate social responsibility, the study of this topic can help us understand not only the developmental effects of CSR but also CSR as a relatively new mechanism of regional development in general.
The interception was recognized as an important part of the catchment water balance in temperate climate. The mountainous forest ecosystem at experimental headwater catchment Liz has been subject of long-term monitoring. Unique dataset in terms of time resolution serves to determine canopy storage capacity and free throughfall. Spatial variability of throughfall was studied using one weighing and five tipping bucket rain gauges. The basic characteristics of forest affecting interception process were determined for the Norway spruce stand at the experimental area - the leaf area index was 5.66 - 6.00 m2 m-2, the basal area was 55.7 m2 ha-1, and the crown closure above individual rain gauges was between 19 and 95%. The total interception loss in both growing seasons analyzed was 34.5%. The mean value of the interception capacity determined was about 2 mm. Throughfall exhibited high variability from place to place and it was strongly affected by character of rainfall. On the other hand, spatial pattern of throughfall in average showed low variability.