Research by the Masaryk University in Siberia is focused on ecosystems similar to Central European palaeoecosystems of the Pleistocene and Early Holocene. We mainly deal with the diversity and productivity of plant communities and their relationships to indicators of past environments (pollen deposition, mollusc assemblages). The results indicate that the best analogues of Pleistocene ecosystems are found in the Altai-Sayan region of southern Siberia. and Milan Chytrý.
In the CR located on the bio-geographical crossroads of Central Europe, several vegetation types reach their distribution limit here, whereas only three vegetation types and complexes unique or significantly concentrated here are identified: grasslands in the White Carpathian Mts. (the world’s highest number of vascular plant species per certain areas smaller than 50 m2); sandstone pseudokarst landscapes (sharply contrasting vegetation at very short distances); fishponds (specific vegetation especially on their exposed bottoms when drained). and Milan Chytrý, Handrij Härtel, Kateřina Šumberová.