RNDr. Robert Tropek

Current Research Interests:

• Ecology, conservation potential and restoration of anthropogenic sites
• Ecology, phylogeography and natural history of Afromontane butterflies
• Pollination biology in Afromontane ecosystems
• Ecology and conservation of spiders and butterflies

Education

• Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
• BSc. – 2006; MSc. – 2008; RNDr. – 2008; now a Ph.D. student

Professional Appointment:

• since 2008: Department of Ecology and Conservation, Institute of Entomology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
• 2010: Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic

International Experiences:

• Professional: winters of 2007/2008, 2009/2010, 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 (10 months together): Cameroon
• Studying: September 2006: Papua New Guinea, Binatang Research Center, Field Course of Tropical Ecology

Selected publications

• Tropek R. (in press) Can periodically drained ponds have any potential for terrestrial arthropods conservation? A pilot survey of spiders. Polish Journal of Ecology.
  
• Tropek R., Kadlec T., Hejda M., Kocarek P., Skuhrovec J., Malenovsky I., Vodka S., Spitzer L., Banar P., Konvicka M. (in press) Technical reclamations are wasting the conservation potential of post-mining sites. A case study of black coal spoil dumps Ecological Engineering.
• Kadlec T., Tropek R., Konvicka M. (2012) Timed surveys and transect walks as comparable methods for monitoring butterflies in small plots. Journal of Insect Conservation 16: 275-280.
• Cizek O., Zamecnik J., Tropek R., Kocarek P., Konvicka M. (2012) Diversification of mowing regime increases arthropods diversity in species-poor cultural hay meadows. Journal of Insect Conservation 16: 212-226.
• Bartoš M., Janeček Š., Padyšáková E., Patáčová E., Altman J., Pešata M., Kantorová J., Tropek R. (2012) Nectar properties of the sunbird-pollinated plant Impatiens sakeriana: a comparison with six other co-flowering species. South African Journal of Botany 78: 63-74.
• Tropek R., Konvicka M. (2011) Should restoration damage rare habitats? Biological Conservation 144: 1299.
  
• Janeček Š., Patáčová E., Bartoš M., Padyšáková E., Spitzer L., Tropek R. (2011) Hovering sunbirds in the Old World: occasional behaviour or evolutionary trend? Oikos. doi: 120, 178-183.
• Tropek R., Kadlec T., Karesova P., Spitzer L., Kocarek P., Malenovsky P., Banar P., Tuf I.H., Hejda M., Konvicka M. (2010) Spontaneous succession in limestone quarries as an effective restoration tool for endangered arthropods and plants. Journal of Applied Ecology 47: 139-147.
• Tropek R. & Konvicka M. (2010) Forest Eternal? Endemic butterflies of the Bamenda Highlands, Cameroon, avoid close-canopy forest. African Journal of Ecology 48: 428-437.
• Spitzer, L., Konvicka, M., Benes, J., Tropek R., Tuf, I.H. & Tufova, J. 2008: Does closure of traditionally managed open woodlands threaten epigeic invertebrates? Effects of coppicing and high deer densities. Biological Conservation 141: 827-837.
• Tropek, R. & Konvicka, M. 2008: Can quarries supplement rare xeric habitats in a piedmont region? Spiders of the Blansky les Mts., Czech Republic. Land Degradation & Development. 19: 104-114.
• Tropek, R., Spitzer, L. & Konvicka, M. 2008: Two groups of epigeic arthropods differ in colonising of piedmont quarries: the necessity of multi-taxa and life-history traits approaches in the monitoring studies. Community Ecology 9: 177-184.
  

• Tropek R. (2010) Contribution to knowledge of spiders (Araneae) of the Konstantinovy Lazne region. Erica 17, 91-102. (in Czech, English abstract)
• Spitzer L., Konvička O., Tropek R., Roháčová M., Tuf I.H., Nedvěd O. (2010) Overwintering communities of arthropods on white fir in the Moravian Wallachia region (West Carpathians, Czech Republic). Acta Mus. Beskid. 59, 217-232. (in Czech, English abstract)
• Malenovsky I. & Tropek R. (2009) Faunistic records from the Czech Republic – Hemiptera: Cicadomorpha: Cicadellidae. Klapalekiana 45: 80-82.
• Tropek R. & Hradska I. (2009) Spiders of Prameniste Katerinskeho potoka Natural Monument. Erica 16: 55-61. (in Czech, English abstract)
• Tropek R. 2007: Spiders (Araneae) of xerothermic grasslands and quarries in the Blanský les Landscape Protected Area. Klapalekiana 43: 65-77. (in Czech, English abstract)
• Tropek R. 2007: Results of arachnological research of specially protected areas of Pilsen district, Czech Republic. Erica 14: 57-64. (in Czech, English abstract)
• Spitzer L., Tuf I.H., Tufova J. & Tropek R. 2007: Contribution to the knowledge of epigeic invertebrates of two seminatural fir-beech deciduous woodlands in the Vsetínské vrchy Hills, Western Carpathians (Czech Republic). Práce a Stud. Muz. Beskyd 19: 71-82. (in Czech, English abstract)

Commentaries on My Research

• Chin G. & Yeston J. (2010) Editor’s choice - Best feed forward. Science 330: 152.
  
• Memmott J. (2010) Editor's Choice - The efficacy of ecological restoration. Journal of Applied Ecology (published on-line: http://www.journalofappliedecology.org/view/0/editorschoice471.html)
• European Commission (2010) Disused quarries could provide valuable habitat if restored naturally. Science for Environment Policy 189: 1.
• Tropek et al. 2010 was included in the Virtual Issue: BES Young Investigator Prizes - winners and runners up 2010 (published online)

International Conferences

• 2007, Monitoring the effectiveness of nature conservation, Zurich.
• 2008, 24th European Congress of Arachnology, Bern
• 2009, 2nd European Congress of Conservation Biology, Prague.
• 2010, 6th International Conference on the Biology of Butterflies. Edmonton.
• 2011, Workshop on Lepidoptera Research in the Afro-tropical region. Cape Coast, Ghana.

Other Activities

• external referee for Normal 0 21 African Journal of Ecology, Biotropica, Erica, European Journal of Entomology (3x), International Research Journal of Agricultural Science, Journal of Applied Ecology (2x), Journal of Ecology and the Natural Environment, Journal of Insect Conservation, Land Degradation & Development (2x)
• invited presentations and lectures in Charles University (Prague), Czech University of Life Sciences (Prague), Masaryk University (Brno), and on several high schools
  
• author of several management and restoration plans, including postindustrial sites, cooperator in drafts of legislation changes concerning restoration of postindustrial sites
• cooperation on leading of field courses of Faculties of Science and Agriculture, University of South Bohemia
  
• lepidopterological guide for specialised agency Naturetrek, UK (Slovakia 2008)
  
• traveling: Belize, Brunei, Cambodia, Cameroon (4x), Canada, Costa Rica, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, Malaysia (2x), Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, Europe