The Department of Evolution and Systematics is devoted to the study of wild vascular plants and fungi non-lichenized as well as lichenized – lichens) of temperate zones, with a focus on the Carpatho-Pannonian region and the Mediterranean area. Research in vascular plants is mainly focused on polyploid and taxonomically complicated groups, as well as endemic, protected, invasive, and non-native taxa.
Solved research projects of the department in the framework of basic research
- study of microevolutionary and speciation processes (especially polyploidization and hybridization)
- research on systematics, including taxonomic revision and nomenclature,
- analysis of reproductive and adaptive strategies of taxa,
- floristic-chronological studies of selected areas,
- study of ecology,
- modelling of potential distribution of species and prediction of their future occurrence,
- building global and national databases of the botanical information system,
- publishing the multi-volume work “Flora of Slovakia“,
- preparation of updated national checklists, identification keys and nomenclatural overviews,
- building herbarium collections: plant and mycological material is kept in the Herbarium Collection (acronym SAS).
Solved research projects of the department in the framework of applied research
- we mainly deal with the implementation of European and national environmental legislation, such as the Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC in the context of the establishment of the Natura 2000 network of protected areas, Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive non-native species, and Act No 543/2002 on the Protection of Nature and Landscape,
- the outputs are used e.g. in the preparation of the lists of protected and invasive organisms of the Slovak Republic, in the creation of the network of protected areas of the Slovak Republic, in the zoning of national parks, in environmental impact assessment processes (EIA/SEA),
- we cooperate mainly with the State Nature Conservancy of the Slovak Republic and the Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic,
- we also cooperate in the global project Millennium Seed Bank, Kew (UK) aimed at saving biodiversity through specialized seed collections
International cooperation
Laboratory of flow cytometry
- PARTEC CyFlow ML (Prietokový cytometer s UV lampou)
PARTEC CyFlow ML (Prietokový cytometer s laserom)
Microscopic laboratory
- OLYMPUS Zoom Stereomicroscope SZ61 s kamerou ARTCAM 300MI (stereolupa/stereomikroskop)
MICROTEK ScanMaker 9800XL (skener)
CARL ZEISS AxioScope Scope.A1 s kamerou CARL ZEISS AxioCam 105 color (mikroskop)
CARL ZEISS Axioskop 2 (mikroskop)