Extreme Environments Research
This research focuses on both current and historical extreme habitats, primarily within the territory of the Czech Republic. It aims to describe and investigate these habitats, analyze their individual components, and understand the geochemical and biological processes involved. Due to the harsh environmental conditions, organisms living in these habitats are subject to strong selective pressures—only those capable of tolerating or adapting to such conditions can survive and thrive. As a result, these habitats often host highly interesting and valuable ecosystems with unique interactions between organisms and environmental factors.Research in extreme environments is often challenging due to their specific conditions, yet it frequently yields entirely new insights. Extreme habitats are defined as those with conditions that are inhospitable or uninhabitable for most organisms, or that deviate significantly from the environmental norms of a given region. Thanks to its high landscape diversity, the Czech Republic offers a wide range of such extreme habitats. These include natural formations such as rock walls and towers, scree fields, caves, mineral springs, and mountain lakes, as well as human-altered or newly created habitats such as mine adits, abandoned quarries, sewers, tailings ponds, and various elements of urban infrastructure.
Team:
Current research topics and projects:
2024–2026: TA CR SS07010065 “Caves of Bohemian Switzerland National Park and Elbe Sandstone Protected Landscape Area: Interdisciplinary Research for Nature Conservation Using Modern Methods”
Project outputs available here
2025–2028: Ministry of Education LUAUS25082 “Catastrophic Events at the End of the Last Ice Age and Their Impact on Mountain Lake Ecosystems in North America and Europe”