Functionally important animals in forest dynamics in new environmental conditions

The proposed project is aimed at obtaining original knowledge about how structural characteristics of forest
stands and environmental factors influence, in new environmental conditions, the occurrence, spatial distribution
and abundance of functionally important animal taxa -- phytophages and predators in
representative forest ecosystems in Slovakia or Central Europe,
respectively. Emphasis is being placed on the interactions among abundant (predominant) animal species and
woody plants, especially in threatened spruce ecosystems and, also, on spruce forest decline and natural
regeneration of spruce forest ruled by functionally important animal species.