Department of environmental geography
Brno branch of the Institute of Geonics AS CR came to existence in 1993 in the course of transformation of the former Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences from a part of the staff at the cancelled Institute of Geography CSAS. It was defined as a territorially detached Department of environmental geography at the Institute of Geonics AS CR, which deals with research activities concentrated in environmental and regional problems, especially aimed at Morava territory. The main workplace can be found in a pleasant town quarter Cerna Pole. Another workplaces are situated in Brno-Jundrov and Blansko-Techov.
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"Brno branch, Institute of Geonics AS CR", 400, 180 ))
Brno branch
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Institute of Geonics AS CR |
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"Library in Brno, Institute of Geonics AS CR", 600, 394 ))
Library in Brno
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Personnel
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Main research topics
The Department of environmental geography is responsible for the solution of the research plan Environment and landscape in urban and rural regions in conditions of European integrating processes. Its aim is to study complex relations between natural and social processes and phenomena in landscape using methods of regional geography and field research. An emphasis is given on empirical research, which is necessary in the period of rapidly changing reality and which is the basis for generalization rensuing in geoinformatic interpretation of results. The subject of investigation is divided into three following spheres that are realized by research activities in grant projects, international projects, as well as in expert studies.
- Environment in urban regions of various types
Investigation is directed to obtainig of information about evironment in urban regions of various types (environmental impacts of economic restructuralisation of the Ostrava Region; geography of small towns and their role in the settlement structure; social and spatial consequences of demographic changes in the big cities in the East-Central Europe).
- Environment in rural, particularly marginal regions
The main aim of the research is to intensify of knowledge about environment in rural, particularly marginal regions (sustainable development of rural regions and management of rural landscape; euro-regions and contemporary situation in environment and cross-border cooperation).
- Environmental hazards and consequences
Research activities are concentrated in the study of environmental risks in landscape and their ecological and geoecological consequences (geography of natural extremes – floods, slope movements) and on environmental impacts of construction and operating of big technical structures).
Important scientific achievements
- Floods, landscape and people in the Morava River Basin
Case studies were elaborated in various Moravian regions with different environmental conditions, land use and flood wave behaviour. Floods were understood as interactions of natural event, technological failure and reaction of society. Different forms of flood damage prevention were suggested.
- Geography of selected natural extremes, their impacts and cartographic visualisation in
Moravia and Silesia
Research report Selected natural extremes and their impacts in Moravia and Silesia, evaluates impact of selected present-day geomorphological processes; particular attention was paid to geomorphologic extremes as a disturbing factor enhancing heterogeneity and biodiversity of the landscape. Both natural and human induced seismicity was worked out with definition of risk areas.
- Geography of small towns
Research enabled to carry out a typology of Moravian and Silesian small towns and prognoses were made according to particular types. Basic peculiarities of small towns were characterised in comparison with large and middle-sized towns on one side and with rural settlements on the other as well as their function in the settlement system. A typology of small towns according to economic, social and environmental indices were defined.
Activities in 2007
The main activity is the solution of the partial project of the research programme of the institute, grant projects of Czech Grant Foundation and Grant Agency of ASCR, National research program II, international project of Volkswagen Foundation, organization of conference CONGEO'07 in Brno.
The Brno branch works out expert studies regarding regional and environmental geography. In 2007, such studies concern biomonitoring of area affected by mining and processing of uranium ore, physical geographical problems in protected natural areas, public opinion enquiries (perception of wind energy impacts on landscape) and others.
A joint project theme is solved in the frame of cooperation of Slovak and Czech Academies named Geographical research of the regional structures and their time and spatial changes. The main issue is focused on the comparison of the changes of the regional structure, which take place in the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic and which follow on the large social-cultural changes and intensive activities in the environment.
Another joint theme is solved in the frame of cooperation between Hungarian and Czech Academies named Regional development of the selected border regions in the Czech Republic and Hungary.
Selected publications
- J. Demek, J. Kalvoda, K. Kirchner, V. Vilimek: Geomorphological aspects of natural hazards and risks in the Czech Republic. Studia geomorphologica Carpatho-Balcanica, vol. XL, Krakow, 2006, pp. 79-92.
- M. Hradek: Floods and human impacts to braided river patterns in the Western Carpathian Foothill. In: D. Drbohlav, J. Kalvoda, V. Vozenilek (eds.): Czech geography at the dawn of the Millienium. Czech Geographic Society, Palacky University in Olomouc, 2004, pp. 137-149.
- M. Hradek: Changes in the channels and floodplains of Sudetic rivers in the Morava river basin after the flood in July 1997. In A. Szponar, S. Horska-Schwarz (eds.). The problems of landscape ecology, vol.17, Polish association for landscape ecology and Wroclaw University, 2005, pp. 226-231.
- E. Kallabova: Vybrane uzemni souvislosti bydleni s priklady ze sidlistnich struktur. Geograficky casopis, vol. 56, no. 4, Bratislava, 2004, pp. 337-350.
- K. Kirchner, J. Lacina: Slope movements as a disturbance agent increasing heterogeneity and biodiversity of landscape in Eastern Moravia. Ekologia (Bratislava), vol. 23, Supplement vol. 1, Bratislava, 2005, pp. 94-103.
- M. Lacinova, J. Munzar, M. Franc: Newly identified historical tornadoes in theCzech Republic from 16th to the 20th centuries. Atmospheric Research, vol. 83, no. 2-4, February 2007, pp. 488-492.
- J. Munzar, L. Elleder, M. Deutsch: The catastropgic flood in February/March 1784 – a natural disaster of European scope. Moravian Geographical Reports, vol. 13, no.1, 2005, pp. 8-24.
- J. Munzar, M. Deutch, L. Elleder, S. Ondracek, E. Kallabova, M. Hradek: Historical Floods in Central Europe and their Documentation by means of Floodmarks and other epigraphic Monuments. Moravian Geographical Reports, vol. 3, no.3, 2006, pp. 26-44.
- P. Klapka: Krajinne mikrochory Krkonos. Opera Corcontica, vol. 41, no. 2, Vrchlabi, 2004, pp. 478 – 483.
- P. Rostinsky, R. Roetzel: Exhumed Cenozoic landforms on the SE flank of the Bohemian Massif in the Czech Republic and Austria. Zeitschrift fur Geomorphologie, vol. 49, no. 1, Berlin-Stuttgart, 2005, pp. 23-45.
- V. Tousek, I. Smolova, M. Fnukal, M. Jurek, P. Klapka: The Czech Republic: portraits of the regions. MMR, Praha, 2005, 136 p.
- A. Vaishar: Some topical challenges for the geography of Czech settlements. Geograficky casopis, vol. 55, no. 4, Bratislava, 2004, pp. 355-372
- A. Vaishar, B. Greer-Wootten: Sustainable development in Moravia: An interpretation of the role of the small-town sector in transitional socioeconomic evolution. In: Z. Bochniarz, G.B. Cohen (eds.): The environment and sustainable development in the new central Europe. Berghahn Books, New York – Oxford, 2006, pp. 217-231.
- A. Vaishar, E. Kallabova, J. Zapletalova: New Prosperity for Marginal Regions in Moravia. Geographia Polonica, vol. 76, no. 1, Warszawa, 2003, pp. 165-176.
- A. Vaishar, K. Kirchner, J. Lacina: Landscape of Small Moravian Towns. In: Kirchner, K., Wojtanowicz, J.: Cultural Landscape Regiograph, Brno, 2004, pp. 57-74.