The Long-term Vegetation Dynamics research group (LVD) research group focuses on vegetation ecology, in particular the classification and recent dynamics of forest vegetation in Central Europe. The research integrates different approaches, including long-term vegetation monitoring, invasion biology and species distribution analysis, to better understand patterns of ecological change. A key aspect of the work is the analysis of re-measurement data, providing insights into long-term vegetation dynamics, particularly in Central European forests.
Broader research interests include
- Classification and long-term change of forest vegetation
- Seasonal dynamics of dry grasslands
- Changes in regional floras
- Invasion biology of ornamental plants, especially in abandoned settlements
- Science communication and popularisation of botany
The research group is led by Petr Petřík, who holds a Ph.D. from the Charles University in Prague (2006), specialising in the methodology of grid mapping of plants with a focus on vegetation classification and long-term ecological change. Since 2000, Petr has been a researcher at the Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences and since 2023, he has been teaching geobotany courses at the Faculty of Environmental Sciences of the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague.
In addition to his academic and research roles, Petr coordinates the Platform for the Landscape (nasekrajina.eu), a key initiative that fosters collaboration between researchers, policy makers and the public. The Platform plays a crucial role in promoting sustainable landscape management and biodiversity restoration.
