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The results of nature science research

Together with leading natural history institutions in the Czech Republic, Natura Opava has been continuously carrying out scientific research on the Preveza peninsula since 1992. Results show that the entire peninsula area is valuable in terms of its natural environment. Within this research period, two new species of beetles have been discovered here (Lacon kapleri and Cerocoma prevezaensis) as well as many other species which have been unknown up to now in both Greece and the Balkans. Almost all known vertebrates in Greece live in this relatively small area. There are rich plant communities growing in the marquis, on the sea coast or in parts of the native forests. The Ambracian Gulf, with its swamps and marshes, is one of the most important wetlands in Europe.

The results of nature science research in the period of 1992 – 2004

The region of Preveza´s peninsula in western Greece is exceptional in terms of nature science. Its eastern part, protruding out to the Amvrakian Bay with villages of Agios Apostoli, Agia Triada, Agios Thomas and Neochori, is fortunately not a popular tourist area. And this is why we can still meet very diverse species composition of flora and fauna in undisturbed ecosystems. Current results of the survey show that it is very likely that the site of Agios Apostoli has been inhabited since the prehistoric times. Settlement of the Middle Stone Age (about 40,000 years ago) was located still on the shore of a freshwater lake at those times. The lake became the sea bay about 10,000 years ago when the Mediterranean Sea level rose up by 30 – 40 metres. The current situation of the water level has been unchanged for about 2000 years.

List of Discoveries

1992
– discovery of new species of Cerocoma Prevezaenzis (beetle of Meloidae family), named according to the place of finding – described by Miroslav Dvořák, Praha
– discovery of new species of Elateridae for Greece (beetle of Elateridae family) – Lacon Kapleri (described by OldÅ™ich Kapler jr., Praha)

1996
– discovery of a stone arrowhead of prehistoric man in Agios Apostoli (Rostislav Morávek, Olomouc)
– discovery of a stone knife of prehistoric man in Agios Apostoli (Radim Sokol, Opava)

1997
– discovery of a stone knife of prehistoric man in Agios Apostoli (Milan Kubačka, Opava)
– discovery of tusk part of “forest elephant” (Loxodonta Antiqua), (Rostislav Morávek, Olomouc)

1998
– another discovery of part of “forest elephant” tusk (Loxodonta Antiqua) in Agios Apostoli (Rostislav Morávek)
– discovery of new species of sawyer beetle for Western Greece (beetle of Cerambycidae family) Nathrius brevipennis (ZdenÄ›k ÄŒerný, Praha)
– discovery of new species of sawyer beetle for Balkan (beetle of Cerambycidae family) Phoracantha semipunctata (ZdenÄ›k ÄŒerný, Praha)

1999
– discovery of a stone knife of prehistoric man in Agios Apostoli (Peter Hort, Ostrava)
– discovery of rare fungus Pulcherricium caeruleum in Agii Trias (Jiří Lazebníček, Olomouc)
– discovery of new species of sawyer beetle for Europe (beetle of Cerambycidae family) Phoracantha recurva (ZdenÄ›k ÄŒerný , Praha)

2000
– Florist survey of the Amvrakian Bay´s surroundings – 1999-2000 (Jiří Lazebníček, Olomouc)
– discovery of a stone knife of prehistoric man in Agios Apostoli (OndÅ™ej Cáder, Opava)
– discovery of a part of back tooth belonging probably to a “forest elephant” (Loxodonta Antiqua) in Agios Apostoli (Milan Kubačka, Opava)

2001
– discoveries of stone knives, janglers, scrapers and arrowheads of a prehistoric man in the site of Agios Apostoli (MiloÅ¡ Kačírek, Pavel Kolařík, brothers Pavel and Michal Ficeks, Jakub Kubačka, ZdenÄ›k ÄŒerevka and Tereza Å imečková – all of them from Opava)
– Contribution to knowledge of the fauna of beetles of Cerambycidae family Greece, 1992-2001 (ZdenÄ›k ÄŒerný, Praha). There were 96 species of Cerambycidae beetles discovered in the region.

2002
– Orchids of the Preveza Peninsula (results of a survey in 1998-2002) (DaneÅ¡ ÄŒervený, Opava, and Pavel Havránek, Olomouc). There were 42 species of orchids discovered in the region.

2003
– Coleoptera, Blattoidea and Heteroptera in Preveza´s Surroundings, Greece (ZdenÄ›k Malinka, Opava)
– Listing the trees on the site of Agios Apostoli, focusing on oaks. There were recorded 52 trees with a trunk circumference of 2.5 to 9.2 metres (Quercus pubescens, Quercus frainetto, Quercus Cerris and Quercus Virgiliana). Herbarium of these species and their hybrids was handed to Arboretum in Nový Dvůr (CZ). Now it is included in the evidence collections. (Jakub Kubačka, Opava)
– Significant trees on the Preveza´s peninsula (Jakub Kubačka, Opava)

2004
– Contribution to the knowledge of butterflies (Lepidoptera) 1992-2004 (Lubomír Honč, Albertovec)
– Contribution to the knowledge of amphibians and reptiles (Amphibia, Reptilia), 1988-2004 (Milan Kubačka and Jakub Kubačka, Opava, Ivan Zwach, Rozstání)
– Contribution to knowledge of birds (Aves) 1998-2004 (FrantiÅ¡ek Gazda, Vítkov)
– List of observed species of mammals (Mammalia), 1992-2004 (Milan Kubačka, Opava)
– List of observed species of shellfish in Preveza´s region of the Amvrakian Bay in the years of 1992-2004 (Milan Kubačka, Opava)
– discovery of a fossilized bone of Pleistocene mammal (joint of shoulder bone), belonging probably to a forest elephant of Loxodonta Antiqua (Rostislav Morávek, Olomouc)

Co-workers, professional guarantee for the project:

RNDr. Milan Kubačka, Natura Opava, biologist, author of publications
Bc. Jakub Kubačka – statutory representative of the Natura Opava, biologist
ZdenÄ›k ÄŒerný – Czech Entomological Society, Praha
Ing. Rostislav Morávek – Department of Geology in the Museum of National History in Olomouc
Ing. Jiří Lazebníček – member of the European Committee for Protection of Fungi
Ing. ZdenÄ›k Malinka – entomologist, Opava
Ivan Zwach – biologist, herpetologist, ProstÄ›jov
Mgr. Pavel Veselý- botanist, Faculty of Natural Science at the Masaryk University in Brno
Mgr. Jiří Procházka – entomologist, Faculty of Natural Science at the Masaryk University in Brno
Prof. RNDr. VítÄ›zslav Bičík, CSc. – Faculty of Nature Science, University in Olomouc
Ing. Miroslav Frank, CSc. – Head master of the Arboretum at the Silesian Land Museum Opava
RNDr. MiloÅ¡ Holzer – Czech Union of Nature Protection, Olomouc
Mgr. Petr Pavlíček – director of the Mendel´s Grammar School in Opava
FrantiÅ¡ek Gazda – ornithologist, – Moravian Ornithological Society
Milan PustÄ›jovský – Zoological preparation of mammals and birds, Opava

Co-operation with Greek colleagues:

Panagiotis Merkuris, Town Hall of Preveza
Vasilis Marmaris, Environmental Society of Preveza (Nature Protection Organization)
Dionysis Papanikos, geologist, Geological Institute of Preveza
Stamatis Zogaris, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Athens)

Co-operation with Greek colleagues:

- Contribution to the Understanding of geology and paleontology (Rostislav Morávek)
– A contribution to the understanding of flora (Jiří Lazebníček)
– A contribution to the understanding of trees in Agios Apostoli (Jakub Kubačka, Milan Kubačka)
– A contribution to the understanding of orchids (DaneÅ¡ ÄŒervený)
– A contribution to the understanding of beetles of family Coleoptera:
Cerambycidae in Greece (Zdeněk Černý)
– A contribution to the understanding of insect (Milan Malinka)
– A contribution to the understanding of Amphibia and Reptilia (Ivan Zwach, Milan Kubačka, Jakub Kubačka)

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