Zdenek Kaplan
@zdenek-kaplan-ibot.bsky.social
Botanist.
Plant taxonomy, biosystematics, hybridization, evolution.
Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Botany.
Plant taxonomy, biosystematics, hybridization, evolution.
Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Botany.
Random shots from fieldwork in southern Bohemia.
June 6, 2026 at 1:20 PM
Random shots from fieldwork in southern Bohemia.
Hidden diversity uncovered: molecular screening reveals cryptic Batrachium taxa in Pannonia, with their closest relatives not in central Europe, but as far as the western Mediterranean area.
@ibotcz.bsky.social @czechacademy.bsky.social
@ibotcz.bsky.social @czechacademy.bsky.social
Unique wetlands of the Pannonian Basin host an unexpected Batrachium diversity, including several morphologically cryptic cytotypes unknown elsewhere in central Europe. These lineages are closer to Mediterranean taxa than to their central European neighbours.
preslia.cz/doi/preslia.2026.105.html
preslia.cz/doi/preslia.2026.105.html
March 25, 2026 at 4:05 PM
Hidden diversity uncovered: molecular screening reveals cryptic Batrachium taxa in Pannonia, with their closest relatives not in central Europe, but as far as the western Mediterranean area.
@ibotcz.bsky.social @czechacademy.bsky.social
@ibotcz.bsky.social @czechacademy.bsky.social
Reposted by Zdenek Kaplan
New distribution maps for 87 vascular plant taxa reveal a flora under pressure: several species now survive at a single Czech site and four are nationally extinct. In contrast, taxonomic revision reveals 22 distinct escaped Cotoneaster species.
preslia.cz/doi/preslia.2026.001.html
preslia.cz/doi/preslia.2026.001.html
March 25, 2026 at 1:12 PM
New distribution maps for 87 vascular plant taxa reveal a flora under pressure: several species now survive at a single Czech site and four are nationally extinct. In contrast, taxonomic revision reveals 22 distinct escaped Cotoneaster species.
preslia.cz/doi/preslia.2026.001.html
preslia.cz/doi/preslia.2026.001.html
Warning from Nature: EU and USA weaken basic scientific research, narrowing support to projects with rapid political or economic returns. This may bring short-term gains but risks future breakthroughs. Meanwhile, China is significantly increasing investment in basic research. doi.org/10.1038/d415...
Don’t deprioritize curiosity-driven research
Around the world, governments are demanding that research funding follow broader political priorities. They should be careful what they wish for.
doi.org
February 26, 2026 at 7:17 AM
Warning from Nature: EU and USA weaken basic scientific research, narrowing support to projects with rapid political or economic returns. This may bring short-term gains but risks future breakthroughs. Meanwhile, China is significantly increasing investment in basic research. doi.org/10.1038/d415...
We continue uncovering hidden Batrachium diversity with the discovery of an extremely rare diploid hybrid combination, newly found in the Czech Republic.
@ibotcz.bsky.social @czechacademy.bsky.social
@ibotcz.bsky.social @czechacademy.bsky.social
Why are allopolyploids common in Batrachium, but no diploid hybrids? This puzzle is now solved: a large-scale screening uncovered a natural hybrid between diploid species, providing new insight into the early stages of polyploid evolution.
preslia.cz/doi/preslia.2025.637.html
preslia.cz/doi/preslia.2025.637.html
December 16, 2025 at 8:30 AM
We continue uncovering hidden Batrachium diversity with the discovery of an extremely rare diploid hybrid combination, newly found in the Czech Republic.
@ibotcz.bsky.social @czechacademy.bsky.social
@ibotcz.bsky.social @czechacademy.bsky.social
Plants spreading fast at home often become global invaders 🌱✈️ A new Nature Comms study shows that species expanding in Europe are most likely to naturalize abroad. Watching native trends may be the key to predicting invasions: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Many plants naturalized as aliens abroad have also become more common within their native regions - Nature Communications
How changes in species’ native occupancy over time relate to global naturalization success remains unclear. Here, the authors show that species with both high occupancy decades ago and increasing nati...
www.nature.com
September 7, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Plants spreading fast at home often become global invaders 🌱✈️ A new Nature Comms study shows that species expanding in Europe are most likely to naturalize abroad. Watching native trends may be the key to predicting invasions: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Zdenek Kaplan
Spatially uneven sampling of species occurrences can mislead biodiversity research. A new study of Czech flora by Klímová et al. reveals how different methods mitigate the distortions in the patterns of species richness.
preslia.cz/doi/preslia.2025.541.html
preslia.cz/doi/preslia.2025.541.html
September 5, 2025 at 5:27 AM
Spatially uneven sampling of species occurrences can mislead biodiversity research. A new study of Czech flora by Klímová et al. reveals how different methods mitigate the distortions in the patterns of species richness.
preslia.cz/doi/preslia.2025.541.html
preslia.cz/doi/preslia.2025.541.html
Reposted by Zdenek Kaplan
🌸 This year, we finally (!) have a good yield of apricots (Prunus armeniaca) here in South Moravia, after three years without apricots across the region.
Apricots are thermophilous trees, thriving in Czechia’s warmest areas. Paradoxically, though, they are suffering from global warming.
Apricots are thermophilous trees, thriving in Czechia’s warmest areas. Paradoxically, though, they are suffering from global warming.
July 12, 2025 at 11:06 AM
🌸 This year, we finally (!) have a good yield of apricots (Prunus armeniaca) here in South Moravia, after three years without apricots across the region.
Apricots are thermophilous trees, thriving in Czechia’s warmest areas. Paradoxically, though, they are suffering from global warming.
Apricots are thermophilous trees, thriving in Czechia’s warmest areas. Paradoxically, though, they are suffering from global warming.
🧵1/5 Botanical visit to the Krkonoše Mountains, the highest mountain range in Czechia. Peat bogs with Pedicularis sudetica (type locality) and Andromeda polifolia.
July 12, 2025 at 5:28 AM
🧵1/5 Botanical visit to the Krkonoše Mountains, the highest mountain range in Czechia. Peat bogs with Pedicularis sudetica (type locality) and Andromeda polifolia.
🧵1/3 Another field trip in search of interesting plants, this time to fishponds and other wetlands in the Odra river basin, north-eastern Czechia. Utricularia australis, Trapa natans and Salvinia natans.
July 12, 2025 at 4:09 AM
🧵1/3 Another field trip in search of interesting plants, this time to fishponds and other wetlands in the Odra river basin, north-eastern Czechia. Utricularia australis, Trapa natans and Salvinia natans.
Another paper from our Batrachium team: subtle yet evolutionarily intriguing aquatic plants have arisen in the beautiful postglacial landscapes of the Alps.
Lakes in the Alps hide a surprising story: Alpine populations are genetically identical to the Nordic Ranunculus confervoides, yet show unexpected haplotype diversity and novel hybrids, revealing a complex evolutionary history.
preslia.cz/doi/preslia.2025.191.html
preslia.cz/doi/preslia.2025.191.html
June 24, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Another paper from our Batrachium team: subtle yet evolutionarily intriguing aquatic plants have arisen in the beautiful postglacial landscapes of the Alps.
🧵1/4 An abandoned limestone quarry in the Český kras karst area, Czech Republic. Vicia tenuifolia, Sedum album.
June 14, 2025 at 3:14 PM
🧵1/4 An abandoned limestone quarry in the Český kras karst area, Czech Republic. Vicia tenuifolia, Sedum album.
Celebrating #TaxonomyRecognitionDay with blooming plants from Průhonice Park and Castle, where @ibotcz.bsky.social is located. We live and work for the understanding of nature and biodiversity.
#nameittosaveit
@czechacademy.bsky.social
@tettris.eu
#nameittosaveit
@czechacademy.bsky.social
@tettris.eu
May 25, 2025 at 9:08 AM
Celebrating #TaxonomyRecognitionDay with blooming plants from Průhonice Park and Castle, where @ibotcz.bsky.social is located. We live and work for the understanding of nature and biodiversity.
#nameittosaveit
@czechacademy.bsky.social
@tettris.eu
#nameittosaveit
@czechacademy.bsky.social
@tettris.eu
Reposted by Zdenek Kaplan
The head of our Průhonice Botanical Garden and president of the Union of Botanical Gardens Pavel Sekerka explains why taxonomy is important for botanical gardens. @tettris.eu #nameittosaveit
May 23, 2025 at 2:01 PM
The head of our Průhonice Botanical Garden and president of the Union of Botanical Gardens Pavel Sekerka explains why taxonomy is important for botanical gardens. @tettris.eu #nameittosaveit
Reposted by Zdenek Kaplan
Our colleagues are joining the @tettris.eu, which links institutions across the continent in an effort to raise the profile and promote taxonomy not only in science but also in practical conservation. Lichenologist Jiří Malíček explains why taxonomy is needed ⬇️ #nameittosaveit
May 18, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Our colleagues are joining the @tettris.eu, which links institutions across the continent in an effort to raise the profile and promote taxonomy not only in science but also in practical conservation. Lichenologist Jiří Malíček explains why taxonomy is needed ⬇️ #nameittosaveit
Reposted by Zdenek Kaplan
Proper taxonomic classification is crucial for many practical fields. It allows, for example, to distinguish between useful and harmful species, but also between edible and poisonous fungi. Don't forget to take photos of your favorite plants and share them with #nameittosaveit! @tettris.eu
May 16, 2025 at 8:26 AM
Proper taxonomic classification is crucial for many practical fields. It allows, for example, to distinguish between useful and harmful species, but also between edible and poisonous fungi. Don't forget to take photos of your favorite plants and share them with #nameittosaveit! @tettris.eu
Reposted by Zdenek Kaplan
Thousands of species of organisms remain undiscovered. Many of them are disappearing from the wild before we can even get to know them. Taxonomy Recognition Day (23rd May) will remind us, why is taxonomy important. What is taxonomy and why is it important? Follow us
@tettris.eu #NameItToSaveIt #avcr
@tettris.eu #NameItToSaveIt #avcr
May 13, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Thousands of species of organisms remain undiscovered. Many of them are disappearing from the wild before we can even get to know them. Taxonomy Recognition Day (23rd May) will remind us, why is taxonomy important. What is taxonomy and why is it important? Follow us
@tettris.eu #NameItToSaveIt #avcr
@tettris.eu #NameItToSaveIt #avcr
Have you ever wondered how complex the pathways of evolution truly are? In aquatic plants, they are far more intricate than we imagined. The deeper we explore, the more tangled the evolutionary network becomes. #evolution #speciation #hybridization #polyploidy rdcu.be/ei5UQ
April 24, 2025 at 10:37 AM
Have you ever wondered how complex the pathways of evolution truly are? In aquatic plants, they are far more intricate than we imagined. The deeper we explore, the more tangled the evolutionary network becomes. #evolution #speciation #hybridization #polyploidy rdcu.be/ei5UQ
Reposted by Zdenek Kaplan
Česká botanická společnost otevřela profil na Bluesky a přestala zveřejňovat informace na síti X.
The Czech Botanical Society has opened a profile on Bluesky and discontinued sharing information on X.
bsky.app/profile/bota...
The Czech Botanical Society has opened a profile on Bluesky and discontinued sharing information on X.
bsky.app/profile/bota...
March 26, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Česká botanická společnost otevřela profil na Bluesky a přestala zveřejňovat informace na síti X.
The Czech Botanical Society has opened a profile on Bluesky and discontinued sharing information on X.
bsky.app/profile/bota...
The Czech Botanical Society has opened a profile on Bluesky and discontinued sharing information on X.
bsky.app/profile/bota...
Reposted by Zdenek Kaplan
Decline of the most beautiful Czech orchid, and spatial and temporal dynamics of 102 other species in another instalment of the series on the distribution of plants in the Czech Republic.
preslia.cz/doi/preslia.2025.175.html
preslia.cz/doi/preslia.2025.175.html
March 5, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Decline of the most beautiful Czech orchid, and spatial and temporal dynamics of 102 other species in another instalment of the series on the distribution of plants in the Czech Republic.
preslia.cz/doi/preslia.2025.175.html
preslia.cz/doi/preslia.2025.175.html
Vilmo! Kde jsi koupila tenhle kalendář?!!
February 15, 2025 at 9:53 AM
Vilmo! Kde jsi koupila tenhle kalendář?!!
Reposted by Zdenek Kaplan
Narrow-leaved ragwort (Senecio inaequidens) is the plant of the year 2025 in the Czech Republic.
In previous years, the Czech Botanical Society awarded this title to endangered species, but this year, we chose an alien species whose invasion is taking place at breakneck speed right before our eyes.
In previous years, the Czech Botanical Society awarded this title to endangered species, but this year, we chose an alien species whose invasion is taking place at breakneck speed right before our eyes.
January 22, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Narrow-leaved ragwort (Senecio inaequidens) is the plant of the year 2025 in the Czech Republic.
In previous years, the Czech Botanical Society awarded this title to endangered species, but this year, we chose an alien species whose invasion is taking place at breakneck speed right before our eyes.
In previous years, the Czech Botanical Society awarded this title to endangered species, but this year, we chose an alien species whose invasion is taking place at breakneck speed right before our eyes.
December 29, 2024 at 11:36 AM
Reposted by Zdenek Kaplan
Expansive plants are native but behave similarly to alien invasive plants and can also have negative impacts. The first catalogue of the expansive flora of the Czech Republic includes 126 taxa, with the regions and habitats, where they spread. preslia.cz/doi/preslia.2024.299.html
December 16, 2024 at 8:28 AM
Expansive plants are native but behave similarly to alien invasive plants and can also have negative impacts. The first catalogue of the expansive flora of the Czech Republic includes 126 taxa, with the regions and habitats, where they spread. preslia.cz/doi/preslia.2024.299.html