Factors determining the vegetation composition of wet meadows and its changes in time

This thesis is mainly a literature review of scientific papers and other studies of wet meadows and their characteristics. The aim of the thesis is to summarise knowledge especially of the changes of the vegetation composition of the wet meadows, reveal the causes of such changes and consider the influence of different types of management. Wet meadows underwent crucial changes. They have been drained, the grazing or mowing has ended up and many species were unable to adapt to the changed conditions. Biodiversity in general has been decreasing on these habitats and it has been caused mainly by the total change in management. By comparing different scientific papers I identified common characteristics of the declining species and optimal managment options suitable for stopping their decline were detected. Consequently, I introduce the main methods used to study changes in vegetation composition over time. In the final part of the thesis I mention Slavkovský Les as the area where my future research will be conducted