Jana Růžičková

*22 December 1989, Valašské Meziříčí, Czech Republic

I am a researcher in the Integrative Ecology Research Group of the Hungarian Research Network (HUN-REN), hosted by the Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) and the Hungarian Natural History Museum (MTM), Budapest, Hungary. I am particularly interested in ecology of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae). I've been working on radio telemetry, habitat use and movement patterns of selected large species as well as community ecology of carabids in managed temperate forests, agricultural landscapes and post-mining areas in Central Europe.

Currently, I'm mainly engaged in research on how the different management practices of two silvicultural systems, represented by rotation forestry (preparation cuttings, clear-cuttings, retention tree groups) and continuous cover forestry (gap-cuttings of different shapes and sizes), can affect ground beetles at different levels of the organization, from assemblages and species populations to individuals and their behavior.

Email: jr.tracey[at]seznam.cz

Google Scholar - Research Gate - ORCID - ResearcherID

Education

09/2014 - 08/2018

PhD in Zoology, Department of Zoology, Palacký University Olomouc, Czech Republic
Thesis: Radio telemetry of ground beetles: Habitat use and movement activity of Carabus ullrichii, PDF
Supervisor: RNDr. Milan Veselý, Ph.D.

09/2012 - 08/2014

Pedagogical minimum of Biology for Secondary schools, Palacký University Olomouc, Czech Republic

09/2012 - 06/2014

MSc in Zoology, Palacký University Olomouc, Czech Republic

09/2009 - 06/2012

BSc in Systematic Biology and Ecology, Palacký University Olomouc, Czech Republic

Experience

01/2024 - present

Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
Research fellow (funded by NKFIH OTKA grant, no. PD 146480)

07/2022 - present

HUN-REN-ELTE-MTM Integrative Ecology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
Research fellow

09/2019 - 06/2022
09/2018 - 05/2019
09/2017 - 11/2017

MTA-ELTE-MTM Ecology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
Assistant research fellow
Postdoctoral fellow (funded by Erasmus+ traineeship for graduates)
Research stay as a mandatory part of the Ph.D. program (funded by Erasmus+ traineeship)
Mentor: Zoltán Elek, Ph.D.

07/2019 - 08/2019
03/2015 - 08/2018

Pevnost poznání, Interactive science center of Palacký University Olomouc, Czech Republic
Illustrator
Lecturer of educational programs for schools and illustrator

Occasional freelance artist
Main focus: scientific and educational illustration, comics, anthropomorphic animals

Scientific publications

Růžičková J. & Elek Z. (2024): Academic inbreeding reduces the scientific performance of ecologists. Biologia (early view).

Ahmed D.A., Beidas A., Petrovskii S.V., Bailey J.D., Bonsall M.B., Hood A.S.C., Byers J.A., Hudgins E.J., Russell J.C., Růžičková J., Bodey T.W., Renault D., Bonnaud E., Haubrock P.J., Soto I. & Haase P. (2023): Simulating capture efficiency of pitfall traps based on sampling strategy and the movement of ground-dwelling arthropods. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 14: 2827–2843.

Samu F., Elek Z., Růžičková J., Botos E., Kovács B. & Ódor P. (2023): Can gap-cutting help to preserve forest spider communities? Diversity 15: 240.

Růžičková J. & Elek Z. (2023): Beetles on the move: not-just-a-technical review of beetles’ radio-tracking. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 171: 82–93.

Elek Z., Růžičková J. & Ódor P. (2022): Functional plasticity of carabids can presume better the changes in community composition than taxon-based descriptors. Ecological Applications 32: e02460.

Růžičková J. & Elek Z. (2021): Unequivocal differences in predation pressure on large carabid beetles between forestry treatments. Diversity 13: 484.

Elek Z., Růžičková J. & Ódor P. (2021): Individual decisions drive the changes in movement patterns of ground beetles between forestry management types. Biologia 76: 3287–3296.

Růžičková J. & Elek Z. (2021): Recording fine-scale movement of ground beetles by two methods: Potentials and methodological pitfalls. Ecology and Evolution 11: 8562–8572.

Růžičková J., Bérces S., Ackov S. & Elek Z. (2021): Individual movement of large carabids as a link for activity density patterns in various forestry treatments. Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 67: 77-86.

Růžičková J., Kádár F., Szalkovszki O., Kovács-Hostyánszki A., Báldi A. & Elek Z. (2020): Scale-dependent environmental filtering of ground-dwelling predators in winter wheat and adjacent set-aside areas in Hungary. Journal of Insect Conservation 24: 751-763.

Moskát C., Hauber M.E., Růžičková J., Marton A., Bán M. & Elek Z. (2020): Female-female aggression and male responses to the two colour morphs of female common cuckoos. The Science of Nature 107: 28.

Elek Z., Růžičková J., Ádám R., Bereczki K., Boros G., Kádár F., Kovács-Hostyánszki A., Somay L., Szalkovszki O. & Báldi A. (2020): Mixed effects of ecological intensification on natural pest control providers: a short-term study for biotic homogenization in winter wheat fields. PeerJ 8:e8746.

Hykel M., Růžičková J. & Dolný A. (2020): Perch selection in Sympetrum species (Odonata: Libellulidae): importance of vegetation structure and composition. Ecological Entomology 45: 90-96.

Růžičková J. & Hykel M. (2019): Habitat mosaic of gravel pit as a potential refuge for carabids: a case study from Central Europe. Community Ecology 20: 215-222.

Bérces S. & Růžičková J. (2019): Habitat use of an endangered beetle Carabus hungaricus assessed via radio telemetry. Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 65: 335-348.

Růžičková J. & Veselý M. (2018): Movement activity and habitat use of Carabus ullrichii (Coleoptera: Carabidae): The forest edge as a mating site? Entomological Science 21: 76-83.

Růžičková J. & Veselý M. (2016): Using radio telemetry to track ground beetles: Movement of Carabus ullrichii. Biologia 71: 924-930.

+ something (3 ms) in the pipeline and another (1 ms) in the writing stage :)

Popular science

Růžičková J. & Elek Z. (2022): Co je žere? Predační tlak na velké střevlíky v lesním prostředí / What is eating them? Predation pressure on large ground beetles in the forest environment. Živa 6: 320-321. (in Czech)

Elek Z., Růžičková J. & Ódor P. (2022): Colorful Beetles of a Temperate Forest: Carabus scheidleri. The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America 103: e01942.

Růžičková J. & Elek Z. (2021): Úskalí výzkumu střevlíků 2. Jak zaznamenat pohyb v terénu? / Pitfalls of carabid research 2. How to record movement in the field? Živa 6: 328-329. (in Czech)

Růžičková J. & Elek Z. (2021): Úskalí výzkumu střevlíků 1. Co vlastně říkají zemní pasti? / Pitfalls of carabid research 1. What do pitfall traps actually tell us? Živa 4: 182-184. (in Czech)

Popelka O., Hykel M., Růžičková J., Taraška V. & Trávníček B. (2017): Mohou být aktivní těžební prostory hodnotné z hlediska ochrany přírody? Příklad štěrkopískovny Hulín / Can active mining sites/areas be valuable from the nature conservation viewpoint? An example of the Hulín gravel pit. Ochrana přírody 3: 40-43. (in Czech)

Růžičková J. & Veselý M. (2016): Využití radiotelemetrie v entomologii / Usage of radiotelemetry in entomology. Živa 6: 314-315. (in Czech)

Comic books

Růžičková J. (2015): Biotopia: Svitek a čaj. Nová Forma, Týn nad Vltavou. 48pp. ISBN 978-80-7453-587-1 (in Czech)

Projects and more

2024 - 2026: NKFIH OTKA PD - Effects of individual movement and predation pressure on the changes in habitat use of carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in different forestry treatments (principal investigator).

2018: Quarry Life Award - Hrabůvka quarry: a potential refuge of rare species (principal investigator, entomological survey), PDF.

2016: Quarry Life Award - Gravel pit Hulín: towards the harmony among diverse interests (entomological survey).

2024: 21st European Carabidologists' Meeting, Budapest, Hungary (member of organizing committee).

2023: COST Training School - Interdisciplinary summer school on forest ecosystems, Ljubljana, Slovenia. Organized by 3DForEcoTech, BOTTOMS-UP and PROCLIAS Cost Actions.

Other interests and memberships

Biotopia webcomic

Hiking

Member of the Czech Society for Ornithology and the Czech Society for Ecology.
Public body of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.