River Sediments Downstream of Villages in a Karstic Watershed Exhibited Increased Numbers and Higher Diversity of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria.

The impact of residential villages on the nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) in streams flowing through them has not been studied in detail. Water and sediments of streams are highly susceptible to anthropogenic inputs such as surface water flows. This study investigated the impact of seven residential villages in a karst watershed on the prevalence and species spectrum of NTM in water and sediments.

Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Prevalence in Aerosol and Spiders' Webs in Karst Caves: Low Risk for Speleotherapy.

A total of 152 aerosol and spider web samples were collected: 96 spider's webs in karst areas in 4 European countries (Czech Republic, France, Italy, and Slovakia), specifically from the surface environment ( = 44), photic zones of caves ( = 26), and inside (aphotic zones) of caves ( = 26), 56 Particulate Matter (PM) samples from the Cave System (speleotherapy facility; = 21) and from aerosol collected from the nearby city of ( = 35) in the Czech Republic. Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) were isolated from 13 (13.5%) spider's webs: 5 isolates of saprophytic NTM (, , , and complex) and 6 isolates of potentially pathogenic NTM ( ssp.

Assessment of geogenic input into Bilina stream sediments (Czech Republic).

Over the past 100 years, the area along the River Bílina has been influenced by open-cast brown-coal mining, coal processing, petroleum refineries, and chemical plants. As a result, the extensive industrial activity has changed the overall character as well as the morphology of the landscape. A survey was underway to investigate the occurrence and distribution of various elements in the sediments of the River Bílina-a tributary of the River Elbe, a watercourse running through the Czech Republic and Germany-in order to discern the natural background from anthropogenic pollution.

Nontuberculous mycobacteria in the environment of Hranice Abyss, the world's deepest flooded cave (Hranice karst, Czech Republic).

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are widely distributed in the environment. On one hand, they are opportunistic pathogens for humans and animals, and on the other hand, they are effective in biodegradation of some persistent pollutants. Following the recently recorded large abundance of NTM in extreme geothermal environments, the aim of the study was to ascertain the occurrence of NTM in the extreme environment of the water zone of the Hranice Abyss (HA).

Measuring biomass and carbon stock in resprouting woody plants.

Resprouting multi-stemmed woody plants form an important component of the woody vegetation in many ecosystems, but a clear methodology for reliable measurement of their size and quick, non-destructive estimation of their woody biomass and carbon stock is lacking. Our goal was to find a minimum number of sprouts, i.e.