The progressive development of economic valuations of biodiversity in recent decade enables the application of the concept of payments for ecosystem services (PES) in order to conservation of forest biodiversity in protected areas. In this article, the PES concept principles are applied for the monetary valuation of natural forest habitats, which were mapped in the Czech Republic in order to create the Natura 2000 European network. The method is based on expert evaluation of every type of mapped habitat by a point value (ranging from 1 to 6 points) for specific ecological evaluating criteria. The monetary value of every point of specific natural forest habitats was defined from the economic analysis of financial expenses of realised ecological restoration projects in the Czech Republic. This method is therefore based on a rather exceptional application of the PES concept, which is still rare in literature because it is based on actual invested financial means, not only on the potential willingness to spend these financial means. The presented results of the monetary valuation of the natural forest habitats in the Czech Republic indicate that the method used for the monetization of forest biodiversity in protected areas can represent a promising decision support tool in countries where habitat mapping results are available.

Mycotoxin content in 244 samples of wheat ears randomly collected during 2014 and 2015 from various localities in the Czech Republic was analysed using liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Mean mycotoxin concentration in 2014 was highest for deoxynivalenol (DON; 760 μg/kg), followed by zearalenone (ZEA; 115 μg/kg), 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3-ADON; 88 μg/kg), deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside (83 μg/kg), and enniatins (ENNs; 102 μg/kg). In 2015, DON (66 μg/kg) also had the highest concentration level, followed by ENNs (35 μg/kg), nivalenol (2 μg/kg), and beauvericin (2 μg/kg). The maximum limit for DON in the European Union (1,250 μg/kg) was exceeded in 2% of samples, and the maximum limit for ZEA (100 μg/kg) was exceeded in 0.8% of samples. Fusarium species causing head blight were identified using PCR assays. During 2014-2015, Fusarium poae considerably dominated (48.7% average value of occurrence in the samples). Other species were detected in much lower frequencies in both years: Fusarium graminearum (average frequency of occurrence 13.7%), Fusarium avenaceum (11.9%), Fusarium culmorum (4.2%), and Fusarium equiseti (2.9%). Fusarium langsethiae was identified only in 2015, at a frequency of 10.2%, and Fusarium sporotrichioides was present only sporadically in 2014.

Raw, honey‐coated and processed Sacha inchi kernels were investigated for effects of different thermal processes on the content of total phenolic content (TPC) (Folin assay) and radical scavenging capacity (DPPH method), the content of α‐tocopherol, ß + γ‐tocopherol, δ‐tocopherol. Sacha inchi kernels were subjected to open boiling, pressure boiling, sous‐vide, low‐temperature roasting, high‐temperature roasting and honey roasting. The radical scavenging capacity of kernels was little affected by thermal processing, with the average loss of 8%. Roasting had a significant negative effect on tocopherol content but not on the total phenolic content. The appropriate thermal procedure and adequate time can significantly influence the quality of Sacha inchi kernels during food preparation. Especially roasting at 190C for 35 min and honey roasting at 170C for 30 min of Sacha inchi kernels have positive effect of increasing TPC. Practical Applications Plukenetia volubilis or Sacha inchi seeds are the traditional food used as nuts in the mountain area of the South America. The oil have recently become popular as a source of unsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants and A and E vitamins; however, not much information has been published on the micronutrients in processed seeds. This article presents several processing methods for Sacha inchi seeds and offers the description of changes in health beneficial compounds the kernels are seeking for. This article aims to become a useful tool for increasing number of importers and processors spreading this rediscovered food.

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Global and regional biodiversity loss is caused by several drivers including urban development, land use intensification, overexploitation of natural resources, environmental pollution, and climate change. The main aim of our study was to adapt the GLOBIO3 model to the conditions of the Czech Republic (CR) to assess loss of naturalness and biodiversity vulnerability at the habitat level on a detailed scale across the entire CR. An additional aim was to assess the main drivers affecting the biodiversity of habitat types. The GLOBIO3 model was adapted to CZ-GLOBIO by adapting global to local scales and using habitat quality and naturalness data instead of species occurrence data. The total mean species abundance (MSA) index of habitat quality, calculated from the spatial overlay of the four MSA indicators by our new equation, reached the value 0.62. The total value of MSA for natural and near-natural habitats was found to be affected mainly by infrastructure development and fragmentation. Simultaneously, intensity of land use change and atmospheric nitrogen deposition contributed primarily to the low total value of MSA for distant natural habitats. The CZ-GLOBIO model can be an important tool in political decision making to reduce the impact of the main drivers on habitat biodiversity in the CR.