The award is presented by the editors-in-chief of the Royal Entomological Society’s journals based on the exceptional quality of published scientific papers. The research conducted by the team from Mendel University narrowly missed the top prize but earned a special recognition, which confirms the high standard and relevance of their scientific work. “It is a great honor that our work has been recognized in this way. A big thank you goes to the Royal Entomological Society and the editors-in-chief for recognizing our research. I would also like to express my deep gratitude to my co-authors and colleagues; without their expertise and dedication in the field and in the laboratory, this result would not have been possible,” said Dominik Stočes, one of the researchers involved in the study.
The winning articles are selected by the editors-in-chief based on a wide range of criteria, such as scientific accuracy, excellent writing style, and original insights. The article by the team from Mendel University focused on determining how fire and subsequent silvicultural interventions affect ground beetle communities in sandy forests located in southern Moravia. The study compared leaving areas untouched with intensive soil preparation for Scots pine planting. The results showed that fire can create valuable open habitats that support the occurrence of rare and xerophilous beetle species, particularly those adapted to sandy soils. In contrast, intensive restoration measures, such as furrowed site preparation, led to a simplification of the environment and a decline in species diversity.
As part of their research, experts spent nine years monitoring the development of ground beetle communities following a large-scale forest fire in 2012 in the area known as the “Moravian Sahara.” The study area is located near Bzenec in southern Moravia and consists of a unique sandy landscape with deep layers of Quaternary and Neogene sands.
The award-winning article was published in the prestigious journal Agricultural and Forest Entomology and will soon be included in a special virtual issue directly on the journal’s homepage.
Complete results and official award announcements: https://www.royensoc.co.uk/news/res-journal-awards-2025/