Milovice research area is located in former military training area, ca. 40 km north-east of Prague, in Polabska Lowland. An open steppe character of the locality had been maintained by military use for almost 90 years. Since abandonment in 1991, shrubs and trees have started to overgrow the original herbaceous grassland so the biotopes became less suitable for numerous open-habitat species. Since 2015, two large herbivore pastures have been established in the southern part of Milovice reserve (40 ha) and Traviny (100 ha), using wild Exmoor ponies and rebred aurochs or wisents respectively, as a management tool in nature conservation.

Here, we set a monitoring to compare differences between beetle (insect) communities in pasture and neighboring non-managed grassland by using flight intercept traps. We also focus on dung beetles and wasps as biomonitoring groups for assessing long-term habitat changes.

Lasting decrease in functionality and richness: Effects of ivermectin use on dung beetle communities. Ambrožová et al. 2021, Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment.