T W E N T Y Y E A R S O F C Z E C H O S L O V A K B O T A N I C A L P E R I O D I C A L S

I N T H E C Z E C H O S L O V A K A C A D E M Y O F S C I E N C E S

The twentieth anniversary of the foundation of the Czechoslovalr Academy of Sciences (~SA V) leads us to reflect on the significance of this supreme scientific institution for science in Czechoslovakia. One of its greatest contributions has been the establishment of a remarkably extensive network of new scientific institutions and of a number of new journals which provide a platform for them. All Czechoslovak botanists can make use of these publication facilities.

"Folia Geobotanica et Phytotaxonomiea" appeared for the seventh year recently. In spite of this relatively short life, the number of articles (especially long ones) published here is high. The journal deals with phytocenology, phytogeography, ecology, paleo. ecology and the taxonomy of both lower and higher plants. A much older journal in the fief4 of experimental botany is "Biologia Plantarum", which is in its 14th year. Both these journals are published in world lang~z~ges only.

The publication activity of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences also covers the perio~licals of the scientific societies. Vol. 44 of "Preslia" has already appeared, dealing with all fields of botany covered by the Czechoslovak Botanical Society; it publishes in world languages and also in Czech and Slovak. This important journal not only repre- sents Czechoslovak Botany abroad, but also helps to educate the numerous amateur botanists in this country. The same Society publishes (since 1966) irregular "Zprdvy ~eslcoslovenskd botanick~ spole~nosti" (Reports of the Czechoslovak Botanical Society) three or four times a year, presenting predominantly brief taxonomic and phytogco- graphical communications. These Reports are also the special forum for the results of floristic investigation of Czechoslovakic~ carried out by the Society through its regional branches. The texts are provided with brief summaries in world languages.

The journal "~eskd My~cologie' , now in its 26th year, is edited by the Czechoslovak Scientific Society for Mycology, publishing in world languages and in Czech and Slovak.

Besi~les these specialized periodicals and organs of scientific societies, the Czecho. slovak Academy of Sciences publishes journals of wider scope. "Rozpravy ~SAV" ( Transa,,ctious) presents short monographs (up to 150 pp.), as does (since 1968) "Studie

SA V ', the latter in rotaprint. Botanical papers appear in both. This group of perio~lieals is completed by the "Prdee vgdeck~)ch pracoviw ~SA V

v Brn~" (Papers from Scientific Institutes of the ~SA V in Brno), publishing studies up to 80 pp. in length.

The Botanical Institute also issues the rotaprint "Bibliographia Botanica Oecho- slovaca", of which five volumes (1959--68) have been published, thus reassuming the traditional bibliographical function of "Preslia".

The Botanical Gardens of the ~SA V publish "Zprdvy" (Reports) devoted m~inly to dendrology and the gradual publication of materials on the Pr4honiee Park, which since fusion with the Botanical Institute has been taken over by the latter Institute. 6 volumes have so far appeared in Czech and Slovak.

Vol. 7, No. 3 (225--336) of the Folia geobotaniea et phytotaxonomlea was issued 80 2qovember 1972

338

Slovak botanists have no special botanical journal at their disposal, but for all bio- logical fields represented in the Slovak Academy of Sciences, the journal "BiolSgia" appears, including botanical papers. Since 1970 the individual issues have been devoted in turn to qeneral biology, zoology and botany; there are thus four botanical numbers a year. "Biologickg prdce SA V" (Biological Papers of the Slovak Academy of Sciences) publishes short monographs by Slovak authors or dealing with Slovak topics (since 1955).

Czechoslovak botanists thus have considerable publication possibilities. As most papers appear in one of the major languages, these journals have a good standing abroad and the work of Czechoslovak scientists thus contributes to world botanical i~formation.

S lavomi l Hejn~) Chief Editor