Kulér-Summary

Ochrana přírody 6/2023 — 21. 12. 2023 — Kulér-Summary

SUMMARY62023

Härtel H., Vébrová D., Šafránek J., Sojka V. & Blažej L.: Development of an Area after the Fire in the České Švýcarsko/Bohemian Switzerland National Park
Within a fire area in the České Švýcarsko/Bo-hemian Switzerland National Park (northern Bohemia) where a fire occurred in 2022, spontaneous restoration in nature has been monitored. The extensive fire affected the western NP´s part in 2022 covering more than 10 square kilometres: it partially exceeded into the neighbouring Sächsische Schweiz/Saxon Switzerland National Park in Germany. Primary knowledge shows that the fire area has been very heterogeneous which has also been reflected into development since the fire. Succession has been in the initial stage characterized by some pyrophilous fungi and mosses: a vigorous arrival of birch has also been found there. Of invasive alien species it has not been clear yet how the Eastern white pine, also known as the Weymouth pine (Pinus strobus) common in other parts of the NP will express itself there: the same is the case of the very successful anemogamous American burnweed (Erechtites hieraciifolius). During one of many projects both positive and negative impacts of the fire on biological diversity of plants, fungi, hexapods, birds and bats have been monitored, separate research aims at insects. Research on vegetation regeneration in three forest types is also of fundamental importance. Research and documentation has also been dealing with abiotic nature in which some changes caused by great natural disasters, e.g. surface layer flaking or spalling in sandstones or rock block fissuring, are often irreversible.     ■

 
Šálek M.: Farms: Bird Diversity Islands under Threat
In the intensively used agricultural farmland with lack of natural or semi-natural landscape elements farms can become islands of bird species diversity. For some bird species they are a key habitat for their survival. The highest numbers and species diversity in bird populations and communities in active farms particularly aiming at husbandry/livestock production are amplified by food availability in the course of the year, e.g. through manure heaps, silos or seed stock stores. Another reason of the attractiveness of farms for birds can be crop diversity in the adjacent farmland. The conservation potential for birds can be significantly reduced by two processes – on the one hand by land abandonment and finishing livestock breeding, on the other hand, by farm modernisation. The latter fundamentally affected the bird fauna as evidenced by research on the Barn swallow (Hirundo rustica), Western house martin (Delichon urbicum) or the House sparrow (Passer domesticus). The pattern can be explained by two main factors, namely (i) limited nest-site availability; (ii) limited food resources. If we want to halt or at least slow down the decline in farmland birds it is absolutely necessary to pay attention to these habitats.      ■

Tichý L., Vítovcová K., Řehounková K., Preislerová Z., Novák P., Pánková H., Štochlová T. Regional seed mixtures as an effective tool for promoting species diversity in the landscape
In the Czech Republic, changes in agricultural land ownership in the 1990s had resulted in decline in agricultural production: arable land often was changed into meadows and pastures. Species-low seed mixtures with unsuitable composition have been and still are used for grassing over. Thus, extensive grassland areas were established where only a few of grass species dominate and broad-leaved herbs are represented only by common species spontaneously entering there from adjacent areas. Such grasslands do not provide insects with sufficient food availability and are a barrier for spreading of suitable species, similarly to extensive fields or forests. For restoring the grasslands when using regional seed mixtures, sufficiency of suitable seed stocks is crucial. At the beginning, their collecting had been carried out manually, which is very arduous and expensive. 
The article compares testing various types of harvesting machines based mostly on the principle of a quickly rotating brush combing out ripened seeds from a vegetation growth and provides basic characteristics of the individual machines. At four study plots the success rate of germinability in the material harvested is also compared: it was found that for the germination capacity of seeds it is crucial to prepare a site before sowing and suitable management after is needed. Based on the up-to-date experience, none of the smaller machines tested has principally negative impact on insects.     ■

Kozel J.: Game Management in the Šumava/Bohemian Forest Mts. National Park 
Since establishing the Šumava/Bohemian Forest Mts. National Park in 1991 game and its management have been an important part of forest management there. The first NP´s Management Plan (Kučera, Pecharová et al. 1992) dealt extensively with the issue, Red deer (Cervus elaphus) numbers were extremely high within the whole NP and keeping and breeding of trophy game was preferred. Moreover it was clear at that time that due to red deer´s migratory behaviour its management should not be limited only to the NP´s territory but it should be connected with that on the whole Protected Landscape Area´s territory as well as with the whole Šumava/Bohemian Forest Mts. foothills including the Bavarian side. The red deer´s maximum harvest in the NP´s history was reported in 2017 where 1,156 red deer was bagged. Since that time the red deer´s harvest has been declining, i.a. due to NP and Bayerische Wald/Bavarian Forest National Park´s long-term targets as well to the Grey wolf´s (Canis lupus) comeback. In the game management strategy having been under preparation it is necessary to take into account that if game management in the NP should be effective the same approach as within the most NP´s territory during the past 30 years should be applied. In addition it is also important to timely and adequately respond to new conditions including unifying the approach across the whole Šumava/Bohemian Forest Mts. despite any borders.    ■

Prach J., Konopásek Z. & Říha C.: How to Build in the Landscape. Developing a Web Application to Support Regulation of Building Activities in Protected Landscape Areas
Controlling building activities in Specially Protected Areas (PLAs) aiming and preserving the landscape scenery/character is an important agenda of the State Nature Conservancy authorities. The Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic through its PLA Administrations protects public interests which cannot be always clear at first glance. The procedure between a citizen-builder and a local authority causes a lot of tensions. 
The article shows outputs of the project 
funded by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic which was presented in Ochrana 
přírody/Nature Conservation Journal 4/2021 (“How to Build in a Protected Landscape Area.” From a Regulation to Practice). They include a web application jakstavetvkrajine.cz introducing local values of the landscape scenery/character and principles or regulations in the context in a sensitive way and user-friendly. It is based on preventive studies on landscape scenery/character assessment which have been elaborated by the individual PLA Administrations. The web interface allows to generate a tailored document to be printed. The application could contribute to better understanding of differentiated approach: why is a similar building unwanted in some parts of the PLA while in some of them it is not a trouble anyhow.    ■

Plesník J.: IPBES Discussed the Issue of Invasive Alien Species
On 2 September, 2023 in Bonn, the 10th session of the Plenary of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) approved document entitled as Thematic assessment of invasive alien species and their control. The comprehensive report was produced by 86 experts from 49 countries, working for more than four and a half years: it draws on more than 13,000 references, making it the most comprehensive assessment ever carried out of invasive alien species around the world. According to the report, more than 37,000 alien species have been introduced by many human activities around the world: more than 3,500 of these are harmful invasive alien species – seriously threatening nature, nature’s contributions to people and good quality of life. According to IPBES experts, the global economic cost of invasive alien species exceeded USD 423 billion annually in 2019, with costs having at least quadrupled every decade since 1970. Invasive alien species have been a major factor in 60% and the only driver in 16% of global animal and plant extinctions that we have recorded yet. While 80% of countries have targets related to managing invasive alien species in their national biodiversity plans, only 17% have national laws or regulations specifically addressing these issues and 45% of all countries do not invest in the management of biological invasions. Therefore, the report highlights that future biological invasions, invasive alien species, and their impacts, can be prevented through effective management and more integrated approaches presented there.■

Plesník J. & Plesníková M.: Artificial Intelligence in Nature Conservation
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has already proven to be a truly transforma¬tional and value-enhancing technology in a variety of applications. In biodiversity conservation and management it can dealt with genes, individuals, populations and ecosystems. For underfunded conservation scientists and nature conservationists, AI provides an attractive alternative to manually processing huge troves of data, such as camera trap images or audio recordings. For nature conservation purposes, AI has been most often used to identify wildlife species and in some cases individuals from digital information gathered by current remote sensing tools. Thus, data collected by citizen science can be quickly and effectively processed. The same procedure is applied when Ai assesses state, changes and trends in various habitat/ecosystem/land cover types, e.g. forests, wetlands, grasslands, mangroves or coral reefs. In addition, AI can help rangers to combat wildlife poaching and trafficking in protected areas. The article main AI applications available for nature conservation including their web addresses. Moreover, it also discuss AI´s weaknesses.     ■

Czajkowski J.: Inputs from Nature Conservation in Ombudsman´s Practice 
Also in the Czech Republic, citizens submit to the ombudsman a hug range of inputs including those dealing with nature conservation and landscape protection pursuant to Act No. 114/1992 Gazette on Nature Conservation and Landscape Protection, as amended later. The first case described in the article highlights an interesting issue of geocaching and an unfavourable impact which can pose on nature. Another story deals with woody plant cutting when possibly well-intended general restoration of public greenery in a municipality can easily turn to excessive impacts on the environment and human well-being. The last case reflects tramping in Protected Landscape Areas. A certain conflict between human activities on the one hand and nature on the other and related fears of maintaining nature and the landscape in desirable, i.e. well-preserved state is a common denominator of all the above cases.     ■

Koudelka M.: The Svěcená díra/Sanctified Hole near the Village of Javoříčko Has Been Known for More than 150 Years
The Svěcená díra/Sanctified Hole is the oldest known part of an underground labyrinth in the Javoříčko Caves (Central Moravia) which has been up to now a part of a visitor path. The caves display a long and less known history which has been often preserved only in folk tales and legends. The first description of the hole including a picture dates back to 1873 only. The less tempting underground space was a principal key to discovering the Javoříčko Caves themselves in 1938. At present the Svěcená díra/Sanctified Hole is an integral part of the comprehensive Javoříčko Caves reaching almost six kilometres in the length in three storeys there. The caves are located within the Špraněk National Nature Reserve and Site of European Importance (pursuant to Act No. 114/1992 Gazette on Nature Conservation and Landscape Protection, as amended later, the term for Site of Community Importance, SCI under the European Union’s Habitats Directive). The Svěcená díra/Sanctified Hole was a site from where other some kilometres of other underground spaces full of rich dripstone decoration were step-by-step discovered.    ■

Starý M.: The EUROPARC Federation Fifty Years Old and in Its Prime
The largest professional network of protected area managers in Europe (and probably also in the world) celebrates 50 years since its establishment. Joining national parks and nature reserves, sustainable development, all being roofed by transboundary cooperation. Therefore,  more and more protected area mangers have been joining the EUROPARC Federation, having been getting across borders and making friendship fifty years. Nowadays, the EUROPARC Federation has more than 400 members in 36 countries. They are not only protected area managers themselves, but also governmental institutions, ministries, non-governmental and private organisations or individuals. Step by step, the Junior Ranger programme aiming at communication with, education of and raising awareness among children, the Transboundary programme targeting transboundary cooperation sustainability and high quality or the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas have been developed. Each of them displays defined quality standards as well as checking mechanisms which are carefully applied during their long-term implementation. Celebrating the 50th anniversary naturally peaked at the EUROPARC 2023 Conference which was held in Leeuwarden in the Netherlands in early October 2023 under the fully appropriate motto Tribute to our landscape, where nature and people meet in harmony.    ■

Kapusta J.: The Largest Mountain Lake in the High Tatra Mountains Had Flown out Thousands of Years Ago 
The largest lake in the High Tatra Mountains (North Slovakia) was the Studenopotocké pleso Mountain Lake which does not exist anymore and which vanished in a way not so common in Central Europe. Thousands of years ago, it had flown out through an eroded moraine dam-like wall. The main parameters and the most recent facts are provided by scientific reconstruction based on an analysis of digital model of the terrain. Creation and further existence of the Studenopotocké pleso Mountain Lake is closely related to mountain glaciers. The dam-like wall and shores of the lake consisted of huge moraine wall, i.e. glacier sediments reaching dozens of meters in the height. In the end of the last Ice Age where significant warming arrived the High Tatras glaciers begun to melt. As a result, rock matter they brought or pushed created huge moraine walls blocking up valleys with lakes. Powerful mountain streams particularly during periods of high flow rate step-by-step mechanically eroded the dam-like walls. From a long-term point of view, the mountain lake constantly decreased its water surface up to the moment when totally flowed out. Covering 0.45 km² the Studenopotocké pleso Mountain Lake was definitely the largest lake in the whole Tatra Mountains, but it fully vanished due to a groove in the dam-like wall being 25 meters deep.      ■

Čižmářová L.: Czech-Indonesian Cooperation in Nature Conservation in Sumatra 
Indonesia is rightly one of the megadiverse countries, i.e. nations with extraordinarily rich biodiversity on global level, particularly with high species richness (number of species), thus harbouring the majority of Earth's species and high numbers of endemic taxa. Unfortunately, precipitously large-scale deforestation, particularly due to making Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) plantations and extensive illegal wildlife trade have resulted in high number of endangered wild animal taxa. Moreover a large part of the island of Sumatra has been covered by primary tropical rainforests. The Gunung Leuser Natio-nal Park is the last area in the world where the Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus), Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis), Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) and the Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) have been still occurring: according to the IUCN, all of them are globally critically endangered. In 2014, the Czech-Indonesian non-profit organisation The Kukang Rescue Program started its field activities aiming at slow lories (Nycticebus spp.) conservation, but also deals with pangolins (Pholidota) protection and conservation. Close collaboration with local communities has proven to be key not only for wild animal endangered species.     ■