The Journal is published by the Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic in cooperation with the Cave Administration of the Czech Republic, the Krkonoše Mts. National Park Administration, the Bohemian Forest Mts. National Park Administration, the Podyjí National Park Administration and the The Bohemian Switzerland National Park Administration. It has been published since 1946.
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Nature Conservation 3/2013 — 9. 8. 2013 — Nature and Landscape Management — Print article in pdf
Kaděra M.: Treasure of the Floodplain in Danger
From a point of view of natural history, South Moravian floodplain is considered to be one of the most valuable areas in the Czech Republic.
Particularly in its southernmost part, many wild animal species, particularly insects, which either are in Central European nature very rare or have become extinct in some countries within the region, have been preserved there. Some of them even occur only in the floodplain forests or floodplain meadows in South Moravia. Surprisingly, only two small-size Specially Protected Areas have been established there, while most of the area has been unprotected, managed for their economic values. Forest growths have been recently intensively restoring there, taking into account only forest management and wood industry interests. Relatively common occurrence of too old, superannuated trees, inhabited by many saproxylic beetles, faunistically very often extraordinarily remarkable species, is an important uniqueness of the floodplain. The Handsome Fungus Beetle (Pleganophorus bispinosus) is probably the most important species living there: at present, only a very few sites in Central Europe harbour the species. The beetle species prefers particularly decaying holes in dead, fallen Pedunculate Oak, also known as the English Oak (Quercus robur) tree trunks. Old dead oaks, but exclusively still standing, are inhabited also by the checkered beetle Dermestoides sanguinicollis, living in a relatively large population there, displaying more common presence of the beetle species particularly in some years. On the other hand, the Oak Jewel Beetle (Eurythyrea quercus) has been heavily suffering from massive dieback of old solitary oaks, the only habitat inhabited by its larvae. The phenomenon was caused by water management measures implemented on the Dyje/Thaya River and decline in underground water level. The author presents recommendations supporting the survival of the above and many other insect species. First of all, Protected Landscape Area should be established there, although all the previous efforts have failed.