Nature Conservation 3/2011 — 7. 10. 2011 — On Nature in the Czech Republic — Print article in pdf
Landscape Area – a Jewel of Nature in the South Moravia
The Pálava Protected Landscape Area (PLA) is located in south Moravia in the District of Břeclav and is situated on the territory of 11 municipalities. A part of its boundaries follows the state border between the Czech Republic and Austria. Covering the area of 86 km2, it is one of the smallest large-size Specially Protected Areas in the Czech Republic. The PLA is a part of the more extensive Dolní Morava/Lower Moravia UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
It aims at preserving semi-natural rock, steppe and forest habitats with remarkable geomorphological and geological features. Forests covering a third of the PLAs territory, maintain semi-natural forest tree composition. Within the Czech Republic, the Pálava PLA is an example of an island mountain range just in the middle of warm lowlands. Contrary to countrys other parts, the PLA harbours a lot of thermophilous plant species, penetrating from south-eastern Europe to south Moravia. The PLAs relatively high species richness is caused by habitat and ecotone heterogeneity as well as by its location on the boundaries between two zoogeographical provinces: Pannonian steppe and Central European broad-leaved deciduous forest ones. Conservation management deals particularly with preserving the species richness, halting the overgrowing of steppe grasslands by natural succession, removing and eradication of undesirable non-native tree species and preserving the PLAs landscape character/scenery.