Research, Surveys and Data Management

The so-called ‘Eight’ year (2018) was significant not only for several anniversaries in Czech statehood (1918, 1938, 1948, 1968), but also for nature protection. The foundation of our oldest forest reserves, Žofín Forest (1838) and Boubín Forest (1858), was commemorated by the Year of Czech Primeval Forests.¹ The anniversary of the founding of the first national professional state institution for nature conservation in 1958 remained somewhat in their shadow. After 1989, the overall preparedness of nature conservation institutions helped to enforce rapid changes in the environment and to establish modern legislation and nature conservation management in the Czech Republic.

Alpine bells (Cortusa matthioli subsp. moravica Soják) is undoubtedly one of the most famous plants of the Moravian Karst, even though very few people have ever seen it. This is because it grows in the Macocha Abyss, high on the vertical rock walls. Access to the habitat is very difficult and only possible with the help of ropes and for physically fit people with the necessary experience. Previously, part of the Alpine bells population also occurred on the debris cone at the bottom of the Abyss, from where it was first described. However, only three specimens now survive here.

The west-east oriented main ridge of the Jeseníky Mountains is an important migration barrier for flying animals. The remarkable col of the Červenohorské sedlo mountain pass, visible from afar, allows them to cross this barrier with less effort than if they flew over the Jeseníky ridges, and it is no wonder that especially during the autumn migration a huge number of birds, bats and various groups of migratory insects are funnelled into the relatively narrow corridor of the saddle. Since 2010, this site has been used for monitoring of migratory birds, to which the monitoring of the passage of bats and selected groups of migratory insects has been added in recent years. Especially in connection with bird migration, this is currently the largest research project in the Czech Republic and is the only locality where birds can be observed under appropriate conditions during both daytime and night-time migrations.

The National Network of Rescue Stations project brings, in addition to thousands of saved lives of wild animals and effective information for the education of inhabitants, also interesting statistics. The central register of all animals received not only allows the monitoring of numbers of species and individuals of injured animals and the dates and locations, but also their fate – reasons why the injury occurred, time when they were admitted, number of days spent at the station, etc. Up to 57 data items can be recorded for each animal received. The long-term uniform methodology of record-keeping also enables the monitoring of these parameters over the years.

In 2013, pursuant to Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora, as amended later, commonly known as the Habitats Directive, the Czech Republic as a European Union Member State submitted an assessment report on natural habitats.

Assessment reports are a document assessing the conservation status in species and types of natural habitats of the European Union interest, i.e. those listed in Annex and Annex I to the European Unions Habitats Directive every six years.

The Žofín Primeval Forest in the Novohradské hory/Nové Hrady Mts. in South Bohemia is the oldest primeval forest-like protected area in the Czech Republic (since 1838).

The author describes measures taken to remove and to eradicate lampenflora (a community consisting of various lower plant species occurring in close or remote proximity to artificial light sources, e.g. lamps) in four show caves in the Moravský Kras/Moravian Karst.

In the Czech Republic, approx. 38 pseudocorpion (Pseudoscorpions) species belonging to seven families occur at present. Big scorpions, of which some have a venomous stinger, do not permanently live in the Czech Republic.

The occurrence of the Round Notothylas (Notothylas orbicularis)in the Czech Republic was reconfirmed after 90 years.