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 6/2010 — 28. 12. 2010 — Research, Surveys and Data Management — Print article in pdf
Is Current Nature Conservation Based on Science & Research Results?
The article deals with biodiversity research in the Czech Republic in relation to its application in nature conservation policy and practices in the field. A gap between basic research and conservation practices has been more and more widening. In the Czech Republic, applied biodiversity research conceptual framework has been missing, affecting main tasks carried out by research institutes within the environmental sector as well as funding such a research.
In addition, even the existing knowledge has not been adequately applied in policy and practice. Decisions taken by the State Nature Conservancy authorities should be based more on the exact data (evidence-based conservation): such an approach shall reduce subjective and very locally taken decisions. On the other hand, a feedback, i.e. assessing the effectiveness and impacts of the nature conservation decisions taken, is also important. At present, there has been a relatively well-developed co-operation between the State Nature Conservancy and science & research, but it because of personal interests of some State Nature Conservancy staff members as well as the individual academicians, not because of a broader, systematic and rational way of the collaboration. In the future, the research institutes should be reformed and a long-term biodiversity research policy, strengthening and effectively supporting the above collaboration, should be developed and approved. In the Czech Republic, the State Nature Conservancy should establish a long-term professional education for its staff members.