Ochrana přírody 3/2023 — 23. 6. 2023 — Summary
SUMMARY 32023
Pešout P. & Koukal S.: When the Soutok/ Morava and Dyje/Thaya Rivers Confluence Protected Landscape Area Will Be Declared?
In all expert analyses carried out during the past 30 years, the Podluží and Dyje/Thaya River Floodplain Area below the Nové Mlýny Waterworks (South Moravia) was classified as the highest priority for complementing the large-size Specially Protected Area network in the Czech Republic. In addition to including the area into the EU Natura 2000 network, its importance has been confirmed by declaring the Dolní Morava/Lower Morava UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2003, thus extending the Pálava/Pavlov Hills UNESCO Biosphere Reserve declared in 1986. Two Ramsar sites/Wetlands of International Importance stretch to the area and its significant parts are also protected by the appropriate cultural heritage legislation. Despite the national and international importance, only 2% of the extraordinarily significant landscape have been included into the Specially Protected Areas. Therefore, the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic relevantly decided to make the effort to establish a Protected Landscape Area (PLA) there and to elaborate the appropriate background documents. The Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic has prepared a new proposal delineating the Soutok/Morava and Dyje/Thaya Rivers Confluence PLA covering approx. 12,470 hectares to include the Sites 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) and to maximally respect the comments made by municipalities and other partners in the region. Management should be graded and phased according to zones while the strictest Zone I and II are proposed actually only on forest plots, floodplain meadows and natural water bodies. ■
Kaděra M. & Dedek P.: The Uncertain Future of the Giants from a South Moravian Floodplain
Particularly due to giant pedunculate oaks (Quercus robur) on floodplain meadows which provide the landscape on the confluence of the Morava and Dyje/Thaya Rivers (South Moravia) with romantic, almost fairy tale scenery/character, the idea of protecting nature across the whole extensive floodplain emerged in the early 20th century, nowadays having been performed by efforts to establish a Protected Landscape Area (PLA) there. Moreover, the PLA declaration is not sufficient to save the dying giants. The key issue for the future presence of such symbols of the Confluence is to restore water regime disturbed by water management measures on the Morava and Dyje/Thaya Rivers as well as targeted measures in forest growths of various age. It is hard to imagine the South Moravian floodplain without the oaks. They host a substantial proportion of insect species related to wood in various decaying stages. Despite of effort to at least partially enhance the water regime in the region it is necessary to implement measures in forest growths aiming at creating the next generation of “old-growth oaks”. The trees with a more massive trunk and a low crown have been selected and their vicinity has been making more open. ■
Riedl V., Horal D. & Dedek P.: Changes in Forest Management on the Soutok/ Morava and Dyje/Thaya Rivers Confluence
Floodplain forests on the Morava and Dyje/Thaya Rivers confluence (South Moravia) cover 54% of two Sites 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), namely the Soutok/Confluence and Podluží Area Floodplain and the Niva Dyje/Thaya River Floodplain covering in total approx. 7,000 hectares. A forest growth in felling area with high proportion of the Pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) where due to natural processes in tree ageing, characteristic microhabitats appear can generally be considered a biologically valuable hard-wood floodplain forest habitat. Based on higher species richness, in total 178 hectares of forest growth were delineated where the forest should become sparse (up to final crop density of 0.5 – 0.7). In addition growths to be shifted into an intermediate forest type covering approx. 60 hectares were also selected. On further 548 hectares, felling has been delayed at least ten years and on 202 hectares forest growths were left to spontaneous development. Thanks to the above measures the most valuable forest stands have not been felled. After signing the agreement between the Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic and the Forests of the Czech Republic, State Enterprise, in October 2020 principles even more reflecting biological values of the area were incorporated into new Forest Management Plans (FMPs). In growths with the higher oak proportion (50 – 100%) a step-by-step regeneration with some phases of making the growth less dense in fifteen-year intervals (40% - 30 % - 20% - 10% + reserved trees to be left there) should take place. In total, 700 hectares should be regenerated step-by-step by four fellings during 30 years of the regeneration. In addition more intensive measures in growths from 20 – 60 years of age within the area of 85 hectares were also incorporated in the FMPs: in the future the oaks with more space shall form a high-quality skeleton of the growth. ■
Veselý D.: Restoration of Flow Branches on the Dyje/Thaya River
The Dyje/Thaya River with the Morava River is surrounded by the most extensive and ecologically most valuable system of floodplains in Central Europe. By straitening in the 1970s and 1980s the Dyje/Thaya River had been made shorter by 3.2 kilometres. At the same time dikes preventing flooding had been built on both sides along the state border stretch on the Dyje/Thaya River. These measurement should both stabilize the border between Czechoslovakia and Austria and provide flood prevention/control. The whole border stretch being 16.5 kilometres long was for a long time closed by the Iron Curtain. After the above water management measures, there were more than 20 remnants of the original river bed left: these are backwater river branches/arms of various character. Moreover since that time all the fragments have been silted, thus developing themselves towards a rapid termination. The modified river bed caused by puncturing the branches displayed low morphological value and straitening the watercourse contributed to accelerating water outflow from the landscape there. From a point of view of climate change adaptation it was favourable. Therefore the watercourse management authority decided to restore the patterns. Former river branches/arms are step-by-step connected the river, both on the Austrian and Czech Republic´s territory. Connecting the former backwater branches/arms is one of the important elements in a new approach to the Dyje/Thaya River management along the state border stretch agreed by water management authorities on both sides of the frontier. The project takes into account other spontaneous morphological development in the river. Some spring floods created morphological structures which had been previously missing there. Gravel bars or rotation of depths and shallows at fords newly provide the character of the lowland river. ■
Bernard O.: The Great Castle Fishpond Restoration
The Great Castle Fishpond located in the Lednice Castle Park (South Moravia) has been part of landscaping north of the Lednice Castle for many dozens or rather hundreds of years. One of the preserved plans is e.g. a project attributed to Bernard Petri in about 1805. The fishpond with
16 islands was created instead of original wetlands: on current islands there are breeding colonies of the Grey heron (Ardea cinerea), Black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), White stork (Ciconia ciconia), Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) and other water birds. Specially protected mammal species, e.g. the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) and, of course, the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber), as well as many specially protected amphibians, insects or other invertebrates also occur there. At present, the main aim of the National Heritage Institute was to restore damaged banks by their reinforcement, to complement them to their original size and to preserve or increase woody plant species richness, taking into account current climate change. The project includes removing part of sediments from the castle fishponds´ flooded area, reinforcement of the original bank edge and finishing building banks. In addition littoral habitats were built at selected sites within the fishpond´s flooded area and artificial islands were restored there. Birds habituated soon themselves to movement of machinery and did not consider it as a threat. After draining the fishpond banks were reinforced following the project´s documents. For entry of heavy machinery into the flooded area, exit ramps from rubble were built. Sites for movement of excavators and caterpillar tracks distributing aggregate across the fishpond´s bottom were reinforced and protected by metal prefabricates. Therefore, bank woody plant roots were not damaged. It is encouraging that solutions acceptable by both heritage preservation and nature conservation have been found there. ■
Havira M. & Servus M.: European Spruce Bark Beetle Plague in the Jeseníky Mts. Protected Landscape Area – A Story (Most Probably) Has Not Finished Yet
According to experts the current European spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) plague is unprecedentedly the greatest in the Czech Republic´s history: it avoids neither the Jeseníky Mts. Protected Landscape Area (northern Moravia). It is caused mainly by extreme weather events, namely by droughts, uneven rainfall distribution throughout the year and above-average warm weather accelerating the bark beetle development (ontogenesis). Forest growths consist by the Norway spruce (Picea abies) in 75% there. Moreover, according to natural tree species composition the proportion should not exceed 30%. Despite many objections by some NGOs the appropriate spatial exemptions were issued for Zone I and II within the Jeseníky Mts. PLA. Thus trees infected by bark beetle could be processed although clearings large than a hectare were caused there. One of the conditions included in the exemptions was to leave at least 30 cubic meters of wood to be decayed per hectare. Since 2017 felling due to the bark beetle plague has affected approx. 3,000 hectares of forest, i.e. about 5 % of the total forest coverage there. It is clear that in the Jeseníky Mts. PLA the bark beetle plague is accumulated particularly in Zone III where 63% of the total forest coverage is located. On places where felling was carried out in 2017 – 2022 the European beech (Fagus sylvatica) and other woody plants, e.g. the Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus), birch (Betula spp.), Rowan or Mountain-ash (Sorbus aucuparia), European silver fir (Abies alba) or the European larch (Larix decidua) in total reached approx. 65%, while only 18 % of the area was reforested by the Norway spruce which in addition has occupied other 17% due to natural regeneration. Thus, the current tree species composition is more favourable than before the bark beetle plague. In addition, the exemptions issued allowed applying graduate measurements within National Nature Reserves, but not because of their protection itself but because of protection of adjacent commercial stands. Despite moderate optimism the authors conclude that also in the future weather shall be the crucial factor for bark beetle development, particularly the rainfall volume and temperature dynamics. ■
Foller J. & Kotyzová M.: Sewage Water Treatment in Karst Areas
Karst areas are sensitive to underground water pollution. Polluted water infiltration into karst underground spaces can be significantly reduced by grassing arable land, particularly above caves and around sinkholes where risk possessed by leakages of water containing fertilizers and pesticides is the highest. Moreover the quality of surface watercourses entering protected karst areas and of waters coming by drains from non-karst vicinity can under the current legislation be influenced only hardly. In the Czech Republic, there are no buffer zones in Protected Landscape Areas and their administrations have no power outside the PLAs. It is clear that PLAs are significant for the landscape and biota on surface but we should protect water ecosystems not only within Specially Protected Areas but also outside their borders across the whole source areas. This is the only way how to avoid karst water pollution and to protect the unique habitats there. The Moravský kras/Moravian Karst PLA Administration (South Moravia) commissioned a study dealing with the topic and funded by the national Landscape Natural Function Restoration Programme. The only suitable way to treat sewage water from municipalities in karst areas are mechanic-biological waste water treatment plants (WWTPs), sewage sewers should be separated and small or vegetation WWTPs are not suitable for that purpose. The article is followed by the information on how sewage water is handled in the Český kras/Bohemian Karst PLA (Central Bohemia). ■
Šíma J. & Pelc F.: Information on Current European Union´s Legislation on Renewable Sources as Related to Nature Conservation
Use of renewable energy sources (RES) is one of the European Union´s long-term energy and environmental policies which should aim for carbon neutrality and climate change mitigation. In relation to energy crisis caused by the Russian Federation´s war of aggression against Ukraine and necessity to increase the EU´s energy independence Council Regulation (EU) 2022/2577 laying down a framework to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy sources was adopted 22 December 2022. The regulation should be complemented by standard nowadays debated revision of the EU Renewable Energy Directive, also known as RED III. Provision on overriding public interest set in Article 3 definitely aims at highlighting urgent need to develop RES and at preferring their construction and operation where these are not related to significant impact on nature and the environment. One of possible approaches is delineation areas for accelerating the deployment of RES, the so-called go-to zones as included into the RED III revision having been under preparation. Based on expert/technical background the areas should be suitable for the deployment and development of RES but at the same do not significantly affecting the environment or the latter can be significantly mitigated. In such areas permitting should be as simple as possible, thus to facilitate and accelerate RES development. n
Melichar J., Pavelčík P., Zahradník D., Banaš M., Misiaček R., Hamanová J., Slaba M. & Kováčová V.: Declaring the Soutok/ Morava and Dyje/Thaya Rivers Confluence Protected Landscape Area Can Support the Region´s Development
The article presents results of the study entitled Assessment of socio-economic impacts of declaring the Soutok/ Morava and Dyje/Thaya Rivers Confluence Protected Landscape Area initiated by the Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic. After declaring the PLA in the natural area covering 192 km2 a step-by-step increase in number of visitors by 48%, in one-day visits number even by 61% is supposed. Apart from positive economic effects it can impact nature conservation and landscape protection there, e.g. by overtourism when ecosystems are disturbed and degraded, traffic jam appear or visitor infrastructure is massively built; consequently cost of living can increase in local people. Also from the above reasons attendance of the Soutok/Confluence should be continually monitored and attention should be paid to possible negative impacts on ecosystems. ■
Zajíček P.: A Hundred Years since Discovering the Balcarka Cave
In the Moravský kras/Moravian Karst (South Moravia) there are many remarkable features attracting human attention since time immemorial, e.g. the Hřebenáč Rock, Kůlna Cave entrance, Macocha/Stepmother Abyss and many others. They also include a conspicuous limestone ridge very close to the township of Ostrov u Macochy called the Balcar´s Rock. A hundred years ago the first speleological findings had been made there consequently resulting in step-by-step uncovering an underground labyrinth of the Balcarka Cave. Josef Šamalík, farmer and local patriot began to examine the selected sites: 16 June 1923 he penetrated in small underground space, later named as Popeluška/Cinderella. In the mid-1930s he discovered other Cave Balcarka´s parts with extraordinarily rich and colourful dripstone decoration. The parts called the Galerie/Gallery and the Přírodní chodba/Natural Corridor are among the most beautiful underground spaces of the whole Moravský kras/Moravian Karst. At present the Balcarka Cave is together with other thirteen show caves managed by the Cave Administration of the Czech Republic. ■
Pelc F., Tesař T. & Ambrozek L.: A Hope from Gabon. Protected Areas, Ecosystem Services and Diversification of Economy
Within Africa Gabon is a relatively small country (267,670 km2) located on the Equator in the Gulf of Guinea: its population is 2.2 million. About
80 % of the country´s territory is covered by primary of secondary rain forests and lesser part by savannah. Only 1.2 % is used as arable land. The country harbours rich sources of oil and minerals (coltan, manganese) and the standard of living is among the highest in Africa: Gabon is economically quite viable and politically relatively stable. Nature conservation has been quite developed in the country. There is a protected area network relatively well managed by the National Agency for National Parks (ANPN) with about 800 staff members. The total protected area coverage including Ramsar Sites (Wetlands of International Importance) is 22% of the country´s territory. Thanks to effective nature conservation and low human population density in this relatively small country two thirds of the African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) population living on the continent and two thirds of the global Lowland gorilla (Gorilla g. gorilla) population occur.
In October 2022 the Czech Republic´s delegation met representatives of the Gabonese Government to discuss possible cooperation in nature conservation. The Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic (NCA CR) presented simplified information system for gathering data on the selected umbrella species. Together with the Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague the NCA CR can offer experience raised during elaboration of a feasibility study in Zambia as part of the Czech Official Development Assistance and exchange of practical experience among experts from both countries was also agreed. ■