Ochrana přírody 4/2024 — 16. 8. 2024 — Summary — Tištěná verze článku v pdf
SUMMARY – Ochrana přírody 4/2024
Krása P., Libichová L. & Pelc F.: The Krušné hory/Ore Mts. Protected Landscape Area?
The Krušné hory/Ore Mts. (Northern Bohemia) are approx. 120 km long mountain area from the Jindřichovická vrchovina/Jindřichovice Highlands in south-west ranging up to the Nakléřovická hornatina/Nakléřovice Uplands close to the village of Petrovice in north-east. Due to Alpine rock folding the south-eastern margin of the mountain range was formed into a line edge made by steep slopes of tectonically lifted plates. Thus, there are elevation differences often exceeding 600 meters in a short distance. Raised peat-bogs are extensive there, in total covering approx. 4,000 hectares. Norway spruce (Picea abies) forests pass through the whole mountain range, in the Mt. Klínovec part of the mountains being Common lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina) climax mountain ones. During the last two years the basic background documents for declaring Protected Landscape Area (PLA) covering approx. 1,200 km2 there, namely proposal for delineating it, PLA‘s zonation and other analytical documents were developed. In a broader context establishing the PLA should be beneficial for the region which was for a long time considered to be the most environmentally degraded within the whole Czech Republic. Nevertheless, from a point of view of the landscape, nature conservation, history and culture unique sites requiring better management have been preserved there. A conference organized by the Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic and the Jan Evangelista Purkyně University Ústí nad Labem delt with the topic in June 2024. Intensive negotiations with municipalities and other partners have been carried out. At present the whole region has been under economic transformation and after phase out of industry and brown coal mining is seeking for a new niche. In addition to better management of nature and the landscape declaring the PLA would offer long-term incentives to economy. On 29 July 2024 the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic announced the intention to declare the Krušné hory/Ore Mts. PLA by a public decree. An inter-ministerial comment procedure/reflection process has been currently under way. ■
Fuglíková J.: Availability of Food and Sites for Sleeping and Providing Offspring with Food – These are Troubles for Czech Insect Pollinators!
Insect pollinators have been rapidly declining in the Czech Republic as well as in other European Union´s Member States, some of them being on the verge of extinction. Their importance is not only in food production but pollination is an essential precondition to maintain healthy and diverse ecosystems. There has been no single driver of wild insect pollinators decline and loss. The drivers include land-use changes, intensive production, pesticide use, environmental and light pollution, invasive alien species, pathogens and climate change. Pollinators are a huge and diversified insect group, in the Czech Republic including mainly bumblebees (Bombus spp.), hoverflies (Syrphidae), house flies (Muscidae), beetles (Coleptera), butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera) or wild bees as well as the Western honey bee (Apis mellifera).
And possible consequences of the insect pollinator decline and loss? Almost 90 % of world´s wild flowering plants depend at least partially on animal pollination to reproduce, 50 % of them depend fully. Plants cannot learn to live in the world without pollinators, breaking a long-term co-evolution of plants and insects is irreversible and has principal impacts not only on both the groups of organisms. Pollinators offer an excellent possibility to be model organisms for explaining importance and necessity of wild living organism biological diversity. They also provide indisputable benefits when pollinating orchards, vegetable fields or gardens, wild pollinators enhance or directly provide food production, particularly crops of high nutritional value. The latter is the principal reason why we should protect and conserve the above insect group, too. ■
Pešout P. & Porteš M.: Czechoslovak Army Mine/CSA Quarry: the Biggest Ever Ecological Restoration Project in the Czech Republic
Compared to other brown coal open-pit mines or quarries in the Most Basin (North Bohemia) seeking for future use of the Czechoslovak Army Mine/CSA Quarry was quite in advance, particularly because of the near deadline of planned brown coal mining termination. Since the very beginning the approach to the Czechoslovak Army Mine/CSA Quarry has been developed and debated as pilot one for other postmining areas. The Vršany Mine/Quarry is the other brown coal open-pit mine or quarry where the tested approach has been applied. The Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic (NCA CR) in cooperation with the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague also elaborated necessary analyses there. Based on them as well as energetic potential assessment with respect of solar power station location, the Inter-sectorial Group agreed on the solution delineating 4.8 km2 for ecological restoration. The Government of the Czech Republic by its Resolution No. 298/2024 approved the proposal on comprehensive and effective use of the remaining mine in the Vršany Mine/Quarry and commissioned the NCA CR with preparation of National Nature Monument declaration in the proposed extent there. At present the precise delineation of the area reflecting the final estimation of the active mining termination is debated because mining will be allowed in the Vršany Mine/Quarry by 2052 but it can be terminated from economic reasons before 2030. ■
Hofmeister J., Pouska V., Palice Z., Šoun J. & Vondrák J.: Importance of Temporal and Spatial Continuity of Forest Habitats for Forest Biodiversity
Research on species composition of epiphytic and epixylic lichen communities in relation to forest habitat structure and temporospatial continuity at ten sites with the remarkable lichen biota in the Czech Republic shows that the species composition is influenced by heterogeneity and preservation of forest habitats on the local and landscape level. In addition to variability in conditions at the particular site spatial and temporal continuity of the habitats is of utmost importance for lichen species diversity. At many sites studied, it also is threatened by continuing economic/management interventions in the immediate vicinity of Specially Protected Areas (SPAs): current size of such SPAs is mostly completely insufficient and according to this study it should reach at least 300 hectares. At present the coverage of strictly protected areas is estimated at less than 1.5% of the Czech Republic territory. It is far from the goal to strictly protect at least 10 % of the territory set up by the European Union´s Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. The goal is justified just by the facts provided by this study. ■
Hubený P.: Natural and Artificial Forest Restoration Effectivity
For assessing natural and artificial forest restoration effectivity four clearings after logging (Laka, Lenora, Říjiště and Perník) and a site after wind and European spruce bark beetle (Ips typograhus) disturbances (Poledník) in the Šumava/Bohemian Forest Mts. Two sites, namely Poledník and Řájiště, were not artificially reforested. At Říjiště site, two 20 × 20 meters game-proof fences were established where European silver firs (Abies alba) were planted, within a clearing artificial restoration were not applied. At the other sites artificial planting was carried out aiming at improving species composition in the future growths. From these plots, restoration density and its species composition were derived. The final density was compared with records on numbers of tree species used in artificial restoration. One of the main goals of the study was to find in which extent artificial planting can influence future forest stands. Assessing the number of individuals contributing to rejuvenation on the clearings and artificial planting effectivity aiming at changing species composition in favour of other trees than the Norway spruce (Picea abies) suggest that the whole process has been dominated by natural regeneration and by coming-back prevalence of Norway spruce forest where undoubtedly also other woody plant species shall survive: the latter shall not definitely prevail in the future forest generation. On clearings forests similar to those being there before logging shall grow, in many aspects they shall be more structured, possibly with more gaps; nevertheless, they will be similar to the previous ones. Surprisingly enough, they will be also similar to those growing there in the 19th century, i.e. to descendants of primary forests. ■
Vondřejc T.E.: Alpine Longhorn Beetle Management in the Vlára River Pass Special Area of Conservation
The Alpine longhorn beetle, also known as the Rosalia longicorn (Rosalia alpina) is among the most beautiful beetles occurring in the Czech Republic. Its bright blue coloration with black spots on elytra makes it an unmistakable species. Its life cycle lasts three years. Alpine longhorn beetle´s main food woody plant unambiguously is the European beech (Fagus sylvatica); moreover, it can also inhabit other deciduous broad-leaved trees, e.g. the Wytch elm (Ulmus glabra) or the Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus). The beetle requires sufficient amount of dead wood because females oviposit the fertilized eggs into it: they use both fresh breaks, standing remnants of trees or fallen trunks and dying wood on trees having been still living.
In Bohemia, the last population lives in the Ralská pahorkatina/Ralsko Uplands, on Malý Bezděz and Velký Bezděz hills. In Moravia it occurs in floodplain forests along lower reaches of the Morava/Moravia and Dyje/Thaya rivers. The Bílé Karpaty/White Carpathians Mt. Protected Landscape Area (PLA, Southern Moravia) is inhabited by beetle´s Carpathian population that can be found particularly in the Vlára River Pass. The Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic, namely its Bílé Karpaty/White Carpathians Mts. PLA Regional Branch, has been for several years implementing a lot of measures aiming at targeted support to and conservation of the Alpine longhorn beetle. Regular monitoring of Specially Protected Species and of their habitats is an important part of their management. In the Vlára River Pass area, targeted mapping including a concurrent assessment of management measure impacts has been for several years carried out. From this point of view, particularly an inventory aiming at saproxylic and mycophagous beetles performed in 2018 was principal: 222 species were determined in the course of it. ■
Hauck D., Konvička O., Venkrbec T., Marek J., Šácha D., Barcíková S., Čížek L. & Veselý M.: Monitoring of the Alpine Longhorn Beetle (Rosalia alpina) in the Vlára River Pass Special Area of Conservation
In the northern part of the Bílé Karpaty/White Carpathians Mts. Protected Landscape Area, the Vlára River Pass Site of European Importance (SEI, pursuant to Act No. 114/1992 Gazette on Nature Conservation and Landscape Protection, as amended later, the term for Site of Community Importance, SCI, later Special Areas of Conservation, SAC, under the European Union’s Habitats Directive) is located. The Alpine longhorn beetle, also known as the Rosalia longicorn (Rosalia alpina) is one of the nature conservation targets there. In 2021 the Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic commissioned the beetle‘s monitoring to be carried out there aiming at gathering detailed information on the species. Due to mark-recapture method applied it was found that the population size is more than 3,000 individuals, of them about one quarter being females. Species´ mobility was also studied. In total there were 12 movements by flights longer than one kilometre, the longest reaching 3,300 meters. Research also showed that there is an important subpopulation west of the SEI/SAC, consisting of approx. one fifth of the individuals and that there are movements by flying between the Czech and Slovak Alpine longhorn beetle populations. Among non-target species found during the study, critically endangered longhorn beetles Necydalis ulmi a Stictoleptura erythroptera should be mentioned. Comparing aerial photographs from 2006 and 2018 demonstrated that 34.5% of old European beech (Fagus sylvatica) growths were logged within the SEI/SAC in 12 years only. Based on outputs of the research management was proposed consisting of non-intervention approach, selected management, increase in dead wood amount, increase in numbers of reserved solitary trees intentionally left on clearings and particularly of trimming trees. ■
Prach J., Pokorný P., Prach M., Hošková K., Fér T. & Bednář P.: The European Larch More Native than Previously Thought. How to manage it in Specially Protected Areas?
European larch (Larix decidua) was widespread during the last glacial period. Later during the Holocene, it got gradually replaced by other competitively stronger tree species. Larch then survived only in the Alps and other scattered areas around the Carpathians. Later in the prehistory, Middle Ages and Early Modern era, larch was likely rare, but we lack enough historical evidence. Then in the last three hundred years, larch was artificially planted.
In the region between the Alps and the Carpathians, European larch has traditionally been considered native only in the Nízký Jeseník Mts. This opinion was based on historical forestry research. The gap in our knowledge is caused by the fact that larch is very difficult to detect by paleoecological methods – pollen and charcoal analysis. The absence of evidence was then interpreted as absence of the species. This perspective was recently challenged by new research documenting long term survival of larch at multiple sites in the sandstone regions of Northern Bohemia. The sites are connected to the habitat of pine forests and rocks. Our following research focusing on the genetics of current populations of larch, which allows detecting the relationships and origin of the populations, so far did not confirm relict lineages. A Large proportion of current larch populations in Czechia are genetically similar to larches from Tyrol in the Alps, therefore we interpret them as artificial plantations.
As a result, we recommend that European larch should not be eliminated during management practices of natural protected areas as it does not pose any danger compared to other actually invasive species. Some of the populations can even turn out to be relict and thus would be valuable targets for conservation. Using larch in Czech forests can also be a good compromise between common timber production forestry and nature conservation. ■
Miklín J. & Kmet J.: On the Pavlov Hills, Their Beauty and Diversity
Since 2024, the Pavlov Hills Protected Landscape Area (PLA) has had its visitor centre – the Pavlov Hills House of Nature that was built by rebuilding and completion of the former archaeological museum at the village of Dolní Věstonice (South Moravia). An exposition having the Eurasian hoopoe (Upupa epos) as a mascot presents the Pavlov Hills colloquially called Pálava as an area displaying extraordinarily high species richness as well as a long-term coexistence between humans and nature. An idea to use the museum´s historical building at Dolní Věstonice had for the first time emerged in 2016 and in 2017 it was elaborated into a conceptual intent. The background for the establishing the exposition was the document entitled as Strategy for Visitors in the Pavlov Hills PLA, which also includes the Pavlov Hills House of Nature Outline. The latter defined the main aim of the exposition as follows: Through the exposition and services in the Pavlov Hills House of Nature to help visitors to perceive importance, beauty, but also vulnerability of the Pavlov hills landscape, to appreciate its uniqueness and efforts paid to protection, conservation and management of the area by the State Nature Conservancy authorities, managers, municipalities, museums and other bodies as well as local people and to inspire visitors to support conservation of natural and cultural values by their behaviour there. Based on the above, experts developed the up-to-date, interactive and varied exposition. Its motto welcoming visitors is On the Pavlov Hills, their Beauty and Diversity and Responsibility of Humans for Their Fate. Preparatory work started in 2017 and an application for subvention was submitted within the Operational Programme Environment (OPE) in November 2018. Just in 2019 developing movies, exhibits, texts and design began. Particularly construction had to be delayed due to various administrative difficulties so the construction itself started in early 2023. the exposition was finalised in spring 2024 and the House of Nature was launched 14 June 2024: in the event Mr Petr Hladík, Minister of the Environment of the Czech Republic and Mr Jan Grolich, President of the Regional Council of the South Moravian Region participated. ■
Plesník J.: The Paris Convention Tries to Preserve Heritage of All Humanity
In 1965 a conference calling for a “World Heritage Trust” to preserve “the world’s superb natural and scenic areas and historic sites for the present and the future of the entire world citizenry” was organised just in the official residence and workplace of the U.S. president – the White House. Finally, the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage was adopted by the UNESCO General Conference at its 17th session in Paris 16 November 1972. Natural monuments inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List should be natural features consisting of physical and biological formations or groups of such formations, which are of outstanding universal value from the aesthetic or scientific point of view. Further they can be geological and geomorphological formations and precisely delineated areas which constitute the habitat of threatened species of wild animals and plants of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation. The category also includes natural sites or precisely delineated natural areas of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science, conservation or natural beauty.
Before properties can be proposed for inscription as a World Heritage Site (WHS) they must be on the tentative lists of the Parties. In July 2024 there were 196 State Parties to the World Heritage Convention. The World Heritage Committee at its session assesses the proposal and takes the decision. The Party should also present a detailed management plan. As of 1 August, 2024 there were 1,223 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, of them 231 being natural heritage sites. In the Czech Republic, there currently are 17 WHS, 16 of them being cultural. The fact reflects an exceptional cultural wealth well-preserved within the country. Since July 2021 the Jizerskohorské bučiny/Jizera Mts. Beech Forest (Liberec Region, northern Bohemia), a component of the serial WHS Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe has been the Czech Republic´s very first natural UNESCO World Heritage Site. ■
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Introductory photo: A raised peat-bog in the proposed Krušné hory/Ore Mts. Protected Landscape Area. Photo Radek Fišer