Ochrana přírody 6/2024 — 19. 12. 2024 — Summary
SUMMARY – Ochrana přírody 6/2024
Soukupová F. R., Sedláček L. & Vacek D.: Supporting the Green Infrastructure in Settlements
The Green Infrastructure is a crucial step towards more sustainable towns and cities resilient to climate change while providing a healthier environment for their inhabitants. In the Czech Republic, there is a large number of high quality public spaces and they are being created at the same time. Nevertheless, there are many challenges to overcome, particularly in ensuring the long-term and quality management of existing elements. Another challenge is to provide individual urban greenery segments, sites/areas and elements with the connectivity, as the urban development density and some linear barriers often limit the possibilities of their really functional connectivity. However, after two years of consultations on projects under IROP SC 2.2 Green Infrastructure of Towns and Municipalities, the authors see a ray of hope. In many towns and cities in the Czech Republic, there has been an increasing interest in public green spaces. Successful implementation of new projects, proper management of existing green infrastructure elements and their comprehensive development will require appropriate education, communication and raising public awareness and, above all, the common goal of climate-resilient and liveable towns and cities.
Prudík B., Daněk T. & Musil J.: How Broad is A River for Fish?
In the Czech Republic, the previously overlooked lateral migration is gaining attention from the State Nature Conservancy authorities, scientists, as well as River Basin Management Authorities and other watercourse managers. It is the movement of fish into the lateral watercourse ecosystems - shallows, pools, gravel beds/bars and of river dead arms/ backwater or oxbow lakes and ideally also beyond the river bed edge into flooded floodplain forests and meadows. Its restoration provides the ability to reduce invasive alien species numbers and to improve water quality and overall ecological conditions there. Promoting it with appropriate measures is therefore highly desirable also for implementing the European Union´s Water Framework Directive. For fish, migration is the movement of an individual for a specific purpose. This may be for reproduction, but it may also be for feeding, escape or shelter. Lateral migration is a type of migration defined by a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the stream. It is a relatively general term to describe a complex group of movements controlled by drivers either attracting or repelling fish to move to the bank or middle of the river. The most important factor in relation to lateral migration is the water column height, as increased flows create one of the most threatened ecosystems to which fish migrate exclusively laterally. There are not many sites/places where these ecosystems can be found in the Czech Republic´s landscape in the Czech Republic. Moreover, unmanaged streams are generally small watercourses, which are characterised by lower fish species diversity than large lowland streams.
Just T.: Favourable Flow Conditions
One of the tasks of watercourse management is the maintenance of favourable flow conditions (FFC). Unfortunately, in the Czech Republic even today many water managers still have had a simplistic, schematic and consequently incorrect view of FFC in the field. Wherever, irrespective of the fact that there are various conditions in different watercourse stretches and different objectives are to be applied there, they associate the idea of FFC with maximising the flow capacity of the watercourse bed. They are also supported by the idea generally held by self-government authorities in the country that a stream or river bed is generally better the more water it can hold, despite whether it is surrounded by houses or meadows, fields or forests. The greatest possible flow capacity is usually desirable in watercourse stretches in and near built-up areas and within reach of important structures. The protection of built-up areas, roads, utilities and similar buildings is a socially recognised priority. To protect these interests, flow capacities shall be maintained at high flood flows. In the built-up areas in municipalities, a perimeter flow capacity of Q100 - “100-year water” - is commonly considered desirable, often even being greater. However, what applies in built-up areas is not at the same time the general standard in the open, undeveloped landscape. On the contrary, spills outside the watercourse bed must be supported because of the flood wave decreasing and flattening there.
Chlapek J., Štencl R., Březina S., Krause D. & Materna J.: The Pitfalls in Protecting, Conserving and Managing the Highest parts of the Czech Republic
In June 2024, a two-phase “consilium/review board “ was held in the Jeseníky and Krkonoše/Giant Mts. on the needs and possible ways of preserving and restoring biodiversity in the Alpine zone in both mountain ranges. The reason for convening this consultation was the ongoing changes in the vegetation of the Alpine treeless habitats over the last decades. Their probable cause is to be found in the abandonment of long-term farming after the displacement of the German population after World War II and in other societal changes in the 20th century, as well as in the increasingly rapid and pronounced global changes, particularly the increase in temperature and high atmospheric nitrogen deposition. The need to translate the external drivers into conservation practice has been demonstrated by the rate and the intensity of ongoing vegetation change, as identified through evaluating ongoing monitoring and scientific studies. Countering the overgrowth of the Alpine zone with active measures would mean, particularly in the Krkonoše/Giant Mts., a fundamental change in the current approach to its protection, conservation and management. The fundamental conclusion of the Krkonoše/Giant Mts. part of the Central European tundra consilium is that this is exactly what it should be tried to do as soon as possible in pilot management experiments. The ideal model species for such interventions and measures are the in the Czech Republic specially protected species the Sudetic lousewort (Pedicularis sudetica) and the Narcissus anemone (Anemonastrum narcissiflorum). However, a comprehensive analysis of all Central European tundra species should be undertaken and consideration given to the selection of additional species and their habitats.
In 2024, free ranging sheep grazing was tested in the vicinity of Petrovy Kameny/Peter´s Stones site in the Jeseníky Mts. Photo Jindřich Chlapek
Frei I., Jílková V., Kotyzová M., Laštůvka Z., Malenovský I., Musil Z., Pižl V., Řehová V., Starý J., Straková M., Šefrová H., Tajovský K., Tůma J., Vašíček M. & Vymyslický T.: Study on Grassed Sites in the Moravský kras/Moravian Karst Protected Landscape Area
The Moravský kras/Moravian Karst Protected Landscape Area (PLA, South Moravia) was newly declared in 2019. In addition to the change in boundaries and new more detailed protection/conservation conditions, the delineation of nature conservation zones has also changed. The main reason for the zonation change on karst plateaus was to limit erosion into sinkholes and leaching of fertilizers and pesticides into the karst underground. A total of 114 hectares of arable land was grassed in 2019-2020. Most of them were sown with a subnational/regional or species-enriched grass mixture, which the Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic (NCA CR) contributed financially to. In 2019, the grassing was followed first by a one-year study carried out by the NCA CR and funded by the Landscape Management Programme and then in 2020-2023 by a four-year study within the Landscape Natural Function Restoration Programme (LNFRP) entitled as “Monitoring of above-ground and soil biota of grasslands of karst plateaus in the selected areas within Zones I and II of the Moravský kras/Moravian Karst Protected Landscape Area”. Grassing over caves and around sinkholes contributed not only to the protection of karst ground and water from pollution, but also to the dividing of the farmland into smaller parts. Thus, the islands of greenery on arable land have been hosting a variety of wild animals and plant species, including rare weed species, which are indicators of nature-friendly agriculture and contribute to increasing local biodiversity. Surveys have shown the importance of proper selection of seed mixtures at various sites for preserving plant gene pool there. Comparison of outputs basic inventory results gathered from different groups of organisms and changes in soil features provided the basis for more detailed comparisons between grassland and arable land types.
Václavík T., Čejka T., Bednář M. & Šarapatka B.: Agri-environment Approaches in Farmland
Intensive agriculture significantly contributes to biodiversity decline and loss and the degradation of ecosystem services in Europe’s landscapes. Agri-environment approaches have been introduced as a tool to mitigate the negative impacts, but their effectiveness and the extent to which they are used by farmers varies widely. The European research project entitled as BESTMAP (Behavioural, Ecological and Socio-Economic Tools for Modelling Agricultural Policy) aimed to develop a methodological framework for modelling the impact of Agri-environment Schemes (AES) on farmland. The project’s methods take into account the complexity of farmers’ decision-making and the various preferences of different farm types. At the same time, the project assesses the impact of different AES implementation scenarios on biological diversity and ecosystem services in five case study areas across the European Union, including the Czech Republic, namely in the South Moravia and Zlín regions. Thus, the results of the BESTMAP project show that AES can contribute to the conservation of biodiversity and environmental components, but their current implementation has been insufficient to achieve significant positive impacts. To increase their effectiveness, the diversity of farms, farmers’ motivations and the comprehensive relationships between farming practices and the environment need to be taken into account. However, it is essential to emphasise that effective biodiversity conservation requires a comprehensive approach that goes beyond AES alone and involves wider changes in farming practices and landscape planning.
Prach J., Hájková P., Vondrák D., Dudová L., Marešová P., Bobek, P., Chattová B. & Pokorný P.: Research on Ecosystems’́ Past – What Can Paleoecology Offer to Current Nature Conservation?
Ecosystems are dynamic and shaped by long-term interactions between geology, climate, and human activities. The paper explores how paleoecology— studying past ecosystems through sediment analysis—can inform modern conservation efforts. By examining natural “archives” like peat bogs, ponds, and sediment layers, we reconstruct historical biodiversity, vegetation shifts and landscape changes. This knowledge helps guide conservation strategies, such as planning forest composition in specially protected areas or managing habitats for rare species.
The paper emphasizes the importance of understanding local ecological histories, as uniform approaches can overlook regional differences and specific local long-term processes. Advanced methods, including pollen analysis, plant and animal macrofossil studies, and sediment DNA analysis, provide insights into past conditions and species presence. However, such research is costly and labor-intensive, limiting its widespread application.
We advocate for integrating paleoecological studies into conservation planning to better align conservation targets with historical realities, ensuring the preservation of both cultural and natural landscapes. We call for recognition of this field’s value in addressing complex ecological and conservation challenges and recognition of the value of such natural “archives”.
Wetland conservation is a part of good agricultural and environmental state of soils. Photo Bořivoj Šarapatka
Borovec J. & Pixa J.: The Water Quality in the Nové Mlýny Waterworks and in the Dyje/Thaya River Downstream (South Moravia)
In the Czech Republic, the water quality in the rivers is not good. Neither is the quality of aquatic ecosystems good, as shown by the regular assessment of their ecological status under the European Union´s Water Framework Directive. Certainly, compared to the state of the rivers at the end of socialism in the late 1980s, the current situation is “orders of magnitude better”. However, the most noticeable improvements occurred as early as in the early 1990s and looking at nutrient concentrations in streams over the last 20 years, for example, any significant decline could not be found. Experimental results show that all sediments are significantly removing oxygen from the water, and the sediments in the Nové Mlýny Waterworks Middle/Věstonice Reservoir (South Moravia) are also absorbing nitrate and releasing ammoniacal nitrogen massively. In terms of phosphorus, the release from sediments in the Upper and Middle Reservoirs is significant. It seems as if the Lower Reservoir does not change the water much anymore and releases what it has “inherited” from the reservoirs above it into the Dyje/Thaya River down the river. The Nové Mlýny Waterworks and the Dyje/Thaya River is a huge system
that cannot be solved by one partial action only. Therefore, many partial actions, careful planning and compliance towards the desired improvement are required there. There also are opportunities once in the century, such as the crossing of the D52 road in front of the Upper Reservoir or compensatory measures on the water level fluctuations at the Middle Reservoir. Both actions provide critical opportunities for improving the Nové Mlýny Waterworks ecosystem and must not be implemented in a purely “engineering-technological” manner. Within both actions, measures can be carried out to reduce the Nové Mlýny waterworks´ trophic level and the consequent decrease in phytoplankton biomass and to slow down the processes associated with its decomposition.
Kotecký V.: Corporate Sustainability and Czech Nature Conservation
Every January, the World Economic Forum (WEF) publishes a major survey asking hundreds of respondents from global business to estimate the risks they will face in the next decade. Unsurprisingly, standard economic themes often dominate in the responses. However, a new and somewhat unexpected item has been rising up within the rankings for several years. Surprisingly, it is biological diversity decline and loss. It has already ranked as the third strongest medium-term risk to business in the 2024 WEF’s survey. Business clearly thinks that biota (a living part of an ecosystem) is not only socially important, but also displays specific practical consequences for financial performance. Traditional perceptions of biodiversity and ecosystem services have been rapidly changing in the senior management of large companies. Therefore, nature conservation is being given a new instrument that can be used effectively in the Czech Republic - and in particular for practical measures to promote biodiversity in agricultural, forest and urban landscapes provided, of course, that it offers solutions that meet the needs and possibilities of businesses. The main benefit of corporate interventions is the leverage effect shifting the market environment. For the time being, agricultural and forestry enterprises deals with purely production incentives. If strong commercial buyers start to demand and seek for biodiversity concerns as well, better conditions may open up for suppliers over time, e.g. for more environmentally friendly cultivation practices. This is an agenda quite far from traditional nature protection, conservation and management. However, in the landscape predominantly used for commercial farming the state of biodiversity is derived from market incentives.
Sovinc A.: The Vjosa River in Albania – a new approach to protecting river ecosystems
Freshwater ecosystems - and rivers in particular - are among the most threatened in the world. Results from The Living Planet published by the WWF International analysis highlight a dramatic decline of 83% in species in freshwater ecosystems between 1970 and 2018. River ecosystems are particularly threatened in Europe, where - with the exception of perhaps the far north and east - there is virtually no longer a long river that is still entirely free- flowing. Nevertheless, one such river was discovered by representatives of international and national NGOs in Albania some two decades ago: the Vjosa. Together with the efforts of local communities and major international actors and with the cooperation of the Albanian authorities, the Vjosa River has been protected as the Europe’s first ‘wild river’ national park since March 2023. The river is the best possible approximation of a European watercourse over 200 km long, uninterrupted by a single dam or hydro-power station throughout its course, and this is also true for the vast majority of its tributaries. The Vjosa River runs from its sources in Greece (where it is called the Aoos River) to its mouth in southern Albania, where it drains into the Adriatic Sea. Thus, the first 80 km are in Greece. The total catchment area covers 6,704 km2, of which 4,365 km2 lies in Albanian territory. The Vjosa River and its tributaries can be classified as a gravel-dominated, laterally active, anabranch rivers with high sediment yields, where the bedload supply is higher than the actual transport capacity of the channel. This is reflected, particularly in the middle section of the river, in extensive gravel plains up to 2,000 m wide, crossed by several lateral and parallel rovers, oxbows and side channels. Gravel bars are specific forms of break-off at high flow velocities, which is reflected in the rapid abandonment of the main river channel during extreme flood events, and the formation of a new, parallel river channels in former floodplains. The National Park, in the total length of 400 km, includes the main river and three tributaries (the Drino River with the tributary Kardhiq, Bënça, and Shushica), and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) soon joined the partnership when a long-term management plan had already been under preparation. It is currently being adopted by the relevant national bodies. Similarly to many other protected areas worldwide, the Vjosa Wild River National Park faces challenge of tourism development.
The karst Skadar Lake on the border between Montenegro and Albania is the largest freshwater body on the Balkan Peninsula. It is inhabited by 34 native fish species, of them seven are endemic. Photo Jan Plesník
Plesník J. & Hanel L.: Inland Water Ecosystems State and Outlook Worldwide
For humans, water is much more than just the chemical formula H2O. It remains a prerequisite for the existence of life on Earth. Even cosmologists searching for life beyond our planet use sophisticated probes to search for water, to which all known organisms are bound to a varying degree. It was once considered an inexhaustible natural resource, but this has not been the case. The state of the world’s inland waters is not favourable. Although climate variability is causing some changes in the water cycle as a whole, human intervention remains the main driver affecting inland aquatic ecosystems, mainly through pollution of aquatic ecosystems. Water abstraction, particularly for agriculture, is also a major influence. The diverse and increasing impact of human-induced external drivers on inland aquatic ecosystems has been known for decades, as well as the effective solutions to reduce or mitigate it, using both natural and technological approaches. Protecting, conserving and managing inland water ecosystems require surface water and groundwater be considered and managed as a single interconnected resource. In many cases, the application of an ecosystem approach, such as integrated river basin management or circular water management, is often effective. There is some hope that their application in practice can benefit from the current political support given to climate change mitigation and adaptation measures. ■