Ambassador profile

 

  Name: Viera Horáková
  Function: Botanist
  Country: Czech Republic
  E-mail: vhorakova(at)krnap(dot)cz
  Tel: +42 (0) 49945 6225
     
     
 

Organisation profile

 
  Organisation: Krkonose National Park Administration, Dep. Nature Conservation
  www: www.krnap.cz
  E-mail: podatelna(at)krnap(dot)cz
  Tel: +42 (0) 49945 6111
  Established: 17/05/1963
  Category: National Park
  Number of staff: The entire organisation of National Park Administration has about 350 employees, the Department of Nature Conservation has 20 employees (1 employee for Natura 2000).
Site profile
  Site name: Krkonose, in English: the Giant Mountains  
  Location: Geographical location: Eastern Bohemia, 50 dg. 54‘N, 15 dg. 30‘E. The Giant Mountains belongs to biotic province 2.32.12.  
  Land area: 54,979.60 ha  
  Nearest urban settlement: Vrchlabí to south, Harrachov and Rokytnice nad Jizerou to west, Pec pod Snezkou to east.  
  Natura 2000 ID: SPA - CZ0521009, SCI - CZ 0524044  
  www: Czech version: www.krnap.cz, the English version is in preparation.  
  Annual visitor count: About 5 million visitors  
  Majority of visitors from: Most of visitors come from Germany, Poland, Holland, Russia.  
  Site description:

The Giant Mountains are located northeast of Bohemia and they create a natural mountain border between Bohemia and Poland. The Giant Mountains are the highest range in the Czech Republic (the highest point is Snezka – 1602 m a.s.l.). Forests cover more than 80% of the area of the Giant Mountains. The rest of the area is covered by meadows, wetlands and flower-rich mountains, meadows of the montane belt, natural alpine grasslands and subarctic wetlands of the summit plateaux, vegetation on siliceous rocky slopes, tall herb alpine meadows and shrubs vegetation of the avalanche slopes of the glacial cirques and lichen tundra and boreal heaths of the highest peaks.

 
       
All species
  Species code Latin name Common / local name
       
  4069 Campanula bohemica * Zvonek cesky
  2217 Pedicularis sudetica* Vsivec krkonossky pravy
  4113 Galium sudeticum * Svízel sudetsky
  4094 Gentianella bohemica * Horecek cesky
  1163 Cottus gobio Vranka obecná
  1318 Myotis dasycneme Netopyr pobrezní
    Ciconia nigra Cáp cerny
    Dryocopus martius Datel cerny
    Crex crex Chrástal polní
    Ficedula parva Lejsek maly
    Luscinia svecica svecica Slavík modrácek tundrovy
    Aegolius funereus Syc rousny
    Tetrao tetrix Tetrívek obecny
       
All habitats (* indicates priority habitats)
  Habitat code Common / local name
     
  4070* Bushes with Pinus mugo and Rhododendron hirsutum (Mugo-Rhododendretum hirsuti)
  6230* Species-rich Nardus grasslands, on siliceous substrates in mountain areas (and submountain areas, in continental Europe)
  7110* Active raised bogs
  91D0* Bog woodland
  91E0* Mixed ash-alder alluvial forests of temperate and Boreal Europe (Alno-Padion, Alnion incanae, Salicion albae)
  9180* Tilio-Acerion forests of slopes, screes and ravines
  4030 European dry heats
  4060 Alpine and boreal heaths
  4080 Sub-Arctic willow scrub
  6510 Extensive hay meadows of the plain to submontane levels (Arrhenatherion Brachypodio-Centaureion nemoralis)
  6520 Mountain hay meadows
  6150 Siliceous alpine and boreal grasslands
  6430 Hydrophilous tall herb fringe communities of plains and of the montane to alpine levels
  7140 Transition mires and quaking bogs
  8110 Siliceous scree of the montane to snow levels (Androsacetalia alpinae and Galeopsietalia ladani)
  8220 Chasmophytic vegetation on siliceous rocky slopes
  9110 Luzulo-Fagetum beech forests
  9130 Asperulo-Fagetum beech forests
  9140 Medio-European subalpine beech woods (with Acer and Rumex arifolius)
  9410 Acidophilous spruce forests (Vaccinio-Piceetea)
  8310 Caves not open to public
     
Stakeholder profile        
     
  Stakeholder activity in the management planning process:
     
  Stakeholder group activity level
  hi ←       → nil
  Local Government        
  Central Government        
  Scientists        
  Private landowners        
  Green NGOs        
  Private sector        
  Private individuals        
  Private foresters        
  Farmers        
  Recreational groups        
           
Stakeholder success stories
   
 

Agro-environmental Aids

Farmers within our SPA and SCI have joined the Agro-environmental Aids with different specializations. Financial support comes from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).
This project started last year and a lot of farmers have been successfully involved. Cooperation between farmers and the State is based on voluntary agreements for 5 years. Farmers have to adapt their management to support the nature protection on farmland. They are subject to regular controls and they obtain extra finances when keep within the rules – from Euro 100 to 417 /ha depending of scheme type.
Farmers on our area mostly used one of following schemes or a combination of several of them:

  • Agro-environmental scheme focused on sustainable management of “rich-species meadows”
  • Agro-environmental scheme focused on protection of Corncrake (“Corncrake-friendly” management)
  • Agro-environmental scheme focused on protection of wetlands (habitat 7140)


All schemes are focused on maintenance (or improvement) of habitats or species state. Each of the schemes has strictly determined rules of management.
   
 

Sustainable management of mountain rich-species meadows

Another possibility used by farmers, owners of small piece lands (e.g. meadows around house) and others is “Sustainable management of mountain rich-species meadows”. In general, mowing and grazing are used in order to keep the meadows in a desirable condition. Our organisation chooses suitable areas within SCI Krkonose and provides all agenda for people using this support. Financial support comes from an annual budget of the organisation allocated by the Ministry of Environment.
   
Photo credit: Karel Hnik, Vaclav Horak, Viera Horakova, Irena Spatenkova, Jan Vanek.
Communication profile
 

Activities and products for the communication of Natura 2000

 
  Events
 
 
✓Workshops
✓Guided visits
✓Other: Presentations

 
  Event frequency
 
 
✓A few times a year

 
  Use of seasonal workers / volunteers
 
 
✓No

 
  Communication literature produced
 
 
✓Leaflets
✓Magazines / periodicals
✓Other: the website www.krnap.cz

 
  Communication target groups
 
 
✓General public
✓Stakeholders
✓Local community
✓Site visitors
✓Other: Scholars, small children

 
  The organisation has a dedicated communication strategy for Natura 2000
 
 
✓No

 
  Site involved in joint working / networking
 
 
✓No

 
   
Site management profile
"Environmental conservation and support of natural processes in the Giant Mountains – SPA and SCI Krkonose"
   
  Key site management issues:
 

 

  • Support of natural processes in semi-natural and natural forest ecosystems
  • Environment conservation of tundra ecosystems
  • Rehabilitation of meadows and flower-rich mountain meadows
  • Eliminate negative human impacts from the past

 
  Integration of Natura 2000 in overall site management:
 

 

The introduction of the Natura 2000 program was the first step in the implementation on the area of Krkonose in 2004. From 2005 we prepared data for new agricultural support for farmers. A third of farmers are successfully involved from 2007. We started with monitoring of habitats (2007), plant species (2006) and bird species (2004). On the areas of SPA and SCI Krkonose we joined the Branding of local products in Natura 2000 sites.

 
  Key site management objectives:
 

 

  • Certification of the forest management
  • Regulation of tourism in tundra ecosystems and improving public awareness
  • Supporting stakeholders in restoration of local land use
  • Supporting local products
  • Rehabilitation projects

 
  Stakeholders targeted as part of management action:
 

 

  • Stakeholders (private owners, farmers)
  • Local communities (councils, inhabitants, schools)
  • Visitors
  • Scientists

 
  Description of work carried out / methods and methodology:
 

 

  • Preparation for forest certification
  • Preparation of management plan
  • Giving advice to farmers regarding new agricultural programs, help with administration
  • Realization of rehabilitation projects in tundra ecosystem
  • Cooperation with local people in realization of branding local products with logo of Natura 2000 sites
  • Presentations for public, schools
  • Publication of booklets
  • More information: www.natura.org/sites_cz_krkonose.html
  • Various types of training programs for employees of NP (certification, communication, new administration tasks etc.)
  • Meeting with stakeholders and delegates of local communities
  • Research

 
  Results of action and activities:
 

 

In the framework of new forest management, foresters started with addition of autochthonous tree species. In this was they increase forest ecosystem stability.
In tundra ecosystem we succeeded in rehabilitation of peatbogs restoring disturbed water systems. Next rehabilitation activity is aimed at successive elimination of dwarf mountain pine artificial planting in tundra ecosystems. The elimination of dwarf pine contributes towards improving the environment of endangered alpine meadows.
The first results of rehabilitation are also evident in meadows ecosystems. Farmers use new agricultural programs. They can therefore support nesting of corncrake or rehabilitation of wetlands.

Our plan is continuing through:

  • Projects supporting natural processes in semi-natural and natural forest ecosystems
  • Elimination of artificial planting of dwarf mountain pine in tundra ecosystems
  • Supporting stakeholders in new ways of agricultural land use
  • Supporting local products
  • Rehabilitation projects

 
  Indication of budget allocation for these tasks:
 

 

Budget allocated to individual projects is part of the annual budget of the Krkonose National Park Administration and it is usually planned one year ahead.

 
   
Financial overview
   
  Organisational budget for nature conservation (annual):
 

 

Year 2007

  • Management of non-forest habitats – Euro 178,000
  • Management of forest habitats – Euro 3,900,000

Money for habitat management is allocated by the Ministry of Environment within the total annual budget of the National Park. We do not get any special budget for Natura 2000 sites.

 
  Budget reserved for communication:
 

 

  • Year 2006 – Euro 4,000
  • Year 2007 – Euro 0

 
  European funding:
 

 

No

 
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Krkonose National Park: CZ