Mid-Conference Locations

1. Pískovna u Dračice sand pit 

(Route 2)

The locality (7.5 ha, 48°53‘35“N, 14°56‘2“E) is situated in the southern part of the Třeboňsko Protected Landscape Area (45 km SE from České Budějovice).  Sand mining destroyed the original habitats, such as forest plantations, meadows, pastures and arable fields. Because of the intervention of the nature conservation authority the planned depositions of building wastes and forest reclamation were not realized. Instead, three small water bodies were created to increase habitat heterogenity. There are typical xeric habitats on exposed rocks and sands, including open sand grasslands with Corynephorus canescens. Many species are confined to the small lakes, being mainly the amphibians Epidalea calamita (with one of the largest population in the region). The locality is a nesting site for sand martins (Riparia riparia); nesting by the rainbow bird (Merops apiaster) was recorded in 2002. There were repeated records of hoopoe (Upupa epops) during its nesting time in 2008.

2. Successional site in the Cep I sandpit 

(Route 1)

This is a succesional site (6 ha: around 500 × 120 m, 48°55‘4“N, 14°52‘60“E) located within the large mostly flooded sand pit (ca.140 ha) situated in the southern part of the Třeboňsko Protected Landscape Area (40 km SE from České Budějovice). After the end of mining in the middle of the 1990s the restoration scheme was rearranged and the site was left to spontaneous development. In 2002 – 2006, the surface was modulated and shallow lakes were created. Communities of bare sand and oligotrophic wetlands gradually established in the site. Slopes at the edge of the site are afforested by Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) and English Oak (Quercus robur) as a compromise between near-natural and traditional forest reclamation. Recently, spontaneous succession includes wetland communities in a diverse mosaic with sandy communities. Sandy banks are used by nesting Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius) and Sand Martins (Riparia riparia).

3. Forestry sandpit – Cep

(Route 7)

The sand pit (2.25 ha; 48°55‘24“N, 14°50‘20“E) is located in a forest in the southern part of the Třeboňsko Protected Landscape Area (40 km SE from České Budějovice). Mining started in 1987 and was done in cooperation with the authority of the Třeboňsko Protected Landscape Area.  Currently, succession has proceeded towards valuable wetland communities and technical reclamation has not been carried out. The sandpit is now overgrown by woody species and the oldest lakes are changing into peatlands. Vegetation of various successional stages is present on the locality. Different communities with several endangered species occur on bare sand, clay, shallow lakes and peatland. The site is part of a Natura 2000 locality, which was established for the protection of the Great Crested Newt (Triturus cristatus).

4. Cep II sand pit and the Klara's island

(Route 1)

Klara's island (0.3 ha: 70 x 40m, 48°55'59"N, 14°52'39"E) is located in the southeastern part of the large sand pit (101 ha). Mining of the sand pit CEP II started in 1979. A majority of the area is formed by a large lake formed by extraction of gravel-sand below the water level. Application of near-natural restoration methods by the Administration of the Třeboňsko Protected Landscape Area led to the decrease of technical reclamation in the extracted areas since the end of the 1990s. The recent restoration scheme assumes creation of a gentle lake coastline (including Klara's island) with favourable conditions for shallow water vegetation.  Slopes at the edge of the site are afforested by Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) and English Oak (Quercus robur) as a compromise between near-natural and traditional forest reclamation. Several rare amphibians and reptiles live in the sand pit, e.g. a large colony of Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius).

A part of the extracted material was deposited in the southern part of the lake to create the island in 2005. In 2009, Klara's island was used in an experimental trial to restore very fragmented psammophytic grasslands on suitable new sites such as abandoned sand pits.

5. Borkovice - Jitra sand pit

(Route 9)

The locality (2 ha, 49°13'35"N, 14°38'44"E) is situated approximately 35 km NE from České Budějovice. Sand was mined only for local purposes.  Occasional mining led to a heterogenous surface with dry little ridges, small peatland areas and pools.  Recently, management measures include restoration and creation of pools with different water levels and maintening open sand sites. The wet sites are dominated mostly by willows, while mesic sites are covered by a mixture of trees such as pines, birches, oaks and rowans. An endangered sundew (Drosera rotundifolia) occurs on small peatland sites.

6. Stone quarries of Plešovice and Zrcadlová huť 

(Route 5,6)

The metamorphic rock granulite is or was mined in both quarries. The former one is still active but some parts were abandoned at different time. Thus various successional stages, aged between 1 and approximately 25 years, are visible. They are dominated especially by woody species such as birch (Betula pendula), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), willow (Salix caprea) and aspen (Populus tremula). Similar stages are visible in the latter quarry, which was completely abandoned and then left to spontaneous succession. The parts without a dense cover of woody species are especially valuable habitats for various insect and spider species. It will be demonstrated in the field that spontaneous succession is an effective and cheap way of restoration and no technical reclamation is needed except in forming a shape of the quarry which is aesthetically acceptable to the public when quarrying is ceased

7. Soumarský most peatland 

(Route 3)

The Soumarský most peatland was an ombrotrophic bog with bog pine (Pinus rotundata) situated in the floodplain of the Vltava River in the Šumava Mts. National Park. Hand mining and then industrial extraction continued until 2000 when it was stopped due to the intervention from the Šumava National Park authorities. Restoration of the site began in 2000, except for a small part of the peatland afforested by Pinus sylvestris in the 1980s.The first part of the restoration was blockage of the drainage system. Mulch from surrounding peaty meadows was spread over the peatland to facilitate species introduction and for improving the microclimate.

Due to the increase of the water table, there is a massive spread of Eriophorum vaginatum, while Eriophorum angustifolium and Carex rostrata locally occur in wet sites. The species were locally reintroduced by transplants, but also partly established spontaneously. Bare peat is slowly colonized by Calluna vulgaris, Vaccinium uliginosum and V. myrtillus. Juncus effusus, Carex canescens and Molinia caerulea. and Sphagnum mosses are growing on less than 10% of the area due to their reintroduction and spontaneous colonization.

8. Borkovice peatland 

(Route 9)

The locality is situated in the Třeboň Basin (South Bohemia). It was a raised bog covered with bog pine (Pinus rotundata) forest before the hand mining and industrial mining, which was stopped in 1987. About 400 ha of the peatland in total were mined. Part of the mined area was reclaimed for agriculture or afforested, while part was left to spontaneous succession. In 2000, drainage ditches were dammed on several sites.

Birch and pine forest developed over most of the area left to spontaneous succession. Dry peat is being invaded by the invasive moss Campylopus introflexus. In overflow sites, mesothrophic wetlands (pH 6-6,5) with Carex rostrata and Juncus effusus have developed.

9. Červené blato peatland 

(Route 1)

The locality is situated in the Třeboňsko Biosphere reserve (South Bohemia). It is one of the largest raised bogs in the lower altitutes (470 m a.s.l.) with bog pine (Pinus rotundata) in the Czech Republic. Because the drainage channels were functioning still after almost 100 years, dams were installed to prevent further draining of the site.

The vegetation represents a mosaic of different successional stages formed by earlier block-cutting of peat. The open habitats are dominated by cotton grass (Eriophorum vaginatum) and sphagnum mosses (S. fallax, S. cuspidatum). Other typical bog species occur in the bog forest, with some glacial relicts in the flora and fauna such as Ledum palustre, Oxycoccus palustris, Andromeda polifolia, and Drosera rotundifolia. The locality is rich mainly in invertebrates, many species of dragonflies (i.g. Aeshna subarctica, Leucorrhinia rubicunda), butterflies (i.g. Arichanna melanaria), and beetles (i.g. Lestus terminatus, Agonum ericeti).

The block-cut site is accesible to visitors via a nature trail which was built there by the Authority of the Třeboňsko Biosphere Reserve.

10. The Novohradské Hory Hills 

(Route 7)

The Novohradské Hory Hills represent a relatively small area located along the Czech – Austrian border. The area represents a landscape phenomenon with a relatively dense hydrographic network and important water catchments of the Vltava River through its tributaries. Together with the Šumava Mts, it is the most densely forested montane area between the Alps in the south and the Sudeten mountains in the north. The former woodlands were wet spruce and beech forests of which now only a few remain. Peatlands are also typical for this watered area. The flora of the Novohradské hory Hills is composed of a relatively rich occurrence of montane, boreoalpine and subatlantic species. Plants of the Alpine migration are richly represented (e.g. Willemetia stipitata, Ranunculus aconitifolius, Soldanella montana, Crocus albiflorus, Cardamine trifolia).

The excursion is going to visit the baroque church in Dobrá Voda, the primeval forest Hojná Voda, the abandoned village Pohoří na Šumavě with the ruins of the church and the “Iron Curtain”, the former border between the eastern and western parts of Europe during the communist era.

The Church of Maria of the Good Advice

The two towered baroque Church was built on the place of a spring with medical influences in 1701 and become an important pilgrimage place. A bath was established nearby. In the beginning of the 20.Century, about 30 000 pilgrims from many countries came there every year between May and December. However, the medical power of the spring was known even earlier. There was a wayside cross by the spring before the church was built. The church is is visible from a far distance and has become a dominant part of the landscape. Historically, it is one of the most valuable baroque churches in South Bohemia.

The primeval forest nature reserves - Žofínský prales and Hojná voda

The primeval forest nature reserves the National Natural Monument Hojná Voda (9.09 ha) and the Žofínský prales National Natural Reserve (102 ha protected by a fence) are thought to be the oldest European primeval beech forest reserves. They were established as protected areas in 1838 by count J.A. Buquoy. The protected area Hojná Voda is dominated by a beech (Fagus sylvatica) forest with an admixture of Picea abies, Ulmus glabra, Acer pseudopltanus, Acer platanoides and Abies alba. The species rich herb layer is represented by Dentaria ennephyllos, D. bulbifera, Festuca altissima, Mercurialis perennis, Cardamine trifolia, Galeobdolon montanum, Actaea spicata, Viola reichenbachiana, Athyrium filix-femina, Dryopteris filix-mas, Dryopteris borreri, Polystichum aculeatum, Polystichum braunii. At the springs occur Carex remota, Circaea alpina, Chrysosplenium alternifolium, Veronica montana, Cardamie amara etc.

“Iron Curtain”

During the communist era, it was strictly prohibited to enter the area close to the border. There were electrical fences and between them an area without vegetation to see the traces of emigrants, altogether called the “Iron Curtain”. The Iron Curtain symbolized the totalitarian commmunist regime and formed a physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas during the Cold War. To keep this area without vegetation, the top soil was removed and herbicides were afterwards used to prevent plant regrowth. After 1989, when the communist era in the Czech Republic ended, the fences were removed and the area was abandoned. Nowadays, succession is in progress and oligotrophic species often established there, such as Drosera rotundifolia, Pedicularis sylvatica, Juncus squarosus, Lycopodium clavatum. According to the poor soil and disturbance, the most common pioneer species were spruces and birches.

Pohoří na Šumavě

This abandoned village with ruins of a church, houses and cemetery has a mysterious atmosphere. Pohoří na Šumavě was established in 1779 with the original German name Buchers, and a late baroque church was built afterwards. After the Second World War, the church was abandoned and became desolated. In 1999, the tower of the church fell into the nave and destroyed the church. The rest of the church has become a ruin, and it is now being partly restored. The houses in this small town totally disappeared. Nowadays, there are a few new houses for recreation. In addition, there is still the memorial of the victims of the First World War among the ruins. 

11. Mountain spruce-forests in the Sumava National Park attacted by bark beetle (Ips typographus) 

(Route 8)

The attacked forests were either left without intervention or managed using the traditional forestry approach. The latter consists of the following measures: Attacked trees are cut down and the resulting clearings are artificially afforested. We advocate, in contrast to the present National Park Authorities, the non-intervention approach, because the bark beetle is a natural component in the mountain spruce forest dynamics, natural regeneration is sufficient and other biota are not negatively influenced. Contrasting sites will be visited to demonstrate results of both approaches near Plešné Lake.

12. Vyšenské kopce National Nature Reserve

(Route 10)

The nature reserve Vyšenské kopce is one of the most important natural reserves of the South Bohemia region. It protects a mosaic of calcareous steppe grasslands (Bromion erecti), bare rocks, scrub and small forests with well preserved flora and fauna. It is also an important mycological locality, since more than 300 of species of fungi were recorded there. Since the 16th century the area was used as pasture for Český Krumlov. The management was stopped in the 1950s, but in the 1970s expanding shrubs were cut and regular pasture and mowing management was renewed.

13. Abandoned quarry Výří vrch

(Route 5,10)

The abandoned quarry Výří vrch is situated 450 m from the Vyšencké kopce National Nature Reserve and for its flora and fauna has been recently declared Natural Monument. The crystalline limestone was mined there from around 1860 to 1993.

14. Restoration of wet meadows and various restoration problems in the military training area of Boletice 

(Route 6)

A previously abandoned complex of wet meadows (Molinion alliance in European classification) has been regularly cut since 2008 to maintain or restore populations of rare and retreating plant species such as Iris sibirica, Gentiana pneumonanthe, Carex umbrosa and Carex hartmanii and their respective communities. In addition to this, problems of conservation and restoration in the military training area, which is planned to be reduced in area or completely abolished, will be discussed and demonstrated in the field if possible.

15. Restoration of wet meadows near Senotin 

(Route 4)

In the Czech Republic, about 27% of agricultural land was drained using subsurface pipe drainage.  A substantial part of this area was wet meadows with a peaty soil profile.  Senotin is a small village in the southern part of the Czech Republic (49°3'55.818"N, 15°8'46.744"E).  In the slopes around this village (650-700 m a.s.l.) pipe subsurface drainage was performed in 1985 in such a way that it left several small fragments of undrained peat meadow with areas of 0.5-2 ha. Consequently, a 5ha meadow was restored in 1995 by filling pipe drainage with clay stoppers in several places along the slope. The undrained meadow represents a mixture of monillietum and in oxicoco sphagnetum with Dactylorhiza majalis,  Arnica montana and Menyanthes trifoliata, while the drained meadow is a cultural meadow with Juncus glomeratus in wetter parts.  Restoration efforts have led to a rapid increase in the soil water table and increased plant and animal diversity. However, peat accumulation in the restored sites is still quite weak.

16. Restoration of the Borová brook valley 

(Route 3)

The Borová brook flows through the western part of the Blanský les Protected Landscape Area (20 km SE from České Budějovice). It is 6.3 km long (current state) and the catchment area is 17.8 km2. In 1982 - 1984 the surrounding grasslands were drained and, because of that, the stream was canalized and narrowed. Its length was reduced by up to 3.5 km. The restoration of the Borová brook valley was realized in 1998-2000. During restoration, the canalized watercourse was partly meandered again, two basins were created and native trees were planted above the stream banks. The project also included reconstruction of the old local roads and plantation of accompanying alleys.

17. Floodplain of the Lužnice River 

(Route 2)

A part of the Lužnice River and its floodplain has not been canalized and substantially altered by humans, thus, a mosaic of wet meadow, marshes, open water in back arms and pools, and willow carrs has been preserved. The main problem is that most meadows and marshes, earlier regularly cut for hay, are nowadays neglected which causes an expansion of competitive species such as Phalaris arundinacea and Urtica dioica; consequently, species diversity decreases. A large research project was conducted here in the 1980s and 1990s under which a part of the neglected meadows was restored by re-establishment of regular cutting, but later.

18. Nové Hrady, a historical town 

(Route 7)

A small town at the foothills of the Novohradské Hory Hills was founded in front of an old gothic castle which has been preserved with some later alterations. The town has some other historical monuments (gothic church, monastery, maisons) and, despite some demolitions during the communist era, it has preserved a typical atmosphere of a provincial town.

19. Třeboň, a historical town 

(Route 4)

The town, protected by national law, was founded in the 13th century and flourished especially in the 16th century. The centre is well preserved as a whole, with a beautiful central square, a large renaissance castle and a valuable gothic church with an attached monastery. The entrance to the town is possible only through the four historical gates. The town is located in the centre of the extensive fishpond system built mostly in the 16th century.

20. Český Krumlov, the town of UNESCO Heritage 

(Route 10)

One of the best preserved medieval towns in central Europe located over meanders of the Vltava River. Many gothic, renaissance and baroque buldings form together a unique atmosphere of the town dominated by the second largest castle in the country (after Prague) and a valuable late gothic church.

21. Holašovice, the village of UNESCO Heritage

(Route 8)

One of the best preserved villages in the country represents a unique complex of rural baroque houses. Most of them were built during the 19th century. The village survived the communist era and in 1995 was declared as a historical monument under Czech legislation and in 1998 as a UNESCO Heritage site.

22. Záluží u Vlastiboře, a well-preserved village 

(Route 9)

A complex of several villages with typical, nicely decorated rural late baroque houses is preserved in the northern part of the Třeboň Basin. A small but probably best preserved village will be visited. Most farm houses were built in the second half of the 19th century. The village as a whole is protected by Czech law.