The Basic Info about The Protected Landscape Area Czech Karst

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Basic Charakteristics

Every visitor with at least a little romantic soul will be bewitched by the diversity and nearly wildness of the countryside situated to the south-west of Prague. Limestone base forming considerable part of geological structure, is broken by karst canyons and georges and drillled-through by caves. On the hillsides, it bears oak groves with uniquely varied herb layer. Besides landscape and aesthetic qualities, this area is also of big natural-science importance. And it was natural scientists of all people who started to call it Czech Karst.

In 1972, CHKO Český kras (Protected Landscape Area Czech Karst) was established through an order of Ministry of Culture on 129 square km of this area. Its mission is the protection of all country values, its appearance, characteristic features, natural resources and forming of a balanced environment. There were 18 small area nature reserves and nature monuments declared for the protection of unigue values inside it. Economic and recreation use of the area is acceptable unless it damages natural values.

38% forests
8% grass areas
50% Agriculture ???
4% others (lomy, water... a stavební plochy)

High above the sea level: 208 m (River Berounka in Zadní Třeban) - 499 m (Bacín)

Geology

Devonian and Silurian time periods have the greatest share of all Palaeozoic periods in geologic structure of Czech Karst. These two periods are represented by sea sediments of slate, limestone, limy slates, and by effused diabases. These rocks were protected from bigger metamorphoses during the next development lasting 420 million of years. That is why there are many intacted fossils in them. Most famous are Trilobites, Brachiopoda, Echinodermata, and also armoured and spine-finned fish. Proper geologic structure together with a large number of fossils pre determined Czech Karst to the first and in some respect leading place in the world's stratigraphy and palaeontology of the Silurian and Devonian times. There are many world-famous finding-places of Palaeozoic fauna and some geologic profiles were declared world stratotypes of geologic units or their borders.

Caves are not as vast as in Moravian Karst but they often conceal the evidence of the development in the youngest geologic past, including human settlement which dates back as far as Older Stone Age.

Flora

Also living nature is of big scientific importance. Natural composition of local woods with original herb layer is highly valued. Also the occurrence of several tens of botanical species, which are rare and unfortunately even threatened with extinctionin the Czech Republic nowadays, testifies to remarkable importance of this area. Some of them have their last known occurrence-places here e.g. Dracocephalum austriacum, Dianthus gratianopolitanus, Adenophora liliifolia and others. The occurrence of scattered oak growth with mingled steppe herbal community, in which e. g. Dictamnus albus, Orchis purpurea, Stipa ioannis, Lathyrus pannonicus have their share, on the dry, south-oriented slopes is interesting. The lowest natural expansion of beech growth in northern Bohemia should be mentioned as well. They reach as high as 220 m above the sea level.

Fauna

Fauna of Czech Karst is more varied than in the surrounding countryside. The occurrence of ten species of horseshoe batsand bats is directly dependent on the karstic environment. As for the birds, e. g. eagle-owl and honeybuzzard nest here rgularly. Occurrence of some species of reptiles and amphibians (grass snakes, green lizard, fire salamander) gives evidence of the good state of environment. Also the molluscs are an important group - there are for instance more than 70 kinds of slugs here. Great variety of insects can be proved by 1390 species of butterflies and it is nearly the same with other groups of Invertebrata.

The Karlstein National Nature Reserve

A Nature Reserve of world importance -The Karlstein National Nature Reserve - surrounds the vicinity of the castle and many visitors know nothing about her beauty. This broken karst area displays immense amount of nature beauties.

A geological site of interest is the Budnanska rock above the Berounka river (opposite the bridge) which became an important palaeontological deposit. Most of the conserve is covered with deciduous woods. Thin growths of dwarfish oak trees are found on the rocky slopes which host rare species of plants endemic to this environment. Oak forests change in several locations to semisteppes and steppes where variety of xerofytes and limephilic plants can be found. You may have noticed the leaf of Karst rowan tree in the sign of the conserve. This tree grows nowhere else in the world except several locations of the Bohemian karst area.. Many interesting and rare kinds of mushrooms attract both amateurs and experts for frequent hikes. Numerous caves and old tunnels provide hiding places for 17 species of bats. Uniqueness of the conserve is underlined by occurrence of 1390 butterfly species. Owing to its nature values the Karlstein national nature reserve was nominated for prestigeous award European council diploma.

The Karlstejn national nature reserve has not made a final management plane and complete photographic documentation about all surface. It is a tragedy to have so important reserve near from Prague - capitol of the Czech Republic and to have no complete maps and grounds for future research and management of national nature reserve.

Main problems in NNR Karlstejn in present time are:

• non coordinated tourism,
• big impact of limestone mining around protected area,
• new village development,
• bad forestry systems,
• changes in karstic water systems (dry climate periods).

NNR Karlstejn is under rule of Administration the protected landscape area Czech Karst (a part of Administration protected landscape area of Czech Republic), administration office is located at No.85 Karlštejn, 267 18 Karlstejn, Czech Republic.

What is not allowed in the National Nature Reserve:

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