”Inventory of Periodic Pools and Wetlands in Forests of the Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape, World Heritage Site”

The Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape is a result of harmonious interplay of cultural and natural environments. It arose in an area which had traditionally been subject to human impact. Apart from its cultural values, which were vindicated by the area’s inscription on the World Heritage List, LVCL was identified as an area of exceptionally high species and habitat diversity.

The most significant natural phenomenon of LVCL is the vast floodplain of the Dyje river encompassing complexes of floodplain forests, parks, fishponds, alluvial production meadows, periodic pools and wetlands. Habitats of small wetlands and periodic pools within forests represent a specific natural element of LVCL. This is where rare plant and animal species find ideal environment to thrive in.

In order to identify the complex relations within the floodplain forest biome for the use of the Ministry of the Environment, we mapped the extent of these unique and frequently inconspicuous habitats and prepared a basis for follow-up detailed studies of natural processes in which beavers have recently played an increasingly significant role. In collaboration with specialists we created a basic passport of pools and wetlands which are clearly identified by GPS coordinates and provided with basic descriptive characteristics and photos of the winter aspect.

The project is to serve as a basis for a more detailed study of period pools and wetlands which will be conducted with the support of the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic in 2010. Its primary objective is to provide a coordinated proposal for management measures in LVCL which would conserve the area’s sum of cultural and natural values.

The project was implemented with financial support of the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic.