IUCN Management Category V (Protected Landscape)

IX (Biosphere Reserve)

Biogeographical Province 2.32.12 (Central European Highlands)

Geographical Location Situated in south-west Bohemia, along the border with Germany and Austria in the Bavarian-Sumava Forest. It extends some 90km from Nyrsko in the north-west to Nova Pec in the south-east. 49°01'N, 13°34'E.

Date and History of Establishment The area, the largest protected area in the country, was created on 27 December l963 by Decree No 53.855/63 (although parts of the area have been protected for much longer). This decree aims to preserve and enhance the quality of the landscape and to control its development. The core and buffer zones are legally protected in national and state legislation by means of administrative regulation, executive decree and ownership rights. Local legislation, cooperative agreements and voluntary designations also play a part. Areas of natural forest are protected by law, others managed by the Forestry Service which controls logging activities. In 1975 a decree of the CSR Ministry of Culture "Of a new legal arrangement of the Sumava Protected Landscape Area" was passed (Vynos MK CSR c. 5954/1975). The reserve was accepted as a biosphere reserve in 1990.

Area 167,117 ha (a number of core zones totalling 42,224ha, a buffer zone of 68,893ha and a transition zone of 56,000ha)

Land Tenure National, state and local governments, with secondary ownership in by private individuals, corporations of groups, as well as university and research institutions.

Altitude 470-1,378m (Plechy). Several peaks reach 1,300m and higher (for example, Jezerni hora, Plesna and Trojmezna hora)

Physical Features Comprises an extensive, geographically homogenous mountain area which is a continuation of the Böhmerwald in Germany. The substrates consist of granitoids of different types and rocks are mainly crystalline schists, with smaller areas of crystalline limestones and quartzite dykes. Most of the mountains have the geomorphological pattern of a peneplain dissected into broad ranges with flat tops and form the continental divide between the Danube and Elbe river systems. In the Pleistocene, Sumava was partly covered by small glaciers. Five lakes, totalling 42ha, most of them protected as nature reserves, remain as the evidence of glaciation, together with some glacial screes. In addition, there is a large artificial reservoir, the Vodni Nadrz Lipno, in the south, as well as a canal which skirts the Piecky and Smrcina peaks. The site lies largely in the catchment of the Vltava (Moldau) River. Soils are represented by brown forest podzols and various types of peat.

Climate Central European temperate, with characteristics of mountainous areas exhibiting a gradient between sub-atlantic and sub-continental systems. Maximum average temperature is 17°C at 470m, and -5.2°C recorded as the minimum average at 1,351m. Mean annual precipitation is 1100mm at 1,000m.

Vegetation Sumava is more or less completely covered with forests. There are three main habitat types: montane raised peatbogs of Pino rotundatae-Spagnetum community, representing the most natural edaphic climax type in the area, devoid of human influence and containing relict populations and endemic races of flora and fauna; natural, semi-natural and planted forests consisting of isolated pockets of mixed beech-spruce-fir forests dominated by Fagus sylvatica, Picea abies and Abies alba, montane climax spruce forest (community of Piceetum hercynicum) and forest plantations of Picea abies (78% of forests); montane grasslands maintained by traditional farming activities containing heterogenous communites of diverse flora (Polygonum bistorta, Cissium heterophyllum and Gentiana pannonica). Rowan Sorbus aucuparia and maple Acer platanoides also occur here and locally there are isolated growths of mountain pine Pinus mugo. Boubinsky Prales Nature Reserve is well known as an area of virgin forest, as is the area between the Cerne and Certovo lakes. A very characteristic component of the landscape are peat bogs such as that within Jezerni Slat nature reserve. Here, at an altitude of over 1,000m, is a raised peat bog with characteristic species such as Eriophorum vaginatum, Carex spp., Sphagnum spp., and on drier sites dwarf birch Betula nana. The following important plant species should also be mentioned: Aconitum variegatum, A. napellus, Arnica montana, Blechnum spicant, Calla palustris, Campanula glomerata, Cephalanthera alba, Daphne mezereum, Dianthus superbus, Doronicum austriacum, helleborines Epipactis latifolia, E. atrorubens and E. palustris, Gentiana pneumonanthe, G. crudiata, G. Pannonica, Gentianella ciliata, Gymnadenia connopea, Chamaebuxus alpestris, Ledum aplustre, Lilium bulbiferum, L. martagon, Menyanthes trifoliata, Mulgedium alpinum, Platanthera bifolia, sundew Drosera rotundifolia, and Soldanella montan.

Fauna Once the Sumava woods were the natural habitat of European bison, brown bear, wolf and lynx. Today, of the larger mammals only red deer Cervus elaphus and lynx Lynx lynx live here. Northern birch mouse Sicista betulina is a glacial relict, and Alpine shrew Sorex alpinus pre-glacial. Otter Lutra lutra is rare. Eagle owl Bubo bubo, pygmy-owl Glaucidium passerinum and Tengmalm's owl Aegolius funereus breed, as well as three-toed woodpecker Picoides tridactylus, nutcracker Nucifraga caryocatactes, ring ouzel Turdus torquatus and several grouse species such as capercaillie Tetrao urogallus, hazel hen Tetrastes bonasia and black grouse Lyrurus tetrix. The two lakes within Cerne and Certovo Jezero Nature Reserve are extremely oligotrophic, but they have a characteristic fauna.

Cultural Heritage No information

Local Human Population There are a large number of villages and settlements in the area, the largest being Volory in the south-east. The nearest large town is Ceske Budejovice (population 96,000), some 40km to the east, whilst Plzen (population 175,000) lies 55km to the north. The population density of the region is 1.5/sq.km. The local population is predominantly agricultural and urban. Within the core zone, there are 60 permanent inhabitants, 1,640 in the buffer zone and 22,900 in the transitional zone. The local population benefits from access to employment opportunities, rural development assistance, recreation and tourism. Grasslands, oat and potato crops are currently planned. Grazing cattle is the chief husbandry activity..

Visitors and Visitor Facilities The area is used extensively and intensively for both summer and winter recreation. There are many hotels, trade-union and other organisation-owned hostels and camping sites. The annual number of visitors is around 1,000,000.

Scientific Research and Facilities Some 35 national scientists work at the site, together with 5 visiting scientists from abroad. The site is also being studied as part of the international acid rain monitoring project and comparative studies of boreo-alpine insects of north and central European peatlands. Applied and integrated research programmes exist. Research has been continuing into the hydrobiology of Cerne and Certovo lakes since 1897. Resources available include mapped information (vegetation cover, topography, geology, soil), four topics in the aquatic field, atmospheric data, a complete set of biological inventories and socio-economic and cultural data. There are 19 past and on-going research activities. Facilities include an air pollution monitoring station, climatological station, conference facilities, lodging for 20 visiting scientists, logistic support and permanent monitoring plots. There is close association with the Academy of Sciences, South Bohemian Biological Centre.

Conservation Value Particularly important habitat types are represented by montane raised and valley peatbogs and montane natural forests. Ten floral and faunal species present appear in national Red Data Books and a further 12 species are considered to be endangered or threatened at national or regional level.

Conservation Management Ten nature reserves are located within the area: Bila Strz, Cerne a Certovo jezero (152 ha), Jezerni slat (120 ha), Mlynarska slat, Rokytske slat, Rokytske slat, Bukova slat, Lipka, Boubinsky prales (666ha), Mrtvy luh (283ha) and Trojmezna hora (386ha). The area abuts Bayerischer Wald National Park in Germany, as well as the Naturpark Oberer Bayerischer Wald and the Naturpark Bayerischer Wald. The site has some 13 existing cooperative and coordinative links, the most imprtant being cooperation with the regional planning and development authorities and the local communities, and coordination of comparative long-term monitoring and research programmes. School children, students, local people, graduates, post-graduates and tourists benefit from environmental education. Professional training is undertaken and workshops are held for staff and resource managers. Key activities in the core zone include environmental education, training and research. Public recreation, authorised fishing and hunting also take place, although not at a level to cause concern. Agricultural activities, forestry, grazing, hunting, recreation and tourism are undertaken in the buffer zone. In the transition zone, a range of activities including agriculture, forestry, gathering of natural products, grazing, human settlement, hunting, recreation and tourism occurs. A management plan exists in the form of the landscape plan of the Sumava region (Terplan, Prague, 1969) accepted by the government by Decree No. 155/1969. There is also a separate land use plan for Sumava Landscape Area (Terplan, Prague, 1989).

Management Constraints The area is under a similar high threat from air pollution as the adjacent Bayerischer Wald National Park, where a 1987 study showed that more than 50% of the conifer trees have already been damaged by 'acid rain' air pollution (Bibelriether, 1984; Bibelriether, in litt., 1988). Under greatest threat are the conifers including Norway spruce and the uncommon mountain pine, although peatbog communities are also in danger from increased acidification. The agents mostly responsible for the pollution are presumed to be sulphur dioxide and the nitrogen oxides emitted by industrial works in Germany and Czechoslovakia. The mountain crest forests are the most vulnerable to pollution due to their high level of exposure to wind-blown pollutants (Bibelriether, 1984; Bibelriether, in litt., 1988). Further damage may be caused by forestry and agricultural activities which are not controlled except, apparently, in the nature reserves. There is a particular threat to montane grasslands.

Staff Totals 20 of which 10 are university-trained. In addition, there are 3 education officers.

Budget Koruna 1,000,000 provided by a single, central administrative authority.

Local Addresses

Regional Centre for Care of Historical Monuments and Nature Conservancy (Krajske stredisko statni pamatkove pece a ochrany prirody) Zizkovo nam 14, CESKE BUDEJOVICE CS 37021 (Tel: 038 36903) for Sumava CHKO

West Bohemian Centre, Regional Centre for Care of Historical Monuments and Nature Conservancy (Krajske stredisko statni pamatkove pece a ochrany prirody), Dominikanska 4, PLZEN (for western part)

References

Anon. (1976). Chranena uzemi prirody CSSR. Meritko 1:750,000. Kartografie, Praha.

Anon. (1985). Acid rain devastates Eastern Europe. WWF News. 23 Jan/Feb 1985.

Bibelriether, H. (1984). Bayerischer Wald National Park threatened by Air Pollution. Parks Vol. 9. No. 2. July, August and September, 1984.

Bibelriether, H. (1988). In litt.

Carter, F.W. (1984). Pollution problems in post-war Czechoslovakia. Trans.

Inst. Br. Geogr. N.S. 10:17-44

Carp, E. (1980) A Directory of Wetlands of International Importance in the Western Palaearctic. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.

Czechoslovak National MAB Committee (1989). Biosphere Reserve Nomination Form.

Marsakova-Nemejcova, M and Mihalik, S. (1979). Narodni parky, rezervace a jina chranena uzemi prirody v Ceskoslovensku. Academia Praha.

Svetska, J. (Ed). (1976). Chranena uzemi prirody CSSR. 2nd. edition. Kartografie Praha.

Datasheets provided by Ustredie statnej ochrary prirody. Bratislava (1986).

Date August 1987, revised October 1988 and October 1990