Volume 2 (2009): Issue 1 (June 2009)

The paper focuses on the area of Doly Bílina in the Most district, on the landscape that has been severely affected by extraction of mineral resources for a long time and represents in terms of natural conditions one of the most damaged regions where no possibility of a return to original condition comes into consideration. By using appropriate remedial and recultivation measures, however, we can create a sort of "alternative" natural environment, which should be able to fulfil a greater part of all wood-producing and beneficial forest functions after a certain time, as did the original landscape system.

The paper deals with the development of cultural landscape in the area of study in the Kašperské Hory region, Czech Republic, from the 1730s to the present and documents changes in spatial structure of land use in this period. The aim of the paper is to briefly characterize main phases in land use development and to identify land use changes and their trajectories. The research tries not only to identify spatial changes of land use but also to compare these changes with natural conditions and socio-economic factors. The results show a clear tendency in natural succession, typical for marginal landscapes in the whole of Europe, and to some extent homogenisation of the landscape in the second half of the 20^th century. The major trajectories of change concern changes between arable land and permanent grassland. About 20% of the area remains stable from the perspective of land use which is different in comparison to other similar areas in the Czech Republic. Main socio-economic driving factors that influence land use development are population dynamics, changes in agricultural practises and management policies, whereas natural conditions do not play such a significant role.

Paper shows (1) the results based on vegetation monitoring during the time period 1975-2005 in the grassland segment of undulated landscape along railway corridor close to village Dlouhá Třebová (Ústí nad Orlicí district, Eastern Bohemia, Czech Republic). Survey was focused on the meadow communities, identification of phycenological changes by comparison of historical phytosociological records (1975) with the present ones (2005). (2) Actual relevés taken within transect design showed that there is direct dependence between the meadow species composition and soil moisture gradient. Along the soil moisture gradient different formations can be found: Carex acuta communities occupying the wet sites close to river bank with high groundwater table, followed by wet Calthion meadows with Cirsium rivulare in mosaic with Holcus lanatus formation on drier microsites. Arrhenatherum elatius stands grow in mesic conditions in contact with Calthion wet meadows. Dry sites on high slope are dominated by Festuca rubra. There are also some plant species of semi-thermophilous flora and species that prefer more acid soil reaction as a part of grassland complex. Meadow biotopes which were not affected by site alteration during bridge building, and communities with Carex acuta seem to be relatively stable in time. There are two populations of protected rare plant species in the locality: first an orchid Dactylorhiza majalis and the second Gentianopsis ciliata. (3) The railway reconstruction resulted mainly into degradation processes of grassland sites which is documented by the sown plant mixture or ruderal plant assemblages.

The aim of this paper is to describe the species biodiversity of important woody species in the riparian zone of wide floodplains in the Protected Landscape Area (PLA) Poodří (Central Europe, Czech Republic). The analysis of growth in terms of particular species was carried out to find out their growth potential. Another task was to evaluate the diversity and health condition of all trees and to determine the occurrence frequency of important woody species (IWS) in particular geobiocoene type groups of wide alluvial plains. The tree classification pyramid (veteran-representative-successor-expectant) was built up to provide the sufficient number of diverse IWS in the area. In total, 3,419 IWS were mapped in the whole area of the PLA Poodří (81.5 km²). In wide alluvial plains, the Ulmi-fraxineta carpini sup. geobiocoene type group (GTG) shows the highest diversity. According to the surveys carried out in the area under investigation it is evident that there are a lot of IWS here deserving protection and the proposal of the appropriate management, which should be represented by the pyramid mentioned above. The pyramid would provide protection and care for the registered trees to reach a respectable age and maximum dimensions. It is necessary to preserve the species spectrum of the IWS to maintain the gene pool of initial populations and biodiversity in landscape. Some species exceed growth parameters of the same species at other floodplain sites in the Czech Republic and even in Europe.