FIELD TRIPS
FIELD TRIP NO 1 4th September 2010
Changes in landscape in the surrounding of the Nove Mlyny Reservoirs
Guides:
Antonin Bucek, Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry Brno
Miroslav Sebela, Moravian Museum Brno
A system of three water reservoirs with the total area of 3,200 ha was built in the alluvial flood plain of the Dyje River in South Moravia between 1969 and 1989. Due to the filling of the reservoirs a harmonious alluvial landscape with a typical mosaic of wetland, grassland, and woodland biocoenoses, which was developing for thousands of years, ceased.
The Nove Mlyny reservoirs were visited by the former president Mr Vaclav Havel in 1990 who stated: “The reservoirs are a crime against nature”. The next stage of the landscape development is characterized by the effort to “ecologise” the reservoirs and their surrounding. There was a successful restoration of a part of flood plain landscape with the use of managed primary succession carried out at the locality of Betlem. The initial state of the landscape and its gradual changes are documented in several detailed studies and prognoses. The landscape of the Nove Mlyny reservoirs therefore represents a unique landscape-ecological experiment because monitoring of the state and development of various elements of landscape structure afflicted with the development of the reservoirs brings completely new and authentic science findings. We intend to introduce the development and current state of the most interesting localities during the field trip.
FIELD TRIP NO 2 4th September 2010
Newly created segments of ecological networks in the agricultural landscape of Moravia
Guides
:
Lubos Uradnicek, Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry Brno
Josef Glos, Ageris, s.r.o. (Ltd.) Brno
The concept of creation of territorial systems of ecological stability in landscape in form of a network of bio-centres, bio-corridors and interactive elements has been developed in the Czech Republic since the seventies of the 20th century. First new bio-corridors were open at the beginning of the nineties of the last century in the agricultural landscape of East Moravia, in the surroundings of Vracov, Straznice, and Krizanovice. There were 62 local bio-centres with the total area of 257 ha, 38 bio-corridors with the total length of 39 km and 29 interactive elements created within the South Moravian Region between 1997 and 2007. The development of many newly created bio-centres and bio-corridors have been monitored in the long term. The results of the monitoring serve to verify the hypothesis about their function in the landscape, to discover the most suitable ways of their foundation and management as well as to test the relationship of local communities towards the newly formed parts of territorial systems. The field trip is designed to cover various types of newly created bio-centres and bio-corridors.
FIELD TRIP NO 3 6th September 2010
The landscape of the biosphere reserve of Dolni Morava / the Lower Moravia/
Guides:
Jan Vybiral, The Biosphere Reserve of Dolni Morava, o.p.s.
Alena Salasova, Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry Brno
The biosphere reserve of Dolni Morava was established on the area of 300 square km in 2003. The biosphere reserve covers the landscape of limestone rocks of the Pavlovske vrchy /the Pavlov Hills/ with Panonian xerotherm biotopes, the landscape of the alluvial plain by the junction of the Morava and the Dyje rivers with a unique complex of wetlands, alluvial meadows and floodplain forests, and the composed cultural landscape of the Lednice – Valtice Area (which is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage). The management of the biosphere reserve is provided by a common profitable company with the main aims of creation of suitable conditions for sustainable development of the area and support of the nature conservation and landscape protection. The field trip will be focused on visiting various types of landscape within the biosphere reserve and on the introduction of various activities leading to ensuring of the harmonious development.
FIELD TRIP NO 4 6th September 2010
Model projects of sustainable regional development in Hostetin and Tvarozna Lhota (by footprints of Prince Charles)
Guides:
Jana Tesarova and Radim Machu, Centrum Veronica Hostetin
Vit Hrdousek, Tvarozna Lhota
The municipality of Hostetin with 240 inhabitants lies in the northern part of the Protected Landscape Area of Bile Karpaty /the White Carpathians/ (it has been a UNESCO biosphere reserve since 1996). Hostetin is a successful example of a gradual fulfilling of the principles of sustainable development of the countryside. Numerous environmental projects have been undertaken within the municipality since the beginning of the nineties of the 20th century. There has been a root waste water treatment plant, and a fruit pressing plant built as well as solar systems, a bio-fuel heating plant, economical street lighting, and a conference centre – the passive house. The projects are results of co-operation between local residents and regional or foreign partners. A complex analysis of the model projects proved that every single project fulfils sufficiently all three pillars of the sustainable development concept – economic, social, and environmental (for example annual reductions of carbon dioxide emissions are more than 1,600 tons). The field trip will introduce all model projects in Hostetin as well as their influence over the landscape and the environment.
Tvarozna Lhota village is the next good example of municipality with sustainable approach to environment. The village is famous for a Service tree (Sorbus domestica) planting. This very rare, giant in size traditional fruit tree bears fruit with medicinal effects. There is a museum dedicated only to Service tree in the centre of the village surrounded by a nature trail of Service tree. The visitors can taste different products made from fruits, especially service tree brandy. Fully functional 40 years old biological corridor can be found close to the village. Prince Charles traveled the same trace during his visit in the Czech Republic in spring 2010.