Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic

www.ochranaprirody.cz

Transport Research Centre
EVERNIA
The Silva Tarouca Research Institute for Landscape and Ornamental Gardening

The proposed project approaches the addressed issue of landscape fragmentation in a complex and profile manner on numerous levels: it addresses the issue in terms of requirements of various groups of terrestrial animals, from concepts/general approaches and prognoses through various methodical procedures, monitoring and education, to proposals of particular solutions at the local level and their implementation. It also attempts to approach the given topic logically and to take account of the differences given by the life requirements of various fauna species inhabiting various types of landscape, and the resulting need to reflect those differences in the complex concept of landscape protection against fragmentation. This approach also results in dividing the project into eight main topics: A. Designing a complex approach to protect landscape against fragmentation, B. Solution to the landscape fragmentation in terms of kinds of forest ecosystems, C. Solution to the landscape fragmentation in terms of kinds of non-forest ecosystems, D. Solution to the landscape fragmentation in terms of semiaquatic animal species, E. Solution to the landscape fragmentation in terms of amphibians, F. Solution to the landscape fragmentation in terms of reptiles, G. Solution to the landscape fragmentation in terms of birds, and H. Education of experts and general public in the area of landscape fragmentation. So the project aims to contribute comprehensively to the landscape protection against fragmentation throughout the Czech Republic at various levels in the form of sectional and major outputs to be processed within the scope of the above stated topics of the project. The outputs include e.g. analyses/models/prognoses of development focused on forest/non-forest/water-connected ecosystems or various animal species of interest, on the future impact of traffic and other anthropogenic barriers, a database of migration structures built on selected types of roads, the related methodical procedures, construction of passages and migration barriers to secure migration of dice snakes (Natrix tessellata), proposals for appropriate adaptations of selected bridges, proposals of measures to be taken in particular locations showing a high mortality of amphibians, and a map layer of areas important in terms of preservation of the landscape connectivity in forest ecosystems, setting graded protection conditions, which is to be used as an area-analytic supporting document. The last mentioned output is also an example of what we consider to be one of the key tasks of the project, i.e. optimization/adaptation of the resulting outputs in terms of their usability in area planning. Therefore, when processing sectional outputs, account will be taken, whenever possible and relevant, of their processing in such manner and in such form to allow their usability in the future (in terms of their quality and in terms of legislation) and to secure their binding character in the area-planning process, if possible. The educational part of the project aims to contribute to the protection of connectivity of our landscape by drawing attention of general public to this issue and by improving decision-making processes through presenting and making the resulting methodical materials available for experts and for the state administration.

Approximately 309 311 EUR