Towards an Ecological Network for the Carpathians II This publication is the result of the project entitled „Building of Carpathian Biodiversity Information System and design of the ecological network for Western Carpathians“ funded by Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (DBU). Towards an Ecological Network for the Carpathians II Contributors: Country experts on species and habitats: Czech Republic: Jiří Koptík, Pavel Marhoul, Jan Dušek (all Daphne CZ) Hungary: István-Csaba Botos, Csaba Szigetvari, David Kováts (E-misszió) Poland: Wojciech Mroz, Anna Zięcik, Kamil Najberek, Joanna Perzanowska, Katarzyna Staszyńska, Grzegorz Cierlik, Hanna Kuciel (all Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences) Slovakia: Katarína Hegedüšová, Ivan Jarolímek, Milan Valachovič (all Institute of Botany, Slovak Academy of Sciences), Tomáš Dražil, Michal Adamec (both State Nature Conservancy), Ján Kliment (Comenius University Bratislava) PR expert: Martina Brinzíková-Badidová (Daphne SK) German project partner: Axel Paulsch, IBN – Institut fűr Biodiversität Regional coordination team: Viera Šefferová-Stanová, Ján Šeffer, Milan Janák, Rastislav Lasák (all Carpathian Ecoregion Initiative and Daphne SK), Anna Guttová (Carpathian Ecoregion Initiative) Citation: Šeffer J., Lasák R., Šefferová-Stanová V., Janák M. & Guttová A. 2010: Towards an Ecological Network for the Carpathians II. Carpathian Ecoregion Initiative, Bratislava. Photo credits: © Anna Guttová (page 1, 2, 8, 14, 23, 24, back cover), Viera Šefferová-Stanová (page 7, 11, 13, 15, 21), Richard Watzka (page 3, 8, 9, 16), Daniel Dítě (imprint page, page 22, 37), Katarína Hegedüšová (front cover, page 12), Peter Olekšák (page 10, 20), Mária Boďová (page 19), Mirko Bohuš (page 18), František Divok (page 17) Drawing credits and layout: © Richard Watzka, RWdesign Printing: CICERO, s.r.o., Bratislava This project has been carried out and financed by Deutsche Bundesstifftung Umwelt (DBU). Table of Contents Table of Contents 1. Preface ............................................................................................................ 2 2. Carpathian Biodiversity Information System ........................................... 3 2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................... 3 2.2 Organisation of data collection .................................................................... 4 2.3 Information system development ................................................................ 5 2.4 Contents of the CBIS ..................................................................................... 6 2.5 From CBIS to ecological network design – a method ................................. 6 2.6 Purpose, benefits and limitations of the CBIS ............................................. 7 3. Results of the analyses and the proposed ecological network .............. 8 3.1 Carpathian habitat types ............................................................................... 9 3.2 Important Carpathian animals ...................................................................... 15 3.3 Carpathian plant species ............................................................................... 21 4. Recommendations, relevance for Carpathian Conventions and further steps .......................................................................................... 23 5. Annex .............................................................................................................. 24 5.1 List of alliances .............................................................................................. 24 5.2 List of animal species .................................................................................... 29 5.3 List of plant species ....................................................................................... 34 6. References ..................................................................................................... 37 1 Towards an Ecological Network for the Carpathians 1. Preface The Western Carpathians are an outstanding area within the The idea of ecological network sensu lato emerged in differ- Carpathian arch, which is along with the Alpine one, the most ent parts of Europe long time ago (e.g. Lithuania and Estonia projecting mountain system in Europe. They represent one in the 70’s, the former Czechoslovakia was one of the first of the most significant natural refuges of the continent with countries where the idea of ecological network was integrated rich biodiversity, considerable range of forests, meadows, into the conservation policy). It was not until 1995 (3rd Minis- diverse scale of wetlands and a number or further interesting terial conference in Sofia) when up to 54 European countries biotopes. WWF included the Carpathians within “Global 200” endorsed the action to establish the Pan-European Ecologi- worldwide list of ecoregions noted for exceptional levels of cal Network as a part of the Pan-European Biological and biodiversity. Twenty three Western Carpathian biotopes, thir- Landscape Diversity Strategy. A part of the task set was to teen animal and twelve plant species are priority in terms of establish this ecological network within 20 years. In the Car- European Community legislation. A great contribution for un- pathian scope the task is underlined in the Article 4.5 of the derstanding the overall situation in the Carpathians is provid- Carpathian Convention stating, that the parties shall cooper- ed by “The Status of the Carpathians” (Webster et al. 2001), ate in developing an ecological network in the Carpathians, as which was prepared by WWF in 2001 as a result of two year a constituent part of the Pan-European Ecological Network. intensive work. Local experts of all the Carpathian countries CERI’s goal is to lead the design and development of a robust evaluated the knowledge on biodiversity and significant social ecological framework for a Living Carpathians and supported and economic factors which influence its status. This initial and inspired its implementation in all seven Carpathian Coun- stage was followed up by the BBI-Matra project, the aim of tries. Building bricks how to achieve this goal are the activi- which was to contribute to the design the Carpathian Ecologi- ties leading to the design of the regional – Carpathian ecologi- cal Network in Romania, Ukraine and Serbia. This project cal network. In the period of 2006 - 2009 CERI implemented significantly contributed to the safeguarding of a coherent the project “Development of a Carpathian Ecological Network” action in building an ecological network in the Carpathians of Wageningen International, supported by BBI-Matra. By (Zingstra et al. 2009). means of CERI’s member organisations and cooperating organisations (Orbicon, Daphne, Alterra, ECNC, Interim Secre- The aim of international treaties and conventions (e.g. the tariat of Carpathian Convention, WWF-DCP) biodiversity and Convention on Biological Diversity, Ramsar Convention, the socio-economic data collection was realized on the territories Carpathian Convention, Alpine Convention, etc.) is to make of the three South-Eastern Carpathian countries – Ukraine, the process of protection and sustainable use of bio- and Romania and Serbia so as to build up joint Carpathian Biodi- landscape – diversity more effective. An effective protection versity Information System (CBIS) as a basic precondition to or conservation stems from sufficient knowledge and un- work out a concept for a Carpathian Ecological Network. derstanding of current status of biodiversity, the processes, which shape it as well as the manners how the biological It was, however, desirable to start complementary process of diversity is used. the design of an ecological network in the remaining Carpathi- an countries – in Slovakia, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Re- The area of the Western Carpathians stretches through the public. This important step was supported by DBU (Deutsche territories of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Hun- Bundesstifftung Umwelt) as a project Building of Carpathian gary, which predestines common action and policy to solve Biodiversity Information System and design of the ecological the problems. The CERI’s attitude towards the protection of network for the Western Carpathians (“Aufbau des Carpathian this area is based on cooperation and participation, large Biodiversity Information System und Vorschläge für einen scale action range and common vision. This approach is in grenzüberschreitended Biotopverbund in den Westkarpaten”) full accordance with the concept of ecological networks, the realized by core team of IBN – Institut für Biodiversität, CERI, aim of which is to provide a planning framework for sustain- Daphne SR – Institute of Applied Ecology, Daphne CZ – Insti- able development and biodiversity protection within the core tute of Applied Ecology, Institute of Botany – Slovak Academy areas, containing important ecosystems, habitats, landscapes of Sciences, E-misszió Environmental Association and Institute and/or species populations through their mutual interconnec- of Nature Conservation – Polish Academy of Sciences. The re- tion by corridors, but also beyond them as well. sults of this fruitful cooperation are presented in this report. 2 2. Carpathian Biodiversity Information System 2. Carpathian Biodiversity Information System 2.1 Introduction Carpathian Biodiversity Information System (CBIS) is a tool units and altitudinal range of distributions (based on the