7 Fen meadows of Abrod; in urgent need of protection Mikuláš Madaras1, Ab Grootjans2, Viera Šeff erová Stanová3, Monika Janáková3, Zdeněk Laštůvka4 and André Jansen5 1 Crop Research Institute, Drnovská 507, 161 06 Prague, the Czech Republic. 2 University of Groningen, Centre for Energy and Environmental Studies (IVEM), Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, the Netherlands and Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands. 3 DAPHNE – Institute of Applied Ecology, Podunajská 24, 82106 Bratislava, the Slovak Republic. 4 Department of Zoology, Fisheries, Hydrobiology and Apidology, Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University in Brno, the Czech Republic. 5 Federation of Forest Support Groups of the Netherlands. Introduction In 1964, Abrod was declared a National Nature was the protection of calcareous fens (Cari- Reserve with an area of 92 hectares. It is lo- cion davallianae) and purple moorgrass mead- cated in the Borská nížina lowland in western ows (Molinion caeruleae). In 2004 Abrod and Slovakia, close to the capital, Brati slava. Th e some surrounding remnants of wetlands were main purpose for the creation of this reserve included into the Natura 2000 network as Závod Lakšársky potok Natura 2000 Porec NPR – reserve Streams Forests Roads Settlements 0 650 1300 2600 m SCI 117 Abrod Poprad Košice National Nature Reserve Abrod Bratislava Figure 1: Location of the Special area of Conservation Abrod. Digital ortophoto 2000 © EUROSENSE s.r.o., www.eurosense.sk. Compiled by © Administration of the PLA Záhorie, 2010; Site photo by Jaroslav Košťál. Fen meadows of Abrod in urgent need of protection 77 a Special Area of Conservation (code SKUEV very important from a zoological viewpoint. 0117). Th e total area of the reserve is now 200 Several butterfl y and moth species (Lepidop- hectares (Fig. 1). tera) have their largest populations in Abrod or Abrod is the largest remaining lowland fen are restricted to the reserve. Th e Large Cooper meadows complex in Slovakia. It has been (Lycaena dispar), the Scarce Large Blue (Macu- recognised as a unique botanical and zoologi- linea teleius) and Dusky Large Blue (Maculinea cal location since 1923 (Degen et al. 1923). nausithous) all have vital populations in Abrod However, since then, the whole catchment and occur also in a number of other sites in area has increasingly been subjected to hu- the Borská nížina Lowland. However, Abrod man pressures, starting with a rigorous al- is particularly important for them, due to its teration of the water regime during the 1960s size and the natural character of its meadows. and 1970s. Th e regulation of the Porec Creek, All three species belong to threatened animals which passes through the reserve, together listed in Annex II of the EU Habitats and Spe- with the drainage of many wetlands along the cies Directive. Both the Scarce Large Blue and Porec, resulted in a signifi cant decrease in the the Dusky Large Blue are bound to Sanguisorba groundwater level throughout the catchment officinalis, as is the noctuid moth Diachrysia area (Stanová & Viceníková, 2003). In Abrod zosimi (Fig. 2b) – an extremely rare species in this has led to intensive peat mineralization Europe. Of the few occurrences of this species and consequent eutrophication in large sec- in Slovakia, the population in Abrod is the most tions of the reserve. abundant (Reiprich & Okáli 1988–1989). Co- Th e reserve now provides a habitat for leophora musculella is also a moth of European 104 plant species on the Slovak Red List importance. Th is species was known to occur (Stanová 2003), of which three occur in large, only in a few isolated localities in France, Ger- i.e. vital, populations only in Abrod and no- many, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia (Karsholt where else in Slovakia. Th ey are as follows: & van Nieuwkerken 2010). In Slovakia, Abrod Gladiolus palustris (on the IUCN Red List and is the only known place of occurrence (Tokár species of European importance; Fig. 2), Schoe- et al. 1999). Th e larvae develop monophagously nus nigricans and Dactylorhiza ochroleuca. A new on Dianthus superbus. fungus species – Pseudobaeospora mutabilis – Th ese facts illustrate that Abrod is a natu- was described on the basis of specimens from ral habitat of European importance and its Abrod, growing among the tall Molinia caerulea inclusion in the Natura 2000 network is fully tussocks (Adamčík & Bas 2002). Abrod is also justifi ed. Figure 2b: Diachrysia zosimi is an extremely rare species. Figure 2a: Gladiolus palustris. Photo by Jaroslav Košťál Photo by Zdeněk Laštůvka 78 Calcareous mires of Slovakia; landscape setting, management and restoration prospects.