PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
In the second half of the 20th century, the landscape of the Western Carpathians was altered radically as a result of intensive, large-scale agriculture, fundamentally affected by Communist-era collective farming methods. Traditional, extensive agriculture was only continued in small, inaccessible sites, which consequently became refuges for many native flora and fauna species. Small-scale land owners, however, gradually lost interest in the traditional mowing of these pasturelands and use of animals for grazing of meadows. As a result, areas rich in biodiversity, which were inadvertently saved from intensive agricultural machinery, gradually became encroached by self-seeding shrubs and trees. At some sites, on both the Czech and Slovak sides of the mountain range, this negative trend has been successfully reversed and the original, open vegetation restored. However, hundreds of hectares remain unmanaged. Traditional management needs to be resumed on areas of abandoned wet meadows to safeguard for instance, rare and endangered butterfly species or other valuable invertebrates threatened by this overgrowth.
Another threat is the increasing fragmentation of the landscape and isolation of non-forest habitats. Invertebrates are especially vulnerable to these rapid changes because of their short life-cycles. It is feared some species many not be able to survive in the long term without an increase in other, suitable habitats. Most insect populations (e.g. the large blue butterfly species) operate under so-called metapopulation systems, requiring a sufficient number of other areas and their interconnection. For this reason, it is necessary to support and create ‘stepping stones’ between areas of suitable habitats and to eliminate physical barriers that may include inappropriately managed, uniformly-mown, extensive meadows and intensively grazed areas.
One of the most threatened habitats in Central Europe is open-canopy middle forests home to valuable Habitats Directive-listed species such as the stag beetle (Lucanus cervus) or clouded Apollo (Parnassius Mnemosyne) butterfly. With the disappearance of traditional coppicing of woodlands and forest grazing (and changes in forestry practices and legislation), the best way to support this habitat is through the restoration of open-canopy forests on sites that have been abandoned and are now covered by woodland, but still registered as non-forest areas.
OBJECTIVES
LIFE for Insects overall objectives were to conserve selected target insect species and enhance their populations through the restoration of wet grasslands, pastures, coppiced and open-canopy forest habitats in the transboundary area of the Western Carpathians, and to interconnect the species’ metapopulations in this area, thus contributing to the requirements of EU nature directives and Biodiversity Strategy to 2020.
RESULTS
The project LIFE for Insects achieved its objectives and supported endangered insect species in Beskydy mountains and Bile Karpaty in Czechia and in Holubyho kopanice in Slovakia.
Suitable management was applied on 216 ha of former meadows, pastures and open forest in Bílé Karpaty and Čertoryje SCIs. Coppices were restored on 57 ha of forests and wood pasture started on 69 ha. Both habitats are suitable mainly for Lucanus cervus and Parnassius mnemosyne. Meadows and open pastures were restored on 90 ha there to support Phengaris butterflies and other valuable insect species of open habitats. The total area managed in Beskydy SCI was nearly 103 ha. Meadows and pastures were managed in a way suitable for Phengaris species on 90 ha and open canopy middle forest was created on 13 ha. In Holubyho kopanice SCI, self-seeding trees and shrub were removed from more than 161 ha of former meadows and pastures; in total, 182 ha are managed there (shrub removal and/or grazing and mowing). Out of that, coppices were restored on 33 ha, wood pastures on 103 ha and open pastures on 46 ha. Furthermore, 97 ha of intensive large-scale meadows were changed to extensively grazed and mown habitats. 2,811 trees and shrubs were planted to divide large grassland blocks and Onobrychis viciifolia was sowed on 74.7 ha of former intensive species poor meadows to offer food source to adult insects.
The project team carried out a number of attractive public events (e.g., excursions, workshops, public presentations and LIFE for Insects festival) and created two educational programmes for schools focused on Lucanus cervus and Phengaris butterflies which were of great interest. Thus, they raised awareness of tens of thousands of people in the project region.
