Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Slovensko - krajina v strede Európy STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT REPORT SLOVAK REPUBLIC 1999 1 Slovak Environmental Agency
FLORA AND FAUNA Plants including their fruit and fungal fruiting body may be collected without the permission of the landowner, only for personal use if they are not specially protected according to the Part 3 of this Act or if special regulation do not provide otherwise. Damaging, destroying, pulling, digging or collecting of protected plants is prohibited. Damaging and destroying their habitats is also prohibited.. 5 of part 2, and 25 of part 1 of Act of the Slovak National Council No. 287/1994 Coll. of Laws on Nature and Landscape Protection Implementation of the National Strategy of Biodiversity Protection in Slovakia In 1992, Treaty on Biodiversity was opened in Rio de Janeiro to be signed. Slovak became one of the signatories of the Treaty on November 23, 1994. Pursuant to the Treaty, National Report on the Status and Protection of Biodiversity in Slovakia was elaborated and subsequently approved by the Slovak Government through Government Resolution No. 231 in 1997 as its key and conceptual document for implementation of the Treaty. On the basis of the Resolution, the Action Plan for the implementation of the National Strategy of Biodiversity Protection in Slovakia for the years 1998 2010 was developed and subsequently approved by the Resolution No. 515 of the SR Government in 1998. The document contains a list of required tasks to be implemented by individual sectors. In the years 1998-1999, professional organisations dealing with nature and landscape protection, participated in the process of implementing 29 tasks, such as updating the checklist of critically endangered species of flora and fauna, amending the National Strategy of Wetlands Protection in SR, developing rescue programs for protected species as listed on the checklist of critically endangered species, and on the red checklists. The tasks were implemented within the following strategic goals of the Action Plan: identification of the state of biological diversity elements control of the processes with negative impacts on biological diversity fostering of the in-site biological diversity protection development of a complex monitoring system for monitoring changes in biodiversity at all levels fostering biodiversity protection through introducing permanently sustainable practices in game-keeping and fishing change in policies toward merging the attempt to sustain biodiversity with exploitation of natural resources preparation of suitable legal instruments to foster implementation of the Treaty on Biodiversity fostering the implementation of principles for protection of biodiversity within the process of environmental impact assessment 47
Flora Knowledge of the state of endangerment of wild plants stems from the study done by Marhold K. & Hindák F. (eds.), 1998: Checklist of Non-Vascular and Vascular Plants of Slovakia. (Veda, publishing house of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAV), Bratislava, 687 pp.) The checklist was developed within the framework of the project of national order No. 530/025 named Biodiversity of the Slovak Phyto Gene Pool. International project of the Austrian Academy of Sciences: "Kartierung der Flora der Slowakei" also took part in the checklist development. In 1999 the first ever complete index of endemic species in Slovakia was published - Kliment J.: "Komentovaný prehľad vyšších rastlín flóry Slovenska, uvádzaných v literatúre ako endemické" (SBS at SAV and BZ UK Bratislava, 1999, 434 pp.). Table 43: Knowledge of endangerment of plant taxons in 1999 Source: BÚ SAV Regional and local red checklists represent an important information source that update knowledge on endangerment of plant groups on the national scale. In 1999 there were developed the following summaries: Summary on PLA Floristic Taxons in the Slovak Karst, by Degree of Protection, Update of the Red Checklist of the Nízke Tatry National Park Endangered Plant Species. In 1999 there was a breaking point in protection policy of plant species. On 1 st of July that year the MŽP SR issued Decree No. 93/1999 Coll. of Laws on Protected Plants and Protected Animals, and on Common Assessment of Protected Plants, Animals, and Trees. The number of state-protected taxons increased from 252 (the Regulation of the Deputy of Education and Culture No.21/1958 Coll. of Laws of December 23rd 1958 on Protected Species of Plants and Protection Conditions) to 779 taxons. The Act of SNC No. 287/1994 Coll. of Laws on Nature and Landscape Protection classifies plants on the basis of degree of endangerment as endangered, substantially endangered, and critically endangered. Table 44: Summary of protected plant species by taxons and degrees of endangerment 48
Table 45: Wild-growing plant taxons in Slovakia protected under international treaties In the year 1999 there were developed rescue programs for the following species of vascular plants: Alkana tinctoria, Colchicum arenarium, Ferula sadleriana, Fritillaria meleagris, Gladiolus palustris, Herminium monorchis, Liparis loeselii, Peucedanum arenarium. Under the protection of gene pool, professional nature and landscape protection workers make transfers of endangered species to alternative locations and reintroduction and restitution of endangered species. Table 46: Summary of implemented transfers, reintroduction and restitution activities of endangered plant species in 1999 Fauna The year 1999 experienced a significant change in protection of individual animal species as a consequence of the effect of the MŽP SR Decree No. 93/1999 Coll. of Laws on Protected Plants and Animals and Social Assessment of Protected Plant, Animals, and Trees. The number of state-protected taxons of animals which originally was 384 (Regulation of the Chair of the Slovak National Council No. 125/1965 Coll. of Laws on Protection of Wild Animals) increased to 749 taxons at the level of species and sub-species, and 16 orders. The Act of SNC No. 287/1994 Coll. of Laws on Nature and Landscape Protection classifies protected animals on the basis of degrees of endangerment as endangered, substantially endangered, and critically endangered. Within the network of 11 emergency rescue centres (PZZ) operated by nature conservation and landscape protection bodies, there were registered 304 injured or otherwise handicapped animals. 218 individual animals were released back into nature. 49
Table 47: Summary of protected species of vertebrates by taxons and respective degree of endangerment 30 nests of 5 bird of prey species were guarded. Of them, 29 nestling were successfully brought up, representing the average of 0.96 brought up nestling per nest. In terms of in-situ animal professional nature and landscape protection rescue activities, there were 5,046 transfers of individual animals. In the program of reintroduction and restructuring, there were other 827 individual protected and endangered animal species (5 reintroduction, 822 restitution) relocated to suitable habitats in the wilderness. Table 48: General overview of Slovak fauna taxons classified in individual categories according to the level of danger in the existing Red Lists Source: Jedlička (cd.) 1995 Source: Amphibians and reptiles: Urban Birds: Krištín et al. 1998 Mammals: Stollmann et al. 1997 50
With the intention to improve nesting and living conditions of animal species there were installed 81 artificial nests for storks, 50 nests for birds of prey, and 1 nest for waterfowl. 2,315 artificial bird boxes were installed for animals. At the same time 29 generation sites for Amphibians were prepared. Table 49: Transfers(A), reintroduction (B), restitution (C) and financial costs (SKK) incurred for their implementation cristatus dobrogicus Located in nurseries operated in co-operation with nature protection agencies, there were 4 species of protected and endangered animals (Emys orbicularis, Otis sp., Falco peregrinus, and Falco cherrug). 5 nurtured animals were released back into wild nature. In order to prevent collisions of migrating amphibians with traffic, 8,400 meters of barriers were constructed. 51