7 September 2012
Czech Republic Designates Two Nature Reserves as Ramsar Sites
story highlights

The first site, Jizera Headwaters (Horní Jizera), is a Nature Reserve and Natura 2000 site situated in the floodplains of the Jizera River valley.

The second site, Springs and Mires of the Slavkov Forest, is also a Nature Reserve, Protected Landscape Area, and Natura 2000 site, situated in the Slavkov forest highlands.

The designations bringing the total number of Ramsar sites for the Czech Republic to 14.

3 September 2012: The Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar Convention) has reported that the Government of the Czech Republic has designated two new wetlands, bringing the total number of Ramsar sites for this country to 14.

The first site, Jizera Headwaters (Horní Jizera) is a Nature Reserve and Natura 2000 site situated in the floodplains of the Jizera River valley. According to the Ramsar Secretariat, the site constitutes one of the largest raised bog complexes in temperate Europe, and provides habitat for many nationally threatened species of flora, as well as internationally threatened species of fauna. It acts as a water reservoir and is important for water retention, flow and flood regulation, and carbon fixation. Activities carried out on the site include forestry, research, recreation and tourism. Threats to the site include air pollution and forestry-related drainage.

The second site, Springs and Mires of the Slavkov Forest, is also a Nature Reserve, Protected Landscape Area, and Natura 2000 site, situated in the Slavkov forest highlands. The site provides habitat to many threatened species of flora, as well as to some threatened fauna species. It plays an important role for groundwater recharge, water retention and flood protection. Activities carried out on the site include forestry, recreation and research. Threats to the site include drainage, the introduction of invasive alien species, and changes in land use, especially re-allotment of land.

The Czech Republic’s designations contribute to one of the goals contained in the Ramsar Convention’s Strategic Plan for 2009-2015, which is to reach a protected area of 250 million hectares by 2015. [Ramsar Press Release]