We continue to restore the floodplain forest
At the beginning of this year, we planted a total of 4 850 seedlings in the project areas in Vojka nad Dunajom and on Veľkolelské Island (PLA Dunajské luhy).
We are monitoring the host plants of the clouded Apollo caterpillars (Parnassius mnemosyne).
We’ve made arrangements for clearing and grazing at the site of European importance Holubyho Kopanice. However, we will not begin until autumn, as we are searching, marking and planning at this time. The Corydalis plants that grow here are host plants for the caterpillars of the clouded Apollo butterflies (Parnassius mnemosyne).
Planting the host plants for butterfly caterpillars.
Butterflies are fragile animals by nature, and they need stable natural conditions for their survival. Stability vs. fragility need to complement each other in the butterfly world. They need a very specific combination of habitats for their survival. Therefore, in order for caterpillars and therefore butterflies to survive, their so-called host plants are important.
Solitary trees are important for butterflies
Solitary standing trees are an important eco-stabilising element in the landscape. The preservation and restoration of old fruit trees serves the function of saving and conserving our native gene pool, but they also provide suitable habitats for a range of invertebrates, cavity nesters and dormice in their cavities.
Monitoring of amphibians of the Danube floodplains 2022
In the frame of the project LIFE Danube floodplains monitoring of amphibians continued also during the 2022 season. Several areas within six locations were monitored. Amphibian reproduction was greatly affected by the simulated flooding regime.
The top of the Beckovské skalice site is suitable for “hilltopping” after clearing.
“Hilltopping” is a mating strategy in which insect adults seek out elevated, unvegetated sites in the landscape where their courtship flights and mating take place.
We’ve prepared suitable butterfly habitats in Beckovské skalice.
In the area of European importance Beckovské skalice we cleared the piles of rubble and rocks in the old stone quarry. The piles are made of rubble and rocks left behind after mining. Such spots – when sufficiently illuminated and covered with sparse vegetation cover and exposed substrate – are habitats not only for xerophyte butterfly species, but also for grasshoppers, spiders and Hymenoptera species.
Clearing sites in the Beckovské skalice area vol.1
Most species of butterflies, as well as other pollinators, are unable to survive for long periods in small isolated habitats that become overgrown with woody vegetation that prevents access to light.
We cleared Veľký Kopec and prepared it for grazing.
Veľký Kopec shook beneath us!
Over the weekend, we went there to work hard with volunteers, removing invasive plants and creating more space for goat grazing.
The number of ground squirrels in Slovakia rose from 28,000 to 36,000
In 2019, the ground squirrel was listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List, and population curves throughout Europe show a continuing downward trend.
Despite these trends, the number of Slovak ground squirrels continues to increase after decades. Thanks to nothing else than the LIFE Sysel project.