Domické škrapy

The SCI Domické škrapy was designated to protect and improve the favourable status of valuable habitats such as rare dry steppic grasslands, characterized by their thermophilic vegetation. Additionally, the area hosts lowland and submontane hay meadows, calcareous rocky slopes, inaccessible caves, common juniper formations, thermophilic subcontinental peri-Pannonic scrubs, and also  unique Pannonian oak woods with downy oak (Quercus pubescens).

The conservation of this site is also crucial for rare steppe species that have found their home here. These include the greater pasque flower (Pulsatilla grandis), red viper’s bugloss (Echium russicum), and Austrian dragonhead (Dracocephalum austriacum), which enrich the local pastures. Among the rare invertebrates, the site is home to the Eurasian toothed grasshopper (Stenobothrus eurasius), and butterflies such as the Jersey Tiger (Callimorpha quadripunctaria) and the eastern eggar (Eriogaster catax). Several species of protected bats also inhabit the area.

The greatest threat to these thermophilic habitats is the decline of traditional land management, along with the encroachment of both native and non-native woody species, which leads to a decrease in biodiversity and the loss of rare species. To protect and restore this area, it is essential to reintroduce traditional land management practices such as grazing, which will help preserve this unique site for future generations.