In the middle of February, the volunteers had met to help again the pasture species in Site of Community Importance Veľký Kopec. The locality is known by the occurrence of steppe and forest-steppe habitats. Local farmer and activist Mr. Arnold Dócsa through LIFE Sub-pannonic project returned the goat grazing on SCI Veľký Kopec, which contributed the increase of occurrence of protected plant species like green-veined orchid. We also assume the improvement on status of great pasqueflower population. 

In any case it is still necessary to remove volunteer wood species and then to give a space for rare steppe habitats, which can goats better maintain. Volunteers succeeded to reduce spreading wood species and invasive black locust in several parts within area, which were after that burned in a pile. The leaved solitaire trees on the edge of protected area returned the former landscape aesthetics resembling the open wood pastures, on which are bounded various animal species (European stag beetle, smooth snake, cavity-nesting birds).

Volunteers from OZ Permoníci – the geocachers as well as other volunteers visited the locality Pánsky Diel for the 20th time! By their willingness they helped to develop the protection of targetted species and habitats.  Pánsky Diel is a favourite part of SCI Biskupické Luhy, where is the realization of the current activity of LIFE Sub-pannonic project – the grazing management by sheeps and goats. 

The name of volunteer’s action and also CITO geocaching action is „Nippers“ because of the grazing expansion on this locality is blocked by several layers of netting wire. It was a part of forest fences that had been used in accordance of silvicultural experiments in the past. Currently, they are not performing its purpose and act as a barrier for animal migration so it is inevitable to disassemble it for support of the pasture habitats expansion. It is not simple, because the fence is sporadically under the ground, what complicates its disassembling. In this consequence is necessary to use “nipping tools” like pincers or pliers.

We are continued with volunteer’s action so join us! For joining to BROZ‘s mailing list about volunteer’s actions write to mikulova@broz.sk

The most of activities, what we are engaged in are predominantly aimed at grazing restoration that provides the favourable conservation status of dry and thermophilic habitats. An essential part of the project is also the propagation of natural values. Within The Protected Landscape Area Cerová Vrchovina we set the educational panels on all 5 project localities. Along with natural values, we also used the orthophoto map of historical and actual landscape to display the land-use changes in the last 70 years.

In Slovak Karst National Park is located the unique Site of Community Importance Fabiánka. It is a wonderful mosaic landscape with pastures and open forests, which had suffered by grazing abandonment. That led to loss of protected and rare species bounded to non-forest areas. By LIFE Sub-pannonic project we achieved to restore up to 30 hectares of pastures. The locality also visited Andrej Barát from Pravda journal and wrote an article. 

Thanks to the implementation of project actions of LIFE Sub-pannonic on Site of Community Importance Plešivská planina the project team persuaded the owner of the unique historical grazing infrastructure located on the site, the Serenyi water tank, to agree with the inclusion of the water tank in the list of National cultural monuments. This leads to protection of the monument and opens up a funding opportunities to restore the water tank to serve the original purpose – collecting and providing water for grazing animals. 

As the water availability on SCI Plešivská planina is very poor (it is the karst plain up to 600 m over the erosion base with steep slopes and poor access), the restoration of the water tank will significantly help to improve the grazing opportunities on the site and its sustainability. Moreover, the inclusion in the National cultural monuments list will increase interest in visiting the place as well as its surroundings. The inclusion of the water tank in the list of National cultural monuments in Slovakia was done at 4.10.2021.

In the end of September, the dry-thermophilic pastures in south of Eastern Slovakia was visited again for a second time by volunteers. The Site of Community Importance Tarbucka was established for a purpose to protect and to improve favourable conservation status of species and habitats of European interest. 

This area needs the special attendance as regards targeted management focused on conservation of natural values like reducing invasive and volunteer wood species. With the absence of grazing, they had spread around and then directly threaten the existence of protected species and habitats of Tarbucka. Volunteers accordingly continued on previous action of reducing shrubs and invasive black locust.

In the presence, the protected species and habitats within area are no longer in danger due to LIFE Sub-pannonic project application and especially due to local farmer Mr. Kulčár, who returned the goat grazing here. Goats beside the favourable influence on dry-thermophillic species and habitats are able to manage with younger sprouts of wood species as well as with invasive black locust, but they are not possible to manage with thicker wood species or thickets. We believe, that by our volunteer’s action we helped nature a little and goats can graze larger area because #Grazing_is_amazing

You can only find the rare plant of Thlaspi jankae, a protected species of European value, on Zobor mountain by Nitra, in the national park of Slovak Karst and in nearby karst areas of the Hungarian national park Aggtelek. It doesn’t grow anywhere else. Until recently this plant species had a relatively stable micro populations, although long-term endangered because of overgrowth of its habitats. However, in the last few years its micro-population on Jasovská planina in Slovak Karst, which has a lower occurrence of this plant (around 100 pieces), was shaken by the project  #LIFE_SUB_PANNONIC. In the positive way of course – only after the first year of removal of overgrowth of trees and plants and continuous grazing of animals its number increased to 1 500 of pieces! And this year its population grew to incredible 10 000 species, which means it is the highest one now in Slovak Karst.

A huge thanks for their help goes to the land-cooperative Haj, which manages the difficult restoration of the overgrown pasture and to the agricultural-group Turňa for the realization of extensive grazing that will keep the biotope of Thlaspi in a favorable condition for a long time. Together, as part of this project and thanks to a great cooperation with the management of the National Park and Biosphere Reservation Slovak Karst (Slovenský Kras), we restored more than 130 hectares of rare dry and warm grassland-herb fields – meadows and pastures in this area, which support the richness of species of our country.

Unique endemic – Thlaspi jankae

This inconspicuous biennial plant can only be found on two separate sites in Slovakia (Zobor mountains, National Park Slovak Karst) and in the northern Hungary. There are several micro-populations within the wider area of these sites. You can enjoy seeing its white delicate flowers in May and June, when the plant is in full bloom. It likes warm grassy places – sunny meadows and pastures, which were regularly mowed and used for grazing of sheep, cows, and goats in the past. This rare species is endangered today by the overgrowing of its habitat not only by trees but also by expansive herbs, because it has been many years since the cessation of traditional farming in most places.

#Grazing is amazing – under this slogan we are renewing grazing in various areas in Slovakia with the aim of protecting and restoring biodiversity of these places.

In the area of Zemné hradisko, which is a part of Site of Community Importance Horný Vrch, we succeeded by conservation management. The Russian bugloss (Echium russicum) is in our country as well as in the European Union the protected plant species – the species of European interest. This species has one of the most numerous populations in Slovakia on locality Zemné hradisko (SCI Horný vrch). The project restoration measures tripled the suitable habitat of this species (from 4 hectares to 12 hectares). The species is already established in restored areas and performed here unusually abundant flowering – 23 flowering stems!

A symbolic prize for activities which are taking place on the Territory of European importance “Velky Kopec” situated above the town Kralovsky Chlmec in the east of Slovakia, was this year awarded to local farmer Arnold Dócs, who is cooperating with us on the project Life Sub-pannonic and local gardener, volunteer and supporter of goat grazing restoration in this location Arpád Kárnai. As part of the project, they began with goat grazing in this area with the aim of restoring grassland-herb fields habitats, which are home to rare species of plants and animals bound to meadows and pastures.

Along with goat grazing on “Velky Kopec”, they added more activities to protect nature. They are dismantling illegal landfill waste sites with the help of local inhabitants. Children were given a small reward for their help with garbage collection – a glass bottle with the inscription “I love Nagy Hedge (Velky Kopec)”. An area that was abandoned and difficult to reach for years has changed significantly – it is now a popular location for trips and various group activities, even wedding photography. On top of the hill, we installed an educational board and a bench with beautiful views of the surrounding area CHKO Latorica. 

Green winged orchid (Orchis morio)

And at this time of the year, the effort of the brave farmers and volunteers from the whole of Slovakia brought a reward – thanks to their help with protecting nature a rare orchid – Green winged orchid (Orchis morio) – is blooming on “Velky Kopec”. Its name comes from the fact that you could routinely find it in an “ordinary” healthy agricultural landscape. Today that is not the case anymore and this plant is not common anymore…It is a protected species of national value, which is vulnerable because of the disappearance of non-fertilized meadows and pastures to which they are bound/which they need. Around 200 orchids that were not known before in this area bloomed on “Velky Kopec” and confirms that our efforts at the renewal of biotopes in this area are going in the right direction.

#Grazing is amazing – under this slogan we are renewing grazing in various areas in Slovakia with the aim of protecting and restoring the biodiversity of these places.

Long time ago the open woodlands of Pannonian area had been grazed by big herbivores – humped cattle and European buffaloes. After human colonisation they were replaced by farm animals. In 50’s of 20th century the socialistic agriculture moved farm animals from landscape to stables. About why is important to return goats, sheep, and cattle back to landscape and how is it connected with biodiversity we discussed in podcast on hiking.sk within Denník N – the daily newspaper and news website.