Ostrovné lúčky

The Site of Community Importance Ostrovné lúčky is located within municipalities Čunovo and Rusovce, with a total area 674,08 ha, and is declared by reason of maintaining the favourable conservation status of habitats of European interest. These habitats mainly consist of riparian forests and water surfaces. The grasslands with the occurrence of *semi-natural dry grasslands and scrubland facies on calcareous substrates habitat (*important orchid site) have particular significance in the area, because they host several endangered species from the orchid family, such as bug orchid (Anacamptis coriophora), green-winged orchid (A. morio), pyramidal orchid (A. pyramidalis), military orchid (Orchis militaris), burnt orchid (Neotinea ustulata), and the rare autumn lady‘s-tresses (Spiranthes spiralis). Adult or decaying trees and deadwood in forest steppe areas host species such as flat bark beetle (Cucujus cinnaberinus), the great capricorn beetle (Cerambyx cerdo), and the European stag beetle (Lucanus cervus).

In terms of the development of the territory, the owners of the estate and the castle in Rusovce (from the 17th to the 20th century) had played an important role, and their management in the currently protected areas was focused on breeding sheep, cattle, and horses. Grazing of livestock contributed to maintaining several non-forest areas, meadow formations with scattered vegetation of trees. A large part of the gravel bar with xerophilous steppe vegetation was mined out, leaving only a remnant of the original biotope area.

The biggest threat for biodiversity is the overgrowth of meadows, primarily by non-native and invasive trees such as tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima) and black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), and by herbs such as giant goldenrod (Solidago gigantea), Canadian goldenrod (S. canadensis), annual fleabane (Erigeron annuus), and panicled aster (Symphyotrichum lanceolatum). The goal of the LIFE SUB-PANNONIC project is to restore and improve status of steppe and forest-steppe habitats and species by removing invasive and non-native tree species and introducing haying and grazing.