| Project Name | Cross-border mapping of forest ecosystems - the way to a common management of NP Šumava and NP Bavarian |
| Beneficiary | Czech University of Life Sciences Prague - Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences |
| Investigator | Miroslav Svoboda |
| Total Partner Recources | 74.900,00 € |
| ERDF co-financing | 63.665,00 € |
| Public co-financing | 11.235,00 € |
| Project Implementation Period | 1/1/2017 – 31/12/2019 |
| Operational Programme | Cross-Border Cooperation Programme Czech Republic – Free State of Bavaria Objective ETC 2014–2020 |
Project Name: Cross-border mapping of forest ecosystems - the way to a common management of NP Šumava and NP Bavarian
Beneficiary: Czech University of Life Sciences Prague – Faculty of Forest and Wood Sciences
Investigator: Miroslav Svoboda
Total Resources: 74.900,00 €
ERDF co-financing: 63,665.00 €
Public co-financing: 11,235.00 €
Project Implementation Date: 1/1/2017 – 31/12/2019
Operational Programme Title: Cross-Border Cooperation Programme Czech Republic – Free State of Bavaria Objective ETC 2014–2020
This project develops cooperation between NP Šumava and NP Bavarian Forest. From the point of view of nature protection and biodiversity of this territory, it is most appropriate and desirable that the protection of this territory and applied care be as uniform and conceptual as possible for both NPs. In order to establish proofed way of taking care of this territory, it is necessary to obtain comprehensive information on the structure of forest ecosystems within both national parks.
The National Parks of Šumava and Bavarian Forest are situated in a vast area, which is divided by the state border between the Czech Republic and Germany. However, there is no real barriers for nature, plants and animals. Moreover, this is the main reason why both managements think of the entire territory as a single complex that deserves to be managed according to the same criterias. We still lack of common cross-border information on the structure of forest stand covering the entire territory. This project should bring that information with the help of a very innovative and sophisticated method of terrestrial laser scanning (LIDAR).
The LIDAR method has the great advantage of providing complete and, above all, comparable data on the entire territory of both national parks, which has much better value for nature protection than data from smaller areas. This method is up to 10 times cheaper than standard methods.
In our territory, it has never been possible to compare the data on the forest structure with the occurrence of capercaillie species in a complex way; this will be changed thanks to LIDAR. We will be able to identify the structure of the most appropriate biotope for these species and propose measures to support them. We will also determine the population number, genetic variability and we will estimate the future development of these highly endangered species.
Within the project, a large cross-border area (10 ha) will be created, symbolically located at the sites of the former Iron Curtain, which will serve for long-term monitoring of forest structure and dynamics and also as a symbol of well-functioning cooperation between the two national parks. Creation of a model of forest renewal development after disturbances will be also important.
The main project objective is to obtain data on the structure and species composition of forest ecosystems in Šumava with the help of an innovative terrestrial scanning method. These results can greatly contribute to simplifying of individual territories decision-making management and thereby improving natural conditions. Suitable management method of capercaillie birds should lead to an improvement in the status of individual populations. We will try to develop LIDAR utilization so that it can replace existing methods. This would greatly speed up and simplify fieldwork and reduce human impact on forest ecosystems, and last but not least, save the costs of these activities.
Project outputs on forest structure and dynamics, and maps of capercaillie species will make a significant contribution to the meaningful protection of the common territorium nature. An appropriate way of care will increase the ecological value of the entire area, thus increasing the attractiveness for all visitors of both national parks.
The area of the NP Šumava and NP Bavarian Forest is unique in Central Europe in terms of ecological and related tourism benefits for the entire Czech-Bavarian region. It is therefore most appropriate and desirable that the protection of this territory and the applied managements be as uniform and conceptual as possible. In order to establish a way of taking care of this territory, is nessesery to get complete information about the way of care for this territory on the structure of forest ecosystems, which is a very important indicator and influences both the occurrence and the number of capercaillie species, and in the next step also the dynamics of the future forest growth development.
Lead Partner:
- Administration of the National Park and Protective Landscape Area of Šumava (Správa Národního parku Šumava) – Czech Republic
Project Partners:
- Nationalparkverwaltung Bayerischer Wald – Germany, Bavaria
- Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (Česká zemědělská univerzita v Praze) – Czech Republic
- Institue of Botany of the CAS, v. v. i. (Botanický ústav AV ČR, v. v. i.) – Czech Republic
More information can be found on the project Web site.