Effectiveness of Natura 2000 system for habitat types protection: A case study from the Czech Republic
In conservation biology, there is a general consensus that protected areas (PAs) are one of the most effective tools for biodiversity protection. Worldwide, the area of PAs is continually increasing. But is the effectiveness of biodiversity protection improving with it? Since many PAs only exist as...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Pensoft Publishers
2018-01-01
|
| Series: | Nature Conservation |
| Online Access: | https://natureconservation.pensoft.net/articles.php?id=21608 |
| _version_ | 1818362061379338240 |
|---|---|
| author | Vilém Pechanec Ivo Machar Tomáš Pohanka Zdeněk Opršal Frantisek Petrovič Juraj Švajda Lubomír Šálek Karel Chobot Jarmila Filippovová Pavel Cudlín Jitka Málková |
| author_facet | Vilém Pechanec Ivo Machar Tomáš Pohanka Zdeněk Opršal Frantisek Petrovič Juraj Švajda Lubomír Šálek Karel Chobot Jarmila Filippovová Pavel Cudlín Jitka Málková |
| author_sort | Vilém Pechanec |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In conservation biology, there is a general consensus that protected areas (PAs) are one of the most effective tools for biodiversity protection. Worldwide, the area of PAs is continually increasing. But is the effectiveness of biodiversity protection improving with it? Since many PAs only exist as “paper parks” (i.e. they exist on maps and in legislation but offer little actual protection), the answer is uncertain. Moreover, it has long been known that, not only an increase in the extent of PAs, but also the efficiency of their management is fundamentally important for effective nature conservation. Therefore, there is a wide-ranging discussion about the actual effectiveness of PAs and factors that influence it.
In the course of the EU pre-accession phase, a comprehensive field mapping of natural habitats took place in the Czech Republic in years 2001−2004. The mapping results were used to designate Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) as part of the Natura 2000 network.
In this study, the aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of this newly created system of SACs for protection of biodiversity represented by the mapped natural habitats. The NCEI index (Nature Conservation Effectiveness Index) was applied, calculated as the total area of a particular habitat type in all SACs in the Czech Republic divided by the total area of that same natural habitat in the entire Czech Republic. Habitat protection in the Czech Republic is focused primarily on the smallest types of rare habitats, many of which are classified as critically endangered. The Czech national system of SACs provides protection to a total of 4,491.68 km2 of natural habitats. Based on these results, it can be concluded that the overall effectiveness of the SAC system in the Czech Republic, which is specifically aimed at protecting natural habitats, is low (NCEI = 0.36). Nevertheless, the critically endangered habitats receive maximum protection (NCEI = 1). |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T21:26:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-28a5fa7c3c9143f9bdc726d13f92f04d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1314-6947 1314-3301 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T21:26:35Z |
| publishDate | 2018-01-01 |
| publisher | Pensoft Publishers |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Conservation |
| spelling | doaj.art-28a5fa7c3c9143f9bdc726d13f92f04d2022-12-21T23:30:56ZengPensoft PublishersNature Conservation1314-69471314-33012018-01-0124214110.3897/natureconservation.24.2160821608Effectiveness of Natura 2000 system for habitat types protection: A case study from the Czech RepublicVilém Pechanec0Ivo Machar1Tomáš Pohanka2Zdeněk Opršal3Frantisek Petrovič4Juraj Švajda5Lubomír Šálek6Karel Chobot7Jarmila Filippovová8Pavel Cudlín9Jitka Málková10Palacky UniversityPalacky UniversityPalacky UniversityPalacky UniversityConstantine the Philosopher UniversityMatej Bel UniversityCzech University of Life SciencesAgency of Nature Conservation and Landscape ProtectionPalacky UniversityGlobal Change Research Institute, Academy of SciencePalacky UniversityIn conservation biology, there is a general consensus that protected areas (PAs) are one of the most effective tools for biodiversity protection. Worldwide, the area of PAs is continually increasing. But is the effectiveness of biodiversity protection improving with it? Since many PAs only exist as “paper parks” (i.e. they exist on maps and in legislation but offer little actual protection), the answer is uncertain. Moreover, it has long been known that, not only an increase in the extent of PAs, but also the efficiency of their management is fundamentally important for effective nature conservation. Therefore, there is a wide-ranging discussion about the actual effectiveness of PAs and factors that influence it. In the course of the EU pre-accession phase, a comprehensive field mapping of natural habitats took place in the Czech Republic in years 2001−2004. The mapping results were used to designate Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) as part of the Natura 2000 network. In this study, the aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of this newly created system of SACs for protection of biodiversity represented by the mapped natural habitats. The NCEI index (Nature Conservation Effectiveness Index) was applied, calculated as the total area of a particular habitat type in all SACs in the Czech Republic divided by the total area of that same natural habitat in the entire Czech Republic. Habitat protection in the Czech Republic is focused primarily on the smallest types of rare habitats, many of which are classified as critically endangered. The Czech national system of SACs provides protection to a total of 4,491.68 km2 of natural habitats. Based on these results, it can be concluded that the overall effectiveness of the SAC system in the Czech Republic, which is specifically aimed at protecting natural habitats, is low (NCEI = 0.36). Nevertheless, the critically endangered habitats receive maximum protection (NCEI = 1).https://natureconservation.pensoft.net/articles.php?id=21608 |
| spellingShingle | Vilém Pechanec Ivo Machar Tomáš Pohanka Zdeněk Opršal Frantisek Petrovič Juraj Švajda Lubomír Šálek Karel Chobot Jarmila Filippovová Pavel Cudlín Jitka Málková Effectiveness of Natura 2000 system for habitat types protection: A case study from the Czech Republic Nature Conservation |
| title | Effectiveness of Natura 2000 system for habitat types protection: A case study from the Czech Republic |
| title_full | Effectiveness of Natura 2000 system for habitat types protection: A case study from the Czech Republic |
| title_fullStr | Effectiveness of Natura 2000 system for habitat types protection: A case study from the Czech Republic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effectiveness of Natura 2000 system for habitat types protection: A case study from the Czech Republic |
| title_short | Effectiveness of Natura 2000 system for habitat types protection: A case study from the Czech Republic |
| title_sort | effectiveness of natura 2000 system for habitat types protection a case study from the czech republic |
| url | https://natureconservation.pensoft.net/articles.php?id=21608 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT vilempechanec effectivenessofnatura2000systemforhabitattypesprotectionacasestudyfromtheczechrepublic AT ivomachar effectivenessofnatura2000systemforhabitattypesprotectionacasestudyfromtheczechrepublic AT tomaspohanka effectivenessofnatura2000systemforhabitattypesprotectionacasestudyfromtheczechrepublic AT zdenekoprsal effectivenessofnatura2000systemforhabitattypesprotectionacasestudyfromtheczechrepublic AT frantisekpetrovic effectivenessofnatura2000systemforhabitattypesprotectionacasestudyfromtheczechrepublic AT jurajsvajda effectivenessofnatura2000systemforhabitattypesprotectionacasestudyfromtheczechrepublic AT lubomirsalek effectivenessofnatura2000systemforhabitattypesprotectionacasestudyfromtheczechrepublic AT karelchobot effectivenessofnatura2000systemforhabitattypesprotectionacasestudyfromtheczechrepublic AT jarmilafilippovova effectivenessofnatura2000systemforhabitattypesprotectionacasestudyfromtheczechrepublic AT pavelcudlin effectivenessofnatura2000systemforhabitattypesprotectionacasestudyfromtheczechrepublic AT jitkamalkova effectivenessofnatura2000systemforhabitattypesprotectionacasestudyfromtheczechrepublic |