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| Biosphere Reserve Information | ||||
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KRKOKONOSE / KARKONOSZE |
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| General Description |
The Krkonose/Karkonosze Mountains are part of the Sudetes in north-east Bohemia, a mountain system shared by the Czech Republic, Poland and Germany. The area is known for its high biodiversity in four altitudinal vegetation belts, from submontane to alpine. The mountains constitute a kind of ecological island of arctic and alpine ecosystems whose counterparts are found in the Alps, north and north-west Scandinavia and even in the British Isles. About 26,700 people live on the Czech side and 90 people on the Polish side of the biosphere reserve (2002). On the Czech side of the biosphere reserve, there are numerous mountain meadows, a dense network of chalets, and a significant sports and tourism infrastructure. The Polish part of the biosphere reserve is much smaller, very steep, with little similar infrastructure, and is covered mostly by forests that are, on both sides of the mountains, heavily impacted by air pollution. The Krkonose/Karkonosze Mountains are a popular tourist destination for hikers and skiers with about 6-8 million on the Czech side and 2,5-3 million on the other (2002). Nine working groups on various topics (e.g. nature conservation, tourism, forestry, local communities), under an umbrella of the Czech-Polish Biosphere Reserve Bilateral Board, have been set up in order to provide a forum of communication between the decision-makers of the cross-border region, local stakeholders and experts. |
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| Major ecosystem type | Mixed mountain and highland systems | |||
| Major habitats & land cover types |
Czech Republic: Alpine tundra with Hieracium spp., Veronica bellidioides, Juncus trifidus, Nardus stricta etc.; subarctic peat bogs charactarized by Pedicularis sudetica, Rubus chamaemorus, Pinus mugo etc.; dwarf pine (Pinus mugo) stands; glacial corries with Saxifraga oppositifolia, the endemic Sorbus sudetica, Salix herbacea etc.; mountain spruce forest characterized by Picea abies, Sorbus aucuparia and Avenella flexuosa; mixed beech-spruce (Fagus sylvatica and Picea abies) forest; flower rich mountain meadows with Bistorta major, Geranium spp. and the endemic Hieracium spp. Poland: Beech (Fagus sylvatica) forest with Luzulo nemorosae and Dentaria enneaphyllidis; mountain spruce forest; subarctic scrub with Pinetum mughi, Pado-Sorbetum and Salicetum lapponum alliances; subarctic herbage with Adenostyletum alliariae and Bupleuro-calamagrostietum arundinaceae alliances; subarctic peat bogs with Empetro-Trichophoretum alliances; alpine tundra with Carici rigidae and Festucetum supinae |
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| Location |
Czech: 50°35' to 50°49'N; 15°23' to 15°53'E Poland: 50°45' to 50°55'N; 15°25' to 15°50'E |
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| Area (hectares) | ||||
| Total | 60,362 | |||
| Core area(s) | 10,149 (Czech Rep.: 8,432; Poland: 1,717) | |||
| Buffer zone(s) | 31,783 (Czech Rep.: 27,925; Poland: 3,858) | |||
| Transition area(s) when given | 18,430 (Czech Rep.: 18,430; Poland: 0) | |||
| Altitude (metres above sea level) | Czech: +480 to +1,602 Poland: +400 to +1,602 | |||
| Year designated | 1992 | |||
| Administrative authorities | Czech: Krkonose National Park Administration Poland: Karkonosze National Park Administration | |||
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| Brief description |
Impact of air pollution on montane, subalpine and alpine ecosystems (Czech/Poland) Air and water quality, pedology, pedobiology, hydrology, hydrobiology, forestry, botany, entomology, vertebratology (Czech/Poland) Forest and agricultural management in the mountain areas (Czech/Poland) Meteorology, climate and geology (Czech/Poland) Flora and Fauna (Czech/Poland) Standardising methods of the main species and ecosystem protection (Czech/Poland) Limit the influence of introduced and invasive species (Czech/Poland) |
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| Specific variables... | ||||
| Abiotic | Abiotic factors, air quality, climate, geology, hydrology, meteorology, pollution, pollutants, soil. | |||
| Biodiversity | Alien/Invasive/Exotic/Introduced species, biology, conservation, fauna, flora, forest systems, invertebrates/insects/spiders, methodologies, plants, reintroduction. | |||
| Socio-economic | Agriculture/Production systems, forestry. | |||
| Integrated monitoring | Impact and risk studies/Environmental impact, management issues. | |||
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| Contact address |
Jan Stursa Krkonose National Park Administration Krkonose Biosphere Reserve Administration Dobrovskeho 3 543 11 Vrchlabi Czech Republic |
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| Telephone | (420.438) 456 224 | |||
| Fax | ||||
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jstursa@krnap.cz |
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| Web site | ||||
| Contact address |
Andrzej Raj Karkonosze National Park Administration Chalubinskiego 23 58-570 Jelenia Goria Poland |
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| Telephone | (48.75) 5373 26 | |||
| Fax | (48.75) 533 48 | |||
| Contact address |
Jiri Flousek Krkonose National Park Administration Krkonose Biosphere Reserve Administration Administration Dobrovskeho 3 543 11 Vrchlabi Czech Republic |
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| Telephone | (420) 499456212 | |||
| Fax | (420) 499422095 | |||
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jflousek@krnap.cz |
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| Web site | ||||
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| Last updated: 2/28/2007 |
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