Conservation of Botanical Diversity in the Czech Republic

Nature conservation in the Czech Republic has a long history that started in the nineteenth century when the first protected areas were established. Modern conservation, based on the 1992 Nature and Landscape Conservation Act and integrating EU legislation (Natura 2000), has formed a robust framework for protecting habitat and species diversity in an extensive network of protected areas. Major threats to plant diversity are expressed in the Red List, which classifies half of the Czech native flora (including naturalized archaeophytes) as either threatened (critically threatened, endangered, vulnerable) or extinct. Present-day plant conservation in the Czech Republic profits from a good knowledge of the flora and vegetation, including invasive species, as well as from results of detailed habitat mapping. A growing attention is being paid to the application of restoration management in various habitat types, such as mires, species-rich meadows and post-mining sites, as well as in military training areas.