BIOMONITORING IN THE PROTECTED AREAS OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC M O J M I R VLAS~N and K A R E L A B S O L O N Czech Institute of Nature Conservation, Brno and Prague, Czech Republic
Abstract. The purpose of the biomonitoring project in the Nature Conservancy in the Czech Republic is to obtain information on long-term development of some selected living components of ecosystems in protected areas. A survey of methods was conducted to select the monitoring areas as well as to study birds, epigean, vegetation and water communities (a minimal programme). A system for the monitoring areas and data storage and processing (to gather a body of evidence) was established. Simultaneously, close linkage with abiotic factor monitoring is planned. The project has been carried out by the Czech Institute for Nature Conservation.
1. Introduction The project has been included in the prepared Unified Information System of the Environment in the Czech Republic. The general principles of the biomonitoring project in the State Nature Conservancy have been recently published (Absolon, 1991, 1992). In these papers, a selection of permanent monitoring areas for complex monitoring purposes was emphasized and was necessary for successful implementation in the Nature Conservancy. Simultaneously, a survey of methods was conducted and a unified set of cost-effective methods, both qualitative and quantitative, were selected. These would then be applied by all staff of the Protected Landscape Areas (PLAs) and National Parks administration. This would ensure comparability of data and prevent excessive expense (except for some special cases). The project provides information about changes in some 'indicator' populations (birds, insects, etc.) to assess any changes in the ecosystems. At the same time it serves to retrieve information about an organic background pollutant contamination in monitoring areas (mosses). The scheme which was presented has been discussed by the staffs of administrations of the PLAs and National Parks, Regional Offices of the Czech Institute of Nature Conservation, and some research institutes and universities. The proposed monitoring programme should be accepted as a m i n i m a l p r o g r a m m e , and should be initially implemented in a pilot study. The results will then be available for evaluation of the programme development for time and land use and will also be used for the prepared Unified Information System of the Environment in the Czech Republic. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 34" 141-144, 1995. (~) 1995 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands.
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144
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It is assumed that they will collect some unusal invertebrate groups (Dunger and Fiedler, 1989; Janetschek, et al., 1982). 2.2. BOTANICALBIOMONITORING It is proposed to make a complete list of all vascular plants growing within each study area. 2.2.1. Phytosociological survey. Phytocenological surveys are realized in certain permanent vegetation study areas every 2-5 years (the size of these areas and the frequency of the observations made are dependent on the vegetation type). The combined abundance and dominance scale (Westhoff and Van der Maarel, 1973) have been used for the description of the vegetation situated within the study area. 2.2.2. Graphical methods (micromapping). In each landscape protected area at least two species of plants were chosen for this type of observation (endemic species, endangered species, phytogeographically exclaved species, expansive or bioindicationally significant species). The position of each plant-specimen of the chosen species (polycormon) in the study area is placed on a micromap using either symbols or contours. According to the size of the population observed, the complete population or only a part of it is mapped. For more details, see Absolon and Vla~in, 1993). 2.2.3. Heavy metals in mosses (Pleurozium schreberi, Hylocomium splendens). Once every two years a litter of mosses is taken from an experimental plot and is analysed for heavy metals in AAS (Stanzelov~i, in press). References Absolon, K.: 1991, 'Biomonitoring ve Stfitnf ochran~ p~'frody (Biomonitoring in the State Nature Conservancy)', Bull. ~(]OP, Prague 7/1991; 17-36 (in Czech). Absolon, K.: 1992, 'Biomonitoring ve St~itni ochran~ pi'irody (Biomonitoring in the State Nature Conservancy)', Ochrana Pffrody 47, 215-217 (in Czech with English summary). Absolon, K. and Vla~in, M. (eds): 1993, 'Metodika Biomonitoringu ve St~itnf ochran~ p~frody (Biomonitoring methods in the State Nature Conservancy)', Cesk~ tistav ochranyp~frodyPrague, in ms. (in Czech). Dunger, W. and Fiedler, H.J. (eds.): 1989,Methoden der Bodenbiologie. VEB GustavFischer Verlag, Jena, 432 pp. Janetschek, H. (ed.): 1982, Okologische Feldmethoden, Verlag Eugen Olmer Stuttgard, 175 pp. Plondel, J., Ferry, C., and Frochot, B.: 1970, 'La methode des indices ponctuels d'abondance (IPA) ou des releves d'avifaune pour 'Stations d'ecoute', Alauda 38, 55--71. S~Ska, M. and Paterson, E.: 'Basal Soil Monitoring Scheme in the Protected Areas of the Czech Republic', this volume, in prep. Stanzelov~i, Z.: Obsah t~k~ch kovfi ve vybran~ch druzich mechfi jako biochemick~ indik~itor zne~ist~ni prosti'edf. VS,stup st~itnfhot~kolu. (in Czech) (in press). Westhoff, V. and Marrel van der E.: 1973, The Braun-Blanquet Approach. Classification of Plant. Communities, Jung, The Hague, pp. 287-399.
Abstract. The purpose of the biomonitoring project in the Nature Conservancy in the Czech Republic is to obtain information on long-term development of some selected living components of ecosystems in protected areas. A survey of methods was conducted to select the monitoring areas as well as to study birds, epigean, vegetation and water communities (a minimal programme). A system for the monitoring areas and data storage and processing (to gather a body of evidence) was established. Simultaneously, close linkage with abiotic factor monitoring is planned. The project has been carried out by the Czech Institute for Nature Conservation.
1. Introduction The project has been included in the prepared Unified Information System of the Environment in the Czech Republic. The general principles of the biomonitoring project in the State Nature Conservancy have been recently published (Absolon, 1991, 1992). In these papers, a selection of permanent monitoring areas for complex monitoring purposes was emphasized and was necessary for successful implementation in the Nature Conservancy. Simultaneously, a survey of methods was conducted and a unified set of cost-effective methods, both qualitative and quantitative, were selected. These would then be applied by all staff of the Protected Landscape Areas (PLAs) and National Parks administration. This would ensure comparability of data and prevent excessive expense (except for some special cases). The project provides information about changes in some 'indicator' populations (birds, insects, etc.) to assess any changes in the ecosystems. At the same time it serves to retrieve information about an organic background pollutant contamination in monitoring areas (mosses). The scheme which was presented has been discussed by the staffs of administrations of the PLAs and National Parks, Regional Offices of the Czech Institute of Nature Conservation, and some research institutes and universities. The proposed monitoring programme should be accepted as a m i n i m a l p r o g r a m m e , and should be initially implemented in a pilot study. The results will then be available for evaluation of the programme development for time and land use and will also be used for the prepared Unified Information System of the Environment in the Czech Republic. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 34" 141-144, 1995. (~) 1995 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands.
142
.S'~"
"
MOJM~RVLA~INANDKARELABSOLON
" \-'
,,~ .;'t:,"
i"
?.
"; "
,-,~
~ ....
7 i_ ~,
. I
f". ¢ ~
" b,i "--,
~.z~ ~
"
< --""
-;
,
~ " # - v ......
~ The aim of this monitoring is to sample some macro200bentos and weeds (chlorophyla and cyanophyta). 2.1.3. Trapping of the epigeon in pitfall traps. These traps are a system of plastic bottles, filled with preservation solution. They are checked once or twice a month,
144
MOJMIRVLA~INANDKARELABSOLON
It is assumed that they will collect some unusal invertebrate groups (Dunger and Fiedler, 1989; Janetschek, et al., 1982). 2.2. BOTANICALBIOMONITORING It is proposed to make a complete list of all vascular plants growing within each study area. 2.2.1. Phytosociological survey. Phytocenological surveys are realized in certain permanent vegetation study areas every 2-5 years (the size of these areas and the frequency of the observations made are dependent on the vegetation type). The combined abundance and dominance scale (Westhoff and Van der Maarel, 1973) have been used for the description of the vegetation situated within the study area. 2.2.2. Graphical methods (micromapping). In each landscape protected area at least two species of plants were chosen for this type of observation (endemic species, endangered species, phytogeographically exclaved species, expansive or bioindicationally significant species). The position of each plant-specimen of the chosen species (polycormon) in the study area is placed on a micromap using either symbols or contours. According to the size of the population observed, the complete population or only a part of it is mapped. For more details, see Absolon and Vla~in, 1993). 2.2.3. Heavy metals in mosses (Pleurozium schreberi, Hylocomium splendens). Once every two years a litter of mosses is taken from an experimental plot and is analysed for heavy metals in AAS (Stanzelov~i, in press). References Absolon, K.: 1991, 'Biomonitoring ve Stfitnf ochran~ p~'frody (Biomonitoring in the State Nature Conservancy)', Bull. ~(]OP, Prague 7/1991; 17-36 (in Czech). Absolon, K.: 1992, 'Biomonitoring ve St~itni ochran~ pi'irody (Biomonitoring in the State Nature Conservancy)', Ochrana Pffrody 47, 215-217 (in Czech with English summary). Absolon, K. and Vla~in, M. (eds): 1993, 'Metodika Biomonitoringu ve St~itnf ochran~ p~frody (Biomonitoring methods in the State Nature Conservancy)', Cesk~ tistav ochranyp~frodyPrague, in ms. (in Czech). Dunger, W. and Fiedler, H.J. (eds.): 1989,Methoden der Bodenbiologie. VEB GustavFischer Verlag, Jena, 432 pp. Janetschek, H. (ed.): 1982, Okologische Feldmethoden, Verlag Eugen Olmer Stuttgard, 175 pp. Plondel, J., Ferry, C., and Frochot, B.: 1970, 'La methode des indices ponctuels d'abondance (IPA) ou des releves d'avifaune pour 'Stations d'ecoute', Alauda 38, 55--71. S~Ska, M. and Paterson, E.: 'Basal Soil Monitoring Scheme in the Protected Areas of the Czech Republic', this volume, in prep. Stanzelov~i, Z.: Obsah t~k~ch kovfi ve vybran~ch druzich mechfi jako biochemick~ indik~itor zne~ist~ni prosti'edf. VS,stup st~itnfhot~kolu. (in Czech) (in press). Westhoff, V. and Marrel van der E.: 1973, The Braun-Blanquet Approach. Classification of Plant. Communities, Jung, The Hague, pp. 287-399.
