Assessment of the Potential Natural Status of Riparian Zones in the Czech Republic

Riparian zones represent an important ecosystem providing a range of functions and services important to humans—e.g., biodiversity support, a reduction in erosion risk, or the transport of pollutants from the surrounding landscape to watercourses. At the same time, it is, unfortunately, an environment that has been often subjected to significant pressure during the agricultural cultivation of the landscape or the development of industrial and residential activities of human society. Thus, a large number of riparian ecosystems have disappeared or degraded. The assessment of the overall ecological status of riparian habitats constitutes an important source of information for the needs of watercourse management and landscape planning in the riparian landscape, the aim of which should be to maintain good status or to improve the current unsatisfactory state of these habitats. However, in order to reliably evaluate the current ecological status of the landscape, it is necessary to have information on the reference status, i.e., a potentially natural status that would prevail without human influence. For this purpose, a methodology that can determine the potential natural status of riparian zones in Central European conditions was developed. In this study, it was found that approximately a quarter (26 %) of all river basins in the Czech Republic reach very low environmental values of the potential natural status of riparian zones and, conversely, approximately 29 % of river basins are expected to develop significantly above average riparian zone quality if we neglect human impact.

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The importance of historical maps for man-made pond research: From the past extent of ponds to issues of the present landscape. A case study from the Czech Republic

Moravian Geographical Reports ◽

10.2478/mgr-2021-0014 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 29 (3) ◽

pp. 184-201

Author(s):

Jindřich Frajer ◽

Jana Kremlová ◽

David Fiedor ◽

Renata Pavelková ◽

Miroslav Trnka

Keyword(s):

Czech Republic ◽

Landscape Planning ◽

Historical Maps ◽

Water Shortages ◽

Historical Gis ◽

The Czech Republic ◽

Landscape Water ◽

Agricultural Areas ◽

Agricultural Regions

Abstract Historical maps are a valuable resource in landscape research. The information gathered from them facilitates the cognisance of landscapes and may assist current landscape planning. This study focuses on the historical occurrence and spatial extent of man-made ponds in the Czech Republic. Based on the 1st Military Survey maps (1764–1783) of the Habsburg Monarchy, we use Historical GIS to identify 7,676 man-made ponds in the historical landscape. Compared to the 2nd Military Survey maps (1836–1852), 56% of these man-made ponds had been drained. Such disappearances mostly affected large ponds in fertile agricultural areas, but also affected small reservoirs in less fertile areas at higher altitudes. As the current maps and spatial datasets (Water reservoirs, Landscape water regime, Farming areas) show, a number of these agricultural regions have been affected by climate changes and face water shortages. The historical map information of former ponds has the potential to contribute to their restoration in areas where water retention in the landscape needs to be increased.

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The PERLA system in the Czech Republic: a multivariate approach for assessing the ecological status of running waters

Hydrobiologia ◽

10.1007/s10750-006-0085-4 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 566 (1) ◽

pp. 343-354 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

Jiří Kokeš ◽

Světlana Zahrádková ◽

Denisa Němejcová ◽

Jan Hodovský ◽

Jiří Jarkovský ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Czech Republic ◽

Ecological Status ◽

Running Waters ◽

Multivariate Approach ◽

The Czech Republic

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Examples of Recent Floods in Europe

Journal of Disaster Research ◽

10.20965/jdr.2007.p0190 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 190-199 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Donald Knight ◽

◽

Paul Samuels ◽

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Czech Republic ◽

Economic Impact ◽

Economic Impacts ◽

River Basins ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Flood Events ◽

The Czech Republic ◽

Loss Of Life ◽

The Uk

Some significant flood events that have occurred in various European countries in the last decade are described. They are used to illustrate the widespread nature of flooding, its economic impact and the resultant loss of life. The underlying hydro-meteorological causes of each flood are outlined, followed by a brief chronology of the flood event and the subsequent consequences. The flood events have been drawn from countries with differing climatic conditions, and from river basins that differ in both size and topography. The selection includes floods from the following countries: the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Switzerland and the UK. The events include examples of both flash floods and slower basin-wide floods. The important lessons that may be drawn from these events are highlighted, as are the economic impacts such floods might have in the future due to climate change.

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State aid following natural disasters

Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis ◽

10.11118/actaun201159040411 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 59 (4) ◽

pp. 411-420 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

František Řezáč ◽

Martin Řezáč ◽

Tomáš Nekovář

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Czech Republic ◽

Natural Disasters ◽

Insurance Coverage ◽

River Basins ◽

Flood Damage ◽

Flood Protection ◽

The European Union ◽

The Czech Republic ◽

Legislative Framework

The article deals with state and regional actions taken to eliminate the effects of natural disasters. It focuses on clarifying the causes, extent and impact of flood damage in the years 1997–2010, not only in the Czech Republic but also in neighboring countries within each river basin crossing the border. The legislative framework is given by the European Union´s Directive on the assessment and management of flood risks. The directive is followed by the strategy of flood protection in the Czech Republic according to the specifications of the assets of the state, municipalities, citizens and businesses. Action plans for flood protection are then processed in accordance with individual river basins, the ones discussed in this article being the Elbe, Danube and Odra. A chronological summary of floods during the 1997–2010 period presents relevant data on these events, including comparisons with previous periods. In conclusion, the authors present data on the number of claims, the extent of the damage, and the total sum of insurance claims paid out by member associations of the Czech Insurance Association. It also deals with problems concerning the underestimation of insurance coverage, especially among small and medium-sized businesses.

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A comparison of four approaches to river landscape delineation: The case of small watercourses in the Czech Republic

Moravian Geographical Reports ◽

10.2478/mgr-2019-0018 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 27 (4) ◽

pp. 229-240 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jiří Jakubínský ◽

Vladimír Herber ◽

Pavel Cudlín

Keyword(s):

Czech Republic ◽

Soil Conditions ◽

Human Society ◽

Anthropogenic Pressure ◽

Landscape Conservation ◽

Natural Conditions ◽

The Czech Republic ◽

River Landscape ◽

Small Streams ◽

Methodological Approaches

Abstract River landscapes represent key areas of great importance to human society as they perform many functions and provide valuable services. Traditionally, these areas have been perceived as geomorphological phenomena characterised by specific soil conditions, hydrological regimes and unique habitats. Due to the availability of detailed data, it is possible to perform a spatial delineation of river landscapes by interpreting these data using several different approaches. The results of these different approaches can vary considerably, since it is particularly challenging to define the river landscape along small watercourses for which the availability of suitable data is limited. The main aim of this study is to analyse the various methodological approaches that may be used to define the river landscapes of small streams, and to evaluate the efficiency of those approaches that can be applied in nature and landscape conservation. Two medium-sized catchments in the Czech Republic were selected as the study areas in order to ensure different natural conditions and degrees of anthropogenic pressure. As a result, an approach based on combining soil characteristics and topographic information is considered the most appropriate solution to delineate the river ecosystem.

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Macroeconomic performance of the Czech Republic during the global pandemic crisis

SHS Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/shsconf/202112901031 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 129 ◽

pp. 01031

Author(s):

Jolana Volejnikova ◽

Ondrej Kuba

Keyword(s):

Czech Republic ◽

Value Added ◽

Human Society ◽

Macroeconomic Performance ◽

Exogenous Shock ◽

The Czech Republic ◽

Global Pandemic ◽

Methods Of Synthesis ◽

Economic Analyses ◽

The Impact

Research background: The global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is unprecedented for human society. Despite the continuing uncertainty about the future, it is certain that the global consequences of the pandemic will have many dimensions. Among others, the economic impacts are extremely significant. However, the sudden slowdown in economic activity, the declared quarantines, and the state of emergency have many specific impacts in individual countries. The Czech economy (as well as other countries in the world) was exposed to an unexpected exogenous shock. The data confirm that, in 2020, the decline in the performance of the Czech economy was the deepest in its history. Purpose of the article: The primary goal of this article is to analyze the macroeconomic performance of the Czech Republic during a pandemic crisis. However, we also research the impact of the pandemic on individual sectors of the national economy in the context of government measures. Methods: The analytical part of the article is processed on the basis of publicly available statistical data, economic analyses, and economic forecasts of renowned institutions. The derivation and argumentation of the conclusions are based on an empiric-inductive approach, methods of synthesis, and comparison. Findings and value added: The article maps the direct and mediated macroeconomic effects of the pandemic crisis in the reality of the Czech Republic. At the theoretical level, the aim of the article is to bring new knowledge to current economic theory, especially in the field of macroeconomics and sectoral analysis as well as the theory of public choice.

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A tree-ring perspective on temporal changes in the frequency and intensity of hydroclimatic extremes in the territory of the Czech Republic since 761 AD

Climate of the Past ◽

10.5194/cp-11-1453-2015 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 11 (10) ◽

pp. 1453-1466 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

P. Dobrovolný ◽

M. Rybníček ◽

T. Kolář ◽

R. Brázdil ◽

M. Trnka ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Czech Republic ◽

Tree Ring ◽

Ring Width ◽

Temporal Distribution ◽

Temporal Changes ◽

Human Society ◽

Documentary Evidence ◽

Data Set ◽

Atlantic Sector ◽

The Czech Republic

Abstract. It is generally accepted that anthropogenic-induced climate change may affect the frequency and intensity of hydrological extremes, together with a variety of subsequent impacts on ecosystems and human society. Proxy records that are absolutely dated and annually resolved are indispensable to a better understanding of temporal changes in the occurrence of floods and droughts. This contribution presents a new data set of 3194 oak (Quercus spp.) ring width samples from living trees and historical timbers, collected across the Czech Republic. A composite tree-ring width (TRW) chronology is developed that best captures the high-frequency extremes over the past 1250 years. The temporal distribution of negative and positive extremes is regular with no indication of clustering. The highest number of negative extremes was found in the 19th century, while positive extremes were most frequent in the 12th century. The lowest number of negative and positive extremes occurred in the 18th and 13th centuries respectively. Negative and positive TRW extremes were compared with the instrumental measurements back to 1805 AD, with documentary-based temperature and precipitation reconstructions from 1804 to 1500, and with documentary evidence before 1500 AD. Negative TRW extremes coincided with above-average March–May and June–August temperature means and below-average precipitation totals. Positive extremes coincided with higher summer precipitation, while temperatures were mostly normal. Mean sea level pressure (SLP) over the European/North Atlantic sector suggested drought for the negative oak TRW extremes, whereas the positive extremes corresponded to wetter conditions overall. More consistent patterns of synoptic SLP were found for negative rather than for positive extremes. Reasons for the possible offset between the oak-based hydroclimatic extremes and their counterparts from meteorological observations and documentary evidence may be manifold and emphasize the need for multi-proxy approaches.

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An estimation of the probable maximum precipitation for river basins in the Czech Republic

Atmospheric Research ◽

10.1016/j.atmosres.2004.10.011 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 77 (1-4) ◽

pp. 407-421 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Daniela Rezacova ◽

Petr Pesice ◽

Zbynek Sokol

Keyword(s):

Czech Republic ◽

River Basins ◽

The Czech Republic ◽

Probable Maximum Precipitation ◽

Maximum Precipitation

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Měkkýši (Mollusca) hradů jako ekologického fenoménu (Česká republika) [Molluscs (Mollusca) of castles as an ecological phenomenon (Czech Republic)]

Malacologica Bohemoslovaca ◽

10.5817/mab2005-3-100 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

pp. 100-148

Author(s):

Lucie Juřičková

Keyword(s):

Czech Republic ◽

Land Snails ◽

Characteristic Set ◽

The Czech Republic ◽

High Species Diversity ◽

Molluscan Fauna ◽

Red List Species ◽

Surrounding Landscape ◽

Island Habitats ◽

Isolated Species

Molluscan communities were studied at 123 castles in the Czech Republic. Altogether 70 % of the land snails of the Czech Republic were found at these sites. A complete literature review on castle-related molluscan fauna was performed for the Czech Republic. Castes represent significant refuges for many species, as indicated by the high species diversity and the presence of rare (21 % of Red List species) and geographically isolated species (26 % of all species). Castles present a characteristic set of island habitats markedly differing from the surrounding landscape. Castes can be considered as man-made ecological phenomena.

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