TOURISM IN THE MORAVIAN KARST

The article focuses on sustainable tourism in the protected landscape area of the Moravian Karst. Participants in the research included municipalities, stakeholders in the field of tourism, residents, and visitors. The Moravian Karst (CHKO) is an example of a preserved landscape area that managed to combine environmental protection and tourism. Visits to caves prevail; however, visitors do not limit their activities to this type of tourist attraction. They also visit other natural as well as cultural sights. Most municipalities think that the existence of the Moravian Karst CHKO positively influences the development of tourism. They appreciate new jobs and the inflow of finance from the regional budget.

Single-Track Bike Trails in the Moravian Karst as Part of Forest Recreation

Recently, cycling has become a popular recreation activity, and mountain biking provides an experience that is sought by an increasing number of people. Bike trails constructed for mountain bikers in access areas lead mostly through the forest and provide not only an extraordinary riding experience but the opportunity to admire the surrounding nature. The reason for constructing such trails from a landowner’s point of view is to help keep bikers’ movements within a defined access area and to ensure adjacent areas are left free for other forest functions. It also helps distribute groups of visitors with other interests to other parts of the forest. This is what we call “controlled recreation”. In this example, it means that if cyclists come to the locality to use the bike trails, they should ride only along the designated trails; however, they may leave these trails and ride on the surrounding land. This article studied the movements of bikers in an accessible area of the Moravian Karst and the regulation of their movements by controlled recreation. Attendance in the area was measured using automatic counters. These were placed at the entry points to the accessible area and just behind the routes where the trails branch off. The results showed that bikers mostly stayed on the formal routes and that the trails were effective, i.e., there was no uncontrolled movement of bikers into the surrounding forest stands. We also noted the time of day that cyclists were active. These results can be used to better plan work in the forest, for example, harvesting and logging. To further the suitable development of accessible areas of the forest, we also compared the usual size of trail areas in two other European countries and the increasing width of bike trails due to the transverse slope of the terrain.

VISITOR MONITORING IN PROTECTED AREAS: CONCEPTS, METHODS AND TRENDS

The objective of this paper is to present a systematic overview on methods used for visitor monitoring in recreational areas. Emphasis is given on quantitative methods such as direct observation, video observation, counting devices and registration books. The various approaches are discussed with regard to practical, legal and organisational aspects, such as costs, maintenance requirements, dependence on infrastructure, risk of vandalism or suitability for remote and ecologically sensitive locations. As visitor monitoring can also be regarded as an interference with the privacy of the persons being monitored, ethical aspects of the application of the various methods must also be addressed. This article reviews the possibilities of using visitor monitoring in the management of a protected area using the example of the Moravian Karst Protected Landscape Area (PLA). The Moravian Karst is the largest and most significant Karst area in the Czech Republic. The disadvantages of visitor monitoring in protected areas are analysed in the discussion part.

PREHISTORIC CHARCOAL GRAFFITI DISCOVERED IN KATEŘINSKÁ CAVE, CZECH REPUBLIC

ABSTRACT The article reports on a new sampling method and the archaeological context of cave drawings, which include the oldest currently known graffiti in the Czech Republic. Between 2016 and 2020, samples with a small amount of charcoal were taken from drawings found in Kateřinská Cave (Catherine’s Cave) of the Moravian Karst in the Czech Republic. A new gentle method of sampling charcoal from the cave walls was developed for the purpose of radiocarbon (14C) dating cave drawings of unknown age, while preserving the contours of the drawings. 14C analysis has provided data from four periods of prehistory and history: from the Neolithic around 5000 BC, the turn of the Neolithic and Eneolithic around 4300 BC, the Hallstatt Period from 800–450 BC, and also from the Middle Ages (13th century). The radiocarbon dates of the graffiti correspond to the dates of the pottery finds from the entrance portal of Kateřinská Cave, thus validating the dates and the sampling method.

Plži přírodní rezervace U Výpustku v CHKO Moravský kras [Gastropods of the U Výpustku Nature Reserve in the Moravian Karst PLA]

The U Výpustku Nature Reserve is located in the central part of the Moravian Karst PLA near the Křtiny Town. The reserve is predominantly forested area with multitude of karst features, such as caves and sinkholes. The valley was shaped in devonian limestones by the Křtinský potok Brook during the Quaternary. In total, 73 species of terrestrial gastropods were recorded (43% of the 171 species occurring in the Czech Republic), seven of which are included in the Red List of threatened species in the Czech Republic and 13 were newly recorded for the area. The majority of the recorded species (43; 59%) are forest dwellers, followed by euryvalent species (13; 18%). The proportion of open-country species is lower: sun-lit rock and steppe (5; 7%), silviphobic (3; 4%), dry-habitat (2; 3%), hygrophilous (4; 6%) and wetland (2; 3%). Among the recorded taxa, there are several rare and sensitive species reflecting the well-preserved state and biological value of the studied area, e.g. Daudebardia brevipes (VU), Ruthenica filograna, Truncatellina claustralis (VU), Chondrina arcadica clienta (NT) and Granaria frumentum (NT). Synanthropic (Arion distinctus, Deroceras reticulatum) and invasive (Arion vulgaris) species were recorded for the first time in the reserve, suggesting their current spread.

Preliminary report of the 2019 excavation at Švédův Stůl Cave in the Moravian Karst

Švédův Stůl Cave in the Moravian Karst has been excavated several times since Martin Kříž started the first excavation in 1886. Two parts of the site were re-excavated in 2019. The primary aim was to conduct classical as well as innovative and experimental sedimentological and geoarchaeological investigations of sediments from the discarded spoil heap outside the cave entrance (trench C–D). Intact sediments with a small number of lithic artefacts and a large number of animal bones were also excavated during the 2019 excavation (trench A–B) located under the trench excavated by Bohuslav Klíma’s team in the 1950s. An attempt is being made using pXRF, benchtop ED-XRF and ITRAX techniques to link some of the sedimentary material in the spoil heap (C–D) with the stratified sediments in trench A–B. Animal bones and lithic artefacts were found in both trenches. Numerous samples were collected for geoarchaeological, palaeoenvironmental and dating analyses and the results will be published in upcoming publications.