Vegetation and animals

Sitio:	Moodle ZČU
Curso:	CBG/FGCRZ - Fyzická geografie ČR
Libro:	Vegetation and animals

Imprimido por:	Guest user
Día:	lunes, 9 de noviembre de 2026, 09:28

Tabla de contenidos

1. Vegetation
2. Animals

1. Vegetation

Today's Czech landscape is a heterogeneous mosaic of forests, arable land and settlements. The composition of flora and fauna is result of long-term Quaternary development under the changing climate conditions. The location of the Czech Republic in the central part of Europe led to the diverse mix of Atlantic, Alpine, Boreal, Mediterranean, Pannonian and steppic species (Fig. 1).

Biogegraphical map

Fig. 1. European biogeographic regions. Most of the territory of the Czech Republic is included in the Continental zone. Southern Moravia is dominated by the Pannonian vegetation.

Native vegetation and landscape were transformed by anthropogenic activities. Particularly steppe areas were under the pressure. These areas are covered by Chernozems, the most quality soil, and native grassland vegetation had to step aside to arable land. Also forest areas were reduced by the Neolithic and later human activities.

Not only land cover was changed but also species composition was transformed. Originally dominated broad-leaved deciduous forests were replaced by the agricultural coniferous forests (mostly spruce) which are planted in middle and lower elevation where is not their natural occurrence. Nevertheless, the forest areas take 33% of state area.

1.1. Biomes

Similar to western and central Europe, the most widespread biome in the Czech Republic is the broad-leaved deciduous forest. Other biomes - forest-steppe, spruce and pine taiga and mountain tundra are only small extension (Fig. 1). Nowadays, the biomes are only theoretical concepts because the central European landscape is strongly affected by the human impact (Fig. 2), in this case we can speak about the potential vegetation.

Biomes

Fig. 1. Approximate distribution of Czech biomes (Source: Chytrý, 2012).

Forest covered areas

Fig. 2. Forest cover in 2000 (Source: Chytrý, 2012)

Broad-leaved deciduous forest biome occurs up to 1000–1200 m a.s.l., but is absent from dry and warm lowlands (Fig. 1). Dominant zonal types of natural vegetation in this biome are forests of beech (Fagus sylvatica) with an admixture of fir (Abies alba) at middle and higher altitudes and of hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) at low altitudes. Other broad-leaved trees (maples, alder, ash, oak, lime, elm) occur especially at sites where the composition of tree species has changed as a result of past forest management or natural disturbances, or at azonal sites such as floodplains, scree slopes, ravines, rock outcrops and dry slopes with shallow soil. Large areas of this biome are now covered by coniferous plantations, arable land and different types of permanent grasslands.

Forest-steppe biome occurs in the dry and warm lowlands in central Bohemia and south Moravia. The central Bohemian occurrence is connected with dry area of the rain shadow of the Krušné Mts. and is an isolated extrazonal occurrence of this biome. On the contrary, the Moravian forest-steppe is a western edge of the continuous forest-steppe area that extends from the Pannonian Basin through eastern Austria and south-western Slovakia to southern Moravia. Forest-steppe is characterized by a mosaic of forest and open land. Forest vegetation is build of three species such as oak and hornbeam. The grass species dominate in the treeless steppe landscape. This biome is under the anthropogenic pressure from the Neolithic and the arable land is the dominant land-use type.

Taiga biome is represented by extrazonal patches of natural coniferous forests. It has a limited extension on the mountain areas and lowland areas with nutrient-poor acidic bedrock (sandstones and sand). Spruce (Picea abies) is the dominant natural tree specie in the mountain taiga. Spruce with shrub pine (Pinus mugo) are common in the bog areas. The replacement vegetation of the mountain taiga includes low-productive grasslands. The lowland taiga occurs in the lowland basins, areas of infertile sandy soils (podzols) or/and high water table (lowland bogs and mires). Dominant vegetation in the lowland taiga is acidophilous forest of pine (Pinus sylvestris with Vaccinium spp.) and local admixtures of spruce and broad-leaved deciduous trees (oaks).

Tundra biome occurs as alpine tundra only in the highest altitudes of the Czech mountains. During the Pleistocene glacials, the tundra occupied also the middle and lower altitudes. The alpine tundra includes mainly grasslands and heathlands.

Notes:

Note that the taiga and tundra biomes are the extrazonal biomes in the Czech Republic. Their occurrence is connected with the specific soil, bedrock and altitudinal changes of the climate.

Task:

Find the pictures of tree species mentioned above on the internet.

1.2. Altitudinal vegetation belts

Altitudinal vegetation belts are developed in every area with sufficient elevation differences. Both precipitation and temperature are changing with increasing elevation (see Topic "Climate and weather") and influence the vegetation. Maximum eight belts could be distinguished in the territory of the Czech Republic: lowland, colline, supracolline, submontane, montane, supramontane, subalpine and alpine belt (Fig. 1). The extension of individual vegetation belts can vary among regions.

altitudinal belts

Fig. 1. Altitudinal belts and timberline in the summit areas of the highest Czech mountain ranges. Altitudes of the highest peak of each range are given. The scheme represents entire mountain ranges including the parts ouside the borders of the Czech Republic (Source: Holý, 2012).

There is a brief description of individual altitudinal vegetation belts (from Holý, 2012):

There are different classifications of vegetation belts in the literature. One of the most common one use the forest vegetation belts (Fig. 2). Do not forget that the Czech landscape is transformed by the anthropogenic activities and the tree composition of below mentioned belts and spatial distribution of forest does not correspond to the real situation (compare to the Fig. 2 in the previous Chapter 1.1).

tree vegetation belts

Fig. 2. Forest altitudinal vegetation zones.

1.3. Landscapes with a high diversity of vegetation types

Biodiversity hot spots of the Czech landscape could be found in some restricted areas such as areas with high topographic heterogeneity, geological diversity or occurrence of specific bedrock types. These specific conditions (e.g. high elevation differences in the small area and thus high diversity of microclimate, or occurrence of specific bedrock which influence soil conditions and attract the unique vegetation) lead to the high diversity of the vegetation.

These are:

Deep river valleys of the Bohemian Massif
Karst areas
Sandstone pseudokarst
Solitary volcanic rocks
Glacial cirques
Lowland riverine landscapes
Serpentine areas

Fig. 1. Meander in a deep river valley of Dyje, south Moravia. This area of high biodiversity is one of the Czech National parks. The vegetation is well preserved in a natural or semi-natural state as this rugged terrain is unsuitable for agriculture (Source of image: www. nakole.cz)

Fig. 2. Český kras, karst landscape in Central Bohemia with high biodiversity of rock steppe vegetation (Source of the image: https://ceskykras.ochranaprirody.cz/charakteristika-oblasti/geologie/).

Fig. 3. Adršpach sandstone landscape, so called "rock city" in the eastern Bohemia. High biodiversity is due to the high elevation differences and diverse microclimate. (Source of image: https://www.meteopress.cz/tipy-na-vylet/adrspasske-skalni-mesto/).

Fig. 4. Isolated volcanic hills in the České středohoří Mts., northern Bohemia. Slope, aspect, position on lower or upper slope, bedrock (basalt versus phonolite) and local occurrence of cliffs or boulder screes influence high vegetation diversity. (Source of image: https://phototours.cz/fotokurz-jarni-ceske-stredohori/)

Fig. 5. Glacial cirques in the border mountains have the higher vegetation diversity influenced by the occurrence of extreme relief (cliffs and screes) and serve as refuges of glacial relics.

Fig. 6. Litovelské Pomoraví, lowland riverine landscape with well-preserved complexes of floodplain vegetation in the central Moravia. (Source of image: https://kolo.cz/clanek/nenarocna-cykloturistika-litovelskym-pomoravim/kategorie/vylety-s-detmi)

Fig. 7. Mohelenská serpentine steppe. Natural reservation on the serpentine bedrock with valued xerotherm steppe vegetation, thermophile grasslands and serpentine pine forests. During the summer, the serpentine outcrops have 20^oC higher temperature than the neighbourhood which creates extreme pressure on the vegetation. (Source of image: https://botany.cz/cs/mohelno/)

2. Animals

Similar to the vegetation, also Czech fauna descend from different parts of Europe and Asia. The forest species (bison, deer, fallow deer) are mainly Boreal or Mediterranean origin, rarely Caspian or Manchurian origin. The thermophilous species come from the Mediterranean or from steppic areas of eastern or southeastern Europe, these are e.g. European hamster (Cricetus cricetus), steppe polecat (Mustela eversmanii), European ground squirrel (Spermophilus citellus), common vole (Microtus arvalis), great bustard (Otis tarda). Oreotundral species are typical for the mountain cold areas, e.g. buteo (Buteo buteo), marmots (Marmota marmota).