Jeseniky mountains (2939)
Czechia, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2002
National site name: Jeseniky
Central coordinates: Latitude: 50.1000, Longitude: 17.2167
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 318 to 1491
Area of KBA (km2): 521.72918
Protected area coverage (%): 99.44
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A mountainous, forested region, with peaks above 1,400 m. Secondary Picea stands dominate, with fragments of primary Abies/Fagus forest preserved at some sites. Alpine meadows exist above the treeline (1,300 m), along with peatbogs and springs. Alnus growth covers stream banks, and meadows and pastures, many of them abandoned, dominate the farmland. Forestry is the most important human activity.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.
Additional biodiversity: The IBA is important for species that breed in the Picea forests and alpine meadows, and supports populations of two species with limited distributions in the Czech Republic: Anthus spinoletta and Prunella collaris.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (2%) | forestry (81%) | hunting (82%) | nature conservation and research (7%) | tourism/recreation (30%) | urban/industrial/transport (18%) | water management (1%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Rocky Areas(e.g., inland cliffs, mountain peaks) | 5 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 1 | |
| Shrubland | 1 | |
| Grassland | 1 | |
| Forest | 75 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 17 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Threats include acid rain, recreational infrastructure development and disturbance, predation by domestic cats Felis catus in the vicinity of chalets and hotels, overgrazing by red deer Cervus elaphus, and the construction of hydroelectric plants, antiflood dams and reservoirs.