National Park, National Trust land, Preserve or protected species are terms which refer to nature conservation in the Czech Republic. And what about "biosphere reserve"? What is the meaning of such a term? Even thpugh the legislation of our country does not mention such a term, it more and more often appears as a description of large protected areas in the Czech Repubic.
Already in 1970, the UNESCO organisation published one of their best known programs, called "Man and the Biosphere". At the same time they recommended that an extra attention to exploitation and protection of the genetic resources is paid, as well as to the methods of conservation of the representative ecosystems and the initial stations of fauna and flora. By publishing the document, the cornerstone for a co-ordinated chain of biosphere reserves (BR) was laid.
The main aim of the reservations is to carry out the following: (1) conservation of the variety of species, (2) high-quality research and monitoring, and particularly (3) to provide sustainable long-term development of the region. It is necessary to bring the demands of the local inhabitants into harmony with the conservation requirements. The common result of all the three aims is one which is the most important - and that is to create such a model for reasonable exploitation of the "unprotected" countryside and to positively influence the local inhabitants' ecological thinking.
The unifying principal of BR's is also their lay-out (zoning). Each reserve includes at least one "Core" Zone, which is iom the ecological point of view the most appreciated, natural and almost unaffected ecosystems, strictly protected by national legislation. Research and long-term observation (recording the changes in the country, giving us deeper knowledge of the natural processes, indicating the possible downward ecological trends and enabling flexible attitude towards the country) are the only activities which should be carried out in these zones.
The Core Zone is surrounded by a "Buffer Zone" and a "Transition Zone". Into these a scale of activities is concentrated according to the aim of the above mentioned sustainable long-term development. The idea is that BR's improve both the social and economical conditions in the region and at the same time preserve the valuable aspects of the country and enable the restoration of those damaged.
The first BR's were founded in 1976 and since the time the chain has been increasing so that to cover distinctive types of the environment on Earth. In the Czech Republic following regions are listed in the UNESCO register: T°ebo≥sko (area around the town of T°ebo≥), K°ivoklßtsko (area around the castle K°ivoklßt), Pßlava and the èumava Mts. In 1992 the international biosphere reserve KrkonoÜe/Karkonosze was added into the register. It includes The KrkonoÜe National Park and its transition zone on the Czech side of the borders and Karkonoski Park Narodowy on the Polish side.