Nature protection in Slovakia

Territorial protection and protected natural areas in Slovakia

 

Basic informations

Division and categories of protected areas (PA) in Slovakia

Natural areas of international importance

 

Basic informations

 

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Territorial protection and levels of protection

Territorial protection of nature and landscape according to the law means protection of nature and landscape on the territory of the Slovak Republic or its part. For territorial protection of nature and landscape there are 5 levels of protection. The territorial protection specifies five levels of protection. The extent of restrictions increases depending on the increase of the level of protection. If several kinds of protected areas with different levels of protection overlap in some territory the highest level of them is valid there.
 

Legislation

The basic and fundamental document about nature and landscape protection in the Slovak Republic, is the Act No.543/2002 Coll. of June 25-th, 2002 on Nature and Landscape Protection and its amendments. A link to the applicable nature protection legislation you will find below the article.
 

Protected area

To achieve territorial protection, there are declared protected areas. The protected area is an important site under state protection. Protected areas are declared to contribute to preserving the diversity of conditions and forms of life on earth and to create conditions for the sustainable conservation, restoration and rational use of natural resources. The declaration of the area as protected also aims to preserve the natural heritage, the characteristic appearance of the landscape and to achieve and maintain ecological stability.Based on the state of the biotopes, the protected area may be subdivided into no more than four zones if necessary to ensure its protection.

In the territory of the Slovak Republic, where there are no declared protected areas (except for specially declared protected areas), the first level of protection applies, in which the general protection of nature and landscape applies. The levels of protection for each category of protected areas can be found below for each category of protected areas.

Protected areas (PA) can be declared as sites where there are biotopes of European importance, biotopes of national importance, biotopes of species of European importance, biotopes of species of national importance and bird habitats, including migratory species (for the protection of which protected areas are declared), significant landscape elements or natural creations.

Biotope (habitat) is a place or an area with a certain kind of environment that is characterized by certain species of plant and animal community, thus it meets the characteristic conditions for particular living organisms. It can be said that this is a common environment of organisms living in a certain territory, as well as the influences that affect it. The biotope always refers to a specific species of organism, for example biotope can be forests, caves, water courses, rocks, wetlands. The biotope can be understood as a common environment of certain components and a set of impacts that create the environment of all living organisms in the biotope territory. The term ecotope is sometimes used for plants.
 

Buffer (protective) zones of protected areas

If necessary, in order to protect a protected area (national park, protected area, nature reserve, national nature reserve, natural monument or national natural monument), it is possible to declare its buffer (protective) zone. Simplified it can be said that the protection buffer zone separates non-intervention areas from the intervention area. On the territory of the buffer zone, the appropriate level of protection according to the Act on Nature and Landscape Protection - Act no. 543/2002 or its amendments is valid.  The buffer area of the national park may also include the built-up area of the municipality, the area to be built or the area intended for territorial development. The surface protection zone above the cave, which is or may be endangered by economic activity, is declared by Regional Environmental Office. After its announcement, the optimization of economic activity on the surface without disturbing the cave ecosystems will be achieved.  

Division and categories of protected areas in Slovakia

 

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National parks and Protected landscape areas are unofficially referred to as Large area protected areas (LPA). They are larger territories, usually with an area of more than 1000 ha. Protected areas, nature reserves, national nature reserves, natural monuments, national natural monuments, protected landscape elements, nature parks and communal protected areas are unofficially called Small Area Protected Areas (SPA). All these protected areas form the national system of protected areas, divided into categories:
 

Categories of protected areas

 

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Protected landscape areas (PLA)

Protected landscape area (PLA) – a larger area, usually more than 1,000 ha, with fragmented ecosystems which are significant for conservation of biological diversity and ecological stability, with characteristic landscape features or with specific forms of historical settlements. In the territory of a PLA the 2nd level of protection is valid unless determined otherwise.  

National park (NP)

National park (NP) – a larger area, usually more than 1,000 ha, predominantly with ecosystems substantially unaffected by human activities, or with unique and natural landscape structures that form national biocentres and the most significant natural heritage in which the nature protection is of higher priority than other activities. In the territory of a NP the 3rd level of protection is valid unless determined otherwise.
 

List of National parks in Slovakia and map >>

Nature Park (NPK)

is a larger territory, usually with an area of more than 500 ha, mainly with ecosystems altered by human activity, which form biocenters of supra-regional importance or which are important for ensuring the favorable condition of biotopes of European importance, biotopes of national importance, biotopes of species of European importance or biotopes of species of national importance. It can be declared by the government, and the second or third level of protection applies to its territory, unless otherwise provided by law.  

Protected site (PS)

Protected site (PS) – an area, usually up to 1,000 ha with existence of natural habitats of European interest or natural habitats of national interest in which favourable status of these natural habitats depends on human economic activities. In the territory of a PS the 3rd, 4th or 5th levels of protection are valid.  

Nature reserve (NR) and National nature reserve (NNR)

Nature reserve (NR) and national nature reserve (NNR) – a  locality, usually up to 1 000 ha representing predominantly original or those natural habitats of European or national interest or habitats of species of European or national interest which have not been generally affected by human activities. The 4th or 5th levels of protection are valid in the territory of a NR and NNR.  

Natural monument (NM) and National natural monument (NNM)

Natural monument (NM) and National natural monument (NNM) – point, linear or other smaller ecosystems, their components or elements, generally not exceeding 50 ha in area, of scientific, cultural, ecological, aesthetic or landscape significance. The 4th or 5th levels of protection are valid in the territory of a NM and NNM.
   

Protected landscape elements (PLE)

Protected landscape element (PLE) – a significant landscape element fulfilling a function of a biocentre, a biocorridor or an interactive element, especially of local or regional interest. The 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th levels of protection are valid in the territory of a PLE.  

Municipality protected areas (MPA)

Municipality protected areas (MPA)  – locality, usually with an area of up to 100 ha, with cultural, scientific, ecological, aesthetic or landscape significance. It can be declared by the municipality by means of a generally binding regulation, in which the conditions for its protection are stated.

Caves and natural waterfalls

 

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Caves and natural waterfalls are a special group of protected areas. According to the law, a cave is a hollow underground space in the earth's crust accessible to humans and created by natural processes, the length or depth of which exceeds 2 m and the dimensions of the surface opening are smaller than its length or depth. A natural waterfall in the sense of the law is a natural rock formation through which a water flow falls from a height of more than 3 m under the action of natural forces without human intervention or flows down a continuous or cascading rock slope steeper than 75° and the water in the bed remains all year round. All caves and natural waterfalls that meet the above definitions are, according to the law, natural monuments. A unique cave or natural waterfall, which is part of the most important natural heritage of the state, can be declared a national natural monument by the government. Caves and natural waterfalls and their protection zones are not subject to  level of protection, but to special protection conditions, listed in Section 24 of the Nature and Landscape Protection Act.  

Natural areas of international importance in Slovakia

 

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Beech Forests of the Carpathians - UNESCO Natural Heritage

The area was declared UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007 together with other forests in the territory of Slovakia and Ukraine. In 2011, the list of territories was extended by five old German forests and was listed under the name Carpathian primaeval beech forests and old beech forests of Germany. In 2017, the list was extended to other locations in selected European countries under the name Old beech forests and primaeval beech forests of the Carpathians and other regions of Europe.  

Caves of the Slovak Karst - UNESCO Natural Heritage

Based on a joint project of Slovakia and Hungary, the caves of the Slovak Karst were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995 as Caves of the Slovak and Aggtelec Karst. In 2000, the project was extended to the Dobšinská Ice Cave, located in the National Park Slovak Paradise (NPSP) in Slovakia.  

Biosphere Reserves in Slovakia

Established in 1971, the UNESCO Man and Biosphere (MAB) program is an intergovernmental scientific program designed to create a scientific basis for improving relationships between people and their environment. The MaB program combines the knowledge of the natural sciences and the social sciences, creating the basis for a rational and sustainable exploitation of the biosphere resources, with the simultaneous protection of natural ecosystems and man-made landscapes.  

Natura 2000

Natura 2000 is the name of the system of protected areas of the Member States of the European Union and its main aim is to preserve the natural heritage and preserve the most valuable and endangered species and habitats (biotopes) of Europe. This system of protected areas is intended to ensure the protection of the most precious and most endangered species of wild plants, wild animals and natural habitats occurring  on the territory of the European Union and, through the conservation of these species and habitats, to preserve biodiversity on the territory of all the European Union. On the territory of the Slovak Republic, the European system of protected areas consists of Protected bird areas (PBA) and Areas of European importance.  

Ramsar sites in Slovakia

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is one of the most important international  convention concerning nature protection and the only convention protecting a certain biotope - wetland. The convention was initiated by an alarming decline in the number of populations of many species of water birds  in connection with the changes and loss of wetlands.
Sources:
Act No.543/2002 on Nature and Landscape Protection
www.minzp.sk, www.sopsr.sk