Download 4 th Group - SoS

10th Junior Eco - Expert Project
Final Report – Group 4
The aim of the work:
Monitoring of birds in Protected Landscape Area Třeboňsko
- identifying species, abundance
- assessing the impact of human activity on bird populations
- comparing protection and care for bird species in partner countries
The course of work:
Students were working for four days. Of these days, they spent three days
outdoor and one day in the classroom, processing results.
Day one – June 2nd 2008 – students walked through the Instructive Path
Veselské Pískovny (former sandpits). The aim was to find out more about the impact
of former sand mining and present recreation on bird populations in this environment.
On the information boards one could find out something about the formation and
development of this landscape from both geomorphology and historical point of view.
Students wrote these facts down into their working sheets. Students learnt that even
through gravel sand had been mined in large scale in the past, over the years,
exceptional ecosystem has developed there. This ecosystem is bound to sandy subsoil.
Students also noted that human activity, especially garbage and noise from recreation
and tourism, has influence on the landscape even nowadays. However, the impact of
human on bird populations is small, because recreation and tourism is restricted by the
Management of Protected Landscape Area Třeboňsko. By the restrictions it is not only
meant the prohibition of various activities, but also, for example, creating the
Instructive Path. This Instructive Path has an educational effect and keeps majority of
tourists and holiday-makers off the most vulnerable parts of Protected Landscape Area
Třeboňsko.
Day two – June 3rd 2008 – there was an all-day-long excursion to the most
precious parts of Protected Landscape Area Třeboňsko. Students got acquinted with
the protection management of this locality and they learnt about proclaiming of this
location to be one out of six Czech Biosphere Reserves – Programme called “Man and
the Biosphere UNESCO“. They also got to know about proclaiming two wetlands to
be of international significance – they are protected under Ramsar Convention
(Třeboňské rybníky – ponds, Třeboňské mokřady – wetlands). They compared
management of protection of the environment in their native country and they found
out that protection of rare locations is very similar. This protection is based on
proclaiming reserves, restricting industry, agriculture, recreation in the environs of the
reserves. Protection also means following rules of international conventions – Czech,
Austrian, Hungarian and Polish representatives signed these conventions. Students got
to know (by listening to a member of Protected Landscape Area Třeboňsko
Administration), that the number of piscivorous birds has been increasing step by step.
It is due to the abundancy of fodder – intensive breeding of Třeboň carps. It is the
main impact of man on the landscape and bird populations. Abundancy of other bird
species, which are not specialized on fish, has been either decreasing or are unsteady
(vary from year to year). Students also assess the number of monitored species on the
water level and off the water level.
As the last part, students did bird ringing under the guidance of an expert.
Altogether, eleven birds were caught. Caught species were described, their health state
was examined, and then these birds were set free again. Three bird species had had a
ring from before. The data were sent to the National Museum in Prague. This Museum
collects data about ringing and resighting. Students learnt about the sense and the
significance of ringing. The main purpose is to find out more about bird migration
routes. This activity is not possible without international cooperation.
Day three – June 4th 2008 – students had an excursion to the hatchery and the
breeding station for birds. They had a look at the hatchery, incubators, and aviaries.
Students got to know the procedure of breeding in captivity and also about the sense of
the breeding station. Birds of particular age are released back to the wild, and in some
places, caught again. Caught game is sent to the place where game is bought and sold,
and then game is sold in restaurants and shops. By breeding and releasing, man
replenishes the caught amount of game from natural populations. This is a positive
way how to influence bird populations and it has a positive effect on the environment.
Students also got acquinted with the game bird species which are artificially bred
most frequently and they learnt about their biology.
Day four – June 5th 2008. Students processed received data in the PC
classroom. They prepared their presentation. They presented their pieces of knowledge
and the data taken outdoors. They assessed the state of the environment of the
Instructive Path Veselské Pískovny, abundancy of monitored bird species in the
Protected Landscape Area Třeboňsko, and described the importance of breeding
stations for game species of birds.
Comparing protection of birds in partner countries:
The group comprised of students from Poland, Hungary, Austria and the Czech
Republic. Students found out that the policy towards the protection of threatened bird
species is based on international agreements and conventions. For example
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES), Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna
and Flora, Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially as Water
Fowl Habitat, Ramsar, Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild
Animals. These conventions were named out and commented. During excursions
students got acquinted with their content.
They also learnt about bird protection in Europe. One result of Paneuropean
protection is Natura 2000. Natura 2000 is a system of protected areas, which are
proclaimed by all countries of the European Union, including Hungary, Poland,
Austria, and the Czech Republic.The aim of this system is to secure protection of the
species of animals, plants, and types of habitats, which are the most valuable from
European point of view, which are rare or restricted to only a certain area (endemic).
Following the rules of Natura 2000 is ordered in two most important law documents
of the European Union, dealing with nature protection: Council Directive 92/43/EEC
on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora, and Directive
79/409/EEC on the Conservation of Wild Birds. Directives in their appendices name
out for which plant and animal species and habitats should be defined the localities of
Natura 2000. Requirements of both directives were included into Czech Act Number
114/1992 Sb. On Nature and Landscape Protection (updated number 218/2004Sb.).
Species protection areas were also proclaimed, following the rules of bird directives.
By entering the European Union, it is obligatory to create a system of particularly
protected parts of nature, or bird areas for protection of bird species, these are enlisted
in Appendix 1 – Directive On the Conservation of Wild Birds 79/409/EEC. In this
directive, bird species threatened with extinctions, are enlisted – birds threatened
because of habitat changes, or perhaps species with local expansion that is restricted
in area.
Acts on protection of the environment and bird protection in cooperating
countries have a common base and differ according to the needs of the countries only.
An example of a cooperation is creating bird areas SPA on a transboundary
level, f. e. cooperation with Austria in the area of SPA Novohradské hory, SPA
Třeboňsko, bird areas of Biebrzański park Narodowy in Poland or bird area
Wörschauer Moos in Styria, Austria.