LIFE project

Project LIFE for Minuartia (LIFE15NAT/CZ/000818) is realized with the financial contribution of the European Union, the Life program and with the financial contribution of the Ministry of Environment of the Czech Republic. The project is implemented from 27 July 2016 to 31 December 2020 in cooperation of the Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences as coordinating beneficiary and the Czech Union of Nature Conservation (ČSOP) Vlašim and the Ministry of Environment as associated beneficiaries.

Based on the assessment of Minuartia’s growth rate, flowering rate, seed production, and degradation rates of individual parts of both localities, interventions have been proposed to focus on removing the critical factors most threatening Minuartia smejkalii.

Results of the project can be found in the project reports.

The main aim of the project is to increase the size of Minuartia smejkalii populations by 40% through several activities:

1. Revitalization of natural habitats

2. Establishment of GenFond Bank (ex-situ protection)

3. Direct enhancement of population size in the nature and reintroduction

4. Involving of local people to plant protection via establishment of specific program of Rescue planting in private gardens

The project further focus on enhancement of awareness of local people about specificity of Minuartia smejkalii, its habitats and importance of the NATURA 2000 network for species protection. The project takes into consideration socio-economic impact and impact on ecosystem services.

These project activities have a significant positive impact not only on Minuartia smejkalii itself, but also on the entire Sites of Community Importance of the Natura 2000 Network: SCI Hadce u Želivky and SCI Hadce u Hrnčíř. The project activities thus help to achieve the Natura 2000 network objectives: to protect those species of animals, plants and habitat types that are most valuable, most endangered, rare or limited by their occurrence to a particular area (endemic) from the European point of view.

The original habitat conditions as well as photos from project implementation are available here.