Bílé Karpaty
Protected Landscape Area
Biosphere Reserve UNESCO
The Bílé Karpaty or White Carpathians Protected Landscape Area (PLA) was established on 3 November 1980 by the Ministry of Culture. The protected area has an area of 747 km2 and is situated in the South-Moravian Region and Zlín Region. Its management is seated in the spa town of Luhačovice.
The PLA borders on the Slovak Biele Karpaty PLA (435 sq km) and extends along the frontier between the Czech and Slovak Republics over some 80 kilometres between the longitudes 17° 15' 21" and 18° 7' 28" E, and the latitudes 48° 48' 45" and 49° 10' 11" N. The SW-NE oriented White Carpathian mountain range represents the westernmost outshoot of the Carpathian Mountains. It is a country of rolling hills intersected with stream valleys, and lies between elevations of 175 to 970 m above sea level. It represents an extraordinary area for reason of its vast areas of species-rich calcareous meadows with an exceptionally rich flora and entomofauna, and its old-growth beech forests.
In contrast to the neighbouring areas, whose landscape is mostly dominated by ploughed fields and spruce stands, the White Carpathians reveal an age-old symbiosis between humans and nature. Its legacy is made manifest in their rich folk culture; but it is also imprinted in their landscape with its colourful patchwork of meadows and forests.For its natural, scenic and cultural qualities the Bílé Karpaty Protected Landscape Area was included into the world network of Biosphere Reserves under the UNESCO programme Man and the Biosphere (MaB) on 15 April 1996.
In 2000, the PLA was rewarded the European Diploma of Protected Areas by the Council of Europe.
Brief Characteristic
- Latitude 48° 44' 22" - 49° 10' 11" N
longitude 17° 15' 21" - 18° 13' 47" E - Elevation above sea level: 175-970 m.
- Climate moderately warm and dry (SW) to moderately cool and wet (NE and higher elevations). Mean annual precipitation: 553-901 mm.
- Nature reserves - number: 53; total area: 13.1 km2
- European Red Data List species:
- Plants: Cypripedium calceolus, Liparis loeselii, Pedicularis exaltata, Serratula lycopifolia.
- Lepidoptera: among others Apatura ilia, A. iris, Brenthis hecate, Limenitis populi, Lopinga achine, Lycaena dispar, Maculinea alcon, M. arion, M. nausithous, M. teleius, Parnassius apollo, P. mnemosyne, Saturnia pyri.
- Plants: Cypripedium calceolus, Liparis loeselii, Pedicularis exaltata, Serratula lycopifolia.
- Area and Human Population:
Core Areas: 93.00 km2 - 50, seasonally an extra 70 people
Buffer Zones: 367.56 km2 - 22,000 plus seasonally 35,000 people
Transition Areas: 254.44 km2 - 44,000 plus seasonally 5,000 people.
- Land Tenure: 70 % private, 5 % local government, 25 % state-owned.
Správa Chráněné krajinné oblasti Bílé Karpaty
(Bile Karpaty Protected Landscape Area Administration)
Nádražní 318
763 26 Luhačovice
Czech Republic
tel: ++420-577119626
fax: ++420-577119629
E-mail: bilekarp@schkocr.cz
