News details

Slovakia: Project Calcareous mires

Calcareous mires in Slovakia (2010-2012)

During 2010-2012 ERA participated in publishing a scientific book on calcareous spring fens in Slovakia. Calcareous fens, are peat and travertine (chalk) depositing wetlands and are very rare throughout Europe and even worldwide. In Slovakia they are located almost exclusively in the Western Carpathian Mountains. Most of the original mires in Slovakia have disappeared mainly during the communist rule. But locally spring fed mires are remarkably well preserved. Some of them, such as Belianske Luky, the largest spring fed fen in Europe and Brezové mire, which is the most pristine spring fen in Slovakia, are among the best examples of calcareous mires in Europe.

The book builds on the results of ecohydrological research carried out in the period 2002-2005, mainly in the High Tatra Mountains, but also in the lowlands near Bratislawa. The ecohydrological research was carried out by a team of Slovak, Dutch and Polish researchers and aimed at assessing the restoration perspectives of damaged calcareous mires. The project was financed by the Dutch Government and in a later stage also by the Global Environmental Fund (UNDP/GEF) and carried out by DAPHNE, Institute of Applied Ecology (Viera Sefferová Stanová and Jan Seffer).