Description
Czech nature is rich and diverse but there is a list of endangered species. An intense help is framed in documents giving basic information and instructions how to treat the most endangered species. Such a document, usually for a species, less often for a group, is called an “action plan”. An action plan is a special tool which contains complex knowledge of species and recommends the measures how to support it. The Jewel beetle (Eurythyrea quercus) is specially protected species therefor the preparation of its action plan was recommended by the “Conception of Action Plans and Management Plans for Specially Protected Species of Animals and Plants in the Czech Republic”. Project meets the target of the state environmental policy of the Czech Republic for 2012-2020. The main objective of the project is preparation of the “Action Plan for Jewel Beetle”. Project literature review will be conducted, assessing the current species occurrence including field research sites. Project outcomes are about to improve knowledge of jewel-beetle occurrence and to prepare its action plan as necessary basis for nature-conservation authorities, NGOs and other institutions how to maintain populations of the species. The majority of measures of the project consists of field research and gathering published data regarding the species leading to the action plan to be more precise and complex. Project outputs are review of literature and other information sources and to write down a summary of locations of the species occurrence throughout the country and monitoring of presence in the field. Target activity is writing and compilation of the action-plan text. Project include part of publicity. The target group of the project is primarily a species and Ministry of the Environment. Secondarily, protection and connected activities will carry out the influence over the general public via education.
Summary of project results
The key objective of this project is to prepare the new Action Plan for the critically endangered Oak jewel beetle (Eurythyrea quercus). The project will consist of preparation of the action plan, which requires extensive analysis of the occurrence and potential of recent and sub-recent sites, a matter which the project pays great attention to. Project activities: Comprehensive Research in Literature The first step in preparing the action plan for the beetle will be comprehensive research of the relevant professional literature. Field Survey in the Sites Eurythyrea quercus is not an unknown species, but especially as regards its recent occurrence, not enough underlying data are available, similarly as with trends in its individual local populations and the species throughout the Czech Republic. Several new sites, however, have been discovered recently, or its occurrence has been proven at sites where it had not occurred for decades, for instance, in Byci skala and Veseli nad Moravou after 2000. Besides that, there are other areas where the species may occur, such as the Jihlava and Rokytna river valleys in Western Moravia and the Krivoklat region, and we want to pay attention to these areas as part of the field survey.Potentially suitable areas for the species must also be identified, both those neighbouring the areas of occurrence and those identified from literature where research will subsequently be made. T Preparation of Data in the GIS Preparation of the Action Plan Draft The draft will contain a detailed description of the biology and ecology of the species, its conservation status, causes of threats and current measures for the protection of the species. The results from up-to-date field surveys will also allow us to make a detailed description of its recent occurrence and population trends in the Czech Republic. Based on this information, the long-term and medium-term objectives of the action plan will be defined. Subsequently, specific measures will be planned which will help to achieve the defined objectives. They will consist primarily of excluding selected potentially suitable trees from the forest margins, partial removal of the bark, and also opening up of stands, removal of self-seeding tree species from around specific trees, arboriculture management aiming to prolong the life of populated trees, leaving a specific quantity of reserve trees in the stand and planting oak trees in specific meadows in the populated area and its environs.
Summary of bilateral results