Threat for the habitat 8220-1 and Serpentine Spleenwort (Borough of Sobótka)
Species/habitat affected:
Siliceous rocky slopes with chasmophytic vegetation 8220-1, Serpentine spleenwort (species of high conservation concern, creation of the special protection zones required by Parliament Bill on Nature Conservation)
Location
dolnośląskie Voivodship, Borough of Sobótka
Damage extent
Serpentine Spleenwort Asplenium cuneifolium – typical for the habitat 8220-1, detail estimates possible after 15 May, possibly 0,1-1% of the regional (Voivodship) population
Investor
Nadleśnictwo Miękinia (Forestry unit Nadleśnictwo supervises certain number of smaller units and covers several thousand to over 30 000 ha of forest. There are over 400 nadleśnictwos in Poland). According to the Polish legislation the work has been approved in the Fores Management Plan approved by the Ministry of Environment. In the particular case there was no EIA or at least it did not consider the species requirements. Public consultation took place as a standard procedure called Komisja Techniczno-Gospodarcza (Technical-Management Commission)
Circumstances of the abuse
The report revealed potential damage to the habitat 8220-1 and the serpentine spleenwort. Field visit of the project expert (Krzysztof Świerkosz, PhD) in April revealed that some other habitats have also been affected: 9190 (Old acidophilous oak woods) and possibly priority habitat *9110 (Medio-European acidophilous beech forests). The damage was caused by dumping of the cut pine growth and branches on the ground. It leads to changes in the soil conditions (acidity) and blocks exposure to the light. Also the gaps may allow development of the unwanted bramble and small-reed (reedgrass) Calamagrostis. Some of the branches were dumped into a quarry where the habitat 8220-1 has been recorded and where the serpentine spleenwort may grow. The Spring visit was too early to determine how serious the damage was but it proved that the danger is real though can still be prevented. Suggested reclamation: removal of most of the branches from the area covered by protected habitats and dumping in the neighbouring pine forests to rotten naturally.
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