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Abstract
The new born wilderness area "Europe's Wild Heart" is located on the border of two Central European states and is shared by two national parks - Bavarian Forest National Park and Sumava National Park. The Bavarian Forest NP with an area of more than 24,000 ha and the Sumava NP with more than 68,000 ha create the largest island of protected nature in the cultural landscape of Central Europe. Mountain spruce forests, peat bogs, and mountain grasslands are the most important habitats of this area, which is also designated as an important location for the protection of the European lynx (Lynx lynx), European otter (Lutra lutra), Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus), Black stork (Ciconia nigra), and many other important birds. Natural disturbances, mainly windstorms and bark beetle outbreaks, are very important players in the process of re-wilding this area. The common management guidelines for this transboundary wilderness area of the two National Parks have been prepared. The new wilderness area in the border zone of the Czech Republic and Germany with nearly 15,000 ha was established at the 20th anniversary of the end of the Cold War, which gives this wilderness designation a special connotation. Wilderness is not only important for rare species and habitats, but also an important matter for humans.
Parent Publication
Keywords
wilderness,
biodiversity,
conservation,
protected areas,
economics,
subsistence,
tourism,
traditional knowledge,
community involvement,
policy,
stewardship,
education,
spiritual values
Citation
Kiener, Hans; Krenova, Zdenka. 2011. "Europe's wild heart" - new transboundary wilderness in the middle of the Old Continent. In: Watson, Alan; Murrieta-Saldivar, Joaquin; McBride, Brooke, comps. Science and stewardship to protect and sustain wilderness values: Ninth World Wilderness Congress symposium; November 6-13, 2009; Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. Proceedings RMRS-P-64. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 65-71.
