Press release of the Administration of the Veľká Fatra National Park based in Martin “Measures to improve the status of selected animal species of amphibians and birds in the territory of the Veľká Fatra National Park“, Martin, September 25, 2023
As part of the activities from the OPKŽP project – Care for the Area Managed by the Veľká Fatra National Park, measures were implemented in the territory of the Veľká Fatra National Park to improve the status of selected animal species – amphibians, bats, the Spotted Owl and the Yellowtail
In the Ľubochnianska valley in the parts of Čierňava and Blatná, more than 20 replacement new hatcheries for amphibians have been created. Amphibians are among the most endangered vertebrates, whose population numbers have been significantly decreasing in recent years due to the disappearance of suitable breeding water bodies, fragmentation of the environment, mortality of individuals at the time of spring migration, or the spread of a contagious non-native fungal disease (chytriodiomycosis). Replacement hatcheries have been created to provide opportunities for protected amphibian species to reproduce. These are mainly species that are subject to the protection of the Area of Community Importance of the Veľká Fatra and the Veľká Fatra National Park: yellow-bellied marten (Bombina variegata), brown frog (Rana temporaria), Carpathian salamander (Triturus montandoni), spotted salamander (Salamandra salamandra).
With the help of a walking excavator, we created depressions in the field to collect water from small streams and from precipitation. When there is enough of it, small wetlands are created suitable for the reproduction of amphibians. In this way, new hatchery sites have been created in parts where water is naturally concentrated and drains off as a smaller surface stream. At the Blatné site, a system of interconnected depressions was created by removing sediments and deposits from the area of the walled lake. The created new hatcheries for amphibians will also perform a retention function, through which a larger amount of water will be retained in the landscape.
As compensatory measures to support the survival of forest species of bats and bird species Aegolius funereus (Aegolius funereus) and yellowtail (Phoenicurus phoenicurus), a total of 150 boxes were placed within the project area managed by the Veľká Fatra National Park.
There are more than 18 species of bats within the Veľká Fatra National Park, some of which use hollows in trees or places under the bark as shelters. The measure is aimed at creating suitable shelters in places where we want to supplement the offer of shelters for bats and at the same time they will be used in the future as places where we can monitor the state of their populations. Bats are an important part of ecosystems, all species occurring in our territory are insectivorous and perform an important regulatory function. Older species-diverse forest stands with plenty of old trees with cavities represent an important habitat for bats, which they use during the search for food, breeding seasons, and as a suitable place to rest. Bats are threatened by the loss of such natural habitats and the reduction of opportunities for shelter, especially by logging old forest stands.
Populations of birds of the Spotted Sandpiper and Yellow-tailed birds are endangered mainly by the lack of suitable habitats and nesting opportunities. Both species are subject to the protection of the Veľká Fatra Protected Bird Area and their occurrence is conditioned by the presence of old forest stands with a tree age of over 80 years with plenty of existing cavities, as they belong to secondary nesting sites and do not actively create cavities. A significant decrease in the number of populations in Slovakia was recorded in the Yellowtail. The boxes represent nesting opportunities for these bird species in the forest environment with the possibility of their subsequent inspections and monitoring of the success of nesting. In Finland, the unloading of boxes has contributed to halting the decline in the population of the Spotted Owl and such a measure seems to be important for maintaining the favourable status of this species.
Boxes for bats, yellowtails and spotted bats are located in several places within the Veľká Fatra National Park – e.g. in Gaderská, Dedošová, Zelená, Ľubochnianská valleys, in the Old Mountains on plots that are managed by the Administration of the Veľká Fatra National Park with its seat in Martin after delimitation.
The press release was prepared by the Department of Nature Conservation
Administration of the Veľká Fatra National Park with its seat in Martin
P.O. Hviezdoslava 38
036 01 Martin
