Long-term ecological research in the Czech Republic - Case study with a 3-year project

The Czech long-term ecological research (LTER)-network with 7 sites include s (i) reservoir series in the upper and middle Vltava river watershed, (ii) national parks and biosphere reserves of UNESCO (BR) Krkonoge and Sumava, (iii) protected landscape areas and BRs Krivoklatsko, Trebon basin, Palava and Bile Karpaty. All sites have a long history of research in many areas. A 3-year project supported by the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic stalle d in 1997: "Evaluation and prognosis of ecosystem change based on analysis of long-term data series". Available long-term data series from LTER sites in the Czech Republic were used: (a) to assess the extent and causes of det erioration of ecosystems function, (b) to identify the impacts of recent en vironmental changes connected with political and economic transition in Cen tral Europe (c) to establish a prognosis of future development of ecosystem s. Ecosystems evaluated across the sites are as follows: aquatic ecosystems (reservoirs, lakes, streams, brooks), wetlands (ponds, mires, peat bogs), grasslands (mountain and alluvial meadows, steppe), forests (mountain, floo ded, dry), Main human impacts to be considered are: nutrient loading (ferti lization, emissions - eutrophication), S and N oxides emissions (transbound ary pollution - acidification), land-use and management changes and resulta nt micro- and mesoclimate and biodiversity changes. Some preliminary data are discussed: acidification induced changes and rece nt recovery in lakes and forests, long-term cycles and eutrophication induc ed changes in reservoirs and fish ponds and the effects on biodiversity.