Czechia

Czechia is a land-locked country bordered by 4 neighbouring nations, with a terrestrial area of nearly 79,000km². The western region of Bohemia is characterised by the presence of the Elbe and Vltava rivers, surrounded by low mountains, while the eastern region of Moravia consists of low-lying hills and is drained by the Morava River. The highest peak in Czechia is Sněžka, standing at 1,603m. The country has a population of 10.7 million people, resulting in a population density of 129 people per km².

of land covered

by protected areas

species protected

under EU law

habitats protected

under EU law

Protected areas in Czechia cover a total of km² on land and include a diverse network consisting of Natura 2000 sites and nationally designated areas.

Percentage of area covered by protected areas

Currently, of Czechia terrestrial territory is designated as protected areas, slightly below the EU value of 26.4%. The EU Biodiversity Strategy has set a target of reaching 30% protected area coverage at the EU level by 2030.

Number of protected areas

Czechia has a total of protected areas, comprising sites designated under national laws and sites recognized as Natura 2000 sites. These Natura 2000 sites are designated under the Birds Directive, encompassing Special Protection Areas, and the Habitats Directive, encompassing Sites of Community Importance. Many sites are designated under both Directives.

Number of protected areas

Protected areas designated

under national laws

Designated sites

in the Natura 2000 network

Distribution of protected areas between national designations and Natura 2000

In Czechia, slightly more than a third of the protected areas are designated exclusively under national laws. The rest consists of Natura 2000 sites ( ) or those areas where Natura 2000 sites overlap with national designations ( ).

Spatial distribution of protected areas network

Protected areas designated under national laws

Designated sites in the Natura 2000 network

Size distribution of protected areas network

The majority (84%) of protected areas in Czechia are less than 1km² in size, which is higher than the average proportion of small protected areas across the EU. Only about 1% of terrestrial protected areas in Czechia are 100-1,000km² and none are larger than 1,000km².

Natura 2000 sites

Natura 2000 sites in Czechia cover species and habitats from the nature directives. The number of species and habitats protected in each site varies depending on the location of the site, the biodiversity in the region, the designation being used, and the features the site is being created to protect.

Species protected in Czechia under EU law fall under the Habitats and Birds Directives. Czechia hosts protected under the Habitats Directive, which is approximately 13% of the total of the Habitats Directive’s species and protected birds, which is approximately 53% of the species protected under the Birds Directive.

species protected under EU law

species under the Habitats Directive

species under the Birds Directive

Conservation Status of species: Habitats Directive

In Czechia, of species assessments indicate a good conservation status, while the EU average corresponds to 27.5%. The proportion of assessments indicating bad conservation status is reaching , compared to the EU average of 20.6%

Protected species composition by taxonomic group

In Czechia, the distribution of protected species across taxonomic groups highlights the prominence of birds, comprising the largest proportion at 58.3%. They are followed by arthropods and vascular plants, accounting for 9.6% of protected species.

Conservation Status by Taxa

In Czechia, the assessment of species groups reveals that mammals have the highest proportion of species with a good conservation status, standing at 49.2%. Following behind are amphibians, with 37.9%, and non-vascular plants, with 33.3% of species in good conservation status. On the other hand, molluscs exhibit the highest percentage of species with a bad conservation status, reaching 66.6%, while fish also have a significant proportion of species in bad conservation status at 64%. All other invertebrates have poor conservation status.

Habitats protected in Czechia under EU law fall under the Habitats Directive. Czechia hosts habitat types, which is approximately 25.8% of the total of habitat types protected by the Habitats Directive.

habitats protected under EU law in Czechia

Conservation status of habitats

In Czechia 19.4% of habitats assessments indicate a good conservation status which is above the EU average of 14.7%. The proportion of assessments indicating a bad conservation status, amounting to 30.1%, is slightly below the EU average of 35.8%.

Protected habitat composition by group

In Czechia the group with the largest number of protected habitats is forests (26.6%), followed by grasslands (21.6%) and freshwater (15%).

Conservation status by group

In Czechia the assessment of habitat groups reveals that rocky habitats have the highest proportion of good conservation status, standing at 76.9%. Following behind are sclerophyllous scrub, with 50% of habitat types in good conservation status. On the other hand, coastal habitats exhibit the highest percentage of habitat types with a bad conservation status reaching 100%, while bogs, mires and fens and dune habitats also have a significant proportion of habitat types in bad conservation status at 50%.

Czechia is predominantly characterised by two main types of ecosystems: Agroecosystems, which cover 53.8% of the country, followed by Forest ecosystems occupying 37.4% of the land area. Urban areas account for 7.4% however, Czechia has relatively smaller proportions of rivers and lakes (0.9%), heathlands (0.5%), and wetland ecosystems (0.07%).

In terms of the protected area network, forests constitute the largest portion, covering 64.2% of the protected areas. Agroecosystems make up 30.6% of the protected areas, reflecting the importance of conserving and managing agricultural landscapes for biodiversity. Urban areas account for 3.04% of the protected areas, emphasizing the significance of protecting nature within urban environments. Rivers and lakes contribute to 1.5% of the protected areas, whileheathlands represent 0.9%, and wetlands comprise 0.2%.