Slovakia

Slovakia is a mountainous land-locked country with a terrestrial area of close to 49,000km² and bordered by 5 other countries. The Carpathian Mountains cover a large portion of the country with the southern part of the country consisting of the lowlands adjacent to the Danube River. The highest point is Gerlachovský štít at 2,655m. Slovakia has a population of 5.4 million people and a population density of 111.8 people per km².

of land covered

by protected areas

species protected

under EU law

habitats protected

under EU law

Protected areas in Slovakia 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 Slovakia's terrestrial area is designated as protected areas, which is above 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

Slovakia has a total of protected areas, comprising sites designated under national laws and 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 Slovakia, slightly more than a third of the terrestrial protected areas are designated solely as Natura 2000 sites with further covered by 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 of protected areas in Slovakia (71%) are smaller than 1km², which represents a higher proportion of small protected areas than on average in the EU. 21% of terrestrial sites are 1-10km².

Natura 2000 sites

Natura 2000 sites in Slovakia 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 Slovakia under EU law fall under the Habitats and Birds Directives. Slovakia hosts protected under the Habitats Directive, which is approximately 14% of the total of the Habitats Directive’s species and protected birds, which is approximately 50% 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 Slovakia, 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 Slovakia, the distribution of protected species across taxonomic groups highlights the prominence of birds, comprising the largest proportion at 54.1%. They are followed by mammals and arthropods, accounting for 10.8% of protected species.

Conservation Status by Taxa

In Slovakia, the assessment of species groups reveals that mammals have the highest proportion of species with a good conservation status, standing at 55.5%. On the other hand, fish exhibit the highest percentage of species with a bad conservation status, reaching 57.5%. Reptiles and other invertebrates assessments reported a poor conservation status at 100%.

Habitats protected in Slovakia under EU law fall under the Habitats Directive. Slovakia hosts habitat types, which is approximately 28.3% of the total of habitat types protected by the Habitats Directive.

habitats protected under EU law in Slovakia

Conservation status of habitats

In Slovakia, 37.6% of habitats assessments indicate a good conservation status which is considerably above the EU average of 14.7%. A significant proportion of assessments, amounting to 50.5%, indicate a poor conservation status, while habitats assessments reporting bad conservation status are 9.9%, largely below the EU average of 35.8%.

Protected habitat composition by group

In Slovakia, the group of protected habitats with the largest number consists of forests, accounting for 28.7% of the total. Following behind are grasslands, encompassing 22.7% of the protected habitats.

Conservation status by group

In Slovakia the assessment of habitat groups reveals that rocky habitats have the highest proportion of good conservation status, standing at 92.8%. Following behind are heath and scrub, with 85.7% 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 forests have a proportion of habitat types in bad conservation status at 20%.

Slovakia is predominantly characterised by two main types of ecosystems: forest ecosystems, which cover 49.1% of the country, followed by agroecosystems occupying 43.3% of the land area. While urban areas account for 6%, Slovakia has also relatively smaller proportions of heathlands (0.8%), rivers and lakes (0.7%), and wetland ecosystems (0.07%).

In terms of the protected area network, forests constitute the largest portion, covering 73.9% of the protected areas. Agroecosystems make up 23.1% of the protected areas, reflecting the importance of conserving and managing agricultural landscapes for biodiversity. Urban areas account for 1.2% of the protected areas, emphasizing the significance of protecting nature within urban environments. Rivers and lakes contribute to 0.9% of the protected areas, while heathlands represent 0.8%, and wetlands comprise 0.1%.