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Salabka Natural Monument

Principal data Steep slope with dominant heather cover below the wooded margin of the Bohnice plateau, best visible from the upper part of the K Bohnicím street as a slope juxtaposed to the vineyard of the same name. Cadastre: Troja. Area: 0.8499 ha. Elevation: 225 - 260 m above sea level. Established by the Ordinance of Prague Municipality No. 4/1982 of May 27, 1982.

Reason of establishment, principal motive of protection Protection of the heath with adjacent xerophilous steppe vegetation and characteristic fauna.

Geology, geomorphology, pedology Dark grey to black greywackes with shale intercalations forming part of the Kralupy-Zbraslav group of the Upper Proterozoic. Generally monotonous strata inclination (about 30o towards Northwest). Slight regional metamorphosis. Themother rocks are not covered with any Quaternary sediments, but merely with a shallow layer of weathered detritus and shallow soils of ranker type.

Botany According to vegetation reconstruction the area used to be covered with a woodrush oak wood. At present it is covered with the community of the heather and the cypress spurge, alternating with tnermophilous grass covers in shallow soil-filled notches, consisting chiefly of the community of Scabiosa ochroleuca and Brachypodium pinnatum. The slope foot is becoming overgrown with thermophilous shrubs, weeds and ruderal plant species.

Zoology Characteristic invertebrate species bound with theheather, such as Lochmaea suturalis and Altica oleracea breddini from the leaf beetles, Amara infima and Bradycellus ruficolis from the ground beetles, further the steppe wingless snout beetle species of Trachyphloeus bifoveolatus, T. asperatus and Harpalus rufipalpis. The butteflies are represented by both swallowtail species, the spiders e.g. by Lycosidae.

Economic exploitation, principal threats, proposed care of protected area No woods. The heath was converted in the past toa pasture with occasional burning. Without this exploitation bringing about the rejuvenation of perennial heather shrubs or enabling the germination of seeds from a seed bank after burning the heath ages and after a certain period (of some 25 years) it withers and dies in the whole area. Therefore, it is recommended either to introduce regular sheep grazing (approx. 5 animals per 1 ha per year) or organize controlled burning in winter successively in small patches at about 10 years intervals. The area is protected with a fence.

Bibliography Kubíková (1976, 1986), Kučera, Kettnerová (1994).


The Salabka natural monument...
The Salabka natural monument provides protection to a large thermophilous heath.


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