LIVING MOHELNICE – Species Conservation Concepts in Gravel Mining Environments

The Mohelnice Gravel-Sand Quarry is a unique site where mineral extraction intersects with enhanced biodiversity. Due to the mining activities, new aquatic, wetland, and meadow habitats are created, supporting various plant and animal species that are of great importance to our natural environment and landscape. This project aims to identify the most critical species, monitor them, and apply optimal conservation management practices. The core of the project will focus on a carefully selected set of species representing different habitats.

To ensure the project's success, we will assemble a multidisciplinary team of experts from various fields, including botany, entomology, ornithology, herpetology, geology, and applied nature conservation. This team will collaboratively explore innovative ways to integrate mining activities with nature conservation, leveraging synergies between natural landscape regeneration processes and active management practices with an emphasis on supporting the selected key species.

The project's uniqueness lies in the fact that the mining site is simultaneously part of a specially protected area, the Zátrže Nature Monument, which also overlaps with a European Special Area of Conservation, a Bird Protection Area, and the Litovelské Pomoraví Protected Landscape Area. This project presents an extraordinary opportunity to explore and directly test ways to harmonize nature conservation with mining activities, offering concrete solutions and inspiring other entities striving for a sustainable approach to managing mining areas with the goal of enhancing their potential to support biodiversity.