Important Plant Areas in the
Czech Republic

The IPAs identified in the Czech Republic. For an
interactive map search the IPA database (right hand
column). ©Plantlife International

Text by Zdenka Podhajská and Dana Turoňová

The Czech Republic covers an area of 78,864 km² in the centre of Europe, and is bordered by Austria, Germany, Poland and Slovakia. The Czech Republic joined the EU on 1st May 2004 and is also a member of the Council of Europe. The western and central part of the Czech Republic belongs to the Bohemian Highlands, the east to the west Carpathians. There are two biogeographic zones with most of the country covered by the continental zone, and a small part in the south east by the Pannonian zone.

The Czech Republic has an agricultural and industrial landscape that has been altered considerably by human activity since the Neolithic. Agricultural lands cover 54% of the country and forests 33%, most of which are Norway spruce and Scot’s pine plantations. The flora is relatively diverse due to environmental conditions. The best-preserved and most valuable natural areas are preserved by a dense network of protected areas which cover 16.6% of the state territory. The Natura 2000 network currently covers 13.5% of the country.

IPA summary statistics

Total number of IPA: 75
Area of IPA (ha): 146,051
No/Area of IPA in Protected Areas: 68 IPA/123,810 (ha)

IPA national team

National coordinating organisation: Agency for Nature Conservation and Landscape Protection of the Czech Republic (AOPK ČR)

National coordinator: Zdenka Podhajská

Deputy National Coordinator: Dana Turoňová

Senior Consultant: Jan Čeřovský