Dunajské luhy Protected Landscape Area
Encyclopedia
Dunajské luhy Protected Landscape Area is one of the youngest of the 14 protected landscape areas in Slovakia
. The Landscape Area consists of five separate parts in the Danube Lowland, stretching from Bratislava
in the north west, following the Danube
and the borders between Slovakia and Hungary
to a river island called Veľkolélsky ostrov in Komárno District
. The biggest part is Žitný ostrov
, the largest river island in Europe.
The area is situated in three regions – Bratislava
, Trnava
and Nitra
. Altogether, it protects 122.84 km² (47.43 mi²) of floodplains, wetlands and numerous water bodies, such as lakes, oxbow lakes
, ponds, and streams.
Dunajské luhy PLA contains diverse flora and fauna, including endemic species, living in riparian zones.
oil refinery
in south east Bratislava
on the left side of the Danube, and it extends to the reservoir at the Čunovo waterworks
. The second part is situated south west of the first one, on the right side of the Danube, near the boroughs of Rusovce
and Čunovo
. The third, largest part protects the island situated between the Danube and the border with Hungary. This area is protected almost entirely, except for the built up areas, the villages of Dobrohošť
, Vojka nad Dunajom
and Bodíky
and the levee
alongside the Danube. The fourth area, located on the right side of the Danube, starts at the village of Sap
, borders the villages of Medveďov
and Číčov
and ends at the village of Klížska Nemá
. The last fifth part is located on the Veľkolélsky ostrov island, which ends in the east near the village of Zlatná na Ostrove
.
The whole area of the Dunajské luhy PLA is listed as the site number 605 in the Ramsar Convention
, an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands.
, water chestnut
, Nymphoides peltata
and others. Meadows are home to orchids, for example, Orchis coriophora
(Bug orchid), Military orchid
, Green-winged orchid
, Epipactis helleborine
, Lesser butterfly-orchid, and others. The floodplains are covered with willows, alders, oaks
, ashes
, elms, poplars, European hornbeams, and dogwoods.
is also influenced by a wide variety of biotopes in the Landscape Area. For instance, it contains 109 species of molluscs, of which 22 are protected, hundreds of true bugs, for example the endemic species
Thinobius korbeli from the rove beetles family. The Tundra Vole
is one of the most notable little mammals living in this area.
Dunajské luhy PLA is an important area for nesting and incubation of many water birds
. Many rare species, such as the White-tailed Eagle
, Little Egret
and Purple Heron
, nest there. The whole Slovak-Hungarian part of the Danube is listed as an Important Bird Area
.
The Danube and surrounding bodies of water contain the highest number of species of fish in Slovakia. Rare and protected species include the wild form of the Common carp
, Umbra krameri (European mudminnow) from the Esociformes
order, Pelecus cultratus from the Cyprinidae family, and Proterorhinus marmoratus (Tubenose goby) from the Goby
family.
situated on or at the Danube levee allows bicyclists to tour along the whole Landscape Area.
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
. The Landscape Area consists of five separate parts in the Danube Lowland, stretching from Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
in the north west, following the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
and the borders between Slovakia and Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
to a river island called Veľkolélsky ostrov in Komárno District
Komárno District
Komárno District is a district inthe Nitra Region of western Slovakia.Until 1918, the district was mostly part of the Hungarian county of Komárom....
. The biggest part is Žitný ostrov
Žitný ostrov
Žitný ostrov, also called Veľký Žitný ostrov to differentiate it from Malý Žitný ostrov , is a river island in southwestern Slovakia, extending from Bratislava to Komárno. It lies between the Danube and its tributary Little Danube and is a major part of the Danubian Flat...
, the largest river island in Europe.
The area is situated in three regions – Bratislava
Bratislava Region
The Bratislava Region is one of the administrative regions of Slovakia. Its capital is Bratislava. It is the smallest of the eight regions of Slovakia.-Geography:...
, Trnava
Trnava Region
The Trnava Region is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions.-Geography:It is located in the middlewest part of Slovakia and forms a territorial band between the Bratislava Region and the rest of Slovakia, between Austrian and Czech borders in the north and Hungarian border in the south...
and Nitra
Nitra Region
The Nitra Region is one of the administrative regions of Slovakia.-Geography:This region with a long history is situated in the southwest of Slovakia, mostly in the eastern part of the Danubian Lowland. It is divided into two sub-units: the Danubian Flat in the south-west, with eastern part of the...
. Altogether, it protects 122.84 km² (47.43 mi²) of floodplains, wetlands and numerous water bodies, such as lakes, oxbow lakes
Oxbow Lakes
"Oxbow Lakes" is a single by ambient house artist The Orb. It featured remixes from artists such as Carl Craig, Sabres of Paradise and A Guy Called Gerald. It also includes an acoustic version performed by the string sextet Instrumental which was produced by Darren Allison. It reached number...
, ponds, and streams.
Dunajské luhy PLA contains diverse flora and fauna, including endemic species, living in riparian zones.
Geography
The first part (farthest north) starts south of the SlovnaftSlovnaft
Slovnaft is the largest oil refinery in Slovakia. It was established in 1957 in Bratislava. In 2000, Slovnaft became part of the Hungarian MOL Group, which owns 98.4 % of the shares. Slovnaft has two foreign branches nowadays: Slovnaft CZ in the Czech Republic and Slovnaft Polska in Poland...
oil refinery
Oil refinery
An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into more useful petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt base, heating oil, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas...
in south east Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
on the left side of the Danube, and it extends to the reservoir at the Čunovo waterworks
Gabcíkovo - Nagymaros Dams
The Gabčíkovo – Nagymaros Dams is a large barrage project on the Danube. It was initiated by the Budapest Treaty of 16 September 1977 between Czechoslovakia and Hungary...
. The second part is situated south west of the first one, on the right side of the Danube, near the boroughs of Rusovce
Rusovce
Rusovce castle")) is a borough in southern Bratislava on the right bank of the Danube river, close to the Hungarian border.- History :In the 1st century, there was a Roman settlement named Gerulata in today's Rusovce area. The first preserved written reference to the settlement is from 1208. It...
and Čunovo
Cunovo
Čunovo is a small part of Bratislava, Slovakia, in the southern area near the Hungarian border. It is located close to the Gabčíkovo - Nagymaros Dams.- History :...
. The third, largest part protects the island situated between the Danube and the border with Hungary. This area is protected almost entirely, except for the built up areas, the villages of Dobrohošť
Dobrohošt, Dunajská Streda District
Dobrohošť is a village and municipality in the Dunajská Streda District in the Trnava Region of south-west Slovakia.-Geography:The municipality lies at an altitude of 123 metres and covers an area of 4.855 km². It has a population of about 371 people....
, Vojka nad Dunajom
Vojka nad Dunajom
Vojka nad Dunajom is a village and municipality in the Dunajská Streda District in the Trnava Region of south-west Slovakia.-Geography:The municipality lies at an altitude of 123 metres and covers an area of 8.212 km². In 2008 t had an estimated population of 467 people.It is situated on an...
and Bodíky
Bodíky
Bodíky is a village and municipality in the Dunajská Streda District in the Trnava Region of south-west Slovakia.It has a public water-supply system and sewage system connected to sewage disposal plant. There is a football playground and a public library in the village.- History :Until the end...
and the levee
Levee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...
alongside the Danube. The fourth area, located on the right side of the Danube, starts at the village of Sap
Sap (village)
Sap is a village and municipality in the Dunajská Streda District in the Trnava Region of south-west Slovakia. The outlet channel of the Gabčíkovo – Nagymaros Dams re-enters the Danube at the village.-History:...
, borders the villages of Medveďov
Medvedov
Medveďov is a border village and municipality in the Dunajská Streda District in the Trnava Region of south-west Slovakia.-History:The name of the village was first mentioned in 1252 as Willa Medwe castri Posoniensis . Until the end of World War I, the village was part of Hungary and fell within...
and Číčov
Cícov
Číčov is a village and municipality in the Komárno District in the Nitra Region of south-west Slovakia.- History :The village was first mentioned in 1172 as Chichou. In 1268 belonged to Komárom fortress, later it was the property of the Counts Cseszneky, Pálffy, Zichy and Kálnoky. In 1682, as a...
and ends at the village of Klížska Nemá
Klížska Nemá
Klížska Nemá is a village and municipality in the Komárno District in the Nitra Region of south-west Slovakia.-Geography:The village lies at an altitude of 115 metres and covers an area of 11.807 km².It has a population of about 545 people....
. The last fifth part is located on the Veľkolélsky ostrov island, which ends in the east near the village of Zlatná na Ostrove
Zlatná na Ostrove
Zlatná na Ostrove is a village and municipality in the Komárno District in the Nitra Region of south-west Slovakia.- Geography :The village lies at an altitude of 120 metres and covers an area of 35.407 km².It has a population of about 2555 people....
.
Biology and ecology
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
, an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands.
Flora
Aquatic plants are represented by many rare and protected species, such as the European white waterlily, yellow water-lily, Salvinia natansSalvinia
Salvinia, a genus in the family Salviniaceae, is a floating fern named in honor of Antonio Maria Salvini, a 17th Century Italian scientist. The genus was published by Séguier, in Pl. Veron. 3: 52. 1754. About ten species exist....
, water chestnut
Water chestnut
Water chestnut may refer to either of two plants :* The Chinese water chestnut , eaten for its crisp corm* The Water caltrop , eaten for its starchy seed...
, Nymphoides peltata
Nymphoides peltata
Nymphoides peltata is an aquatic plant of the family Menyanthaceae native to Eurasia. It has cordate floating leaves that support a lax inflorescence of yellow flowers with fringed petal margins...
and others. Meadows are home to orchids, for example, Orchis coriophora
Orchis
Orchis is a genus in the orchid family . This genus gets its name from the Ancient Greek ὄρχις orchis, meaning "testicle", from the appearance of the paired subterranean tuberoids....
(Bug orchid), Military orchid
Military Orchid
Orchis militaris, the Military Orchid, is a species of orchid native to Europe. It is the type species of the genus Orchis.-Description:...
, Green-winged orchid
Green-winged Orchid
The Green-winged Orchid or Green-veined Orchid is a flowering plant of the orchid family, Orchidaceae....
, Epipactis helleborine
Epipactis
Epipactis, or Helleborine, is a genus of terrestrial orchids consisting of approximately 70 species. This genus is abbreviated as Epcts in horticultural trade.They occur in temperate and subtropical climates of America, Asia, and Europe...
, Lesser butterfly-orchid, and others. The floodplains are covered with willows, alders, oaks
Oaks
-Horse races:"Oaks" is generally used to describe a Thoroughbred horse race restricted to 3-year-old fillies. Among the best-known races using the term are:*Epsom Oaks, The Oaks Stakes, at Epsom Downs Racecourse, Surrey, England; the original "Oaks" race...
, ashes
Ash tree
Fraxinus is a genus flowering plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae. It contains 45-65 species of usually medium to large trees, mostly deciduous though a few subtropical species are evergreen. The tree's common English name, ash, goes back to the Old English æsc, while the generic name...
, elms, poplars, European hornbeams, and dogwoods.
Fauna
FaunaFauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
is also influenced by a wide variety of biotopes in the Landscape Area. For instance, it contains 109 species of molluscs, of which 22 are protected, hundreds of true bugs, for example the endemic species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
Thinobius korbeli from the rove beetles family. The Tundra Vole
Tundra Vole
The Tundra Vole or Root Vole, Microtus oeconomus, is a medium-sized vole found in Northern and Central Europe, Asia, and northwestern North America, including Alaska and northwestern Canada...
is one of the most notable little mammals living in this area.
Dunajské luhy PLA is an important area for nesting and incubation of many water birds
Anseriformes
The order Anseriformes contains about 150 living species of birds in three extant families: the Anhimidae , Anseranatidae , and the Anatidae, which includes over 140 species of waterfowl, among them the ducks, geese, and swans.All species in the order are highly adapted for an aquatic existence at...
. Many rare species, such as the White-tailed Eagle
White-tailed Eagle
The White-tailed Eagle , also known as the Sea Eagle, Erne , or White-tailed Sea-eagle, is a large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which includes other raptors such as hawks, kites, and harriers...
, Little Egret
Little Egret
The Little Egret is a small white heron. It is the Old World counterpart to the very similar New World Snowy Egret.-Subspecies:Depending on authority, two or three subspecies of Little Egret are currently accepted....
and Purple Heron
Purple Heron
The Purple Heron is a wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, breeding in Africa, central and southern Europe, and southern and eastern Asia. The European populations are migratory, wintering in tropical Africa; the more northerly Asian populations also migrate further south within Asia...
, nest there. The whole Slovak-Hungarian part of the Danube is listed as an Important Bird Area
Important Bird Area
An Important Bird Area is an area recognized as being globally important habitat for the conservation of bird populations. Currently there are about 10,000 IBAs worldwide. The program was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife International...
.
The Danube and surrounding bodies of water contain the highest number of species of fish in Slovakia. Rare and protected species include the wild form of the Common carp
Common carp
The Common carp is a widespread freshwater fish of eutrophic waters in lakes and large rivers in Europe and Asia. The wild populations are considered vulnerable to extinction, but the species has also been domesticated and introduced into environments worldwide, and is often considered an invasive...
, Umbra krameri (European mudminnow) from the Esociformes
Esociformes
Esociformes is a small order of ray-finned fish, with two families, the Umbridae and the Esocidae . The pikes of genus Esox give the order its name. There are ten species — five in each family....
order, Pelecus cultratus from the Cyprinidae family, and Proterorhinus marmoratus (Tubenose goby) from the Goby
Goby
The gobies form the family Gobiidae, which is one of the largest families of fish, with more than 2,000 species in more than 200 genera. Most are relatively small, typically less than 10 cm in length...
family.
Recreation
Recreational activities include swimming, fishing, hiking, and biking. The Danube Bike TrailDonauradweg
The Danube Bike Trail is a bicycle trail along Europe’s second longest river the Danube, running from the source of the Danube to its mouth in the Black Sea. The trail passes through the following European countries: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine...
situated on or at the Danube levee allows bicyclists to tour along the whole Landscape Area.