Influence of different management practices on the mountain meadows communities and possibilities of their maintenance in the National Park, Protected Landscape Area and Biosphere Reserve of Šumava are discussed. The aim of the study was to compare the effect of mulching of grassland vegetation with those of traditional mowing or leaving a grassland fallow. The results of a ten-year field experiment are presented - the changes of plant biomass, plant community structure and physical properties of the soil A horizon. Acceptable possibilities of mulching as an alternative technique for the maintenance of secondary grassland in the Bohemian Forest are proposed on the basis of data obtained during the experiment.

My diploma thesis is focused on the subject of biosphere reserves, as an example of special protected areas, with special regard to BR Šumava. There is examined its current situation and its contribution to sustainable development. At the same time there are being found out the opinions, attitudes and expectations of key local stakeholders and other persons and organizations concerned towards the institution BR Šumava. This thesis deals with optimal functioning model of BR Šumava and its future sustainable development.

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UNESCO Biosphere Reserves are examples of multifunctional landscapes recognized as sources of ecosystem services and laboratories for sustainable development. Participatory mapping of ecosystem services reveals where residents value ecosystem services in a landscape. This approach is expected to provide useful knowledge to inform land use decision-making. However, the knowledge about the spatial distribution of ecosystem service values in Biosphere Reserves and the usefulness of this knowledge for practitioners remains scarce. Through the application of Public Participation Geographic Information Systems (PPGIS) in the Kristianstads Vattenrike Biosphere Reserve located in Southern Sweden, this study identifies i) hotspots and ii) bundles of ecosystem service values, as well as iii) spatial patterns of ecosystem service values regarding the three Biosphere Reserve management zones. Complementary, this study assesses the potential usefulness of the PPGIS-derived knowledge by analyzing qualitative data from a workshop with practitioners of the Kristianstads Vattenrike Biosphere Reserve. My findings reveal distinct patterns of ecosystem service values across Kristianstads Vattenrike Biosphere Reserve that reflect the Biosphere Reserve zones’ management goals. The ecosystem service values were clustered around wetlands and the densest populated areas. Respondents mapped predominantly places for outdoor recreation, biodiversity, and places with existential value. The results highlight the importance of cultural and regulating ecosystem services to people in the Biosphere Reserve. Additionally, practitioners involved in Biosphere Reserve management emphasized the potential strategic usefulness of the PPGIS knowledge for their nature restoration work.

In an European context of agricultural land abandonment, the role of the farming community as landscape stewards is crucial for maintaining the rural landscape as well as the ecosystem services provided by this landscape. Such stewardship is studied here by assessing the participation of the farming community in the management of Menorca Biosphere Reserve, a small Mediterranean island with very well conserved and rich rural landscape which is not escaping this tendency of land abandonment. A survey of 41 farms and interviews with 15 stakeholders were performed in order to assess the role of the farming community in participatory management processes and the effectiveness of the Menorca Biosphere Reserve Agency (MBRA) in facilitating their participation.The results show that the participatory activities of the MBRA are effective and highly valued by participating stakeholders but could be improved by: 1) engaging non-associated farmers and traditional farmers in the MBRA activities 2) finding a consensual and long-term solution on issues related to the access to private rural land 3) providing rapid feedback to participants after meetings and 4) transforming the MBRA structure in order to deal with changes and an uncertain future. Failing to do this could illegitimate further participatory activities, erode trust among stakeholders and alienate the farming community and the society, thereby affecting the maintenance of the rural landscape.This case study highlights the importance of appropriate management structure for adaptive co-management to benefit from the participation of stakeholders in general and farmers in particular. The findings should be of interest to managers, scholars and practitioners using adaptive co-management approaches to manage complex social-ecological systems such as rural, cultural landscapes.

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