Forms of nature protection such as national parks and Natura 2000 sites
Nature and landscape protection
Forests play a decisive role in the conservation of the environment and the maintenance of ecological balance. The total forest area under protection accounts for 23.1% of the national territory. Forests of the 2nd – 5th level of protection account for 72.6%. In Slovakia there are 9 national parks (NP) - Tatra National Park, Pieniny National Park, NP Low Tatra, NP Slovak Paradise, NP Low Fatra, NP Muránska planina, NP Poloniny, NP High Fatra and NP Slovak karst, 14 protected landscape areas (PLA), and 703 small-scale protected areas such as national nature reserves, nature reserves, nature monuments and protected sites.
Natura 2000
The Natura 2000 Network in Slovakia includes 382 Sites of Community Interest (pSCIs) which account for 11.7 % of the Slovak territory. 86.5 % of these sites are forest land.
Forest areas under UNESCO protection are: the karst valleys of Slovakia; nature reserves of Tatra NP; natural and cultural landscape of the Danube River; mycoflora of the Bukovské vrchy Hills; and the Carpathian beech primeval forests featuring NNR Stužica – Bukovské vrchy Hills, NNR Havešová, NNR Rožok, and NNR Vihorlat. There are 477 different sites with 1,317 specimens of protected trees. Moreover, there are other protected sites and protected landscape elements (arboreta, orchards, gardens, etc.). Special Protection Areas (SPAs) are another category of Natura 2000 sites. The total area of SPAs accounts for 51.6% of Protected Areas.
Forests play a decisive role in the conservation of the environment and the maintenance of ecological balance. The total forest area under protection accounts for 23.1% of the national territory. Forests of the 2nd – 5th level of protection account for 72.6%. In Slovakia there are 9 national parks (NP) - Tatra National Park, Pieniny National Park, NP Low Tatra, NP Slovak Paradise, NP Low Fatra, NP Muránska planina, NP Poloniny, NP High Fatra and NP Slovak karst, 14 protected landscape areas (PLA), and 703 small-scale protected areas such as national nature reserves, nature reserves, nature monuments and protected sites.
Natura 2000
The Natura 2000 Network in Slovakia includes 382 Sites of Community Interest (pSCIs) which account for 11.7 % of the Slovak territory. 86.5 % of these sites are forest land.
Forest areas under UNESCO protection are: the karst valleys of Slovakia; nature reserves of Tatra NP; natural and cultural landscape of the Danube River; mycoflora of the Bukovské vrchy Hills; and the Carpathian beech primeval forests featuring NNR Stužica – Bukovské vrchy Hills, NNR Havešová, NNR Rožok, and NNR Vihorlat. There are 477 different sites with 1,317 specimens of protected trees. Moreover, there are other protected sites and protected landscape elements (arboreta, orchards, gardens, etc.). Special Protection Areas (SPAs) are another category of Natura 2000 sites. The total area of SPAs accounts for 51.6% of Protected Areas.