NPR Mionší
From the horsetail to the spruce
Looking around, you can mostly see spruce forest. You might conclude that such forest has grown in the Beskids since time immemorial. But don’t bee fooled. If people had not interfered with the forest, you would probably be surrounded by something almost like the forest in the reserve. Before people arrived in the mountains, pure spruce forest was only found on the highest summits of the Beskids. The spruce was spread by the shepherds, who used young spruce groves as a natural shelter for their animals. Beginning in the late 17th century, the major transformation of the primeval forest into spruce plantations was driven by the demand for wood from the ironworks in the lowlands. However, this only came about later in the Lomná valley, when the ironworks in Třinec opened. Historically speaking, spruce woods have only been around for a very short period of time.
Two kinds of leaves
The Deer Fern grows in the mixed and coniferous forests of the Beskids. It is the only Czech fern with two shapes of leaves. The stiff infertile leaves form the ground rosette, while the fertile leaves stand upright.
The Three-toed Woodpecker
The Three-toed Woodpeckers used to be common Czech birds in the Ice Age. After the glaciers withdrew, they found shelter in the mountains. The Woodpecker is thus a living relic of the Ice Age. it looks more like a Spotted rather than a Black Woodpecker, and wears a yellow “cap” rather than a red one. (Author: Ing. Vojtěch Bajer)
