Jizera Mountains

Jizerskohorské bučiny/Jizera Mountains Beech Forest is located in the northern part of the Czech Republic (Liberec Region, northern Bohemia), close to the Czech-Polish border. It harbours the largest continuous European beech forest of the Czech Highlands.

Natural vegetation includes mainly and small areas of spruce forests in higher altitudes. Both the component part (441.81 ha) and its protection buffer sub-zone (189.20 ha) are strictly protected, having been without human intervention since 1960. In the landscape conservation buffer sub-zone (2,090.20 ha), some parts are also strictly protected, with limited interventions permitted in remaining areas.

The site displays a rich geomorphology with a high concentration of rock formations, particularly within the top sections of the mountain ranges. It has evolved on granites and granodiorite. There are steep slopes and deep gorges, rock walls, overhangs, couloirs, cracks, slabs, and pillars as well as stone scree in various stages of weathering and mass-wasting. Within the component part, various outputs of exfoliation (a process resulting in parallel fractures in the surface of rock) can be found. The bedrock created brooks with rapids and falls in deep valleys. The beech forest shows a huge variety of old-growth characteristics and maintains significant natural ecological and evolutionary processes, functions, and services.

• UNESCO recognition: 2021
• Protected area: Jizera Mountains Beech Forest, National Nature Reserve (NNR), Protected Landscape Area (PLA)
• Beech forest region: Subatlantic-Hercynic
• Area: 444.81 ha
• Number of component parts: 1
• Altitudinal range: submontane (360 - 1,006 m above sea level)
• Fauna: Fire salamander, Black stork, Eurasian eagle-owl, Peregrine falcon, Red-breasted flycatcher, Tengmalm’s owl
• Flora: Perennial honesty
• Coordinates of the Central Point: N 50° 51’ 30’’, E 15° 9’ 20’’