01 Special area of conservation
The Vltava and its tributaries have created deep valleys in several parts of Prague. The slopes of these valleys are often covered with steppes and meadows. The creation of these now-protected areas was closely related to the agricultural activities of our ancestors. The long-grazed meadows, steppes, and orchards have supported diverse plant and animal communities that depend on these conditions. In addition to nibbling on vegetation, grazing animals break up the surface and grass thatch with their hooves, making way for weaker plant species to compete. In addition, various invertebrates are attracted to the droppings of herbivores, and insects and spiders are, in turn, pursued by their predators - grassland and field birds. The steppes and meadows are an important habitat for many rare species, including some endangered butterflies. That's why, since the year 2000, herds of sheep and goats have been grazing Prague's protected steppes and meadows in orchards while cows and horses help maintain diversity in the wet meadows along streams.
02 Urban jungles
In Prague, as well as streets, squares and parks, there are also hard-to-classify places that have lost their original purpose. These are often former orchards or pastures, spoil heaps from developments or former industrial sites and train stations. According to the analysis from The Prague Institute of Planning and Development, these terrains and brownfields are part of the urban landscape. They are interesting opportunities not only for complementing the urban structure but also for strengthening the city's landscape, as nature is now happily living its own life in most of these "forgotten" places. That is why they are also called urban jungles or the new wilderness. The species mix of the inhabitants of these places tends to be unexpectedly diverse and varied. This is due to a unique combination of natural processes and human activity. The railway, for example, has brought new plant species to Prague, and so the area around Smíchov train station is much more diverse than almost any landscape in the countryside.
03 Hydrological network
Over the years, the opinion on water in the city has changed. In the last century, water was considered a dangerous element that needed to be removed from the city as quickly as possible. The damming and cementing of creek beds resulted in the devastation of aquatic life. Today, water is fortunately seen as an integral part of the city, and in many places in Prague, we can see the return of streams to their original, natural state. These restorations take into account the presence of water-dependent plants and animals and encourage a move towards a 'tailor-made' environment. This involves not only the softening of stream beds as they meander their way through but also the creation of small islands, pools or marshes. Life also benefits from the presence of so-called dead wood, which provides shelter for many water organisms, from bacteria and algae to amphibians and fish.
04 Structure of public spaces
Streets are the basic units of public space in the city. That means they are accessible to everyone without restriction and serve a general use. As the exhibition Planeta Praha shows, the concept of general use does not have to apply only to humans. Humans have shared their streets with other animals for a long time, often without even realizing it. Even the most ordinary street in Prague is a collection of several interesting habitats. Mosses and lichens settle on walls and roofs, and salt-loving plants seek out the edges of salted pavements. The houses, with their balconies, ledges and chimneys, remind birds of rocks with cliffs and overhangs, and so a number of species, from swifts and swallows to cuckoos and kestrels, nest here. Other birds nest in the urban shrubs and hedgerows - blackbirds, for example. Ants scurry happily between the cracks of the kerbs beneath our feet while beech martens skitter about in the attics of houses. The streets of the city truly belong to everyone.
05 Availability of public parks
We can look at Prague through the eyes of nature as if it were a large archipelago. The most important parts would be large green areas such as forests, gardens, parks or cemeteries. These imaginary islands are separated from each other by a sea of urban development, which, like the waves of a real ocean, keeps the inhabitants of the islands in their place. An example of such an island right in the center of the city is Petřín Hill, where we can find several species that do not appear elsewhere in Prague - for example, the dormouse or the weevils. In the following chapter, we will visit Petřín at night. Not in the dark, of course - there is no such thing in the city. All-night lighting poses a significant risk to many species - typically to flying insects or birds - but even here, it is true that what is one person's misfortune is another's good fortune - for example, public lighting generously fills spiders' webs with prey all night long.