The Východné Karpaty Protected Landscape Area

Sninský kameň/The Protected Landscape Area of Východné Karpaty was designated on 1. 9. 1977. The area is   96 810 ha, out of which 30 910 ha is a protected area. (The Východné Karpaty Protected Landscape Area itself is - 66 810 ha). In 1997 The Poloniny National Park was designated (located in the eastern part of the Východné Karpaty Protected Lanscape Area). As a result, since 1.1.2002 the Východné Karpaty Protected Lanscape Area has a total area of 25 307 ha. The Protected Lanscape Area lies along the borders with Poland. It is located from the south-east to north-west in the area of Low Beskydy/Nízke Beskydy, with an orographic units Laborec uplands/Laborecká vrchovina and the Beskydy foothills/ Beskydské predhorie. Moreover, it lies from the borders of the Poloniny National Park in the area of Osadné, in the Snina district to the area of Šarbov in the Svidník district. It is a self-contained unit, in which there is a common presence of plant species from west-carpathian and east-carpathian flora with the presence of rare and protected species, such as: Euphorbia (euphorbia sojakii), Comfrey (symphytum cordatum), Great sperwot (ranunculus carpaticus), Scopolia/Russian belladonna (Scopolia carnolica), Telekia preciosa and other.

Pasturelands with Scottish heather are typical for this area. In the Dukla area birch trees are common. There are beech and fir tree wood, oak trees and alder tree woods. Some typical animals of this region are the European otter (Lutra lutra), wolf, lynx, bear. Deer, doe and boar live here, too. Wisent/European bison and elk sometimes migrate here from Poland. The most prevalent birds here are the Black stork (Ciconia nigra), Ural owl (strix uralensis), Black woodpecker (Dryocopus martius) and Lesser spotted eagle (Aquila pomarina). Some of the amphibians are: the Spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) and newts. The most popular reptiles are: the Slow-worm/blind worm (anguis fragilis) and Viviparous lizard (lacerta vivipara). The most common invertebrates are Longhorn beetles (rosalia alpina) and the Ground-beetle (carabus). In the Protected Landscape Area there are two national wilderness areas: Palotská jedlina and Komárnická jedlina and seven wilderness areas: Dranec,...