Assessment of disused sand and gravel pits in the Třeboň region from the perspective of landscape ecology

This thesis summarizes findings gained about abandoned sand and gravel pits located in the Třeboňsko Protected Landscape Area. A study of written documents, old maps, aerial images and a field survey of selected sites were used to find out information on mining and mining pits. In the survey, erosion of mining walls, pollution, land use, land cover, dominant and invasive plant species and moisture of mining pits were monitored in sectors of approx. 1 ha or the bank length of about 500 m. A total of 127 sites was included, 37 of which were surveyed in the field. A classification has been created based on age, size, moisture conditions and current land use. Changes caused by mining, including changes in land use and land cover before and after mining, as well as the interaction of mining sites with the Territorial System of Ecological Stability (ÚSES) were also monitored. The majority of sand and gravel pits are small with an area less than 1 ha, dry pits predominate, and most sites were abandoned in the 1970s to 1990s. In about half of the cases, the land cover or land use from before mining have been restored. The main land cover change is the formation of large lakes and forests while the non-forest surface is more diversified after mining. Sites converted into arable land or built-up areas are..