Why Na horách stands out
Na horách is best known for its exceptionally rich dry-grassland flora, particularly the presence of the Bohemian subspecies of meadow pasqueflower (Pulsatilla pratensis subsp. bohemica) together with the green-winged orchid (Orchis morio) and a suite of other thermophilous and steppe-like species. The reserve is a textbook example of how centuries of sheep grazing, thin rocky soils, and a warm microclimate have preserved an open seminatural steppe habitat in the middle of the Czech highlands.
Na horách history and protected-area timeline
Human use of the Na horách area stretches back to the medieval period, when local iron ore mining brought wider activity to the surrounding landscape. By the 19th century the locality was under the administration of Count Rudolf von Vrbno, under whose management extensive sheep farming developed on the open slopes. The area functioned as pastureland, a role that was almost certainly also played by the site in earlier, undocumented periods.
At the beginning of the 20th century the site was still held as a communal pasture, but grazing was gradually discontinued across the decades that followed. The cessation of grazing, together with new planting in the 20th century, allowed woody species to expand significantly. Part of the reserve was afforested with black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), Austrian pine (Pinus nigra), and a smaller share of oaks, reaching their greatest extent of coverage in the 1980s. This period also saw disturbance from military training activity, with armoured vehicles causing substantial physical damage to soils and vegetation.
The trajectory changed in the second half of the 20th century when conservation attention turned to the dry-grassland flora. An initial proposal to designate the site as protected was made in 1976, when the locality's ecological condition was already poor, but it did not succeed at that time. Continued monitoring, combined with removal of illegal waste dumps, eventually led to the formal declaration of Na horách as a přírodní památka (natural monument) in 1996 and effective protection from 1997. From 1997 onward, conservation management focused on cutting back invasive woody regrowth and mowing grassland patches, with the resulting mosaic management repeated over subsequent years to maintain the open character of the site and the rare plant communities it supports.
Na horách landscape and geographic character
The reserve occupies a sloping hillside with a long, gently inclined relief that is nevertheless varied enough at the local scale to produce numerous microhabitats. The terrain is drier and rockier in the upper and middle parts of the slope, becoming somewhat moister and deeper in soils toward the lower edge of the protected area.
Geologically the site sits on ancient seafloor, with the bedrock formed by Middle Cambrian marine sediments of the Jinec and Ohrazenice formations. These include dark shales, fine- to medium-grained greywackes, and locally developed conglomerates, all of which were deposited roughly 500 million years ago. The weathering of these rocks has produced shallow, stony soils dominated by skeletal rankers, which contribute to the dryness and nutrient-poor character of the upper slope. In the lower portion of the reserve, deeper cambisols provide a contrasting, more productive soil environment.
Hydrologically Na horách is a comparatively dry site, with no significant surface water features. Drainage flows generally outward toward the Litavka river valley, and the limited water supply comes overwhelmingly from precipitation. The combination of rocky substrates, shallow soils, slope exposure, and modest rainfall produces the warm and dry conditions that give the site its distinctive open, steppe-like character.
Na horách ecosystems, habitats, and plant life
The ecological identity of Na horách is defined by its thermophilous and pioneer vegetation on silicate rock. Sub-xerothermic grasslands dominate the protected area, interspersed with patches of pioneer herbaceous vegetation that colonises thin soils, rock ledges, and eroding terrace edges. The openness of the habitat, maintained historically by long-term grazing, has allowed a striking number of stress-adapted and drought-adapted species to persist in a small area.
On the shallowest soils, tussocks of sand cinquefoil (Potentilla arenaria) intermix with grey seseli (Seseli osseum), while larger expanses of the slope are dominated by sheep's fescue (Festuca ovina), giving the grasslands a characteristic fine-leaved, low-growing appearance. Lichens play a significant role in the vegetation, particularly reindeer lichens of the genus Cladonia and Iceland lichens of the genus Cetraria, which often colour large stretches of the stoniest ground. Where conditions are slightly more favourable, small patches of dry acidophilic grassland host the green-winged orchid (Orchis morio), one of the key species of conservation interest. Around such open rock terraces, pioneer communities of succulents, stonecrops (Sedum), houseleeks (Sempervivum), speedwells (Veronica), and cerastiums (Cerastium) occupy the thinnest soils and active erosion surfaces.
Scattered across the grassland are solitary trees and shrubs, including Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), common juniper (Juniperus communis), hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), ash (Fraxinus excelsior), oaks (Quercus sp.), and wild cherry (Prunus avium). These trees typically grow as isolated individuals rather than as closed canopy, allowing the grassland flora to remain dominant underneath. Older plantings of fruit trees are also preserved locally. The invasive black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) is considered a particularly serious threat and is actively controlled, as are non-native invasive herbaceous species that can otherwise displace the original flora.
Na horách wildlife and species highlights
Although the reserve is designated primarily for its flora, its open dry-grassland character also makes it an important habitat for steppe and rock-dwelling invertebrates. The site supports rich populations of ants, several butterfly species, and orthopterans (grasshoppers and crickets), including the rare small heath grasshopper (Stenobothrus stigmaticus). Among arachnids, the striking banded garden spider (Argiope bruennichi) is one of the most characteristic species. The combination of warm microclimate, rocky outcrops, and undisturbed open ground sustains these invertebrate communities in numbers that would be unusual in more intensively managed surrounding landscapes.
Vertebrate wildlife is less prominent but includes regular breeding of the woodlark (Lullula arborea), a species strongly associated with open, semi-natural habitats with scattered trees and shrubs. Among small mammals, the harvest mouse (Micromys minutus) has been documented at the site. Even though animals are not the formal subject of protection, management practices explicitly leave unmown patches in the grasslands to maintain habitat mosaics that support these invertebrate and small-vertebrate populations.
Na horách conservation status and protection priorities
Na horách is classified as a přírodní památka (natural monument), corresponding to IUCN Management Category IV, which is intended for the protection of particular species or habitats through active management rather than complete non-intervention. The reserve also overlaps with a European Site of Community Importance, placing it within the Natura 2000 network and emphasising its cross-border conservation significance.
The principal conservation target is the preservation of thermophilous calcareous and silicate grasslands and the rare plant communities they support, especially populations of green-winged orchid (Orchis morio) and Bohemian meadow pasqueflower (Pulsatilla pratensis subsp. bohemica). A secondary target is the conservation of pioneer vegetation on silicate rock, including ephemeral species and succulents that occupy shallow soils and eroding rock surfaces. Conservation management aims both to maintain the existing extent and quality of these habitats and, where possible, to improve habitat condition.
The principal environmental pressures on the site include encroachment by invasive and native woody species, particularly black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), and the spread of non-native invasive herbaceous plants. Former 20th-century afforestation left a legacy of established trees that continue to encroach, despite efforts to remove them. Management practices combine regular mowing with targeted grazing by sheep and goats, with a long-term goal of increasing the share of grazing. Grazing is preferred because it produces a more natural pattern of small-scale disturbance that benefits seed germination and prevents dominant species from monopolising the sward. Additional measures include manual cutting of woody regrowth and, where absolutely necessary, herbicide treatment of the most problematic invasives.
Top sights and standout views in Na horách
Na horách stands out as a compact but extraordinarily species-rich fragment of Bohemian dry grassland, where the Bohemian subspecies of meadow pasqueflower and the green-winged orchid share an open hillside with junipers, solitary pines, and ancient Cambrian bedrock. The site is a striking demonstration of how centuries of sheep grazing, combined with unusual geological conditions, can sustain plant communities reminiscent of more continental steppe landscapes well within the Central European mixed-forest zone. Its inclusion in the Natura 2000 network adds a wider European dimension to a very local but ecologically distinctive protected area.
