Proper zonation – an essential tool for the future conservation of the Šumava National Park

The future of the Šumava National Park is linked to discussions on its zoning. There are two basic approaches to defining national park (NP) zonation: (1) Many European NPs apply a simple concept with a large core area without direct human intervention, which is surrounded by a buffer zone. (2) The second, more ecosystem approach, uses nature values for defining the NP core zones and the level of human intervention is not defined so strictly. This concept is now enshrined in Czech legislation and commonly applied in our national parks. The history of Šumava NP zonation is complex and messy and the current status has been evaluated as unsatisfactory for many years. Since 2004 a new zoning has been under preparation and several different methods generate similar zonation proposals, which shows that the most valuable parts of the Šumava NP have not changed. This article presents a professionally prepared proposal that clearly defines the criteria for defining the conservation zones. Below are descriptions of the major components of the proposed parts of Zone I – the most valuable parts of the NP. Justifications for their protection are included.