„Krzemionki” jako obszar Natura 2000 w obliczu potencjalnych zagrożeń / „Krzemionki” as a Natura 2000 site in the face of potential threats
by Adam Kapler 
, Łukasz Krajewski , Jan Kucharzyk , Monika Podgórska , Adam Rapa
DOI: 10.33547/SeTII.6
In: A. Jedynak (ed.) 2023. Krzemionki. 100 lat od odkrycia (Silex et Ferrum II), pp. 145–180. Sudół – Pękowice: Muzeum Historyczno-Archeologiczne w Ostrowcu Świętokrzyskim/Wydawnictwo Profil-Archeo.
Special Area of Conservation PLH260024 „Krzemionki” was created with the intention to keep the following habitats and plant/animal species in a proper preservation state, as enumerated in annexes I and II of Council Directive 92/43/EEC: xerothermic grasslands, thermophilous oak forests, sub-continental oak-hornbeam forests, lilyleaf ladybells Adenophora liliifolia, lady’s slippers Cypripedium calceolus and hermit beetles Osmoderma eremita. Some other, extremely rare plants in Poland, can be also found here. These are for instance: critically endangered rose daphne, almost endemic for Poland Ritschl tufted fescue and relict dwarf cherry. Some mountain elements like: hard shield-fern, black cotoneaster reach their northern limit of the range. The most precious patches of flora, comprising species protected by the Habitats Directive and national regulations, must be left in a sort of „overexposed shading”, along with the existence of loosely growing trees. A plan of protective challenges for “Krzemionki” Natura 2000 area has already been established (Directive 2015). It outlines a reasonable compromise between the protection of prehistoric mining sites and the protection of animate nature. However, currently rare species and habitats of „Krzemionki” are endangered with planned, total deforestation aiming at exposing exploitation fields at the area of 8 hectares. If the intended „efforts” are put into action, the whole area will need a detailed natural inventory to be necessarily undertaken since not all mistakes made in the course of the natural abundance managing are able to be fixed.