Altitude: 249–259 m above sea level
Area: 32 ha
Material: Quaternary fluvial gravel and sand

 

The gravel sands, which are up to 20 m thick, were mined in the north-western part of the site between 1990 and 2018. Mining is still ongoing in the south-eastern part of the site and is expected to continue for the next 30 years. The area was originally covered with pine forests. Sparse sandy vegetation grows on the sands exposed by mining and rare insect species are associated with it. Currently, the northwestern part of the sand mine has been reclaimed - reforested with pine trees, native oaks and non-native red oaks.

 

Plants

Sand-loving species: Field Cudweed (Filago arvensis), Small Cudweed (Filago minima), Pearlwort Spurrey (Spergula morisonii), Shepherd’s Cress (Teesdalia nudicaulis)

Wetland species: Orange Foxtail (Alopecurus aequalis), Cellery-leaved Buttercup (Ranunculus sceleratus), Curled Pondweed (Potamogeton crispus), Marsh Yellow-cress (Rorippa palustris)

 

Invertebrates

Sand-loving species: Broscus cephalotes, Harpalus flavescens, Gronops lunatus - bound to spurries and sandspurries

Open woodland species: European Mantis (Mantis religiosa) - the oldest known population in the vicinity of Hradec Králové, Streak (Chesias legatella)

Wetland invertebrates: Nebrioporus canaliculatus

 

Vertebrates

Sand-loving vertebrates: Sand Lizard (Lacerta agilis) Woodlark (Lullula arborea)

Combination of terrestrial and wetland habitats: Smooth Newt (Lissotriton vulgaris), Natterjack Toad (Epidalea calamita), Common European Toad (Bufo bufo), European Green Toad (Bufotes viridis); Little Ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius); Daubenton’s bat (Myotis daubentonii)

Open woodland species: Eurasian Wryneck (Jynx torquilla)