How to save sites containing protected plants in national parks in areas that belong to private owners

Abstract

Biodiversity loss in national parks is increasingly due to private ownership of ecologically valuable land. This paper explores a critical yet under-discussed challenge: how to safeguard habitats hosting protected species of plants when these sites are privately owned. Focusing on Czech national parks, the legal frameworks, practical obstacles and real-world cases of land swapping, which is a promising but complex strategy that exchanges high-conservation plots for less sensitive areas, are analysed. While successful cases, such as that in Šumava, demonstrate that negotiated exchanges can prevent habitat destruction, other cases, including the long-running conflict at Jelení louky in Krkonoše National Park illustrates systemic weaknesses, from administrative loopholes to misleading narratives undermining plant protection. It is emphasized that proactive policies, rigorous enforcement and international knowledge-sharing are essential for preventing irreversible biodiversity loss. Based on lessons learned and proposing paths for dialogue, this study calls for collaborative solutions and opens a forum for a global dialogue on balancing development and nature conservation.