The České středohoří uplands - tertiary volcanic region

 

The České středohoří uplands is located in the northwest Bohemia nearby the lower reach of the Labe river which is divided between two geomorphological sub-units - the Verneřické uplands on the right bank and the Milešovské uplands on the left bank.

The České středohoří uplands are the most massive sign of volcanic activity in the Czech Republic even though due to its size of 1,266 km2 it belongs only to lesser orographic units. Its characteristic features are volcanic conical hills which began rising from the sandstone seat in the late Tertiary as a Miocene formation approximately 23 million years ago
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The dominant of the České středohoří uplands is the Milešovka hill (837 m), one of the most windy hills in the Czech Republic. Passing through the region is the Litoměřice deep fault, the geological partition between the Krušné Hory and the Central Bohemian regions. Water streams exposing the solid subsurface magma and deepening valleys made the České středohoří uplands into a majestic landscape. The present volcanic rocks include the prevalent basalts and sound-stones and the less frequent trachytes. Sandstones and marls are the representatives of sediments.

In 1976 the České středohoří uplands were proclaimed a protected land area of 1,063.17 km2 and in terms of botany it seems to be the richest area in the Czech Republic.

The Czech Republic has been issued  the  stamps features a view from the southern bank of the Ohře river at the Brníkov village on the early Baroque chateau in Libochovice and the basalt hill with the ruined castle Hazmburk and the surrounding hills. The stamps issued on September 2, 2009. Starting from the left they are the Solanská, the Hrádek, the Lipská, the Hazmburk, the Milešovka, the Košťál, the Kletečná and the Lovoš hills. This picturesque panorama enchanted the painter Emil Filla who in the period of 1950-52 created panoramic paintings of the České středohoří uplands.

LiveJournal Tags: Czech,Ceske stredohori upland

Anegada Flamingo

The Flamingo Pond, Anegada is home to the Flamingos which are the second largest of its species, often growing to 5 feet tall. The Flamingo Pond, Anegada is located in the central area of Anegada Island and now become as one of the most popular spots of sightseeing in the area. The flamingos and other sea birds have been re-established at this protected pond area and hence the name.

The Flamingo Pond in Anegada is the largest of the four salt ponds that occupies approximately one quarter of Anegada's total land mass. This fragile ecosystem maintains a small but growing population of Caribbean Flamingos which were successfully reintroduced to Anegada in the year 1992.

Due to unrestricted hunting, the native flamingos in the British Virgin Islands were wiped out. The Biologists reintroduced a flock of 20 flamingos from Bermuda to Anegada in the year 1992. This project has proved successful as the flock has grown to more than 50 birds since they were introduced.

The project also aimed at attracting the other migrating species in hopes of increasing the gene pool in the area. These vertebrates do not reach sexual maturity until they are three to six years of age and generally only lay one or two eggs in a one year period after mating. The Female lots usually only reproduce every other year. Flamingos frequently mate for life and both male and female take turns in incubating their egg.

Western Anegada is actually famous for the Flamingo Pond Bird Sanctuary, which is a salt pond and mangrove area. This area is home to the various species of birds like waterfowl, a variety of herons, terns, osprey, and snowy plovers.

 

The British Virgin Island National Parks Trust has accepted Flamingo Pond as a bird sanctuary. The other bird species such as terns, ospreys and egrets can be seen nesting and feeding in the area. Whenever you come here with your family or friends you can spot the flamingos wading on the far north side of the pond.

Peony of Pitcairn Islands

The Pitcairn Islands are proud to participate in China's 2011 Peony celebrations with the release of this special stamp issue.

The Peony is native to Asia, southern Europe and western North America and is China’s unofficial national flower having been voted the favourite by the people. From February to April China celebrates the Peony with huge displays throughout China especially in Luoyang, in Henan Province.

 

 

There are 25-40 species of Peony, most of which are herbaceous perennial plants growing 0.5 –1.5 metres tall, although some resemble trees up to 3 metres tall.

They have deeply lobed, glossy leaves and large, often fragrant, single or double flowers ranging from red, pink, white to even yellow.

Mount Ruapehu of New Zealand

  

Mount Ruapehu is the highest mountain (2797 metres) in the North Island of New Zealand. This is one of the most active volcanic regions of its kind in the world, with the massive Taupo eruption occurring in AD 186, Tarawera erupting in 1886 and Ruapehu in 1945, 1995 and 1996.

Ruapehu made headlines around the world in 1995 when it began spitting rocks and steam.This $10 definitive stamp features a striking aerial photograph of the eruption in June 1996 and has issued by the  New Zealand Post on February 12, 1997 for commemorating the eruption event.

Volcanic activity reached a peak at the end of September 1995 with plumes of ash and steam reaching heights of 19 km. Ruapehu's volcanic activity intensified again in early 1996, with a flood of mud and boulders moving down the Whangaehu River in late April. During June, moderate-sized ash eruptions occurred, with lava bombs ejected 100-500 metres above the volcano's vent.

LiveJournal Tags: Mount Ruapehu,New zealand,mountain,eruption

Forests - National Park Poloniny

 

The Slovenko Post has issued the stamp series features the Forest  in related with the theme of Europa 2011 on May 6, 2011.The stamp is only one depicted the National Park Poloniny. 

 

 The National Park Poloniny is the eastern-most Slovak large protected area. It lies on the Slovak-Polish-Ukrainian border. The forests are dominant in the national park – they cover more than 90 % of the area. Those most precious ones are declared to be the national natural preserves or natural preserves to protect the old forest community. They are unique for human-impacted or only slightly impacted forests called primeval forests. It is a community where everything flows in an integrated circle. It represents the peak of natural ecosystems.

The primeval forest development has three stages. The circle of life starts at the stage of growth (forest younger than 150 years), and continues at the stage of optimum (forest of age 150 – 250) and declining of large trees with subsequent natural woods rejuvenation during the stage of decay (forest older than 250 years). 

 

The main wood species of the Carpathian forests is the European beech (Fagus silvatica). Together with white fir (Abies alba) they create precious beech and fir-beech communities. More than 40-meter high beeches are 200 to 250 years old. Slim, more than 50-meter high firs reach the age of 300 to 500 years.

 

 

 Primeval forests are a suitable refuge of a wide variety of animals. In the wood of the lost beeches, the larvae of precious longicorns can be found – Rosalia Longicorn and Leptura (=Strangalia) Thoracica. Amphibians are represented by Yellow-Bellied Toad, Carpathian Newt, Fire Salamander. Of the reptiles typical is Aesculapian Snake, randomly also Common European Viper can be found.
 

 

The old forests are interesting for the amount of various precious and endangered plant and animal species. Typical is Dog´s Mercury, Henbane Bell, Dentaria Glandulosa, Tozzia Carpathica, Campanula Serrata, Tiger Lilly, Scilla Kladnii.

The birds of feather include Black Woodpecker, White-backed Woodpecker, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Sage Grouse, Black Stork, Ural Owl and others. There is also deer and roe buck living, of the beasts there are Northern Lynx, Grey Wolf, European Wildcat and Brown Bear. The Carpathian beech forests were recorded into the list of World Natural Heritage in 2007. The cross-border world natural heritage consists of ten separate units located in Slovakia and in Ukraine. The most famous and the biggest primeval forest is Stužica – national natural preserve above the village of Nová Sedlica. (adopted from information from Slovenko Post).

 

BuzzNet Tags: Slovenko,The National Park Ploniny,Europa 2011,forest

PRESERVE THE POLAR REGIONS AND GLACIERS

In the past decades global warming was most evident in polar regions where it has been the cause of thawing of continental glaciers as well as floating icebergs. This situation may soon lead not only to the rise of the sea level but also to global climate changes. Warming causes not only changes of sea currents but also growing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the air which are created by human activities which are often careless of the nature.

The highest rise in temperature in this century by 2 to 6 °C is expected to occur in the arctic region. Temperatures have been rising also in the Southern polar regions. Antarctic ice has been disappearing as coastal glaciers split apart from the ice shelves. Ice melting endangers also animal and plant species occurring in polar regions.

Water resources, agriculture and forest industry, energy production and human health are most affected by the global changes. The existing climatic changes should be slowed down and their impact reduced by better exploitation of energy resources and use of low carbon fuels and renewable resources. Further improvements could be brought by investments into new technologies and services and into research of polar regions.

Therefore the Czech Post to commemorate the joint project of forty countries to draw attention the protection of polar regions and glaciers as set up at the initiative of Finland and Chile by issued the miniature sheet of stamp feature the impact of global warming to the polar regions on February 11, 2009.The common symbol of all issues is a crystal designed by the Finnish graphic designer Saku Heinänen.This project is unique mainly because the initiative of the two countries found response in dozens of postal administrations in different parts of the globe who aimed to address both the peoples and governments all around the world.

BuzzNet Tags: Czech,global warming,polar region

ECOLOGY - BALKAN MOUNTAINS

The Two close countries, Serbia and Bulgaria, have chosen, for this joint issue of postage stamps, a nowadays very actual world theme - ECOLOGY.The motif of these jointly issues stamps is the Balkan Mountain landscape with birds(Scolopax rusticola- Eurasian Woodcock; Monticola saxatilis - Rufous - tailed Rock - thrush).
In the scope of this field, the Balkan Mountain with its flora and fauna proved itself to be an out - and - out stamp motif, because it represents the tight connection between two countries, which share this mountain’s wonderful natural beauties.



Scolopax rusticola- Eurasian Woodcock

The Stara planina belongs to the big Balkan mountain range which runs 530 km, from the Black Sea, on the East, to the Vrska Cuka Peak, on the West. It is part of the Carpathian - Balkan Mountain range.

 
 

The smaller, western part of this mountain is located on the territory of East Serbia. The highest peak of the Balkan Mountain is Botev (2376 m) in Bulgaria. In Serbia, the highest peak is Midzor (2169 m).

Monticola saxatilis - Rufous - tailed Rock - thrush
In 1997, the area of the Balkan Mountain in Serbia was declared Natural Park.

The ornithofauna of Balkan Mountains is very rich and until nowadays has 206 recorded bird species of which 104 are protected by the Bern Convention and the Regulation of the Government of Serbia on Natural Rarities Protection.

BuzzNet Tags: ecology,balkan mountain,Scolopax rusticola,Monticola saxatilis,Eurasian Woodcock

Cornflower, the Estonian National Flower

On April 7, 2000, the Estonia Post has issued one stamp features the Estonian National Flower, Cornflower. The stamp depicts the blue cornflower and a bee close to it. The more picture of conflower depicted on the First Day Cover which  issued together with the stamps.

 

Cornflower  or Centaurea cyanus  is a small annual flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native to Europe.Cornflower is an annual plant growing to 16-35 inches tall, with grey-green branched stems. The leaves are lanceolate, 1–4 cm long.

 

 

The flowers are most commonly an intense blue colour, produced in flowerheads (capitula) 1.5–3 cm diameter, with a ring of a few large, spreading ray florets surrounding a central cluster of disc florets. The blue pigment is protocyanin.

In the past Cornflowerit often grew as a weed in crop fields. Rye is one of Estonia's most important crops. Mainly rye flour is used to bake Estonia's tasty and healthy "black bread". Cornflowers have been used and prized historically for their blue pigment. Cornflowers are often used as an ingredient in some tea blends and herbal teas.The cornflower is considered a beneficial weed, and its edible flower can be used to add colour to salads.

The beautiful blue cornflower (Centaurea cyanus), in Estonian literally the rye flower, has been chosen for a national symbol since 1968 and symbolizes daily bread to Estonians. It is also the symbol of the Estonian political party,

Cornflower is now endangered in its native habitat by agricultural intensification, particularly over-use of herbicides, destroying its habitat.The conservation charity Plantlife named it as one of 101 species it would actively work to bring 'Back from the Brink'. It is also, however, through introduction as an ornamental plant in gardens and a seed contaminant in crop seeds, now naturalised in many other parts of the world, including North America and parts of Australia.