Černá blata

Černá blata is a protected nature monument in the Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic, located in the Třebíč district within the municipality of Dešov (cadastral area of Velký Dešov). It protects a stretch of natural beech forest recognized as one of the finest woodland stands in the surrounding Novosyrovické forest complex. The site gained protected status in 1988 and, as a nature monument in the strict sense, covers just under 6.5 hectares near the former Černá Blata forester's lodge, along the road linking Dešov and Zálezí, close to the boundary between the Třebíč and Znojmo districts. It also forms part of a larger regional biocentre exceeding 33 hectares.

What is there to see at Černá blata?

The heart of the site is its well-preserved, mature beech stand, underlain by a strikingly diverse herb layer. Come spring, this understorey erupts into a dense, colorful carpet of flowering plants, making the season the best time to explore the forest. The combination of stand structure, tree age, and plant diversity places Černá blata among the most valuable woodland sites within the Novosyrovické forests.

Why is this site scientifically significant?

Černá blata is notable for its unusually rich community of soil invertebrates. Field surveys have documented 13 millipede species, 11 centipede species, 3 species of terrestrial woodlice, and 12 earthworm species within its boundaries. It is, in fact, the only known site in the entire Vysočina Region where the earthworm Aporrectodea trapezoides has been recorded — a distinction that makes the reserve an important reference point for soil-fauna research in the region.

Where exactly does the nature monument sit?

The protected area lies directly beside the village of Dešov, following the road toward the hamlet of Zálezí, within the wooded tract known as the Novosyrovické forests. Straddling the border of the Třebíč and Znojmo districts, it functions as something of an ecological bridge between neighboring parts of the Vysočina Region.

Is it worth pairing a visit with the nearby village?

Dešov, the municipality whose cadastral territory contains the nature monument, is a small village in the Vysočina Region. Visitors coming to walk through the beech forest can easily take in the surrounding rural landscape as well, though the Černá blata nature monument remains the principal natural attraction in this part of the municipality.

Frequently asked questions

When is the best time to visit Černá blata? Spring, when the herb layer beneath the beech canopy blooms most vividly, forming a dense, colorful ground cover.

How large is the protected area? The nature monument itself spans about 6.49 hectares, while the broader Černá blata regional biocentre covers more than 33 hectares.

Since when has the site been protected? Černá blata was designated a nature monument in 1988.

What makes the site ecologically valuable? Its natural beech stand with a rich herbaceous understorey, combined with an unusually diverse soil invertebrate fauna — including the only known Vysočina Region locality for the earthworm Aporrectodea trapezoides.

Where precisely is it located? Within the Novosyrovické forests, in the cadastral area of Velký Dešov, along the road between Dešov and Zálezí, on the boundary between the Třebíč and Znojmo districts.