Natural environment

The primeval mountain beech forests which require acid soils or the lime-maple forests - occasionally have a virgin forest character, especially in the Great Milic ranges. Oak forests find favorable living conditions on the extreme growing sites. The presence of plain-like swamp alder stand is notable because it is an unusual occurrence in this 700 m elevation. Typical species of swamp forest vegetation -including the forest association representatives are in the relief depression of the Malá Izra. The important landscape features are the rock formations and stone rivers in combination with their unique living communities and plant associations. The presence of birds (raptors, owls, and songbirds) has an enormous importance. The Milic Habitat Protection Area is within the Slanec Mountains bird protection area which belongs to the system of Important Bird Areas (IBA). The Strahulka Habitat Protection Area (SCI) is also part of the Slanec Mountains and stretches between Regeteruszka (Ruskov) and Szalánc (Slanec) including the area of the Castle Hill of Szalánc (Slanec).