PILCHOVÁ E. 2017: Influence of the artificial snow cover on a herbal vegetation development with ski resort Donovaly, Starohorské vrchy as an example. This diploma thesis deals with a comparison in features of artificial vs. natural snow cover (height, density, length of presence) and compares their influence on vegetation (phenophases of spring herbal species, above-ground biomass). Temperature progress in the upper layer of soil under artificial and natural snow was monitored as well. Research took place in the ski resort Donovaly – Záhradište (Starohorské vrchy) during winter season 2015/16 and continued during vegetation period of 2016. Higher average density and height of the artificial snow was found, while there were 31 more days with artificial snow cover on the ski slope than days with natural snow cover. Soil temperature under artificial and natural snow showed significant differences. Comparison of examined areas showed that it was higher under the artificial snow. On the studied location under natural snow cover Crocus sp. began to blossom as the first spring herb at the end of March. On a surface under the artificial snow cover it started to blossom at the beginning of April, which is 6 days later. By comparing the biomass samples at the beginning of June we found a higher yield (weight) in locations under the natural snow, but at the end of June this difference was not statistically confirmed, quite opposite there was a higher yield under the artificial snow. It was confirmed, that the difference in phenological phases of blossoming between spring herbal species exists. In this work, we discovered the differences in properties of natural and artificial snow cover and their different influence on vegetation of ski slopes in ski resort Donovaly. However, for the purpose of generalizing these findings for similar locations, it is necessary to make more repetitions in other ski resorts.