Cigrovski-Detelić B., Tutić D., Udovičić D. (2010). Nature Parks in the Republic of Croatia. In: D. Kereković (ed.). Space, Heritage & Future. Croatian Information Technology Association – GIS Forum, University of Silesia, Zagreb, 82-92. NATURE PARKS IN THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA Brankica Cigrovski-Detelić, Dražen Tutić, Dino Udovičić University of Zagreb, Faculty of geodesy Kačićeva 26, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia Abstract Environmental protection, the preservation of biological and landscape diversity, and rational usage of natural resources and energy in the most convenient way are the basic conditions of healthy life and the fundament of a sustainable development of every country. The nature and natural values are of great interest for the Republic of Croatia, and they are particularly protected, which is also legally regulated. There are altogether 11 nature parks in the Republic of Croatia: Biokovo, Kopački rit, Lonjsko polje, Medvednica, Papuk, Telašćica, Velebit, Vranko Lake and Učka. The paper presents the particularities and geographic position of all Croatian nature parks. Key words: Nature Park, natural resources, environmental protection 1. INTRODUCTION Nature Park is, according to the Environmental Protection Act of the Republic of Croatia (National Gazette 162/03) regionally natural or partly cultivated land and/or sea area with ecological properties of international or national significance, with emphasized landscape, educational, cultural and historical, and tourist and recreation values. In the Republic of Croatia there are altogether 11 nature parks: Nature Park Biokovo, Nature Par Kopački rit, Nature Park Lonjsko polje, Nature Park Medvednica, Nature Park Papuk, Nature Park Telaščica, Nature Park Velebit, Nature Park Vransko Lake, Nature Park Učka, Nature Park Žumberak – Samobor Mountains and Nature Park Lastovo islands. 2. CROATIAN NATURE PARKS 2.1. NATURE PAKR BIOKOVO Nature park Biokovo was founded in 1981and it encompasses the area of 196 km². It is located in the southern part of Croatia in Splitsko-Dalmatisnka County covering the area of 7 municipalities: Brela, Baška Voda, Tučepi, Podgora, Zagvozd, Šestanovac and Zadvarje, as well as two towns: Makarska and Vrgorac. The area of special protection implies: special geomorphologic reserve; Nevistina stina, Ovčje polje, Kuranik-Šibenik- Štropac-Vošac, special reserves of forest vegetation, reserves of beech and fir-tree forests; Kaoci, Kimet-Sutvid, the reserves of autochthonous forest of black Dalmatian pine tree; Bukovac, Borovik, Šibenik-Borovac, the reserves of the coast land beech forests; Vošac, botanic reserves; Sv.Ilija-Šibenik-Štropac, Veliki Troglav, including the highest peak Sv. Jure and making a unit with it. Fig.1: Nature park Biokovo 82 Cigrovski-Detelić B., Tutić D., Udovičić D. (2010). Nature Parks in the Republic of Croatia. In: D. Kereković (ed.). Space, Heritage & Future. Croatian Information Technology Association – GIS Forum, University of Silesia, Zagreb, 82-92. There is the Botanic Garden Kotišina within the part Biokovski with the area of 16,5 ha above the village Kotišina. The main characteristics of the Part there were crucial for declaring Biokovo as Nature Park are its geomorphologic characteristics, i.e. numerous crust phenomena, and extraordinary biological diversity: rich flora and fauna including numerous endemic plants and tertiary remains. 2.2 NATURE PARK KOPAČKI RIT The area of the Nature Park Kopački rit is located in the north-eastern part of the Republic of Croatia, i.e. it is a part of wider area of eastern Croatia. It is a plain part of a geographic unit of Baranja, located in Osječko-baranjska county, mostly in the lowlands between there rivers Drava and Danube, and the state Border with the Republic Hungary. It is spread northwards from the river Drave from the river mouth of Drava into Danube, and upstream of the Danube River on its left and right bank to the former quay Kazuk. The eastern border of the Nature Park is defined by the state border with the Republic Serbia. Due to its extraordinary natural value, great biological diversity and remarkable scientific and ecological value, Kopački rit was protected in 1967 by the status of Managed natural reserve covering the area of 17.730 hectares The narrower reserve area of 7.220 hectares received the status of Special zoological reserve in 1976, and the wider area of 10.510 hectares the status of Nature Park. The international significance of Kopački rit was confirmed in 1993 by its being listed under internationally significant marshes in accordance with the Ramseur convention. Apart from that, Kopački rit is also on the list of the IBA program (Important Bird Areas). This program has developed Birdlife International, a global association for bird protection, their habitats and global biological diversity that directs people to sustainable usage of natural resources. The associations Determine, monitors and protects global network of the areas that are important as bird habitats and biological diversity. Kopački rit is a flooded area made by the activity of two large rivers, Danube and Drava. Northwards, southwards and westwards from the Nature Park there are significant flooded areas spreading from Batin on the north, Bijelo brdo on the south and Donji Miholjac on the west. Geographically, Kopački rit is located between 45° 32' and 45° 47' of the northern latitude and 18° 45' and 18° 59' of the eastern longitude. The altitudes of the entire area of Baranja don not exceed 250 m, and the area of the Nature Park is located on its lowest part, where the terrain altitudes are about 78 m (the bottom of the Kopačko Llake) to 86 m. Fig.2: Map of the Nature park Kopački rit Fig. 3: Nature park Kopački rit The relief of the area of Kopački rit is the result of water activity, by the river itself, as well as by the water flooding the area. The rivers create drifts and islands, so called aits, and armbands called here „Dunavac“ or „old Drava“. On the other hand, the water precipitates drifts at one place, and at the 83 Cigrovski-Detelić B., Tutić D., Udovičić D. (2010). Nature Parks in the Republic of Croatia. In: D. Kereković (ed.). Space, Heritage & Future. Croatian Information Technology Association – GIS Forum, University of Silesia, Zagreb, 82-92. other they deepen the terrain, and the whole area gets a very specific undulating appearance. Thus, ponds are created (depressions) and balks (elevated areas), spreading for hundred meters one along the other. Ponds and balks are narrow and long, and seen from the air they have a specific curved appearance. Between the ponds and balks the elevation difference is mostly 8 m. The ponds are connected at the ends and enter Dunavac or Danube across one natural canal, so called 'fok'. Foks serves to fill up and empty the ponds. Foks used to be artificially deepened, but there are also artificially made canals that have taken over the function of foks. Such arrangement of ponds and balks in gives this area a specific appearance. The whole flooded area looks like a river delta, and the river Danube in its middle flow creates so called inner delta with the help of the river Drava. This phenomenon is not known on other European rivers in this form, and it provides a World significance for this area. If Kopački rit should ever be listed under World Natural Heritage, it will be listed first of all because of this phenomenon, because many other larger and more significant rivers in the worlds do no have it. 2.3. NATURE PARK LONJSKO POLJE Nature Park Lonjsko polje is located in the central part of the Republic of Croatia bounded with the slopes of Moslavačka gora and the highway Zagre-Slavonski Brod from in the north, and with the river Sava in the south. On the area of 50.650 ha there are meadows and pastures with plain flooded forests and old armbands (mrtvaje). But, apart from these extraordinary natural features this nature park owns also a very valuable cultural heritage, espeically very specific constructing objects, folklore, crafts and folk creation. It is therefore very important to preserve a unique cultural identity there. Fig. 4: Map of the Nature park Lonjsko polje The Croatian Parliament passed on 6. March, 1990 the Act on Declaration of Nature Park Lonjsko polje, and soon after that, on 25. June 1991 it received the international significance with Ramseur Convention about Marshes, especially as the habitat of many marsh birds The International Union for Conservation of Nature listed Lonjsko polje under 7 examples of planning the environmental protection in rural areas of Central and Eastern Europe. Special value of the park are its two ornithological reserves Krapje Dol and Rakita. Fig. 5: Nature park Lonjsko polje Due to the natural characteristics and the importance for the population of European bird species; there 239 species of birds living in this area with more than 130 nesting birds, the Nature Park Lonjsko polje was entered into the List of Ornithologically important areas (IBA). The management of the part is very complex because of the size of protected area, the presence of many area users and the river system encompassing significantly larger area than the protected one. The conservation and encouragement of traditional agriculture, breeding of autochthonous cattle and plants, forest and water management, development of tourism, protection of cultural and natural heritage, as well as regional planning are the issues of extreme importance for the future of this protected area. This large, plain 84 Cigrovski-Detelić B., Tutić D., Udovičić D. (2010). Nature Parks in the Republic of Croatia. In: D. Kereković (ed.). Space, Heritage & Future. Croatian Information Technology Association – GIS Forum, University of Silesia, Zagreb, 82-92. flooded area of the river Sava, with its confluents Lonja, Struga, Pakra, Ilova, Trebež, Česma and many other confluents makes this natural landscape on of the most valuable marsh areas in Europe.