Creation and Maintenance of Micro-Reserves in

B. Lipej, N. Režek Donev and A. Sovinc Slovenia covers less than 0,004% of entire Earth‘s surface and 0,014% of its land.

Yet it is a home to more than 1% of all known species of the Earth‘s living beings and more than 2% of the continental (land and freshwater) species.

Mršič (1997): Biotic Diversity in Slovenia System of Nature Conservation in Slovenia

Protected areas in Slovenia: they are divided in different categories according to International IUCN categorization. 1 national park 3 regional parks 44 landscape parks 52 nature reserves 217 natural monuments

Ecologically Important Areas (EPO)

NATURA 2000 Areas

Natura 2000 vin Sloveniji Slovenia

286 areas

SPA 22.78 % 26 pSCI 31.56 % 286

total: 35,53 %

MICRO-RESERVES IN SLOVENIA

CREATION: with help of the LIFE-Nature project “Conservation of endangered habitats and species in the future Karst Park” (LIFE02 NAT/SLO/8587) DURATION OF THE PROJECT: 3 years, October 2002 – October 2005

PARTNERS IN THE PROJECT:

 Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning,

 Municipality of

 Nature Protection Institute of Republic of Slovenia

 Centre for Cartography of Fauna and Flora

 Generalitat Valenciana from Spain

THREATS Abandonment of land –uses o Overgrowing o Pollution and filling-in of the karstic ponds (loss of habitats, pollution, invasive species) Intensification of land-uses o In-appropriate development forms (wind-farms) o Hay-production (pesticides, fertilisers, removal of hedges, loss of “rocky” habitats, change to arable land) Low level of awareness o Environmental pollution o Non-sustainable land management o Low trust of local population and no interest nor knowledge about managing the grasslands. o Visitor pressure

AIMS OF THE PROJECT

 To conserve 4 habitat types, one plant, five amphibians, seven butterfly species of EU interest together with a wide variety of other habitats and species  Preservation of the biodiversity by establishment of a network of “micro-reserves”  To become grass-root sites for potential expansion of these areas by promotion a new model approach/stewardship agreements with landowners PROJECT AREA

Description: • Karst edge is a limestone border between the continental and littoral part of Slovenia (the richness of flora and fauna). • The studied area was app. 7000 ha

Habitats and species of EU importance

Targeted habitats:

• 6210-Semi-natural dry grasslands and scrubland facies on calcareous substrates • 8160-Medio-European calcareous scree • 8210-Chasmophytic vegetation on rocky slopes • 3170-Mediterranean temporary ponds

Targeted species:

• 1 plant (Moehringia tommasiniana) • 5 amphibians (Triturus carnifex, Bombina variegata, Bufo viridis, Hyla arborea, Rana dalmatina) and • 7 butterfly species (Callimorpha quadripunctaria, Coenonympha oedippus, Eriogaster catax, Euphydryas aurinia, Lopinga achine, Parnassius mnemosyne, Zerynthia polyxena).

Moehringia tommasiniana Zerynthia polyxena Euphydryas aurinia

Bombina variegata Hyla arborea Triturus carnifex ACTIONS o Identification of the most valuable areas with endangered habitats and species (mapping of habitat types), o Preparation of site specific management plans (guidelines) for sustainable development, o Agreements with land-owners and implementation of the system for the management of these areas and subsidies for »private« protection of these areas, o Restoration of the consequences of desertification processes (overgrowing and loss of karstic ponds) with reconstruction of 4 karstic ponds and 150 ha of overgrown dry calcareous grasslands,

o Awareness and promotion campaign (local bulletin, web site, different workshops, cooperation with the Agriculture chamber, leaflets, Video film, monograph on micro-areas), o Implementation of infrastructure to support the promotion of the area and opportunities for natural science tourism (establishment of an information centre for visitors and permanent exhibition)

H A Kozina

Y L Beka A T I Klanec HR pri Kozini I Ocizla 1

a 2 e s c ti a ri d A 3 4

5 Petrinje 7 6 Prežnica

8

Tinjan

Gabrovica pri Θrnem Kalu 9

11 Θrnotiθe 10

Θrni Kal Rižana 12

Predloka 13

Loka 14

Bezovica Praproθe 15 Podgorje

16 Podpeθ Sv. Anton

Hrastovlje Legend: Graθižθe project area 17 Dol microreserves proposal pri Hrastovljah 18 1. Socerb - vzhodni 2. Socerb - zahodni 3. Kastelec - severni 4. Kastelec - južni Smokvica 5. Osp - travižθa 6. Osp - skalovje 7. Osp - makija 19 Micro-reserves 8. Mižja peθ 9. Θrnotiθe - severni 20 10. Θrnotiθe - južni 22 Movraž 11. Θrni kal - skalovje 21 12. Θrnotiθe 13. Debeli hrib Trebeže 14. Na Plasi 15. Podpeθ - Moehringia Rakitovec 16. Nad Podpeθjo 23 17. Zazid - Ophrys Sokoliθi 18. Zazid Soθerga 19. Movraž - travižθa 20. Movražki Kuk 21. Rakitovec - travniki Dvori 22. Lipnik-Kavθiθ 23. Rakitovec N 1 0 1 2 3 km C R O A T I A MAINTENANCE OF MICRO-RESERVES (5 years after the conclusion of the project) o legal status: all micro-reserves are in the Natura 2000 area and EPO o but we are still waiting for the government to declare Karst Park as protected area (where micro- reserves are settled) o landowners are still managing their micro-reserves although they are now not getting any financial subsidies (they have high sensibility for conservation of their property) o some landowners are helping themselves with developing rustical tourism (farm hollidays)

BENEFITS

BENEFITS

LIFE – contract with nearby horse stud farm Lipica (Lipizzaners, founded in 1580) Mowing and transporting more than 65 tons of hay from the research area to the Lipica stud farm (in 2004) Beneficiary of the project: University of Primorska, Science and Research Centre Koper Address: Garibaldijeva 18, 6000 Koper Phone: ++386/5-66-37-700 Web site: www.zrs-kp.si