WET MEADOWS & BOGS

Although wet meadows are becoming increasingly rare and endangered due to heavy drainage and intensive farming, there are still some beautiful areas to be found in Slovenia. This habitat usually occurs along rivers and streams (or lakes), especially those that flood regularly. In some cases such meadows were formed through centuries of human activity and deforestation. But the traditional way of farming allowed the establishment of a high biodiversity. Preserving extensive grasslands through regular mowing and avoiding the scrubbing-over of land is the key to preserve these precious habitats. Some examples of beautiful wet meadows in Slovenia include those in the areas of the Nanoščica river basin, Planinsko polje, Cerkniško jezero, Bloško polje, Ljubljansko barje and the Reka valley.

Famous & Charismatic Species

Corncrake

Crex crex / Kosec

Common Quail

Coturnix coturnix / Prepelica

Whinchat

Saxicola rubetra / Repaljščica

Barred Warbler

Sylvia nisoria / Pisana penica

Common Rosefinch

Carpodacus erythrinus / Škrlatec

Snipe

Gallinago gallinago / Kozica

Red-backed Shrike

Lanius collurio / Rjavi srakoper

Common Whitethroat

Sylvia communis / Rjava penica

Yellowhammer

Emberiza citrinella / Rumeni strnad

Tree Pipit

Anthus trivialis / Drevesna cipa

Curlew

Numenius arquata / Veliki škurh

Marsh Fritillary

Euphydryas aurinia / Travniški postavnež

False Heath Fritillary

Melitaea diamina / Močvirski pisanček

Purple-edged Copper

Lycaena hippothoe / Škrlatni cekinček

Southern Festoon

Zerynthia polyxena / Petelinček

DRY KARSTIC GRASSLANDS

Dry karstic grasslands, like the name suggests, are found in the Karst region of western Slovenia. The Karst, or Kras in Slovene, is a limestone plateau lying in the northernmost part of the Adriatic sea. It extends above the town of Trieste in northeast Italy and into western Slovenia. The area is known for its geological, geomorphological and speleological phenomena, known commonly as karstic phenomena. The term “karst” became the technical term describing any karst area in the world, where the landscape is formed with the dissolution of soluble limestone and dolomite rocks. The Karst’s most characteristic landscape is a stony grassland, formed through four millenia of human activity: from deforestation to intensive grazing of livestock. Nowadays this kind of grassland is slowly giving way to forested areas, as grazing and land use is being abandoned. Although semi-natural, such grasslands are among the most species rich habitats in Europe. They are included in EU’s Habitat Directive and classified as Eastern sub-mediterranean dry grasslands.

FAMOUS AND CHARISMATIC SPECIES :

Ortolan Bunting

Emberiza hortulana / Vrtni strnad

Short-toed Eagle

Circaetus gallicus / Kačar

Tawny Pipit

Anthus campestris / Rjava cipa

Hoopoe

Upupa epops / Smrdokavra

Red-backed Shrike

Lanius collurio / Rjavi srakoper

Corn Bunting