Projects / Programmes
Kras - region biodiversity, successional stages and conservation significance
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 1.03.00 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Biology |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| B250 |
Biomedical sciences |
Entomology, plant parasitology |
| B270 |
Biomedical sciences |
Plant ecology |
| B280 |
Biomedical sciences |
Animal ecology |
| B290 |
Biomedical sciences |
Systematic botany, taxonomy, morphology, phytogeography, chemotaxonomy. Physiology of onvascular plants |
| B300 |
Biomedical sciences |
Palaeobotany, phylogeny, palynology |
| B320 |
Biomedical sciences |
Systematic zoology, taxonomy, zoogeopraphy |
| B330 |
Biomedical sciences |
Palaeozoology, phylogeny |
| B350 |
Biomedical sciences |
Development biology, growth (animal), ontogeny, embryology |
| B430 |
Biomedical sciences |
Sylviculture, forestry, forestry technology |
| P006 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Palaeontology |
| P510 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Physical geography, geomorphology, pedology, cartography, climatology |
distribution atlases, biodiversity, ecosystems, fauna, flora, paleovegetation, southwestern Slovenia, speleobiology, successions, the Kras region, vegetation, vegetation map
Researchers (28)
Organisations (2)
Abstract
The region Kras (Karst) is situated between the Gulf of Trieste, the valleys of Vipava and Soča and the Brkini Hills. Due to the close proximity of the Mediterranean, predominating limestone and dolomite bedrock, heterogeneous relief, mixture of the Mediterranean and continental climate and the traditional land use based on late praehistorical and Roman colonization which greatlly contributed to the appearence of cultural and natural landscape, result in highly diverse and rich fauna, flora and vegetation. As a typical karst area the region Kras represents the cradle of the biospeleology. Researchers of flora and fauna have contributed a huge amount of biological data through many centuries. Unfortunatelly, the data are not gathered and systematicly arranged. Extensive dry meadows and pastures, which are one of the biodiversity hot spots in Central Europe, pass over to shrubs and forests because of successive abandoning of pasturing and mowing. Supposing that biodiversity of the Kras region declines due to successive abandoning of pasturing and mowing we would like to certify the afore mentioned assumption on the basis of precise knowledge of the distribution and ecology of the fauna and flora, profound ecologycal research of biocoenoses in different successional stages and at least, but not last, long-term monitoring of biodiversity. We introduce the integrated approach to the investigated problem and we find it as an important novelty. We will be able to collect new data on distribution and ecology of fauna, flora and vegetation, to determine specific indicator species and biocoenoses in different successional stages and to define the criteria necessary for estimating the biodiversity of the Kras region. As a project results several scientific articles, vegetation map in scale 1:50.000, regional atlases of flora and fauna according to the selected groups of organisms and a monograph "Kras and its biodiversity" will be published. All the data will be geolocated and computerised and thus available in the digital form. Results will suite well in nature conservation and any other aspect of landscape management, e.g. forestry, landscape architecture, agronomy and will be irreplaceable for protecting rare and threatened species and their habitats.
The project will be a part of the International Long-term Ecological Research (ILTER) Network as a LTER-Slovenia, adopting an adjusted methodology for biodiversity research and long-term monitoring in the Kras region.
