Project name: Mapping of Rare, Endangered, and Strictly Protected Plant Species in Forest Ecosystems
Client: Plitvice Lakes National Park
Period: 3/2022 – 2/2025
Location: Croatia
To expand scientific knowledge and monitor the flora of forest ecosystems in the Plitvice Lakes National Park, Public Institution Plitvice Lakes National Park and Oikon Ltd. – Institute for Applied Ecology carried out the project “Mapping of Rare, Endangered, and Strictly Protected Plant Species in Forest Ecosystems” from 2021 to 2025.
The mapping of plant species was conducted using a combined method of field research and data entry based on published and available findings. The fieldwork involved surveying each 1 × 1 km quadrant, recording species, and assigning them to quadrants. For data entry from past studies, sources included the Flora Croatica Database (FCD), phytosociological surveys, and other floristic studies conducted in the Park’s forests, which provided georeferenced data or precise location descriptions. The mapping followed a kilometre-based grid using the HTRS96/TM coordinate system, the official reference system of the Republic of Croatia.
Plitvice Lakes National Park covers approximately 29,600 hectares, encompassing 323 full or partial quadrants. Each of these includes at least some forested areas, with most being entirely covered by forest vegetation. This is the standard cartographic approach used in European countries and in reports submitted to the EU as part of species monitoring processes.
A total of 72 plant species were considered within the project. They were classified into the following categories: strictly protected species (1), threatened but not legally protected species (2), characteristic species (3), and other species (4). Of the 72 species, 34 were under strict protection (16 of which are endangered), 11 species had a designated threat category but were not under strict protection, and 27 species belonged to the group of species with sociological-diagnostic significance.
The selection of species was based on Croatian legal regulations, the FCD, the Red Book and Red List of Endangered Plant Species of Croatia, as well as published scientific and expert studies and projects that address the flora and vegetation of Plitvice Lakes National Park, which are cited in this report. The orchid Epipactis atrorubens had previously been recorded only in a targeted orchid survey of the Park (Kranjčev 2004) at specific locations, while Ruscus aculeatus was recorded in Plitvice Lakes National Park for the first time. Due to its endangered status, Cypripedium calceolus was mapped, but its exact quadrant locations were not disclosed. However, the data is available to the Park’s relevant authorities.
The research results present a list of recorded species from 323 quadrants, their brief and general descriptions, distribution in Plitvice Lakes National Park, conservation status, and a cartographic representation of their occurrence by quadrant. The results presented in this report represent an important step in the long-term monitoring and protection of the Park’s flora and provide essential data for future planning of activities related to the conservation of the natural values of this unique ecosystem.
Additionally, the research results may be useful to national institutions responsible for nature conservation, providing fundamental data needed for the development of environmental protection policies and appropriate legislative measures. Based on the analysed results of the project, active conservation measures were recommended for the protection of rare, endangered, and strictly protected species in the forests of Plitvice Lakes National Park, along with a proposed methodology for species monitoring and an accompanying field survey form.
The implementation of this project contributes to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
