Page 131 - Koderman, Miha, and Vuk Tvrtko Opačić. Eds. 2020. Challenges of tourism development in protected areas of Croatia and Slovenia. Koper, Zagreb: University of Primorska Press, Croatian Geographical Society
P. 131
nature-based tourism in the eastern part of kr aški rob ...
Natura 2000 site and an area of ecological interest. There are several nat-
ural features of interest and those found in our study area are: Movraški
Kuk; Rakitovski Kras; the grasslands at Golič, Lipnik and Kavčič; and Črni
Kal-Hrastovlje Wall (Slovenian Environment Agency, 2019).
Kraški Rob has unique relief, vegetation, and fauna features. It hosts
many rare and endangered plant and animal species, which contribute to
making Kraški Rob an internationally important bird habitat (See: Turk,
2012). Due to its southern location and warm limestone base, Mediterranean
tree and shrub species thrive on the southern slopes of Kraški Rob (e.g.
holm oak and laurel). Grasslands found here are an important habitat for
orchids and other endemic flora growing along the walls and in the cracks
of Kraški Rob (Turk, 2012).
Kraški Rob is a tectonically-based relief formed by the tempering of
older limestone on younger flysch rocks. The landscape is very steep, with
rocky slopes and walls, and extends from the border with Croatia in the
southeast to the border with Italy in the northwest, and continues into both
neighbouring countries. Geologists refer to the tectonic unit as the scaly
structure of Čičarija and is the result of the subversion of Istria towards
the northeast or the movement of Čičarija towards the southwest (Placer,
2007). Due to their low resistance and erosion processes, over time flysch
rocks diminished and more resistant limestone rocks spread over 47 cliffs,
measuring 51 km in total length. The longest (over 3 km) are found above
the settlements Črni Kal, Črnotiče and Podpeč, and the highest are found
above Osp (160 m) and Zanigrad (103 m). The limestone stage was trans-
formed by the process of karstification, causing many interesting relief
forms to take shape, such as rocky lowlands, tunnels, caves, and sig forma-
tions (Natek et al., 1993).
The limestone structural stage, however, is not only a dividing line in
the relief, but also in climate, soil, vegetation, and land use. The top part
of the structural stage is the karst plateau, which is located in two altitude
bands. The first is Rakitovsko-movraški Karst, which, with the exception
of its peaks, does not exceed 400 m a.s.l. The second is the eastern contin-
uation of Podgorje Karst onto Čičarija Plateau, with altitudes above 600 m.
Both areas of karst are characterised by grassland coverage, and to a less-
er extent, rockiness on the surface, as well as sinkholes and dry valleys. In
the past, these grasslands served as pastures where locals put up dry stone
walls to mark property. It was also common to find dry stone walls around
declines where locals would cultivate small gardens on small stretches of
129
Natura 2000 site and an area of ecological interest. There are several nat-
ural features of interest and those found in our study area are: Movraški
Kuk; Rakitovski Kras; the grasslands at Golič, Lipnik and Kavčič; and Črni
Kal-Hrastovlje Wall (Slovenian Environment Agency, 2019).
Kraški Rob has unique relief, vegetation, and fauna features. It hosts
many rare and endangered plant and animal species, which contribute to
making Kraški Rob an internationally important bird habitat (See: Turk,
2012). Due to its southern location and warm limestone base, Mediterranean
tree and shrub species thrive on the southern slopes of Kraški Rob (e.g.
holm oak and laurel). Grasslands found here are an important habitat for
orchids and other endemic flora growing along the walls and in the cracks
of Kraški Rob (Turk, 2012).
Kraški Rob is a tectonically-based relief formed by the tempering of
older limestone on younger flysch rocks. The landscape is very steep, with
rocky slopes and walls, and extends from the border with Croatia in the
southeast to the border with Italy in the northwest, and continues into both
neighbouring countries. Geologists refer to the tectonic unit as the scaly
structure of Čičarija and is the result of the subversion of Istria towards
the northeast or the movement of Čičarija towards the southwest (Placer,
2007). Due to their low resistance and erosion processes, over time flysch
rocks diminished and more resistant limestone rocks spread over 47 cliffs,
measuring 51 km in total length. The longest (over 3 km) are found above
the settlements Črni Kal, Črnotiče and Podpeč, and the highest are found
above Osp (160 m) and Zanigrad (103 m). The limestone stage was trans-
formed by the process of karstification, causing many interesting relief
forms to take shape, such as rocky lowlands, tunnels, caves, and sig forma-
tions (Natek et al., 1993).
The limestone structural stage, however, is not only a dividing line in
the relief, but also in climate, soil, vegetation, and land use. The top part
of the structural stage is the karst plateau, which is located in two altitude
bands. The first is Rakitovsko-movraški Karst, which, with the exception
of its peaks, does not exceed 400 m a.s.l. The second is the eastern contin-
uation of Podgorje Karst onto Čičarija Plateau, with altitudes above 600 m.
Both areas of karst are characterised by grassland coverage, and to a less-
er extent, rockiness on the surface, as well as sinkholes and dry valleys. In
the past, these grasslands served as pastures where locals put up dry stone
walls to mark property. It was also common to find dry stone walls around
declines where locals would cultivate small gardens on small stretches of
129
