Natural heritage

Biodiversity

When it comes to biodiversity, Velebit is regularly at the top of the list of Croatian as well as European areas of registered species of flora and fauna in all types of habitats. That is why the entire Velebit Nature Park has been included in the preliminary National Ecological Network of Croatia and evaluated as an essential area for wild species and habitat types. The National Ecological Network of Croatia is regulated by the Environmental Protection Act (O.G. 70/05), and encompasses core nature areas of national and international importance. It represents a step in the EU accession preparations. By determining Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) as designated under the Habitats Directive, and Special Protected Areas (SPA) as designated under the Birds Directive, each EU member-state contributes to forming the NATURA 2000 sites network.
NATURA 2000 is the focal point of EU's nature and biodiversity policy, and is an EU-wide network of protected sites that are essential to threatened wildlife and habitat types, as listed in the Annexes of the Habitats and Birds Directives . According to the PHYSIS classification, on Velebit there exist 89 habitat types, or 61 habitat types according to the National Habitats Classification, which is 70% of all known habitat types in Croatia. WWF has included Velebit on its list of hot-spots under its Mediterranean Forests Programme.

Velebit - Area of the National Ecological Netvork - Essential areas fot wildlife and habitat types

Protection goals have been defined in the National ecological network for certain endangered species and habitats

Flora

According to existing data, Velebit is home to 1854 registered plant species, of which 79 are endemic. Such a great many endemic species is why Velebit is often called "the centre of endemism" of this part of Europe .

The essential habitats for these endemic plant species are the rocks and "gulles" (western Velebit slope), caves, rivers (Krupa and Zrmanja), as well as alpine meadows and grasslands. Among the Velebit endemics is the Velebit degenia (Degenia velebitica), the Croatian sibbirhaea (Sibiraea altaiensis ssp. Croatica), the Velebit bellflower (Campanula velebitica), the Window bellflower (Campanula fenestrellata), Kitajbel's primrose (Primula kitaibeliana), the Velebit dianthus (Dianthus velebiticus)…  The rocky grounds and cliffs of Velebit are also home to peculiar and exquisite plant species – roseroot (Rhodiola rosea), Croatian barberry (Berberis croatica), twin-flowered violet (Viola biflora), creeping saxifrage (Saxifraga rotundifolia), mountain avens (Dryas octopetala), edelweiss (Leontopodium alpinum), and others.   

Although forest habitats predominate on Velebit, the alpine meadows and grasslands are very important to the conservation of its overall biodiversity. The most widespread forest association in the mountain-vegetation belt, the beech forest with large red dead nettle (Lamio orvalae-Fagetum), inhabits altitudes below 900 meters.  At altitudes above 800 m, dwell the Dinaric beech and fir forests (Omphalodo-Fagetum). The coastal beech forest with autumn moor grass (Seslerio autumnalis-Fagetum) prevails on the rocky plateaus above 1000 m. Subalpine forests of beech and hollyfern (Polystycho lonchitis-fagetum) inhabit areas from 1100 to 1650 m above sea level that are typically covered in snow, have a shore vegetation period, and are exposed to strong winds. The trees of these forests are bent at their lower section under the weight of the enduring snow.  The main features of the top-most landscape are the bare, karst formations that alternate with forest valleys and dry grassland areas.

Velebit Degenia

Croatian Sand Rock-Cress (Arabis croatia)

Window Bellflower (Campanula fenestrellata)

Croatian Grassy Bell (Edraianthus graminofolius var. croaticus)

Croatian Sibbirhaea (Sibiraea croatica)

Fauna

Existing data on Velebit includes:

- 10 amphibian species

- 26 reptile species

- 23 species of small mammals (insectivores and rodents)

- 23 species of bat

Three large carnivores widely inhabit in the area of Velebit – the brown bear (Ursus arctos), the wolf (Canis lupus) and the lynx (lynx lynx). The otter (Lutra lutra) is also an inhabitant of Velebit.

Velebit, as a Dinaric karst area, is also very important to the subterranean habitats where there live 23 species endemic to Croatia , and partly to Velebit.

Within the proposal for the Croatian NATURA 2000 network, the Ornithological Institute of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts has singled out Velebit as an ornithological area where 18 bird species satisfy the classification criteria for the European network of NATURA 2000.

Velebit represents:

-  The most important nesting grounds of the Ortolan bunting (Emberiza hortelana ) (1500 to 2500 pairs), and

- One of the most important nesting grounds of the capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus ) in Croatia , and

- One of the most important nesting grounds of the Eurasian pygmy owl (Glaucidium passerinum ) and Boreal owl (Aegolius funereus ), as well as the white-backed woodpecker (Dendrocopus leucotos ).

Brown Bear (Ursus arctos)

Wolf (Canis lupus)

Lynx (Lynx lynx)

Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus)

Otter (Lutra lutra L.)