CROATIAN BOTANICAL SOCIETY

Projects

Our activities include managing professional projects and performing expert analyses. So far, several dozens of projects have been conducted by regular members of the Society. The projects are mainly concerning botanical surveys of specific areas, most often legally protected ones. So far, the Society conducted such surveys of National Parks Plitvička jezera, Krka and Sjeverni Velebit, Nature Parks Vransko jezero, Velebit and Papuk, Significant Landscape Donji Kamenjak i Medulinski arhipelag, Natura site Delta Neretve etc. The surveys mainly include floristic and vegetation studies for the purpose of conservation and management of protected areas, based on expert studies and analyses.

All members of the Society are invited to manage professional projects within the Society. More information about the application of projects and project management rules are given in the Ordinance on internal conduct, available to all members upon request.

For all info, please contact hbod.botanic@gmail.com.

Overview of some projects

Mapping of the snowdrop (Galanthus reginae-olgae Orph.) in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County

The area of distribution of Queen Olga’s snowdrop (Galanthus reginae-olgae) is limited to the Balkan Peninsula and Sicily, and the northern populations in Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia are relatively rare and poorly known. The species was not known to Croatia until 2012. As a part of this project, its distribution in southern Croatia was investigated. As many as 32 localities have been recorded from Konavle to Pelješac Peninsula and the Neretva Valley, which represents a significant contribution to the knowledge of the distribution of this species in Croatia and the Balkan Peninsula. The morphological characteristics of the populations indicate that only the “spring” subspecies Galanthus reginae-olgae ssp. vernalis occurs in Croatia.

Floristic research of the area Pliš-Mališčak-Turjak-Lapjak in the Papuk Nature Park

During 2022, the floristic investigation of the area Pliš, Mališčak, Turjak, Lapjak and Stinice has been conducted with the aim of their future protection in the category of botanical reserve. The floristic richness and uniqueness of this area is reflected in as many as 419 recorded taxa, a large number of endangered and strictly protected species, orchids and other rare species characteristic of thermophylous grasslands and thickets as well as silicate rocks.

Bryophyte flora of the Significant Landscape “Lower Kamenjak and Medulin Archipelago”

Bryophyte flora of the Significant Landscape “Lower Kamenjak and Medulin Archipelago” in Istria was studied from 2019 to 2021. The study resulted in a list of 14 liverwort and 60 moss taxa. Records of Tortula pallida, Bryum gemmilucens, Microbryum davallianum var. conicum and Microbryum muticum are new for the flora of Croatia. The majority of registered bryophytes inhabited periodically moist soil of open habitats in olive groves, maquis and garrigues. This study aimed to address the significant lack of recent data on bryophytes in coastal parts of Croatia.

Velebit House – Krasno Visitor Centre

Members of Croatian Botanical Society in the cooperation with Croatian Natural History Museum designed a concept for installing the multimedia visitor centre Velebit House in Krasno, in the part which shows floristic and vegetation characteristics of National Park Sjeverni Vlebit in the accessible and interesting way. The project was active in 2015 and 2016, while more can be found at https://kuca-velebita.np-sjeverni-velebit.hr/.

Flora and vegetation of byrophytes and vascular plants of tufa waterfalls of Plitvička jezera 

Although tufa waterfalls are one of the basic phenomena of Plitvice lakes and the associated vegetation (in biomass) represents the largest part of living organisms, this project was the first systematic study encompassing total macrophyte vegetation (vascular plants and bryophytes) simultaneously. During a three-year project (2016-2018) phytocoenological investigation of tufa waterfalls was conducted, including 8 km long lake and waterfall system, from Prošćansko jezeto to the beginning of Korana river.

Diatoms of Krka River – from spring to delta

The biodiversity of diatoms along the whole reach of river Krka in National Park was investigated within the course of this project. The project encouraged the founding of national Croatian Collection of Diatoms, i.e. collection of permanent microscopic preparations collected in Croatian territory (https://www.diatoms.biol.pmf.hr/). The project was carried out together with Division of Biology, Faculty of Science in Zagreb, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Ruđer Bošković Institute in Zagreb and National Park Krka.

The research of Characeae in Vransko jezero

Changes in the composition and cover of Characeae and other macrohytes in Vransko jezero were systematically surveyed during a three-year project (2018-2021). The survey included over 40 permanent sites in the lake. Recent data point to negative trends due to frequent droughts, eutrophication and inflow of salt water into the lake.

Revitalization of peat bog habitat of Special Botanical Reserve Đon-Močvar

This multidisciplinary project brought together botanists and zoologists with the aim to preserve the largest and probably oldest Sphagnum peat bog in Croatia – Đon Močvar near the village Blatuša in Banovina. The impact of mowing and removal of woody species on the renewal of peat bog habitats was studied within the project. Apart from briophytes and vascular plants, the study included macrozoobenthos and plankton of water habitats, microfauna of protozoa and metazoa and terrestrial fauna.