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of Gorski kotar, such as Risnjak, Snježnik, Bjelolasica,
Bijele stijene and Samarske stijene.
Due to the mainly karst features of the region,
special attention should be given to particular
geomorphological and hydrogeological phenomena,
including underground areas, unique endemic cave
fauna and water networks. In addition to their species-
rich flora and fauna, natural and cultivated karst
landscapes are of particular scientific and cultural
importance, and also have great economic potential
in terms of developing eco-tourism. Karst is significant
not only in terms of nature protection, but also as an
important drinking water conservation area, and for
its valuable fertile agricultural land, which are both
indispensable for the continuation of life and further
sustainable development of this region.
It is indicative that almost all the protected natural areas
in Gorski kotar have to do with the phenomenon of karst
and are located in typical karst areas. One fine example
of a karst area of extraordinary beauty and diverse
landscape with continental, mountain and alpine
features is the region’s only strict reserve – the rocks
of Bijele stijene and Samarske stijene. All the special
natural reserves are also connected to karst phenomena,
such as the geomorphological reserve Vražji prolaz and
Zeleni vir near Skrad. In the forest vegetation reserves,
such as the Debela lipa – Velika rebar reserve above
Lokve, the phenomenon of karst is somewhat less
obvious, because these areas are distinguished for their
recognisable forest vegetation – this is the phenomenon
of the so-called “covered” karst.
Forest parks also developed on karst terrain and some
of them boast, in addition to typical forest vegetation,
some beautiful and well-developed karst features. A
typical example is Golubinjak forest park near Lokve,
which includes many karst phenomena such as caves,
ice caves, rocks, sinkholes, stone bridges, etc. Another
fine example, with several nice sinkholes, is Japlenški
vrh forest park above Delnice.
The Kamačnik protected landscape near Vrbovsko is a
canyon through which the karst stream of Kamačnik
flows. Its source is a typical karst vauclusian spring of
extraordinary beauty and unknown but definitely great
depth. Some of the natural monuments of the region
are also nice examples of karst phenomena. One of
these is the cave of Lokvarka with diverse calcite cave
formations and rare endemic cave fauna. It is therefore
expected that the entire area of Gorski kotar will
become part of the European network of protected areas
– NATURA 2000.