Nature
LJUBLJANA MARSH in the past and present time
In the beginning of the 19th century, Ljubljana Marsh (160 km2) was the southernmost European raised bog, and the only lowland raised bog in Slovenia. The raised bog, encompassing 110 km2, was not used for agriculture and only rarely for pasturing. The areas along Ljubljanica River and other small water courses were covered with fens which were only occasionally mowed. At the end of the 18th century, and particularly after the year 1825, extensive drainage activities began in order to reduce flooding and convert the area for agricultural production and later also for the establishment and construction of infrastructure. Both, the construction of drainage ditches and intensive peat harvesting in the last 200 years have changed the former marshes into a cultural landscape. Today, Ljubljana Marsh is a mosaic of villages, fields, pastures, intensively cultivated meadows, hedges, tree plantations, small forest stands and the remains of previously the most extensive wet grasslands, interspersed with a dense network of roads, paths and drainage ditches. A special character to the landscape give Ljubljanica River and other small natural water courses surrounded by abundant riparian vegetation.
In 2008, Ljubljana Marsh was proclaimed as a Nature Park (135 km2) due to high biodiversity, important landscape features and the presence of national and internationally important values of cultural and natural heritage.
Important plant and animal species and their habitats on the Ljubljana Marsh
Ljubljana Marsh, until recently one of the largest complexes of wet grasslands in Slovenia, is still the habitat of several endangered and protected plant and animal species. It is a Natura 2000 site for 7 habitat types, 1 plant and 53 animal species.
Plant species: Liparis loeselii
Animal species: Anisus vorticulus, Vertigo angustior, Unio crassus, Austropotamobius torrentium, Coenagrion ornatum, Cordulegaster heros, Osmoderma eremita, Coenonympha oedippus, Euphydryas aurinia, Lycaena dispar, Phengaris teleius, Eudontomyzon mariae, Hucho hucho, Barbus meridionalis, Leuciscus souffia, Rhodeus sericeus amarus, Rutilus pigus, Cobitis taenia, Misgurnus fossilis, Cottus gobio, Bombina variegata, Triturus carnifex, Proteus anguinus, Emys orbicularis, Nycticorax nycticorax, Egretta alba, Ardea purpurea, Pernis apivorus, Circus aeruginosus, Circus cyaneus, Circus pygargus, Falco vespertinus, Coturnix coturnix, Crex crex, Grus grus, Pluvialis apricaria, Vanellus vanellus, Scolopax rusticola, Numenius arquata, Otus scops, Bubo bubo, Aluda arvensis, Saxicola rubetra, Locustella naevia, Acrocephalus schoenobaenus, A. arundinaceus, Sylvia nisoria, Lanius collurio, Miliaria calandra; Rhinolophus hipposideros, Myotis myotis, Lutra lutra
Habitat types: HT 3260 – Water courses of plain to montane levels with the Ranunculion fluitantis and Callitricho-Batrachion vegetation, HT 6410 – Molinia meadows on calcareous, peaty or clayey-silt-laden soils (Molinion caeruleae), HT 6430 – Hydrophilous tall herb fringe communities of plains and of the montane to alpine levels, HT 6510 – Lowland hay meadows (Alopecurus pratensis, Sanguisorba officinalis), HT 7230 – Alkaline fens, HT 91KO – Illyrian Fagus sylvatica forests (Aremonio-Fagion), HT 91LO – Illyrian oak-hornbeam forests (Erythronio-Carpinion)
Major threats to the biodiversity on the Ljubljana Marsh
- intensification of grassland management (early and frequent mowing, baling of hay in a plastic foil, mowing the entire grassland in a single year, fertilisation, intensive grazing)
- ploughing of grasslands (conversion of grassland to intensive pastures and fields)
- burning of grasslands
- the use of pesticides, herbicides and insecticides
- regular cleaning of existing drainage ditches and depositing the excavated material on the grassland surface along the ditch
- excavation of new drainage ditches
- deposition of soil and waste material on grasslands
- urbanization (expansion of industrial areas, villages, illegal rubbish heaps)