BIODIVERSITY

Since the Karst region borders on the Julian Alps, the Adriatic Sea, the plains of Friuli and the Dinaric Alps, it boasts a rich mosaic of natural environments ments which provide habitats to exceptonally diverse plant and animal species.

Plants from the Alpine, Pontic, Illyrian and Italic regions all seem to thrive on the karst landscape, which reconfirms the fact that the Karst lies in the very heart of Europe. Botanits know that the Gorizia and the Trieste karst regions boats no less than 1,800 different plant species. One has to admit this is an exceptionally high number for such a small geographical area.

Without a doubt, the dynamic karst landscape is the reason for this outstanding biodiversity. In the Karst, we find forests, dry and wet grasslands, intermittent lake, sinkhole ponds, chasms, scree slopes. stone meadows, fields, orchards, vineyards, underground caves and many other habitats. In other words, the Karst is a microcosmos.

If you would like to explore some of the rich biodiversity of karst fauna and flora for yourself, you can take a guided tour of the natural park at Lago di Doberdò (Lake Doberdò) or visit the Carsiana Botanical Garden in Sgonico (Zgonik), the Centro Didattico Naturalistico in Basovizza (Basovica), the natural park in the ravine of Val Rosandra (Dolina Glinišče), the Duino Cliffs Regional Nature Reserve, the natural park of Monte Lanaro (Volnik) or walk along the trail of the park Globojner.