Mount Biokovo and Rilic (24003)
Croatia, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2010
National site name: Biokovo i Rilić
Central coordinates: Latitude: 43.2560, Longitude: 17.1690
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 61 to 1760
Area of KBA (km2): 374.37965
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Biokovo is a high mountain with extensive rocky habitats and cliffs, especially on the coastal site. Forests are represented mainly by submediterranean white oak forests and aleppo pine groves. Open habitats are mostly rocky with dry grasslands. It is the second most important breeding area of Ortolan Bunting. Birds are threatened by changes in traditional farming, excessive or illegal hunting and unregulated recreational activities and tourism.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard. KBA identified by the 2010 CEPF Mediterranean Ecosystem Profile process. Taxonomy and threat status follow the 2008 IUCN Red List. The site holds a significant population of the following species which, although Red-List-assessed as Least Concern at the global level, is thought to have a restricted range, therefore the site has been tagged with the KBA Irreplaceability 1 criterion: PLANTAE: Pinus nigra J.F. Arnold ssp. dalmatica (Visiani) France.
Delineation rationale: Area changed from 19556 ha to 37718 ha, as part of 2010 revision of IBAs/proposed SPAs.