Lika Karst Fields (24007)
Croatia, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2010
National site name: Lička krška polja
Central coordinates: Latitude: 44.5720, Longitude: 15.4990
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 446 to 1345
Area of KBA (km2): 830.22842
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The complex of Karst polje with extensive wet and dry grasslands, flooded lowlands, rivers and underground streams. It includes Licko, Kosinjsko, Gacko, Krbavsko, Crnacko, Stajnicko, Gracacko polje and Bjelopolje. The area also includes hills covered mainly with beech and fir-beech forests. It is one of the most important breeding area for Lesser Grey Shrike and Corncrake in Croatia. The main threats to birds originate from changes in traditional farming, excessive or illegal hunting, river canalization, changes of water level in grasslands and agricultural intensification.
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.
Delineation rationale: Area changed from 287819 ha to 83558 ha, as part of 2010 revision of IBAs/proposed SPAs.