Kočevsko (691)
Slovenia, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2011
National site name: Kočevsko
Central coordinates: Latitude: 45.5833, Longitude: 14.8667
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 150 to 1298
Area of KBA (km2): 985.9875
Protected area coverage (%): 96.85
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Koèevsko-Kolpa is a huge area of limestone karst on the high Dinaric plateau in southern Slovenia. The coniferous, deciduous and mixed forests, which connect with Snežnik plateau and Gorski Kotar in Croatia, represent one of the largest and least populated areas of dense forest in Europe. Wooded land (including plantations) covers 95% of the area, and includes remnants of primeval forest, while pastures and grasslands cover 5%. The whole area was suddenly and almost entirely deserted by its inhabitants in 1941, and for political reasons many human settlements in the area remained abandoned after the Second World War. Formerly open areas (grasslands, orchards and villages) are thus reverting naturally to scrub and forest. The Kolpa river canyon on the international border has large cliffs on the southern slopes.
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.
Additional biodiversity: The site supports internationally important numbers of several SPECs of woodland/forest (even some boreal-type species). Breeding species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria: Haliaeetus albicilla (1 resident pair, the only known nest in Slovenia).
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (5%) | forestry (90%) | hunting (3%) | military (2%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Shrubland | 5 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 15 | |
| Forest | 80 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Ornithologically, the Koèevsko forests are not well known. Only one ornithologist has made quantitative surveys. The well preserved remnants of primeval forest are of great scientific importance.