7.6% of Serbian territory is now under protection: Strictly protected species live there

Photo: Tanjug/AP

World Environment Day in Serbia - which has become richer by three new protected natural goods since the beginning of the year - is marked with the slogan "It's Time for Nature" as well as through campaigns aimed at preserving biodiversity and our overall natural heritage.

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The Institute for Nature Protection of Serbia recalls that these three new protected areas are of great importance - special nature reserves along the Morava River, "Brzansko Moraviste", "Osredak" and the geological phenomenon Monument of Nature "Blederija", which is the habitat for many rare and endangered species.

The director of the Institute for Nature Protection of Serbia, Aleksandar Dragisic, recalls that by declaring those areas in Serbia protected, this status is now enjoyed by 7.6 percent of the territory, i.e., 677,950 hectares within 450 areas.

Dragisic reiterated that in order to protect nature, it is equally important to make every citizen aware of the importance of preserving natural values, biodiversity and the geo-heritage of Serbia, and to contribute to their better protection through behavior and everyday attitudes, because caring for nature is caring for the humans' well-being.

The special nature reserve "Brzansko Moraviste" is in the territory of Jagodina and the municipality of Batocina, and is important from the aspect of protection of wetland birds, as part of the corridor for their migrations, and it also provides conditions for nesting of many rare and protected bird species.

As it the statement recallst, there are about 60 strictly protected species of birds in that area, of which about 30 also nest there.

Photo: Tanjug/Jaroslav Pap

"Among the species of special interest for protection, the pygmy cormorant, the little bittern, the black-crowned night heron, the gray egret, the little egret, the white stork, the black stork, the scaup, the lesser spotted eagle, the northern lapwing, the little ringed plover, the common tern, the lesser grey shrike, all stand out," it is stated and added that this is also one of the last preserved wetland habitats, the old meander of the river Velika (Great) Morava near the village of Brzan.

The nature monument "Blederija" on the southwestern edge of the Danube Key region, southwest of Kladovo, has been protected in order to preserve the richness and diversity of geodiversity forms.

The source of Blederija with four places where the springs flow out, two accumulative waterfalls, the lower of which, due to the height of about seven meters shows the beauty and richness of water, is an object of hydrological heritage of Serbia.

The special nature reserve "Osredak" is protected in order to preserve the wetland habitats in the valley of the Zapadna (West) Morava, which consist of a network of old backwaters, oxbow lakes and dozens of newly formed lakes, as well as Paleozoic crystalline shales with a high degree of metamorphism.

According to the statement, it was important to preserve the presence of 44 plant species, the remainder of the mesophilic lowland floodplain English oak forests, white and brittle willow communities, white and black poplar trees, willows, endangered plant species such as yellow water lily, clustered sedge, horsetail and comfrey, bird habitats that form parts of their migration corridors, nesting conditions for rare and protected species - in sll, 83 bird species and amphibian habitats.

(Telegraf.rs/ Tanjug)