Nature protection and biodiversity - State and impacts (Croatia)

SOER 2010 Common environmental theme (Deprecated)

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SOER Common environmental theme from Croatia

Topic: Nature and biodiversity

Published: 26 Nov 2010 Modified: 11 May 2020

The great diversity of terrestrial, marine and underground habitats has resulted in a wealth of species and subspecies with a high number of endemics. The number of known taxa (species and subspecies) in Croatia is 38,268, and they are believed to actually number between 50,000 and 100,000.

Table 1. Number of known and endemic taxa in Croatia

Group	Total number of known taxa	Number of endemic taxa	% of endemic taxa
Fungi	4,500	0	0.00
Lichen	1019	0	0.00
Plants	8,871	523	5.90
Terrestrial invertebrates	15,230	352	2.31
Freshwater invertebrates	1,850	171	9.24
Marine invertebrates	5,655	0	0.00
Freshwater fishes	152	17	12.00
Sea fishes	442	6	1.36
Amphibians	20	7	35.00
Reptiles	41	9	21.95
Nesting birds/total	233/387	0	0.00
Mammals	101	5	4.95
Total	38,268	1090	2.85

Source: State Institute for Nature Protection

Croatia is home to a considerable part of the populations of many species endangered at the European level. Based on the earlier estimate of the level of threat to the analysed plant, fungal and animal groups (vertebrates, butterflies, dragonflies, underground fauna, corals, ground beetles, stoneflies, vascular flora, lichen and fungi) there are 2,235 endangered taxa on the red list. The most highly threatened are freshwater fish, then reptiles, amphibians, dragonflies and birds [1].

Ecological network in Croatia covers 47 % of land and 39 % of sea, as well as two ecological corridors: a corridor for marine turtles and the Palagruža–Lastovo–Pelješac corridor (an area important for bird migration) and at same time represents a foundation for the EU ecological network NATURA 2000 [1].

Protected native domesticated taxa are plant varieties or animal breeds that have evolved as a result of traditional breeding and form part of the Croatian natural heritage. Estimates have been made of threats to native breeds (at national level and according to the FAO classification), for which there is a central register, while a similar system has not been established for ancient plant varieties and estimates are made randomly. According to the criteria set by the Ordinance on the Procedure for Recognition of New Breeds, Strains and Hybrids and the Lists of Native and Protected Breeds, there are 26 native breeds of domesticed animals.

Table 2. State of populations of Croatian breeds

BREED	*TOTAL NUMBER (estimate)**	STATUS	TREND
HORSES
MEĐIMURJE HORSE	37	CRITICALLY ENDANGERED	↓
CROATIAN POSAVAC HORSE	4,350	POTENTIALLY ENDANGERED	→
LIPIZZANER	1,224	POTENTIALLY ENDANGERED	→
CROATIAN COLD BLOOD HORSE	5,334	POTENTIALLY ENDANGERED	↑
DONKEYS: North Adriatic donkey Istrian donkey Littoral Dinaric donkey	1,839	CRITICALLY ENDANGERED CRITICALLY ENDANGERED HIGHLY ENDANGERED	→
CATTLE
ISTRIAN CATTLE	789	HIGHLY ENDANGERED	↑
SLAVONIAN SYRMIAN PODOLIAN CATTLE	171	CRITICALLY ENDANGERED	→
BUSHA CATTLE	269	CRITICALLY ENDANGERED	→
SHEEP AND GOATS
ISTRIAN PRAMENKA SHEEP	2,261	NOT ENDANGERED	→
RUDA (DUBROVNIK) SHEEP	491	HIGHLY ENDANGERED	→
PAG ISLAND SHEEP	30,000*	NOT ENDANGERED	→
CRES ISLAND SHEEP	15,000*	NOT ENDANGERED	→
LIKA PRAMENKA SHEEP	30,000*	NOT ENDANGERED	→
DALMATIAN PRAMENKA SHEEP	200,000*	NOT ENDANGERED	→
TZIGAI SHEEP	3,000*	POTENTIALLY ENDANGERED	↑
KRK ISLAND SHEEP	18,000*	NOT ENDANGERED	→
RAB ISLAND SHEEP	6,500*	NOT ENDANGERED	→
CROATIAN WHITE GOAT	4,000*	HIGHLY ENDANGERED	→
CROATIAN SPOTTED GOAT	25,000*	NOT ENDANGERED	→
PIGS
TUROPOLJE PIG	173	CRITICALLY ENDANGERED	↓
BLACK SLAVONIAN PIG	1,189	HIGHLY ENDANGERED	→
POULTRY
ZAGORJE TURKEY	2,681	HIGHLY ENDANGERED	↑
CROATIAN HEN	396	HIGHLY ENDANGERED	→
	HONEYBEES
Carnolian bee (Apis mellifera carnica) (thousands of hives)	310	NOT ENDANGERED	↑