Poloniny National Park

The National Park Poloniny (Slovak Národný park Poloniny ) is a Slovak National Park in the far east of the country. It extends in the mountains Bukovské Hills, which is part of the Carpathians. The core zone of the park is 298.05 km ². The Poloniny National Park is part of the Eastern Carpathians Biosphere Reserve was proclaimed in 1992, in addition to this park also includes the Polish Bieszczady National Park and the Ukrainian Uschanskyj National Park. Some items are included since 2007 a ​​UNESCO World Heritage " Beech in the Carpathians ".

The seat of government is located in Stakčín.

History

The direct predecessor of the National Park was proclaimed in 1977 the Eastern Carpathians Protected Landscape Area, which included a much larger area. In 1997, a part of the landscape protection area was converted to the National Park. Namesake of the park is the local name for Mountain Meadows, the poloniny ( Sg polo nina ) and not, as in other Slovak National Parks, the name of the mountain range ( otherwise have to the National Park Bukovské Hills hot ). On 3 December 2010 on the occasion of the International Year of Biodiversity, the National Park and was also declared a Dark Sky Park, ie to an area where the night sky to be protected from light pollution and astronomy popular education should be pursued more vigorously.

Geography

The National Park Poloniny has within Slovakia a peripheral location on the borders with Poland and Ukraine and is part of the historic landscape Zemplín. He covered the mountains Bukovské Hills, a Flyschgebirge within the Eastern Carpathians. Administratively it belongs to the political district of Prešov Region ( Okres Snina ). The nearest town is Snina. The highest point of the park is located right on Dreiländerpunkt Slovakia, Poland and the Ukraine just below the hill Kremenec ( 1208 m nm), while the easternmost point of Slovakia.

The core zone of the park covers 298.05 km ² and forms an almost completely self-contained unit. The protection zone is 109.73 km ² and includes the most sparsely populated communities within the park. Overall, the national park covers 407.78 km ².

The rivers and streams of the area belong to the catchment area of the Tisza river, a tributary of the Danube. Major rivers in the east of the park are the Ulička and Zbojský creek. In the western part there are the Udava and Cirocha. Located along this river at your local Jalova the reservoir Starina, which serves as an important water reservoir for the Eastern Slovakia.

Flora and Fauna

About 80 % of the National Park area covered by forests, where most houses grow. In the deeper layers of oak, hornbeam, and maples grow. A significant portion of them are still virgin forests; The park is considered to be the area with the greatest concentration of virgin forests in Slovakia. For this reason, some forests, such as those strictly protected in Stužica in Nová Sedlica. In addition to the dense forests of the park are for the poloniny, mountain meadows characteristic. Belonging to the Eastern Carpathians is also reflected in the local flora. In the National Park, a higher number of endemic species, rare or endangered plant species concentrated. There are far more than 1000 species of land plants and more than 800 fungal, 300 mosses and 100 species of lichens known. The ostkarpatischen endemics include the following plants: Carpathian Buttercup ( Ranunculus carpaticus ), pink black salsify ( Scorzonera rosea), Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus), Waldstein thistle ( Cirsium waldsteinii ), Euphorbia sojakii, Viola Dacica ( genus violet ) and more. For some of these plants here, the western border of its distribution. For others, such as Linum trigynum or Common Clematis (Clematis vitalba ) is here, however, the northern border.

The wildlife is determined by the presence of deciduous and mixed forests. To date, a few thousand ( depending on the source 3600-6000 ) species of invertebrates known, of which almost 1200 Beetle, or more than 300 species of spiders. The National Park provides a home for about 300 species of vertebrates, of which about two-thirds of birds, continue about 60 mammals, 13 amphibians and reptiles eight. Here live many large forest animals Slovakia, such as brown bears, wolves and otters. More rarely, you can also Eurasian lynx, bison or elk meet (the last two more from the Polish National Park ).

Tourism

In addition to various marked trails through the National Park and the presence of a few wooden churches is touristy significant, such as those in Topoľa, Rusky Potok or Ulicske Krivé.

Special Conservation

Some areas in the National Park are still well protected. These include:

• Národné Prírodné rezervácie (NPR, National Nature Reserves )

• Prírodné rezervácie (PR, nature reserves )

The national nature reserves Havešová, Rožok, Stužica since 2007 are part of the UNESCO World Heritage " Beech Forests in the Carpathians ".