Tatra National Park, Slovakia

The Tatra National Park (Slovak Tatra Národný park, abbr TANAP ) is the oldest Slovak national park. It extends in the central northern part of Slovakia along the same mountain range and includes the subdivisions Western Tatras, High Tatras and Belianske Tatras. The core zone covers an area of 738 km ² in the districts Žilinský ( Okresy Tvrdošín and Liptovsky Mikulas ) and Prešov Region ( Okresy Poprad and Kežmarok ). The seat of government is located in Tatranská Štrba ( part of the municipality Štrba ). The National Park is recognized by the World Conservation Union IUCN protected area category II (National Park).

Together with the Polish Tatra National Park is a national park in 1992, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. If we add a 307.03 km ² protected area, the entire area of ​​the National Park covers 1045 km ². This constitutes about 2.13 % of the area of ​​the whole Slovakia. Through the park offers many hiking trails with a total length of about 600 km and 22 bike trails.

The highest mountain in the park is the Gerlachovský stit ( Gerlsdorfer peak, 2654.4 m nm), which is also the highest mountain in Slovakia and throughout the Carpathians.

As a symbol of the National Park that also appears on the logo of the administration, the Tatra chamois (Rupicapra Rupicapra tatrica ) holds.

History

The park was by law 11/1948 Zb. the SNR ( Slovak National Council) established on January 1, 1949, therefore it is the oldest Slovak National Park. In 1987, the park around the West Tatra was extended, thus reducing the area ² rose in the protection zone of 741.11 km ² in the core area and 365.74 km. 2003, the boundaries were changed and reduced the park to the present state. Since 2004 belongs to a 617.35 km ² area within the national park to the Natura 2000 protected areas (code: SKUEV0307 ).

Geography

The national park covers completely the Slovak side of Tatras and therefore comprises the Western and the Osttatra. This division is also about the political districts Žilinský and Prešov kraj valid. The Western Tatras is divided into the following parts: Osobita, Roháče, Sivý vrch (literally Grey Mountain ), Liptovské Tatry ( Tatra Liptauer ) Liptovské Kopy, Červené Hills ( Red Mountains ). The Osttatra includes the High Tatras and the Belianske Tatras. In addition to the mountain itself there are smaller parts of the park and in the surrounding basins, particularly the Podtatranská kotlina (sub - Tatra boiler). In the context of traditional landscapes, the majority located in the Zips ( Spis ) and Liptau ( Liptov ), with a portion in the northwest of the Arwa ( Orava ).

Through the park, the watershed between two seas runs, the boundary between the areas in the area of ​​the resort Štrbské Pleso, situated on the lake of the same runs. West of the watershed streams ultimately feed the river Vah, which belongs to the catchment area of the Black Sea; significant watercourses Biely Vah, Bela and Studený Potok. East of Štrbské Pleso the area belongs to the catchment area of ​​Poprad, the water flows over the Dunajec and Vistula to the Baltic Sea. By the River Poprad and the streams Studený Potok, Biela voda Kežmarská and Biela voda are significant.

As a relic of the last ice age, there are more than a hundred glacial lakes ( the PLESA, called Sing Pleso, different from normal term jazero for a lake ) in the National Park. The most famous lake is the Štrbské Pleso ( Czech Pleso ), the largest is the Veľké Hincovo tarn with an area of 20 ha and depth of 58 m. Among the most famous Tatra waterfalls include the following: Studenovodske vodopády, Kmeťov vodopád, Vajanského vodopád, Roháčsky vodopád and Vodopád Skok.

To date, more than 300 caves are known, but only one is accessible to the public as a show cave, the Cave Belianska in the district Tatranská Kotlina (City High Tatras ). The longest known cave systems are the Mesačný Tien (literally, moon shadow ) with more than 24 km, and the Javorinka with more than 9,300 m. At the same time these are also the most profound: in the cave Mesačný Tien the height difference reaches the value of 451 m.

The highest mountain in the area of ​​the national park is the Gerlachovský stit in High Tatras. In the Western Tatras and Belianske Tatras are the Bystrá ( 2248 m nm) or the Havran ( 2152 m nm).

Climate

The Tatra is one of the coldest and wettest parts of Slovakia. In the lower zones, there is still the typical basin in Slovakia weather, until you gradually reached the summit of the highest mountains. Per 100 meters of altitude, the air temperature drops by about 0.6 ° C. In Poprad ( 672 m nm), the average annual temperature reaches 5.5 ° C, on the Lomnický stit ( 2632 m nm), it drops to -3.8 ° C. The monthly average temperature in July is 4.2 ° C on the Lomnický stit, 14.4 ° C in Stary Smokovec and 16.2 ° C in Poprad.

The winds blow mostly from the west or northwest. Due to the location and height of the mountains creates a rain shadow on the leeward Slovak side, so that the annual rainfall of about 300 mm lower than in Poland, if you compare, for example, Zakopane with Tatranská Lomnica. In Poprad, the average annual rainfall is 608 mm, on the Lomnický stit 1,561 mm. The wettest places are located in the valley Velka Studena dolina: at Zbojnícka chata values ​​are 2000-2500 mm, sometimes also detects more. As the wettest month is July, the driest February.

The snow cover usually lasts from November to May in the higher elevations and valleys to the middle of the summer. In the highest altitudes it can snow even in August.

As in other high mountains, it may come to a sudden weather change and rapid temperature changes. Unstable months are from June to August, the sunny weather in the morning can turn into a violent thunderstorm in the afternoon. Especially above the treeline is a high risk of a lightning strike. The most stable period and the best time for tourism at the end of September and October is considered the Indian summer. Late in temperature inversions are typical, so the cold air with mist flows in the basin, while continue to rule clear view and warm weather above.

Flora and Fauna

The geological structure, soil properties and climatic conditions contribute to the unique flora and fauna.

About two-thirds of the park is forested, mostly with spruce and fir trees. In addition to these species grow even Scots pine, stone pine, European larch and mountain pine. In deciduous forest of Belianske Tatras mostly grow maples. At the height of 800 N.M. to about 1550 m grow almost exclusively spruce species, sometimes spruce fir, often at the expense of the former beech forest. A up to 170 km / h strong hurricane on 19 November 2004 has destroyed extensive areas of spruce forest and in some places also changed the landscape view. The timberline is located 1550-1650 m nm Above this limit only grow isolated spruce and larch trees. Gradually, can be reached in the krummholz - level ( 1800-1850 m ceiling nm) the subalpine and alpine vegetation zone eventually.

In the area of the National Park grow nearly 1,400 species of vascular plants, of which 37 are endemic in the Tatras. These include Erysimum wahlenbergii of the genus Wallflower, Cochlearia tatrae ( spoon herbs), Erigeron hungaricus (vocational herbs) and more. Glacial relicts include, among others, the following plants: Ranunculus alpestris ( buttercup ) Ranunculus glacialis Dianthus glacialis ( cloves), Gentiana frigida ( gentians ), Primula minim (primulas ), fat hen saxifrage, herb - willow, network - grazing and other. Under the extreme conditions of the alpine meadows grow about 300 plant species, of which 40 are still well over 2600 m nm

The animal world is made up of more than a hundred species of birds, eleven species of fish and several species of reptiles, amphibians and mammals. Besides you can also an indefinite number of invertebrates. The best known species of the Tatra chamois apply ( Tatra chamois ), marmots (Alpine marmots ) and Adler ( eagle ). Next section belong grouse, brown bear, Eurasian lynx, otter, snow mice, wild cats and wolves, birds sparrow and tawny owls, eagle owls, tower and peregrine falcons as well as the following Ice Age Relics: Three-toed Woodpecker, Ring Ouzel and nutcrackers.

Special Nature Reserves

In addition to the National Park, there are a number of specially protected areas:

• Národné Prírodné rezervácie (NPR, National Nature Reserves )

• Národné Prírodné pamiatky (NPP, National Nature Monuments)

• Prírodné rezervácie (PR, nature reserves )

Problems

A major problem of the national park is the use of the land, resulting in the dispute between advocates of pure nature conservation and operators or investors in the tourism industry. Therefore, there have been several proposals for new zoning of the national park, but so far no satisfactory solution could be found. For example, a horse polo competition took place in winter 2010 held on the frozen lake Štrbské Pleso, but the lake is subject to the strictest fifth stage of conservation, where no such events are to be carried out by law. In particular, after the storm of 19 November 2004 occurs frequently ( as a result of bark beetle - over multiplication) conflicts over the export of the fallen trees and the fight against Waldkalamität. In the past there were violent conflicts in the valleys Ticha dolina dolina and Kôprová between non-governmental conservation organizations and the forestry operation or Ministry of Environment.