Abstract

Velebit Nature Park is the largest and most complex protected area in Croatia. In terms of relief and vegetation, it covers the most important mountain in Croatia and the Mediterranean. It also belongs to one of the most impressive karst units in the world-the Dinaric karst. The highest part of the nature park is built of carbonate rocks-limestones, dolomites and breccia carbonates. In addition to the immense karst relief forms, ravines, oysters, sinkholes, rocks, there are a large number of speleological objects-caves and pits. Due to its exceptional natural values and importance for the preservation of the planet’s bio-and geodiversity, it is included in the network of international biosphere reserves (Man and the Biosphere Program-MAB) 1978 as a center-focus of plants and animals endemism in Croatia. In 1981, the space also becomes a nature park, the largest protected area in Croatia. Within the ecological network, the Velebit Nature Park has been designated as a core of international importance. It is also an area of the Natura 2000 ecological network. Velebit has included WWF on the list of 10 hotspots within the Mediterranean Forest Protection Program. In 2017, in NP North and NP Paklenica, beech forests are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List within 12 European countries.