Interreg Project - CarEX - Taking care of dry grasslands important for biodiversity
The Croatian Museum of Natural History participates as a project partner in the Slovenian-Croatian Interreg project
“CarEx – Taking care of dry grasslands important for biodiversity”.
The total value of the project is €684,035.59, and it started in March 2024.
Five partners participate in the project. The project holder is the National Institute of Biology - Department for the Research of Organisms and Ecosystems from Ljubljana (Slovenia), and HPM is leading the activities of inventorying butterflies and plants and researching the cross-border and local connectivity of grasslands using the example of the marsh sedge (Euphydryas aurinia).
Project name: CarEx - Taking care of dry grasslands important for biodiversity
Financing: Interreg Program Slovenia-Croatia 2021-2027
Duration: March 1, 2024 - August 31, 2026.
Total budget: €684,035.59
HPM budget: €110,262.38
The goal of the project is to develop a way to successfully manage dry mountain grasslands, precious Natura 2000 habitats, in a way to ensure a favorable state of biodiversity and to raise public awareness of the importance of providing ecological corridors that connect localities with similar ecosystems.
In order to achieve the goals of the project, field research will be carried out, in which the methodology of classic enumeration of species and the innovative method of DNA metabarcoding will be used. The results of the research will be presented at public events through workshops, consultations, lectures and discussions with the local community, thus opening a broad public discussion with local owners and users of grassland areas, public and professional institutions and organizations dealing with nature protection and sustainable use of nature, and especially with to the interested public, thus building a social consensus of engaged and responsible protection of the most valuable natural spaces and habitats.
Some of the project activities are:
* Determining the biological diversity of birds, butterflies and plants on selected areas of dry mountain grasslands and assessing the impact of different management methods. We will give special emphasis to the mapping of orchids, which are among the indicator groups of the state of grassland preservation.
* Development of invertebrate sampling protocols and protocols for comparable laboratory analysis of DNA metabarcoding.
* Designing a strategy for managing dry mountain grasslands and including ecological corridors in the network of protected areas based on research results.
* Organization of photo contests and exhibitions of the best works, promoting and inspiring the beauty of natural mountain grasslands.
The project will define key factors for the sustainable management of endangered dry grasslands in two protected areas: Kozjanski Park (in Slovenia) and Žumberak Nature Park - Samoborsko gorje (in Croatia).
The project holder is the National Institute of Biology - Department for Research on Organisms and Ecosystems, Ljubljana (Slovenia).
The project partners are:
Kozjanski Park, Podsreda (Slovenia)
Croatian Natural History Museum, Zagreb (Croatia)
JU Nature Park "Žumberak - Samoborsko gorje", Samobor (Croatia)
Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts - Institute of Ornithology, Zagreb (Croatia)
Project coordinators at the Museum:
Ph.D. Suzana Buzjak
Ph.D. Martina Šašić Kljajo
Collaborators on the project from the Museum:
Ph.D. Martina Podnar
Ph.D. Renata Brezinščak
Damjan Milošević, M.Ecol.Bio.
Find out more information about the project at:
http://www.si-hr.eu/2127/carex/
