Ecology versus toponymy: ecological reassessment of a historically misnamed locality (Sunđer, Velebit Mountain)
Authors: Andreja Brigić, Vedran Šegota, Fran Rebrina, Antun Alegro, Andrej Stroj, Anja Rimac, Marija Bučar
Authors and affiliation
Abstract
Peatlands are unique ecosystems that differ significantly from other wetlands in terms of landforms, hydromorphology, water chemistry, nutrient availability, and the diversity of organisms and life forms they support. They are globally important for biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and the preservation of long-term paleoenvironmental records due to their slow accumulation of organic matter. In Croatia, the four southernmost peatlands (Sunđerac, Ljubica, Rakita, and Vodice kod Petrašice) are located along the Velebit Mountain range. However, for decades, scientific literature suggested the presence of an additional peatland known as “Sunđer.” This name caused confusion as it implied the existence of a separate site, distinct from Sunđerac. The misinterpretations probably stemmed from Pevalek’s 1925 report, where he misnamed Sunđerac, calling it “Sunđer”, and was inaccurate in his mapping of the location. The discovery of a permanent pond, Solila, close to the “Sunđer” locality, has reopened the debate and led to further ecological research. We investigated bryophytes, vascular plants and ground beetles, reliable indicators of peatland habitat quality, to test whether Solila could represent the long-misidentified “Sunđer” mire. No species characteristic of peatland ecosystems were found in any of the indicator groups. The only vascular plant species associated with mire vegetation was Carex echinata, which also occurs in acidic grasslands and spruce mire forests. Nevertheless, in this relatively small area, we found a surprisingly high diversity of plants and ground beetles, including riparian species, that would not be found in this area without permanent surface water. Permanent ponds such as Solila can therefore make a significant contribution to local biodiversity in karst landscapes.
Keywords
Sunđer, Sunđerac, transitional mire, permanent pond