engleski

Relation between hydrological characteristics and anthropogenic influence in the context of lake protection – case studies of Plitvice Lakes and Vrana Lake in Dalmatia (Croatia)

Lakes represent especially fragile and valuable aquatic systems, therefore often protected by law in the category of a national park, nature park, special reserve, natural monument or important landscape. Protection of lake's ecosystems is mostly based on unfavourable anthropogenic impact assessment and finding a way of diminishing it. What is often neglected are the hydrological mechanisms of lakes' systems and the consequent changes in hydrological conditions which can significantly increase the risk of potential unfavourable impact, hence making an important issue to consider in the complex integrative protection approach. This paper analyzes the problematics on the case study of Plitvice Lakes National Park, more specifically its largest lake Kozjak, and of Vrana Lake near Biograd, protected with its immediate surroundings in the status of a nature park. Both lakes have originated from karst area, but retained their specificities. While the lake Kozjak, with the surface of 0.83 km2, makes an integral part of a 16 lakes cascade with flowing water, Vrana Lake is the largest natural stagnant waterbody in Croatia, comprising 30.2 km2 of surface, with depth so small defining it partly as a wetland. Different geographical positions and different depths condition the water dynamics of these two lakes. The given paper analyzes interrelations of characteristic water quality parameters and yearly flow variations in the water systems of each of the mentioned lakes, and also, on a larger time scale, defines relation trends between the two lakes themselves. Special attention has been given to salification mechanism analysis of Vrana Lake, and the consequences of this process on the lake's system. The importance of integral observation of natural and anthropogenic influences is determined, pointing out the impact of water quality and hydrological conditions on biological characteristics of the lakes' systems, and providing the guidelines for improving their protection.

lakes ; nature protection ; hydrological systems ; water quality ; Plitvice Lakes ; Vrana Lake (Dalmatia)

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