Dinaric Region Research Articles

Conceptual Model Based on Groundwater Dynamics in the Northern Croatian Dinaric Region at the Transition from the Deep Karst and Fluviokarst

Conceptual Model Based on Groundwater Dynamics in the Northern Croatian Dinaric Region at the Transition from the Deep Karst and Fluviokarst

Proučavanje razvića Bihaćkog i Cazinskog basena primenom gravimetrijskih podataka

The Bihać and Cazina basins, classified as Neogene formations, are situated within the external Dinarides, originating during the late stages of Dinarides' evolution. To scrutinize the developmental trajectory of these basins, gravitational data proves instrumental. Employing diverse mathematical transformation techniques on gravity data unveils the gravitational influence of the low-density Neogene basins, facilitating the detection of structures potentially linked to their genesis. Contacts delineated through these transformations predominantly exhibit a northwest-southeast extension, characteristic of the Dinaric region. Additionally, distinctive lineaments, diverging in orientation, were noted in the central survey area, stretching southwest-northeast. These features likely played a role in segregating the depocenter, thereby fostering the bifurcation of the basins, instead of a singular formation.

Comparative analysis of reading comprehension in educational systems of Dinaric region

Comparative analysis of reading comprehension in educational systems of Dinaric region

Becoming a Woman-Man

Abstract The phenomenon of female cross-dressing and gaining the social role of a man has been witnessed in the tribal patriarchal society of the remotest parts of the Dinaric region since the nineteenth century. Once found within both Slavic and Albanian populations, today sworn virgins have been rapidly vanishing, and are rarely still found in northern Albania. The fact that occurrence was equally common among Orthodox, Catholic, and Muslim populations in the remotest mountain regions points to the phenomenon's ancientness. As women who aspired to the social status of men, sworn virgins did not cease to be women; only the “degree” of their womanhood or manhood varied. Examining this social phenomenon as a third gender, this article contextualizes it through Judith Butler's theory of performativity. It also focuses on the relatedness of the phenomenon to the ancient past, turning to existing theories, but also providing an original contribution to the third gender debate.

Emerging organic contaminants in springs of the highly karstified Dinaric region

Emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) have become of increasing interest due to concerns about their impact on humans and the wider environment. Karst aquifers are globally widespread, providing critical water supplies and sustaining rivers and ecosystems, and are particularly susceptible to pollution. However, EOC distributions in karst remain quite poorly understood. This study looks at the occurrence of EOCs in the Croatian karst, which is an example of the “classical” karst, a highly developed type of karst that occurs throughout the Dinaric region of Europe. Samples were collected from 17 karst springs and one karst lake used for water supply in Croatia during two sampling campaigns. From a screen of 740 compounds, a total of 65 compounds were detected. EOC compounds from the pharmaceutical (n = 26) and agrochemical groups (n = 26) were the most frequently detected, while industrials and artificial sweeteners had the highest concentrations (range 8–440 ng/L). The number of detected compounds and the frequency of detection demonstrate the vulnerability of karst to EOC pollution. Concentrations of 5 compounds (acesulfame, sucralose, perfluorobutane sulfonate, emamectin B1b, and triphenyl phosphate) exceeded EU standards and occurred at concentrations that are likely to be harmful to ecosystems. Overall, most detections were at low concentrations (50 % <1 ng/L). This may be due to high dilution within the exceptionally large springs of the Classical karst, or due to relatively few pollution sources within the catchments. Nevertheless, EOC fluxes are considerable (10 to 106 ng/s) due to the high discharge of the springs. Temporal differences were observed, but without a clear pattern, reflecting the highly variable nature of karst springs that occurs over both seasonal and short-term timescales. This research is one of a handful of regional EOC investigations in karst groundwater, and the first regional study in the Dinaric karst. It demonstrates the need for more frequent and extensive sampling of EOCs in karst to protect human health and the environment.

First data on testate amoebae associated with the endemic cave bivalve Congeria jalzici Morton &amp;amp; Bilandžija, 2013 with a description of Psammonobiotus dinarica sp. nov.

Testate amoebae are phylogenetically a very diverse group of eukaryotic microorganisms. They can be found in marine and freshwater habitats and in soil. Some of these single-celled organisms inhabit both surface and cave habitats, but their diversity in caves has barely been explored. Recent studies in the Dinaric region imply that testate amoebae in caves show a high diversity. The aim of this study was to identify the alpha diversity of testate amoebae in the Lika region (Dinaric karst, Croatia) and to compare the habitats of different caves based on testate amoebae assemblages. In eight caves we found more than 40 testate amoebae taxa, including a new testate amoeba species, Psammonobiotus dinaricasp. nov. The greatest diversity of testate amoebae was found in Markov ponor (27 taxa). The Bray-Curtis Similarity Index showed that testate amoebae assemblages in caves inhabited by the endemic and endangered cave bivalve Congeria jalzici (Markov ponor, Dankov ponor and Dražice ponor) differ from caves not inhabited by this species. This differentiation is attributed to the impact of the sinking Lika river, which occasionally completely submerges these caves, creating specific habitats for eukaryotic microorganisms. This study contributes to our understanding of the diversity, biogeography and ecology of testate amoebae in caves, as well as providing further insight into the conditions that sustain populations of C. jalzici.

Diversity and distribution of genus Amegilla Friese, 1897 in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Hymenoptera: Apoidea)

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the genus Amegilla Friese, 1897 is represented by four species. The known diversity of species of the genus Amegilla in Bosnia and Herzegovina was compared with current data on the diversity of bees in the Balkan Peninsula and Europe as a whole. Through extensive field research carried out in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the presence of the following Amegilla species was established: Amegilla albigena (Lepeletier, 1841), Amegilla garrula (Rossi, 1790), and Amegilla quadrifasciata (de Villers, 1789). Additionally, the species Amegilla magnilabris (Fedtschenko, 1875) was documented based on specimens stored in the Zoological Collection of the National Museum in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Amegilla species are distributed in the Mediterranean and Pannonian regions. It's significant to mention that the distribution of Amegilla species in Bosnia and Herzegovina appears to be influenced by specific climatic and geographic factors. These species tend to be absent in the Dinaric region characterized by a continental climate, suggesting a preference for other ecological niches. Analyzing the distribution data further reveals the thermophilic nature of Amegilla species, primarily favoring open-type habitats. The research results highlight the significance of certain climatic variables in shaping their habitat suitability. For instance, the variable Bio 9, representing the mean temperature of the quarter with the least rainfall (the driest period), significantly influences the suitability of the habitat for Amegilla albigena (38.0%) and Amegilla quadrifasciata (16.1%). Meanwhile, for Amegilla garrula, the variable Bio 1, representing the mean annual temperature, plays a pivotal role, accounting for 36.2% of its habitat suitability. These findings underscore the importance of understanding the intricate relationships between climatic factors and species distribution, shedding light on the ecological intricacies of Amegilla species in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Diversity of Spring Invertebrates and Their Habitats: A Story of Preferences

Springs, as unique ecotonal habitats between surface and hypogean areas, are considered endangered aquatic ecosystems due to direct and indirect human impacts and climate change issues. They are distinctive water habitats that are often inhabited by a diverse but mostly stenotypic group of organisms. The present study considered 31 springs from the Apuseni Mountains (the Romanian Carpathians) that were classified as rheocrene, helocrene, and limnocrene based on their geomorphology and hydrology. Samples from three substrate types (rocks, sand, and bryophytes) were collected using standard methods for crenic invertebrates. A total of 64,462 individuals belonging to 17 invertebrate taxa were identified: aquatic worms, mollusks, crustaceans, water mites, and insects. Amphipoda and Diptera–Chironomidae were the dominant taxa in most springs. At a community level, patterns of habitat preference were demonstrated for 12 invertebrate groups using the standardized selection index (B) and expressed as the number of springs where a certain group selected rocks, sand, and/or bryophytes: Four groups exhibited preferences for bryophytes (Coleoptera, Diptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera), Ephemeroptera exhibited preferences for rocks, and Copepoda exhibited preferences for sand. Amphipoda, Platyhelminthes, and Ostracoda displayed preferences for all three substratum types, while Gastropoda, Hydrachnidia, and Oligochaeta recorded lower percentages in springs where habitat preferences were significant. In addition, crenic invertebrates were divided into three guilds, depending on their dispersion abilities in any stage of their life cycle: sedentary (not-winged groups), mobile (winged groups), and ectoparasites (water mites that were able to leave the springs on their winged hosts). Sedentary taxa recorded higher percentages of abundances and habitat preferences towards rocks and sand, while ectoparasites (Hydrachnidia) and the mobile guilds tended to prefer bryophytes. This segregation might be explained by individual adaptations to the particularities of each type of substratum, such as the bodily form of the copepods, which are well suited for sand interstices, a habitat that our data showed that they preferred. Our results represent novel contributions to the knowledge of habitat preferences of spring invertebrates from the Apuseni Mountains, adding value to similar data from the Western Carpathians, the Alps, and the Dinaric region.

Cymbopleura amicula stat nov. et. nom. nov. (Bacillariophyceae)—a rare diatom species from a karst river in Croatia

The Krka River is located at Balkan Peninsula in the Dinaric region of Croatia and it is a typical groundwater-fed karst river characterized by an unusual phenomenon-tufa. Tufa designates porous CaCO3 deposits forming under specific physical and chemical conditions and hosting very diverse freshwater biota. Karst springs are considered one of the most diverse habitats for diatoms and are usually inhabited by specific diatom assemblages, which include the Krka spring zone. However, such habitats are particularly impacted by human activities, so previous studies have recently been conducted to raise awareness of the importance of karstic spring zones, especially because they are inhabited by specific and rare species. During the research at Krka River, samples were collected in the spring zone in May 2017, and the observations revealed the existence of a one Cymbopleura species characterized by slightly convex to almost linear valves, which are slightly protracted, broadly rounded and weakly dorsally bent at the apices. Based on detailed morphological analyses on light and scanning electron microscopy it appears that this population resembles two previously described taxa: C. rupicola var. minor Krammer and C. rupicola var. korana Krammer. Here we provide a more detailed description of the mentioned population under the new name Cymbopleura amicula stat. nov. et nom. nov. due to the significant differences from C. rupicola, together with a comparison with similar taxa in Cymbopleura.

Border-Crossings and Migration in the Croatian and Slavonian Military Frontiers in the Early Modern Period

Significant geographical discoveries and the emergence of modern cartography, when combined with the concept of a territorial state, brought meaningful changes how borders were conceived during the early modern period. A diffuse image that had prevailed from antiquity to the late Middle Ages was replaced by a clear idea of a fixed border (Baramova, 2010). The role of the Military Frontier as a wider borderland was two-fold: It served as a buffer zone against the Ottoman Empire for the Habsburg hereditary lands and the still unconquered Croatian territories, and it was also an area of intense migration, especially for the Vlach population from the southeastern Dinaric region. After the suppression of the Ottomans and the first international demarcation of the Croatian territories in 1699/1700, migration to the Military Frontier increased, both from the central European area and from the southern and southwestern parts of the Balkan Peninsula. This paper discusses the role and perception of this borderland and especially of Croatia’s Military Frontier. Through interpretation and explanation of several typical examples of border crossings in this area, both before and after the first official demarcation in 1699, the paper will attempt to answer the question of how the migration processes influence the development and strengthening of the early modern state and its institutions.

Current Status and Recent Stand Structure Dynamics in Mixed Silver Fir—European Beech Forests in Croatian Dinarides: Are There Differences between Managed and Unmanaged Forests?

The environmental, social and economic potential of Dinaric uneven-aged forests along with the complex stand dynamics influenced by different long-term management approaches and environmental factors require comprehensive forest monitoring. This study aimed to explore differences in the current status and recent past dynamics of stand structures between unmanaged and managed mixed fir-beech forests in the Croatian part of the Dinaric Alps using large-scale data from an established monitoring system. From the 74 permanent sample plots distributed within the forest type measured in 2008 and re-measured in 2019, we stratified four strata (types of management regimes): (1) forests out of regular management and tree harvest for at least 30 years, (2) managed state forests on carbonate bedrock, (3) managed state forests on non-carbonate bedrock and (4) managed private forests. In each sample plot, 34 structural attributes were computed to assess indicators of their current status and recent past dynamics of stands in the studied forests. An increasing Q shape diameter distribution with a high number of large and very large trees characterize unmanaged forests and managed forests on non-carbonate bedrock. In managed state forests and private forests, variable (rotated sigmoid) and constant (negative exponential) results were obtained, respectively. Principal component analysis (PCA) distinguished managed and unmanaged forests with decreasing harvest volume and recruitment, increasing basal area, number of very large trees, average diameter at breast height (DBH), crown defoliation of firs and basal area of died beech trees. The current structure, recent and expected stand dynamics in the unmanaged forests (accumulation of standing volume, increase of large diameter trees and large snags, large share of beech, large mean DBH) can be recognized as old-growth attributes. The differences between the studied forest types, potential of both unmanaged and state managed fir-beech forests and approaches to sustain multifunctional forest management in the Dinaric region were discussed.

Contribution to the knowledge of the water mite (Acari: Hydrachnidia) fauna of Croatia - New data and records from a permanent pool in the Dinaric karst region

Contribution to the knowledge of the water mite (Acari: Hydrachnidia) fauna of Croatia - New data and records from a permanent pool in the Dinaric karst region

Radioactivity of soil in Croatia I: naturally occurring decay chains.

The assessment of environmental radioactivity much relies on radionuclide content in soil. This stems from the significant contribution of soil to both external and internal exposure to ionising radiation via direct emission of gamma radiation and soil-to-plant radionuclide transfer, respectively. This motivated us to carry out a systematic research on the radioactivity of soil in Croatia to obtain relevant data that can be used as a basis for understanding the related effects of geomorphological, biogeographical, and climatological properties of the environment. We collected samples of the surface layer of uncultivated soil (0–10 cm) at 138 sites from all over the country and measured them for radionuclide activity concentrations by means of high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry. This resulted in radioactivity maps containing data on activity concentrations of representative radionuclides in the environment. In this paper, which is the first in our two-part presentation, we focus on the naturally occurring 232Th and 238U decay chains and their correlations with the diversity of Croatian regions. For both of the chains, activity concentrations were the highest in the Dinaric region, the lowest in the Pannonian region, and intermediate in the Adriatic region. Relatively high concentrations of 226Ra in the soil of the Dinaric region implied a possibility of an enhanced emanation of its progeny 222Rn into the air. Activity concentrations of 210Pb were additionally elevated in areas with dense vegetation, most probably due to an atmospheric deposition of airborne 210Pb onto the surface of plants and their eventual decomposition on the ground.

Radioactivity of soil in Croatia II: 137Cs, 40K, and absorbed dose rate.

We took samples of uncultivated soil from the surface layer (0–10 cm) at 138 sites from all over Croatia and measured their radionuclide activity concentrations with high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry. This second part of our report brings the results on 40K and 137Cs to complement those on the 232Th and 238U decay chains addressed in the first part. Together they give the most complete picture of radioactivity of Croatian soil so far. Activity concentrations of 40K were the highest in the Pannonian region, and there was an opposite trend for 137Cs. We found that the concentrations of 137Cs tended to increase with altitude, annual precipitation, and vegetation density. The concentration ratio of 137Cs and K in soil, which indicates the potential for 137Cs entering food chains via uptake by plants, was the lowest in agriculturally important areas in the east of the Pannonian region. In addition, we used the obtained results on activity concentrations to calculate the related absorbed dose rate as a measure of external exposure to ionising radiation from soil. The sum of the absorbed dose rates for naturally occurring radionuclides and 137Cs showed that external exposure was generally the highest in the Dinaric region and Istrian Peninsula.

Shear-wave velocity structure beneath the Dinarides from the inversion of Rayleigh-wave dispersion

The interaction between the Adriatic microplate (Adria) and Eurasia is the main driving factor in the central Mediterranean tectonics. Their interplay has shaped the geodynamics of the whole region and formed several mountain belts including Alps, Dinarides and Apennines. Among these, Dinarides are the least investigated and little is known about the underlying geodynamic processes. There are numerous open questions about the current state of interaction between Adria and Eurasia under the Dinaric domain. One of the most interesting is the nature of lithospheric underthrusting of Adriatic plate, e.g. length of the slab or varying slab disposition along the orogen. Previous investigations have found a low-velocity zone in the uppermost mantle under the northern-central Dinarides which was interpreted as a slab gap. Conversely, several newer studies have indicated the presence of the continuous slab under the Dinarides with no trace of the low velocity zone.Thus, to investigate the Dinaric mantle structure further, we use regional-to-teleseismic surface-wave records from 98 seismic stations in the wider Dinarides region to create a 3D shear-wave velocity model. More precisely, a two-station method is used to extract Rayleigh-wave phase velocity while tomography and 1D inversion of the phase velocity are employed to map the depth dependent shear-wave velocity. Resulting velocity model reveals a robust high-velocity anomaly present under the whole Dinarides, reaching the depths of 160 km in the north to more than 200 km under southern Dinarides. These results do not agree with most of the previous investigations and show continuous underthrusting of the Adriatic lithosphere under Europe along the whole Dinaric region. The geometry of the down-going slab varies from the deeper slab in the north and south to the shallower underthrusting in the center. On-top of both north and south slabs there is a low-velocity wedge indicating lithospheric delamination which could explain the 200 km deep high-velocity body existing under the southern Dinarides.

Habitats and Diversity of Subterranean Macroscopic Freshwater Invertebrates: Main Gaps and Future Trends

Caves are the best studied aquatic subterranean habitat, but there is a wide variety of these habitats, ranging in depth below the surface and size of the spaces (pore or habitat size). Both factors are important in setting limits to species composition and richness. In addition to caves, among the most important shallow aquatic subterranean habitats are the hyporheal (underflow of rivers and streams), the hypotelminorheal (very superficial drainages with water exiting in seeps), epikarst, and calcrete aquifers. Although it is little studied, both body size and species composition in the different habitats is different. Because of high levels of endemism and difficulty in access, no subterranean habitats are well sampled, even caves. However, there are enough data for robust generalizations about some geographic patterns. Individual hotspot caves are concentrated in the Dinaric region of southern Europe, and overall, tropical regions have fewer obligate aquatic cave dwellers (stygobionts). In all subterranean aquatic habitats, regional diversity is much higher than local diversity, but local diversity (especially single cave diversity) may be a useful predictor of regional species richness. In Europe there is a ridge of high aquatic subterranean species richness basically extending east from the French–Spanish border. Its cause may be either high productivity or that long-term temperature oscillations are at a minimum. With increased collecting and analysis, global and continental trends should become clearer.

Ornithogalum sibthorpii Greuter (Asparagaceae), a species overlooked in Croatia

Ornithogalum sibthorpii (Asparagaceae) is an early flowering species, with populations scattered across the Balkan Peninsula and Turkey. It inhabits rocky places and clearings, open habitats, parks and marginal parts of wetlands. Based on the known distribution, habitat preferences and literature records for the Balkan Peninsula, it was hypothesised that this species might be distributed in Croatia as well. To confirm this, herbarium material was revised, and field investigations were organized. The first report confirmed that O. sibthorpii is widespread along the eastern Adriatic coast, reaching the inland Dinaric region too. To present the currently known localities in Croatia, a distribution map is provided. Detailed morphological and leaf anatomy descriptions are given. Morphological affinities with similar species, O. excapum and O. refractum, are also briefly discussed, and an identification key is given. All Croatian populations of O. sibthorpii proved to be diploids with chromosome number 2n = 18.

Modeling Tree Species Count Data in the Understory and Canopy Layer of Two Mixed Old-Growth Forests in the Dinaric Region

The distribution of tree species has traditionally been analyzed based on tree diameter (DBH) as a continuous variable. However, this approach does not usually provide information on how species are distributed across the area of interest. In this study, an inverse approach was applied to investigate tree distribution patterns in two Dinaric old-growth forest stands composed primarily of European beech, silver fir, and Norway spruce. Specifically, the variance-to-mean relationship of tree counts based on 80 plots (40 in each old-growth stand) were evaluated by using a dispersion index. Understory trees exhibited clumped and random patterns, whereas canopy trees were mostly distributed in a random manner. A regular pattern was only determined for beech and all trees in the canopy layer (two cases out of ten). The observed discrete variables were further compared with three theoretical distributions. It was found that a Poisson, binomial, and negative binomial model best fitted the observed count data, which, based on the dispersion index, exhibited a random, regular, and clumped pattern, respectively. The frequency of plots with low species presence and complete absence of species was also revealed. Consequently, the analysis and modeling of tree counts can be of practical use for species conservation purposes.

Iron Age farming in the Central European Alpine and Dinaric regions; crop occurrence and distribution

The main objective of this paper was to holistically describe the occurrence of most important crop taxa found in different archaeological Iron Age sites in two selected biogeographical regions of Central Europe; in the Alpine and the Dinaric mountains. This study also links the known results of research about the ecological-biogeographical conditions in the Central Europe during the Iron Age time with the papers that include archaeobotanical data of the selected European landscapes as well. It is evident that many factors played crucial roles in the domestication process of many different plant taxa. This study showed that both the Alpine and the Dinaric region of Europe show similar ecological conditions for successfully growing important legumes and cereal taxa. The percentage of found cereal taxa is higher in the Dinaric region as it is in the Alps. In most archaeological sites in the Dinaric mountains, there were no evidence of the productionof pulses at all. However, if comparing the whole repertoire of cultivated plant taxa in the Iron Age epoch in both studied regions, one can conclude that there is not much difference in the number of cultivated planted taxa in the Iron Age epoch.

Transboundary groundwater resource management: needs for monitoring the Cijevna River Basin (Montenegro–Albania)

The transboundary Cijevna River Basin shared between Albania and Montenegro has a surface area of 650 km2. It is extremely important for water management, especially in the country of Montenegro which is downstream. Due to the high permeability of both the karst and intergranular aquifers that exist in the basin, the River Cijevna sinks along the length of its riverbed and in summer months it usually dries up completely at the confluence section. Hydrometry surveys undertaken during a drought period have identified the most permeable zones along the river, while the loss between sections varies between 0.137 and 0.765 m3/s/km’. An aquifer vulnerability assessment has been conducted through the implementation of both the EPIK and DRASTIC methods. Identifying both the most permeable and vulnerable zones in the basin assisted in the initial design of a joint Groundwater Monitoring Network for the two countries. It should consist of 21 observation points, automatic hydrology stations on the river and selected springs, and data loggers within installed piezometers. Once completed with remote data transmission and the implementation of a real-time data-sharing mechanism, it will be the first of its kind in “classical” Dinaric karst region, and one of very first to exist within karst aquifers anywhere.