Publications
Exploring National Park Visitors’ Judgements from Social Media: The Case Study of Plitvice Lakes National Park
A comprehensive analysis of visitor reviews from Plitvice Lakes National Park reveals that tourists' perceptions extend beyond natural beauty, highlighting significant interest in accessibility and management practices. By leveraging 15,673 TripAdvisor reviews spanning 2007 to 2021, researchers applied advanced techniques such as multidimensional scaling, sentiment analysis, and natural language processing to identify key strengths and weaknesses of the park. The study underscores that visitors' judgments are not solely focused on landscape aesthetics but also critically assess factors like route management and accessibility, providing actionable insights for protected areas worldwide.
Autonomous Vehicles Mapping Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
A groundbreaking study leverages autonomous vehicles and advanced remote sensing to map Plitvice Lakes National Park, revealing intricate bathymetric features of its cascading lakes. The research demonstrates that increased dissolved organic matter disrupts travertine formation, a critical process in the park's unique ecosystem. By combining high-resolution aerial imagery with multibeam sonar surveys conducted by an autonomous surface vehicle, the study generated unprecedentedly detailed and georeferenced bathymetric models. These models captured numerous depressions consistent with previous studies, offering deeper insights into the lakes' geological dynamics. The integration of autonomous vehicles significantly enhanced survey efficiency, data precision, and accuracy compared to traditional manual methods.
Checklist of aquatic Diptera (Insecta) of Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia, a UNESCO world heritage site
A comprehensive checklist of aquatic Diptera (Insecta) in Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatiareveals 157 species and seven taxa across 13 families. The study, spanning 50 years of research, identifies 12 previously unrecorded species, including members of Chironomidae, Dixidae, Scathophagidae, and Stratiomyidae. Chironomidae dominates the diversity with 62 species (plus seven taxa), followed by Empididae (22) and Limoniidae (19). Sampling across 25 sites—representing springs, streams, tufa barriers, and lakes—highlights the highest species richness in springs but also underscores gaps in knowledge for certain families. This work not only expands the documented biodiversity of Plitvice Lakes NP but also calls for further research to address missing taxonomic data, particularly in underrepresented aquatic Diptera families.
Plitvice Lakes National park harbors ancient, yet endangered diversity of trout (genusSalmo)
Plitvice Lakes National Park, renowned for its unique karstic watersheds and biodiversity, harbors two evolutionary distinct species of trout: Salmo labrax and Salmo trutta. This study, using mitochondrial gene markers from 150 trout samples across 17 localities, reveals low genetic diversity within populations and restricted gene flow, likely due to habitat fragmentation and degradation. The findings highlight the urgent need for conservation measures to protect these ancient yet endangered trout species, which coexist in both 'pure' and admixed populations.
Challenges in the Management of Plitvice Lakes National Park, Republic of Croatia
Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia's oldest and largest protected area, faces significant challenges despite its high conservation status and UNESCO World Heritage designation. A SWOT analysis reveals that while the park excels in biodiversity conservation, investments, and workforce, it struggles with visitor overload in a small area, lack of management plans for tourism, education, or marketing, and threats like inadequate water supply infrastructure and excessive construction near villages. Opportunities lie in leveraging its protected status and strong financial health to adopt sustainable tourism practices, develop educational programs, and implement long-term management strategies—provided these efforts remain politically neutral and continuous. This study underscores the need for strategic, resilient management to ensure Plitvice Lakes remains a benchmark for conservation and tourism excellence.
First systematic investigation of adults and second checklist of caddisflies of the Plitvice Lakes National Park with notes on research history, biodiversity, distribution and ecology
Plitvice Lakes National Park, recognized by UNESCO since 1979, harbors the highest caddisfly (Trichoptera) biodiversity in Croatia, with 89 species recorded to date. This study presents the first systematic investigation of adult caddisflies conducted between 1997 and 2001, identifying 77 species using light and emergence traps. It also provides an updated checklist and explores factors contributing to this exceptional biodiversity, comparing species assemblages across 12 localities and different aquatic habitats—springs, streams, lakes, and tufa barriers. The research highlights the unique ecological conditions of the park, offering insights into its rich faunal composition and historical research context.
Marshland vegetation of Plitvice Lakes National Park (Croatia)
A study of Plitvice Lakes National Park's marshland vegetation identified 13 distinct plant communities, including three previously unrecorded in Croatia. Using the Braun-Blanquet methodology and numerical classification, researchers confirmed that traditional community classifications align well with observed clusters. The research also revealed ecological characteristics through Ellenberg indicator values and plant life form analysis, highlighting specific features at the vegetation alliance level. Notably, the Phragmitetum australis association, which supports Ligularia sibirica—a rare European species—was found to be widespread. While the study contributes positively to biodiversity, it also notes negative impacts linked to lake eutrophication, posing conservation challenges.
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