Uvala Blace

Žabokrik

Polje Pomijenta

Slatina kraj Kozarice

Veja gora

Veliki grad

Stijena biskup

Uvala Grabova

NATURAL HERITAGE OF THE ISLAND OF MLJET

The island of Mljet is geographically located in the southern Adriatic sea and it is Offshore Island which defines its climate and vegetation. Mljet is famous for its natural heritage; lakes, natural harbors, springs drinkable water, “blatina”, cliff coasts, preserved forests of holm-oak and Aleppo pine, underwater richness, caves and sandy coves. This is the reason why in the year 1960 the north-west part of the island 3000 ha in area was pronounced a national park. It is also the date of the founding of the Public Institute for protection of natural heritage is active in preservation of nature and takes steps to protect the environment. Special attention is given to protection of forests against ?re. Such systematic protection is to preserve the vegetation from extinction and ensure conditions to preserve the biological diversity.

In relief Mljet is mountainous with the tallest top being Veliki grad 514 m high which is located in the central part of the island. Several chains of elevations are placed in parallel with fruitful Karst ?elds in between. The rocks are dolomite and limestone and the soil is red and brown on limestone. The island doesn't have impermeable ground so there are not warrant current either but there are several springs of drinkable water. Veliko and Malo jezero located on the NW part of the island are in fact sunk Karts valleys ?lled by the sea. The Mljet shore is very well-indented with islets, coves, rocks and natural harbors.

Mljet belongs to the Mediterranean climate with Csa marked climate according to Köpenn which is also called the olive climate. Climate-zone community of the island is Orno-Quercetum ilicis H-ić 58, holm-oak and manna ash forest. Besides that, there are two more forest communities: Pinetum halepensis Anić 58, Aleppo pine and Pinetum pineae forest, Anić 59, pine forest.

More recent researches of the flora of the island of Mljet were conducted around the year 1980 by the professors Ljerka Regula and Ljudevit Ilijanić (1984), and professor Ivo Trinajstić. The Book of the Symposium which was held on Mljet in 1995 featured a work by professor Zinka Pavletić (1995) on endangered species of ?ora, and the professor Ivo Trinajstić (1985) published a paper on the Mljet vegetation. In more recent times in 2003 and 2004 speci?c qualities of the Saplunara vegetation were researched by these authors: Alegro, Biljaković, Bogdanović and Boršić.

During the numerous field researches the author found some wild growth types she describes here and gives their photos disclosing many more habitats they can be found at, besides those recorded so far in the known articles. Her intention was to illustrate those rare and endangered species to locals as well as visitors to the island of Mljet so that they could see the diversity we are surrounded by, to value it and safe keep it. All the types included in the red book of the vascular ?ora of Croatia (2005) are specially marked according to their degree of endangerment. Types from the Agava, Citrus, Cercis, Malus, Prunus and Sorbus genus have intentionally been omitted due to a limited volume of the publication so the wild growth types have been given precedence.

Prerequisites for maintaining the forest eco system, Malo and Veliko jezero and surrounding sea are systematic forest ?re protection measures. To meet that goal, the preventive forest protection must be conducted during the colder part of the year, while the active protection (keeping and 24 hour a day monitoring) during the warmer part of the year. To remind ourselves how the forest should not look like (page 17), we have given two photos on that topic at the end.

MARIJA NODILO biography

She was born on September 24, 1958 in Nova Ploščica, Hercegovac, Croatia. She finished elementary school and language secondary school in Zagreb. The forestry college, forestry department finished in 1982 in Zagreb and acquired the title of graduated engineer of forestry. After this she has been living on the Mljet. In 1996 she finished postgraduate studies on the Forestry College in Zagreb, direction "Making parks and other recreative objects". In 1982, she was employed in National park "Mljet" until 1996 she worked on the place of officer for the tourism and protection of forest. (1996 - 2000) she worked in the institution on the spot - the landscapist, counselor. (2000 - 2001) she was director of "National Park". She was the manager of "Utility service company Mljet" Babino polje, and led it to 2005. In 2005 she became the only employee of her own craft "Souvenirs Katja" in Polače, Mljet.

Craft deals with the production and sale of souvenirs that are tied with the tradition of Mljet. She is occupied with the collecting dia and photo materials tied for natural and cultural heritage of Mljet. Deals with the collection dia and photo materials tied for natural and cultural heritage of Mljet. She has made the scientific chap-book about the natural ingeritance of Mljet. She is married and has three children.

List of published works :

Nodilo, M.(1982): «Flora and Structures Fores Components of National Park «Mljet», Zagreb, 1982., graduation thesis
Nodilo, M.: «Do You Know the National Park «Mljet», Zagreb, Ecologic messenger 7-8/91-92.,
Nodilo, M.(1995): «Garden in the Convent St Maria: the current state - possibilities of decoration in Mljet announcements from symposium», Ecologic monographs 6, Zagreb, 1995.
Nodilo, M.(1998): «Garden of the Benedictine Convent on the Little Island St Maria on Mljet», Forestry leaf (populary press) 1-2, Zagreb
Nodilo, M.(1999): «Gardens of Sacral Objects of Dubrovnik Area», master's thesis, Forestry leaf 5 - 6, Zagreb
Nodilo, M.(2000): The National Park «Mljet» - five species noted down of camera, in the section of Protections of nature, Forestry leaf 9-10, Zagreb, p. 605-606
Nodilo, M.(2000) «Formalization of Natural Landscapes and Cultural and Historical Monuments on the Area of NP «Mljet», IV horticultural seminar, Opatija, p. 111-115
Nodilo, M.(2001) «Protection of Nature in the Service of the Visitor NP «Mljet», Forestry leaf 3-4, Zagreb, lecturing on the symposium of Promotion of agriculture and forestry on the karst, 29-30. 03. 2000. in Split, research papers
Nodilo, M. (2001) «Rarely and Endangered Kinds of Island of Mljet», in the section of Protections of nature, Forestry leaf 11-12, Zagreb
Nodilo, M.: «Nature Protection in Service of Visitors who visit National Park Mljet», Conference Proceedings Monitoring and Management of Visitors Flows in Recreational and Protected Areas 30. 01. – 02. 02. 2002., Institute forward pass Landscape Architecture and Lanscape Management, Bodenculture University, Wiena
Nodilo, M. (2003) «Some kinds from the family Orchidaceae from the island Mljet», in the section of Protections of nature, Forestry leaf 1-2, Zagreb
Nodilo, M.(2004) «Collecting Falls on the Island of Mljet», in the section Environmental protection, Forestry leaf 1-2, Zagreb