The research and educational project “Histria 2022” is the 24th edition of the so-called “Great terrain”! This traditional BIUS project has been implemented since the founding of the Association, and includes two weeks of field research in which almost all sections participate.
The aim of the project is to collect data on biodiversity in the selected area of Croatia, but also to educate and train young biologists and the general public. Every year a different area is explored, and in 2022 it is the Istrian peninsula.
Istria is a relatively small area with numerous relief forms. This diversity is responsible for the existence of several microclimates – from the Mediterranean climate on the coast to the continental inland. These features support the development of numerous plant communities, as well as the accompanying fauna. All this makes Istria a very diverse and interesting area, with numerous locations suitable for inventorying a wide range of flora and fauna. Completely uncharacteristic communities (eg Pomeranian Bay) can be seen in a large number of locations, as well as Istrian stenoendemas or plants that do not appear in the rest of Croatia. During the implementation of the project, cooperation was established with the Public Institution Natura Histrica, which manages most of the protected areas of Istria, and the Public Institution Nature Park Učka.
This is the first research project in which the Association will conduct a detailed inventory of biodiversity in many areas of Istria. The collected data will be integrated into the Proceedings and the Biodiversity Map and will contribute to the further management of the visited areas protected at the national level or included in the Natura 2000 ecological network. The acquired knowledge will be shared with the local and wider community, and in this way science and the importance of nature conservation will be promoted.
Through information and consultation with professional associates, but also just socializing in the field, students gain new acquaintances that will potentially benefit them in their future scientific careers. This year, cooperation was established with the Zagreb Geography Students Club and biology students from the Josip Juraj Strossmayer University in Osijek and with members of the Student Scientific Research Society of Biology and Ecology “Josif Pančić” from Novi Sad.
The first term of field research is from April 30 to May 7, 2022, and the second from September 24 to October 1, 2022. This year the project involves 15 sections: BioFoto section, Section for biospeleology, Section for fungi, Herpetology section , Fish Section, Beetle Section, Butterfly Section, Microbiology Section, Sustainable Development Section, Hymenoptera Section, Botany Section, Applied Botany Section, Bird Section, Education Section and Marine Biology Section.
What the sections did on the spring edition of the project can be seen in the pictures below 🙂
We thank this year’s sponsors and donors for their help in the realization of the project:
