Carska Bara swamp
Stari Begej – Carska Bara is an authentic mosaic of lake-fishpond, river, pond, swamp, meadow, salt marsh, steppe, forest, and arable field eco¬systems, with an exceptional richness of species and ecosystems.
It is positioned in central Banat, in the alluvial plane between the rivers Tisa and Begej. It has a shape of the letter “S” slightly inclined towards the southwest-northeast direction. The relief of this area is of a definite lowland type, and the most significant hydrological asset of the reserve, along with a number of smaller ponds, channels, and stagnant waters, are the old riverbeds of the river Begej – Carska Bara, Tiganjica, and Perleska Bara.
Around 500 plant species with the Pannonian, Pontic, Mediterranean, and continental distribution range were described within the Reserve, with numerous endemic, subendemic, relic, and rare species. Particularly interesting are the white water lily (Nymphaea alba) and thistle (Cirsium brachycephalum). Furthermore, the presence of 328 taxa of phytoplankton was determined within the Reserve, as well as a number of insect species (Dorcus parallelopipedus, Apatura metis…), 24 species of fish (Rhodeus sericeus am¬arus, Misgurnus fossilis…), 11 species of amphibians (Triturus vulgaris, Hyla arborea…), 5 species of reptiles (Emys orbicularis, Natrix natrix…), 50 species of mammals, among which the wild cat (Felis silvestris) and otter (Lutra lutra).
The greatest assets of the Reserve are the birds, first of all the waterfowl. The presence of 250 species such as Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus), white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicil¬la), and corncrake (Crex crex) was determined in the Reserve.
