Fruška Gora National Park
The National Park “Fruška Gora” is positioned at the southern ridge of the Pannonian Plane, along the Danube riverbank. It represents the dominant orographic unit of the Vojvodina plane, and it is the oldest National Park in Serbia, roclaimed in 1960, covering an area of 25,393 ha, with the protective zone of 66,090 ha.
The protected area stretches over the highest ridges of the mountain massif of the Fruška Gora Mt., with the highest peak of 539 m ASL. It has an elongated shape, 78 km long and around 15 km wide. Because of the loess deposits, narrow side ridges with gentle slopes branch from the main ridge towards the north and the south, ending in steep loess slopes towards the Danube.
The Fruška Gora Mt. is a unique natural phenomenon built of rocks from nearly all geological periods, from the oldest Palaeozoic, to Mesozoic, Neogene, and Quaternary. The preserved fossil fauna from the former Pannonian Sea represents a particular asset of this National Park.
The biota is very rich and diverse. It originates primarily from the Pliocene, when the Fruška Gora Mt. was an island in the Pannonian Basin, which enabled for many Mediterranean and sub-Mediterranean species to be preserved.
Forests cover 90% of the National Park area. Linden forests dominate, growing over one third of the entire area. More than 20 forest communities of pure and mixed oak and beech forests were described, along with the geographical variants of thermophilous forests with Turkey oak, downy oak and Italian oak.
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The most interesting are the forests of sessile oak and oriental hornbeam with butcher’s broom (Rusco-Querco-Carpinetum), and the relic mixed oak forest with oriental hornbeam (Carpineto orientalis-Quercetum) of the sub-Mediterranean character. The steppic vegetation of the Festucion rupicole alliance, rich in rare and relic species, grow on the peripheral parts of the loess plateau of the Fruška Gora Mt. This type of vegetation on the Fruška Gora Mt. is the most mesophilous in comparison with typical steppes in Vojvodina, and it has the forest-steppe character.
The flora of the Fruška Gora Mt. comprises around 1,500 species, with more than 40 plants protected as natural rarities of Serbia. Particularly distinct are the Tertiary relic species – spurgelaurel (Daphne laureola), vine-leaved kitaibelia (Kitaibelia vitifolia), and bellflower (Campanula lingulata), and xerothermic steppic relic species – Tatar bread plant (Crambe tataria), papageno (Pulsatilla vulgaris subsp. grandis), pheasant’s eye (Adonis vernalis), Sterbergia colchiciflora, and other species. More than 30 species of orchids (Orchidacea) are also a distinct feature of this area, of which 18 are internationally important.
Protected species of insects are distinct in the rich fauna – the stag beetle (Lucanus cervus), southern wood ant (Formica rufa), long-horned beetle (Cerambyx cerbo), and Rosalia longicorn (Rosalia alpina). Mediterranean and Atlantic species of hoverflies (Syrphidae) with ancient Pannonian distribution range are also present in this area, to which it represents a refugial habitat.
Of 13 species of amphibians and 11 species of reptiles, 14 species are in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The most threatened are the fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) and common adder (Vipera berus).
The bird fauna comprises 211 species, of which 130 species are nesting species, which makes this National Park one of the most important nesting areas for rare birds of prey in Serbia and the Pannonian Plane. Among them, particularly distinct is the most threatened species from the IUCN Red List, the golden eagle (Aquila heliaca), to which the Fruška Gora Mt. is the only active nesting area in the entire Serbia at present.
The mammal fauna comprises around 60 species, among which the bats (Chiroptera) are protected. Of small mammals, the most interesting are the European souslik (Spermophilus citellus) and lesser mole rat (Spalax leucodon). The present large mammals are the jackal (Canis aureus), wild cat (Felis silvestris), red deer (Cervus elaphus), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus).
Many archaeological localities can be found on the Fruška Gora Mt., ranging from the Neolithic era, the Copper era, the Bronze era, the Roman period, the medieval period, to the modern era. Interesting monuments of secular architecture are preserved in several settlements, such as Sremski Karlovci, Petrovaradin, Irig and others. Of sacral objects, particularly distinct are 17 Orthodox monasteries with specific architecture. These monasteries were built in the period from the 15th to 18th century. With their rich libraries, treasuries, and frescoes, they represented great spiritual centres during the Middle Ages.
