Zasavica - Special Nature Reserve
Coordinates: 19º 31' E, 44º 56' N (100 km W of Belgrade)
Altitude: 77-83 m. a.s.l.
The Reserve stretches along 33.1 km long Zasavica River. The area is
dominated by a riverine biotope, surrounded by the mosaic of aquatic and
wetland ecosystems with fragments of flooded forests. The slow flowing Zasavica river is fed by underground aquifers and with a depth of up to
2.5 m, it supports abundant marsh vegetation mostly reed Phragmites sp.
and bulrush Typha sp. The site is surrounded by agricultural land, and
remnants of forest remain (oak Quercus, ash Fraxinus, poplar Populus and
willow Salix).
SNR “Zasavica” is famous as one of the centres for the
conservation of genetic resources of domestic animals in Serbia.
Podolian cattle breed and
Mangulitsa pig breed can be seen foraging on
the
Valjevac pasture. These domestic animals are kept mainly as tourist
attractions in just a few other Serbian reserves and farms but serve
also as gene banks due to their reported resistance to diseases which
affect more highly bred breeds.
The Reserve is managed by conservation NGO “Goransko-ekoloski pokret”
from nearby town of Sremska Mitrovica.
Habitats:
oxbow river,
reedbeds,
riverine poplar and willow forests, oak and ash lowland forests, lowland
meadows, extensive pasture, arable land, traditional orchards.
Plants:
The Reserve of around 1825 ha is a home to over 800 plant species of
which specially significant are:
White Water-lily (Nymphaea
alba),
Yellow Water-lily (Nuphar
luteum),
Water Soldier (Stratiotes
aloides),
Great Spearwort (Nymphoides
peltata),
Marsh Nettle (Urtica
kioviensis),
Sweet
Flag (Acorus
calamus).
Fungi:
More than 160 species of fungi are to be found within the reserve. Some
of them are:
Wood Ear (Auricularia
auricularia-judae),
Meadow Mushroom (Agaricus
campestris), Agaricus
silvicola,
Parasol Mushroom (Macrolepiota
procera), The
Shaggy Mane (Coprinus
comatus), Giant
Puffball (Lycoperdon
giganteum),
(Cantarellus
cibarius),
(Polyporus
squamosus),
(Polyporus
sulphurous).
Insects:
More than
300 insect
species are found in the Reserve so far
and 15 of them are protected as Natural Rarities in Serbia:
European Stag Beetle (Lucanus
cervus),
Rhinoceros Beetle (Oryctes
nasicornis), Long Horned Beetle
Morimus
funereus,
Green Caterpillar Hunter (Calosoma
sycophanta), Small
Caterpillar Hunter (Calosoma
inquisitor), Ground
Beetle (Carabus
gigas),
Violet Ground Beetle (Carabus
violaceus),
Hermit Beetle
(Osmoderma
eremita). Total of
42 species of Snout Beetles
Curculionidae
are recorded during the research, of which 2 species were new for the
territory of Serbia. So far 55 butterfly species are identified of which
6 are on the European Red List, and 1 species on the World Red List.
Some of the species found in the Reserve:
Swallowtail (Papilio
machaon),
Freyer’s Purple Emperor
(Apatura
metis),
Purple Emperor
(Apatura
iris),
Green-veined White
(Pieris
napi),
Small
White (Pieris
rapae),
Large White (Pieris
brassica).
Zasavica is one of
the best places in Serbia for Dragonfly and Damselfly watching due to
outstanding diversity of 34 species recorded, and some of them are:
Emperor Dragonfly (Anax
imperator),
Lesser Emperor (Anax parthenope),
Banded Demoiselle
(Calopteryx
splendens),
Beautiful Demoiselle
(Calopteryx
virgo),
Scarlet Dragonfly (Crocothemis erythraea), Yellow-spotted
Emerald (Somatochlora
flavomaculata).
Fish:
There are 16 autochthonous and 4 introduced species:
Mudminnow (Umbra
krameri), Rudd (Scardinius
erythrophthalmus),
Zope
(Abramis
ballerus),
and Carp (Cyprinus
carpio) are vulnerable (VU), While
Danubian
Bream (Abramis
sapa),
Bitterling (Rhodeus
sericeus),
Crucian Carp (Carassius
carassius),
Weather Loach (Misgurnus fossilis) and Catfish (Silurus
glanis) are rare species.
Amphibians:
Fire Salamander, Northern Crested Newt,
Danube Crested Newt, Common Newt, Common Spadefoot, Common Toad,
Green Toad,
Yellow-bellied Toad,
Common Tree Frog, Agile Frog,
Balkan Stream Frog,
Marsh Frog, Edible Frog.
Reptiles:
European Pond Terrapin, Green Lizard,
Sand Lizard, Common Wall Lizard,
Slow
Worm, Large Whip Snake,
Aesculapian Snake,
Dice
Snake, Grass Snake,
Smooth Snake,
Adder.
Birds:
A total of 180 species is recorded within the Reserve. Some of the local
specialties are:
Little Grebe,
Pygmu
Cormorant,
Little Bittern,
Night Heron,
Little Egret,
White Stork,
Ferruginous Duck, White-tailed Eagle,
Marsh Harrier, Goshawk, Hobby, Turtle Dove, Cuckoo, Barn Owl,
Long-eared Owl,
Little Owl,
Green Woodpecker, Syrian Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Crested
Lark, Tawny pipit, Black-headed Yellow Wagtail, Nightingale, Black
Redstart, Whinchat, Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, Great Reed Warbler,
Savi’s
Warbler, Icterine Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher,
Penduline Tit, Short-toed Treecreeper,
Red-backed Shrike, Golden Oriole, House Sparrow, Tree Sparrow,
Serin, Hawfinch, Corn Bunting.
Mammals:
50 species inhabit the reserve and some of them are Edible Dormouse,
Water Vole, European Hare,
Southern White-breasted Hedgehog,
Eurasian Water Shrew, Wildcat,
European Polecat, Otter,
European Beaver, Beech Marten, Wild Boar.
Text compiled by: Milan Ružić
& Mihajlo Stanković
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