Site description (2000 baseline)
Krakovo forest is one of the largest intact examples of lowland alluvial forest to remain in Slovenia. Totally uninhabited and almost untouched by man, it lies in the central Krko valley, on the left bank of the Krka river, between Radulja and Velikovaki potok stream. The Ljubljana-Zagreb highway runs along the northern border of the site. The Krka river draws off upwelling groundwater from the IBA, which is permanently waterlogged, and there are many small streams along the edge of the forest, some of which are regulated. Broadleaved deciduous trees (especially Quercus) dominate the forest. The mean age of trees is 150 years, and the largest Salix alba tree and one of the largest Quercus robur trees in the country occur here. There are also well-preserved marshes, meadows and wet grasslands. Human settlements and intensively farmed land occur outside the IBA.
Key biodiversity
Two specialists of deciduous broadleaved woodland breed in important numbers. A total of 44 certain or probable breeding species have been recorded in the forest and in the immediate surroundings, including numerous nationally important species such as Aquila pomarina (the only known breeding locality in Slovenia).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Krakovo forest and Šentjernej plain (Slovenia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/krakovo-forest-and-šentjernej-plain-iba-slovenia on 23/11/2024.