Jelena Ćalić

Valjevo–Mionica karst is a limestone area within the easternmost flanks of the Internal Dinarides in western Serbia. In the spatial extent of 380 km2, it hosts typical karst landforms, primarily dolines, blind valleys, dry valleys and caves. Dolines are present on 75% of the total area, and the exact number of them within the area outline is 5319. The aim of the study is to determine the guidance factors for the spatial distribution of dolines, primarily morphological, while lithological, tectonic and climatic factors are presented at the basic level. Morphological factors in this study are analysed through morphometrical characteristics and calculations, which include the elevation, the mean topographical slope and the landform classification based on geomorphons. Digital elevation models with resolutions 90 m and 30 m are used. Data sources for doline positions were the topographical maps of 1:25,000 scale.Spatial distribution of dolines in the study area is rather uneven. Three zones (clusters) of higher concentration may be distinguished, where 34% of the total study area hosts 72% of dolines. These three zones are the karsts of the villages Lelić, Bačevci and Robaje, divided by deep canyon valleys. Maximum density of dolines, judging by the Kernel density method, is 33 dolines per km2 in the zone of the Stapar village, at the northwestern outskirt of the study area. The main factors influencing the spatial distribution of dolines are the topographical slope and the phases of morphological/hydrographical evolution of the area.

The paper presents the Nuna Cave, as one of the more than 20 documented caves in the karstic environment of Miroč Mt. in eastern Serbia. The wider surroundings encompass the 100 km long gorge of the Danube River (Iron Gates, Djerdap) in the segment where it is entrenched into the Southern Carpathian Mountains, with the Pannonian Basin upstream and the Dacian Basin downstream. The first karst explorations in the area date back to the 19th century, while the majority of them took place in the second part of the 20th century, focusing on speleology, hydrogeology, surface karst morphology, biospeleology and geoarchaeology. Tectonically, Miroč Mt. is an anticlinal structure. On the terrain surface, Upper Jurassic limestones are the dominant lithological component. Typical features of karst morphology are ponors (stream-sinks) along the long lines of contacts between karstic and non‐karstic rocks, approving the status of exemplary contact karst along the whole outline. Nuna Cave is the southernmost ponor of Miroč karst. The length of the cave passages is 135 m, while the denivelation between the highest and lowest point is 17 m (+6, −11). Despite the relatively small length, the cave contains large number of indicators pointing to its geological history, morphogenesis and recent hydrological and morphological processes.

Suva Planina Mt. is a part of the Carpatho-Balkanides of Eastern Serbia. It encompasses the area of 427 km2, striking in NW-SE direction at the length of 43 km. Out of the total area of the mountain, limestones cover about 60%, mostly in the central part. The landform types include paleofluvial, fluvial, slope, as well as surface and underground Karst forms. The largest number of landforms are Karst dolines (1227 mapped), based on the official topographical map at the scale 1:25,000). Morphometric characteristics of doline-covered areas have been determined using the SRTM DEM (90 m resolution). According to the genetic classification, the dolines belong to the solution, collapse and suffosion types, while morphographically, they are funnel-like and bowl-like. Apart from these standard types, the "open" dolines, missing a part of their rims, are present as well. Regarding the spatial distribution, they are unevenly scattered. Hypsometrically, they are present from 480 and 1704 m a.s.l. The densities are in the span 1-21 per km2 (Valožje area). The main factors of spatial distribution are lithological composition, rock fractures and slope inclinations. The land cover mainly consists of woods and pastures, without intensive agricultural activities. According to the land use, the dolines on Suva planina are under forest cover and mountain pastures.

The aim of this paper is to present the results of our research on the knowledge and awareness of visitors and residents about karst and protected areas (PAs). The research was carried out in the Tara National Park (NP)in western Serbia, which includes karst landscapes. By conducting surveys with visitors, local population, and National Park employees, as well as interviews with local key persons, NP key persons and external experts, we got a deeper understanding of the issues related to knowledge on karst and PAs. We also investigated whether local people or visitors knew the values of karst landscapes in general and how they were informed or learned about the Tara NP. In addition, we also analysed the content of these topics in school curricula and textbooks in Serbia. We concluded that the awareness about the researched topics is unsatisfactory at present thus it should be raised to a higher level, both in the case of local people and in the case of visitors. One of the most significant ways to improve the current level is through formal, non-formal, and informal education.

This paper represents a case study examining attitudes of various stakeholders about Tara National Park (NP) (Serbia), identifying also the factors that shape these attitudes. The survey method was applied to a sample of 405 respondents (197 community members and 208 visitors). In addition, 15 interviews with specific key actors (NP executives and local key persons) were performed. The research confirmed the presence of different types of conflicts among stakeholders, mostly between the NP and the local population (primarily farmers) associated with land use in agriculture and the ban on the construction of facilities. The community recognizes tourism as the highest priority, unlike the NP leaders and visitors, who emphasize protection and conservation (especially biodiversity) as the primary goals of future NP development. The opinions of the local population are divided concerning support for the existence of the NP and the importance of it as a part of the national heritage. Most of them do not recognize the economic benefits resulting from the proclamation of the NP and do not see themselves as participants in the decision-making process. The findings also reveal that visitors strongly support tourism development and activities following the principles of nature protection. This category of respondents is only partly affected by the fact that this area has been declared a NP. The analysis shows that certain socioeconomic factors considerably influence the opinions of both community and visitors. Results suggest that future actions should be aimed at improving the coordination of various stakeholders, especially the NP and the community, through different social mobilization activities. Stimulating small businesses and providing incentives for agriculture and nature tourism development could be a useful step forward.

Thufur (earth hummocks) are small periglacial landforms typical for subpolar latitudes, as well as for the high alpine areas at lower latitudes. Their presence in the mountains of the Balkan Peninsula was spotted during the mid-20th century. In this paper we analyze morphometry and morphology of thufur in the context of physio-geographical conditions for their formation. The main aims are to inventorize the thufur in the study area and to determine the physio-geographical factors which enabled their formation at non-zonal elevations. Statistical analysis was performed on the sample of 305 thufur mapped in the field, measuring their circumference, height, and delineating their areas. Classification of the results revealed morphological varieties in terms of horizontal and vertical development. The elevation of the sampling location Ponor is 1,410 m a.s.l., which is considerably lower than the zonal periglaciation in Serbia, at approx. 1,900 m. Therefore, the role of relief as a climate modifier is analyzed in the context of conditions for the azonal development of periglaciation process. Topographical conditions for thufur formation were analyzed through slope inclinations and vertical dissection, determined using the Digital Elevation Model over Europe with 25 m resolution.

The paper presents and discusses the landslide research procedure related to the topography before and after its occurrence, using the comparative analysis of two medium-resolution digital terrain models. The case study is the Jovac mega-landslide—the largest landslide to occur in Serbia in the last 100 years, active for three days in February 1977. The indicators used to determine the volume and movement mechanism were the spatial distribution of elevation differences within the two digital terrain models (DTM), and the analysis of geomorphological features before the landslide. The obtained elevation differences allowed the definition of the approximate landslide volume: 11.6 × 106 m3. All the data obtained indicate that the movement mechanism falls into the category of earthflow.

By the example of Tara National Park (NP), we present how the geoheritage can and should be presented in a NP where the primary role is played by biology. Tara NP has a rich geoheritage, especially its karst phenomena, which include gorges (e.g. the 1000-m-deep Drina Gorge), plateaus with dolines, dry valleys, and uvalas as well as springs and travertines. In addition, ophiolites also enrich the geoheritage; hence, the area has a high geodiversity. Large reservoirs of the territory provide an opportunity to study the anthropogenic impact on hydrology and geomorphology. After presenting the geoheritage elements of the area, we examine the views and knowledge of local people and visitors about karst and geotourism with the help of a questionnaire survey. The results show that local residents support the further development of tourism, but geotourism is a rather new concept for them. On the contrary, tourists are more familiar with geotourism. Among the development perspectives, tourists support those that involve only minor environmental changes, that is in agreement with NP policy. Finally, we formulate some suggestions about geotourism development in the area. First, we outline some plans for new geo-educational trails and viewpoints. Second, we highlight the possibility to increase the geo-content of some already existing programs (e.g. boat tours). Third, we emphasize that geotourism of Tara should be connected to neighbouring areas. A new geopark is already under planning, which would include the area of Tara NP as well.

The article presents evidence about the Middle Palaeolithic and Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition interval in the karst area of the Danube Gorges in the Lower Danube Basin. We review the extant data and present new evidence from two recently investigated sites found on the Serbian side of the Danube River – Tabula Traiana and Dubočka‐Kozja caves. The two sites have yielded layers dating to both the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic and have been investigated by the application of modern standards of excavation and recovery along with a suite of state‐of‐the‐art analytical procedures. The presentation focuses on micromorphological analyses of the caves’ sediments, characterisation of cryptotephra, a suite of new radiometric dates (accelerator mass spectrometry and optically stimulated luminescence) as well as proteomics (zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry) and stable isotope data in discerning patterns of human occupation of these locales over the long term.