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Effects of habitat diversity on wildlife conservation and management in Eastern Croatia

The protection of habitats makes an integral part of the nature conservation policy in the European Union. The updated digital Habitat Map of Croatia shows the spatial overview of natural and semi-natural, non-forest terrestrial and inland freshwater habitats at a scale of 1:25000. The field validation of habitats was carried out during 2015 and 2016. The size of the surveyed area in eastern Croatia is 10 262.02 km2. Total 5032 field points were collected by using a tablet with GIS/GPS and Habitat Mapper application. The composition and distribution of the main habitat type classes were analysed in the surveyed area of 10 262.02 km2. Dominating habitats belongs into categories of cultivated habitats (47.4%), and forests (40.0%), followed by constructed and industrial habitats (3.59%), inland surface water and wetlands (3.54%), grasslands (2.83%) and scrubs (2.59%). The knowledge on habitat structure and interpretation of the habitat map is an important tool for the sustainable management of natural resources in agriculture, forestry, hunting and freshwater fisheries.

ecology; habitat; nature protection; wildlife; Croatia

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