{"title":"Cerknica Lake - Slovenia","id":{"prefix":"https:\/\/deims.org\/","suffix":"9026e5f2-af78-4610-8e8a-bd73466da65c"},"type":"site","created":"2012-12-25T19:06:51+01:00","changed":"2025-03-18T11:50:47+01:00","attributes":{"affiliation":{"networks":[{"network":{"name":"GERI","id":{"prefix":"https:\/\/deims.org\/networks\/","suffix":"c3abdc60-49f1-49db-81fe-863b7dbb21d3"}},"siteCode":null,"verified":true},{"network":{"name":"ILTER","id":{"prefix":"https:\/\/deims.org\/networks\/","suffix":"1aa7ccb2-a14b-43d6-90ac-5e0a6bc1d65b"}},"siteCode":null,"verified":true},{"network":{"name":"LTER Europe","id":{"prefix":"https:\/\/deims.org\/networks\/","suffix":"4742ffca-65ac-4aae-815f-83738500a1fc"}},"siteCode":null,"verified":true},{"network":{"name":"LTER Slovenia","id":{"prefix":"https:\/\/deims.org\/networks\/","suffix":"fda2984f-9aea-4abf-9f6c-c3eca0f82eb8"}},"siteCode":"LTER_EU_SI_002_002","verified":true}],"projects":[{"label":"Natura 2000","uri":"https:\/\/natura2000.eea.europa.eu\/"},{"label":"Ramsar Convention on Wetlands","uri":"https:\/\/www.ramsar.org"}]},"contact":{"siteManager":[{"type":"person","name":"Alenka Gaber\u0161\u010dik","email":"Alenka.Gaberscik@bf.uni-lj.si","orcid":null},{"type":"person","name":"Mateja Germ","email":"Mateja.Germ@bf.uni-lj.si","orcid":null},{"type":"person","name":"Mitja Prelov\u0161ek","email":"mitja.prelovsek@zrc-sazu.si","orcid":null}],"operatingOrganisation":null,"metadataProvider":[{"type":"person","name":"Alenka Gaber\u0161\u010dik","email":"Alenka.Gaberscik@bf.uni-lj.si","orcid":null}],"fundingAgency":null,"siteUrl":[{"title":"Notranjska Regional Park","value":"https:\/\/www.notranjski-park.si\/en"}]},"general":{"abstract":"Lake Cerknica is intermittent lake appearing at the bottom of closed depression Cerkni\u0161ko polje extending on the area of 38 km2. The karst features are associated with carbonate rock, both with limestone and dolomite. About 80 % of inflow consists of karst and only 15% of surface waters. The outflow is completely karstic. In spring and usually late in autumn the lake reaches normal level 550 m a.s.l., covering the area of 26 km2. Polje is flooded for 9 and dry for about 2 months, usually in summer. Lake Cerknica is a highly diverse ecosystem that changes in time and space. Vegetation pattern shows clear zonal distribution that depends on extent and frequency of flooding. The lake supports rich fauna with many endangered species, providing temporary shelters and food for protected large carnivores, such as brown bear, wolf, lynx and numerous species of water birds. In recent decades, flood and drought events have become increasingly irregular altering processes and conditions for many species.","citation":null,"relatedIdentifiers":null,"status":{"label":"Operational","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/elter_cl\/10772"},"yearEstablished":2008,"yearClosed":null,"relatedSites":null,"siteName":"Cerknica Lake","shortName":"Cerknica Lake","siteType":"Stationary land-based site","protectionLevel":null,"landUse":null,"images":[{"url":"https:\/\/deims.org\/sites\/default\/files\/photos\/cerknica-lake-slovenia_6269.jpg","alt":"Lake during extreme flood; Archive of Notranjska Regional Park"},{"url":"https:\/\/deims.org\/sites\/default\/files\/photos\/cerknica-lake-slovenia_6270.jpg","alt":"Lake is fully covered by vegetation; Archive of Notranjska Regional Park"},{"url":"https:\/\/deims.org\/sites\/default\/files\/photos\/cerknica-lake-slovenia_6271.jpg","alt":"Lake is surrounded by hills; Archive of Notranjska Regional Park"},{"url":"https:\/\/deims.org\/sites\/default\/files\/photos\/cerknica-lake-slovenia_6272.jpg","alt":"Sink hole in the bottom of the lake; Archive of Notranjska Regional Park"}]},"environmentalCharacteristics":{"airTemperature":{"yearlyAverage":8,"monthlyAverage":null,"unit":"\u00b0C","referencePeriod":null},"precipitation":{"yearlyAverage":1700,"monthlyAverage":null,"unit":"mm","referencePeriod":null},"biogeographicalRegion":"mediterranean","biome":"freshwater_lakes","ecosystemType":[{"label":"Fresh Water Lakes","uri":null},{"label":"Lakes","uri":null}],"eunisHabitat":[{"label":"Inland surface waters (C)","uri":null},{"label":"Surface standing waters (C1)","uri":null},{"label":"Temporary lakes, ponds and pools (C1.6)","uri":null}],"landforms":null,"geoBonBiome":["Fresh water lakes"],"geology":"Lake Cerknica is an intermittent lake appearing at the bottom of Cerkni?ko polje. In the southern part of Slovenia runs a long depression in the NW - SE direction, from Ljubljana Swamp to the Kolpa River valley. In this depression, a series of karst poljes is located, Cerkni?ko polje being the largest among them. Depression has been formed along one of the most important tectonic lines in Slovenia, the Idrija fault. Cerkni?ko polje consists of carbonate rocks, Mesozoic limestones and dolomites. A part of the polje s bottom and the NE slopes are composed of less karstified Triassic dolomites. Other parts consist of Jurassic and Cretaceous limestones. Cerkni?ko polje itself lies about 40 m deep at the bottom of the depression, result of the corrosion. The Plesitocene climatic changes are reflected in the sedimentation and erosion of alluvial sediments.","hydrology":"Lake Cerknica belongs to the Ljubljanica river basin, which has pluvio-nival hydrological regime with slightly Mediterranian variation. Water is collected from the upstream lying karst poljes, from the surrounding karst plateaux, as well as directly from Cerkni?ko polje s rainfall. The catchment area of Lake Cerknica covers about 475 km2. The region receives about 1700 to 1800 mm of precipitation per year, with evapotranspiration reaching 750 mm. 80% of the lake\u00b4s inflow consists of karst waters, and 15% of surface waters. The outflow is completely karst-like, i.e. underground. For a little more than 9 months per year the polje\u00b4s floor is flooded, creating a lake, and for little more than 2 months it is dry.","soils":"Lake Cerknica is neither a lake neither a typical wetland. It is locus typicus for intermittent lakes and karts poljes. The succession of the ecosystem is continuously disturbed by the water level fluctuations, droughts and floods. These pulse disturbances present a physical factor, which is of vital importance for the lake, influencing the abiotic and biotic processes, i.e. mineral cycling and life histories, and productivity of organisms resulting in a variety of habitats and species.","vegetation":"Plant communities in the wider area of Cerkni?ko polje, i.e. in the area influenced by frequent floods or on its edge where floods occur only during extremely high waters, consist from aquatic, amphibious wetland communities and communities of mires and wet grasslands. Wood vegetation on the southern part of the lake consists from the association Omphalodo-Fagetum. Warmer sites are overgrown with submontane woodland Hacquetio-Fagetum var. geogr. Geranium nodosum. Sites with more extreme environmental conditions are covered with the associations Querco-Ostryetum and Genisto januensis-Pinetum sylvestris. The narrower area of Cerkni?ko polje is covered by grasslands, wetlands, bogs, etc."},"geographic":{"boundaries":"POLYGON ((14.346446 45.715632, 14.346446 45.779838, 14.434313 45.779838, 14.434313 45.715632, 14.346446 45.715632))","coordinates":"POINT (14.3884455 45.7584152)","country":["Slovenia"],"elevation":{"avg":546,"min":536,"max":551,"unit":"msl"},"size":{"value":4878.5,"unit":"ha"},"relatedLocations":null},"focusDesignScale":{"experiments":{"design":"partly experimentation","scale":"catchment scale"},"observations":{"design":"mainly observation","scale":"beyond catchment"},"observedProperties":[{"label":"abiotic heterogeneity","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/21476"},{"label":"above ground net primary production","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/10043"},{"label":"biological parameter","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/20940"},{"label":"disturbance pattern","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/21473"},{"label":"ecosystem parameter","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/20939"},{"label":"ecosystem structure","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/21475"},{"label":"ground water level","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/22126"},{"label":"habitat structure","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/21478"},{"label":"leaf area","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/22156"},{"label":"litter residence time","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/10048"},{"label":"microbial diversity","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/22169"},{"label":"nitrogen content","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/22174"},{"label":"plant height","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/22192"},{"label":"plant transpiration","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/22197"},{"label":"species turnover","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/22288"},{"label":"vegetation reflectance","uri":"http:\/\/vocabs.lter-europe.net\/EnvThes\/10118"}]},"infrastructure":{"accessibleAllYear":true,"accessType":"boat","allPartsAccessible":false,"maintenanceInterval":365,"permanentPowerSupply":false,"operation":{"permanent":false,"notes":null,"siteVisitInterval":365},"notes":null,"collection":[{"label":"No within site data transmission","uri":null},{"label":"Other data services","uri":null},{"label":"Proprietary file format","uri":null}],"data":{"policy":{"url":null,"rights":["Co-authorship on publications resulting from use of the dataset","Formal acknowledgement of the dataset providers","The opportunity to collaborate on the project using the dataset"],"notes":null}}},"relatedResources":null,"projectRelated":{"lter":{"lterSiteClassification":"Regular Site"}}}}