Fruska gora - Serbia

LTER site Fruška gora is located on Fruska gora mountain, an isolated island mountain in Pannonia plain, completely surrounded by lowland. Its highest peak Crveni cot has 549m. Its location, specific geological history and different microclimatic conditions (from lowland semiarid climate to the relatively cold and humid submontane climate) are of great interest to researchers. Thanks to unique and very rich deposits of fossil fauna and flora, Fruška gora is called the 'mirror of geological past'. More than 90% of the area is covered by deciduous forests with varied types of climatogenous forest communities that have been under constant and increasing pressure from surrounding urban areas, building, traffic, agriculture and economic use. The dominant forests are mesophillous mixed forests of sessile oak (Qeuercus petraea) and European hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), orographically conditioned beech forests, as well as thermophilous forests of Turkey oak (Quercus cerris), pubescent oak (Quercus pubescens) and (Quercus frainetto). Fruska gora counts around 1500 of plant species which is more than 1/3 of the total Serbian flora.