STRICT NATURE RESERVE: PEČKE PRIMEVAL FOREST
Rastlinstvo in živalstvo, Naravne znamenitosti
Pragozd Pečke, 8350 Dolenjske Toplice
Pečke primeval forest is located at the northeast edge of Kočevski rog at the altitude of 900 m and is one of the largest primeval forest remains areas in Slovenia with the surface area of 60 ha, mostly comprised of beech (55 %) and fir trees (44 %). Due to climate change these mixed forests are slowly changing; in Europe primeval forests are about 10.000 years old.
Pečke primeval forest is a strict nature reserve, excluded from any forestry interventions as well as hiking and other tourist activities. The access to general public is denied and only allowed in a special buffer zone for scientific, ecological and educational purposes.
A strict nature reserve or wilderness area is the highest category of protection recognised by the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), a body which is part of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). These category I areas are the most stringently protected natural landscapes. Their primary purpose is the preservation of biodiversity and as essential reference areas for scientific work and environmental monitoring.
