The restoration of tributaries of Cerknica Lake and Škocjan Caves ...

another entrance to the underground, a ninety-metre-deep abyss called Okroglica, which ends
just above the underground Reka River.
At the bottom of Velika dolina, the Reka River finally disappears underground and resurfaces
again thirty-four kilometres away at the springs of the Timava River, not far from the Adriatic
coast. Part of the Škocjan Caves in which the Reka River flows, namely the Šumeča jama (the
Murmuring Cave), is 3.5 kilometres long, between 10 and 60 metres wide and over 100
metres high underground canyon. The length of all cave passages totals approximately 6
kilometres, while the vertical difference between the highest entrance (Okroglica abyss) and
the lowest point in the caves reached by man, that is the siphon, is 205 metres. At some
places, the canyon extends into underground chambers. The largest of them, Martel's
Chamber, is 308 metres long, 89 metres wide on average (reaching a maximum of 123
metres) and 106 metres high, with the highest point of the ceiling at 146 metres above the
Reka River bed. The largest cross-section measures 12,000 square metres, thus giving this
chamber a volume of 2.2 million cubic metres.
2.3. Projects and research activities
One of the most important activities of the park is the encouragement and organization of
research work and participation in it. Following various inventories prepared at the time of
park’s establishment, the majority of activity is oriented towards the renovation of cave
infrastructure and establishment of continuous monitoring, by means of which an adequate
system for monitoring the situation will be established. It is reasonable to monitor all the
parameters over the long term as it will enable rapid detection of negative effects on the
environment and adequate responses or the adoption of certain measures aimed at alleviating
these effects.
For this purpose, different factors are monitored regularly: quality and quantity of water in the
cave, microclimate in the cave, flora and fauna on the surface, cave fauna, cracks in the cave
and on collapse doline walls and the influence of ground-level ozone on the surface.
In order to achieve these objectives, the park regularly participates in invitations to tender
(both internationally and nationally) so as to obtain the necessary funds for the purchase of
equipment, arrangement of infrastructure and the presentation of results to general public. In
addition, some projects foresee the hiring of additional labour needed for project work.
Škocjan Education Trail with museum collections (biology, geology, archaeology,
ethnology and history of cave exploration) supports park educational programme which is
orientated on different target groups. Within this programme many guided tours, exhibitions,
workshops, seminars, events and excursions are organised.
Land use in the park is oriented sustainably. There are some prohibitions about depositing of
excavated material, activities that could change the purposed land use, altering the water
regime, pollution, use of open fire and motor vehicles etc. written in Škocjan Caves Regional
Park Act. Habitats in the park are still well preserved. Polices for the forestry and agriculture
derive from Natura 2000 Management Programme. Some prohibitions are specially written
for the area of natural monuments which are mostly owned by the state. Less than 10 % of the
park protected area (34,9 ha of 413 ha) belongs to Republic of Slovenia the rest is privately
owned.