The Banjšice Plateau ( sl, Banjška planota, also or , it, Altopiano della Bainsizza) is a karst plateau in western

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, and ...

, in the traditional region of Goriška. It is a widely settled area, distinguished by its history and

biodiversity Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic ('' genetic variability''), species ('' species diversity''), and ecosystem ('' ecosystem diversity'') ...

. Geographically, it belongs to the Dinaric Alps.

Geography

The plateau lies about north of the town of Nova Gorica, above the Soča River to the west, the Idrijca to the north, and the narrow and deep Čepovan Valley to the east and the south. It covers about , raises from the west towards the east, and is about high in its central part. The climate is mainly continental, though with plenty of precipitation and a long-lasting snow cover, except for the southern slopes that are subjected to the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on ...

influences. The rocks are mainly

dolomite Dolomite may refer to: *Dolomite (mineral), a carbonate mineral *Dolomite (rock), also known as dolostone, a sedimentary carbonate rock *Dolomite, Alabama, United States, an unincorporated community *Dolomite, California, United States, an unincor ...

and

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms w ...

, with some flysch in the northern and southern areas. The surface has been shaped by a number of tectonic faults, with the largest, the Avče Fault, dividing the plateau into the northern and the southern half.

History

During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, the Italian and the Austro-Hungarian Army fought in the Eleventh Battle of the Isonzo on the plateau from August until September 1917.

Settlements

The plateau was named after the village of Banjšice, which is most probably the oldest settlement on the plateau. The other settlements, comprising a number of hamlets, are Bate, Grgarske Ravne, Kal nad Kanalom, and Lokovec. Traditionally, the villages on the plateau used to gravitate towards Kanal ob Soči and partially towards Grgar and Solkan. Nowadays, they are included in the municipalities of Nova Gorica and Kanal.

Demography

The population on the plateau has been steadily falling. People are mainly of higher age and poorly educated.

Economy

Most of the plateau is extensively cultivated, with meadows, pastures and old high-tree orchards, however the only significant farming is husbandry. Some smaller factories opened on the plateau in the 1970s, but were later closed and today, also due to better roads, many locals work in the nearby valleys.

Biodiversity

The predominant floral species are '' Danthonia alpina'' and '' Scorzonera villosa'', forming

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses ( Poaceae). However, sedge ( Cyperaceae) and rush ( Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur na ...

s, in which flourish endangered and endemic species, such as e.g. '' Iris sibirica subsp. erirrhiza'', ''

Asphodelus albus ''Asphodelus albus'', common name white asphodel, is a herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the genus ''Asphodelus''. Description White asphodel grows to a height of . The plain stem is supported by fleshy, thickened roots ( rhizomes). The l ...

'', ''

Muscari botryoides ''Muscari botryoides'' is a bulbous perennial plant of the genus ''Muscari'' and one of a number of species and genera known as grape hyacinth. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant. The flowers are close together, and are almost totally ...

'', '' Saxifraga tenella'', '' Scopolia carniolica'', and '' Medicago pironae''. There are also some forests of '' Fagus sylvatica'' and ''

Sesleria autumnalis ''Sesleria autumnalis'', commonly known as autumn moor grass, is a species of grass within the family Poaceae. It is native to southeastern Europe and often used as ornamental ground cover in North America. Taxonomy The first recorded descrip ...

'' in the southwest, and ''

Carpinus betulus ''Carpinus betulus'', the European or common hornbeam, is a species of tree in the birch family Betulaceae, native to Western Asia and central, eastern, and southern Europe, including southern England. It requires a warm climate for good growth, ...

'' in the lower parts of the plateau. A number of birds and over 80 species of butterflies (47% of all the species in the country) have been spotted there. Among the birds, the most important species are the European nightjar (''Caprimulgus europaeus''), the woodlark (''Lullula arborea''), the red-backed shrike (''Lanius collurio''), and the European honey buzzard (''Pernis apivorus''). The significant butterfly species are ''

Euphydryas aurinia The marsh fritillary (''Euphydryas aurinia'') is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. Commonly distributed in the Palearctic region, the marsh fritillary's common name derives from one of its several habitats, marshland. The prolonged larval st ...

'', '' Coenonympha oedippus'' (its most northern area), ''

Zerynthia polyxena ''Zerynthia polyxena'', the southern festoon, is a butterfly belonging to the butterfly family Papilionidae. Subspecies and forms Under the rules of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, Article 1.3.4, names used only below the ...

'', and ''

Lopinga achine ''Lopinga achine'', the woodland brown, is a Palearctic butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. Description in Seitz P. ''achine'' Scop. (= ''dejanira'' L.) (45 g). Dark brown: forewing with 5—6 eye-rings forming a chain, hindwing with 2—4 suc ...

''.

References

External links

Planota.si
– a website dedicated to the Trnovo and Banjšice Plateaus. *

{{DEFAULTSORT:Banjsice Plateau Plateaus in the Slovene Littoral Dinaric Alps Karst plateaus of Slovenia Natura 2000 in Slovenia