Hrvatske vode, Vol. 29 No. 117, 2021.
Review article
The tufa of Plitvice Lakes - a fantastic combination of chemistry and biology
Maja Vurnek
orcid.org/0000-0001-5717-7112
; Nacionalni park Plitvička jezera, Plitvička jezera, Hrvatska
Abstract
Tufa is formed in freshwater ecosystems by a dynamic interaction of chemical and biological factors. It depends on some elements that need to be present - water saturation with calcium carbonate, adequate pH value and low concentrations of organic matter, and the existence of a biological component, i.e. mosses, diatoms and some invertebrates that also play an important role in the formation of tufa barriers. As the largest and oldest national park and an area of exceptional natural value, Plitvice Lakes was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, whose unique universal valuewas recognized in its tufa barriers and the process of their formation. The cascade lake system was formed in conditionsfavourable for the deposition of calcium carbonate (tufa). The growth of tufa barriers also depends on hydrological conditions, and is adversely impacted by erosion
processes and changes associated with increased nutrientconcentrations (nitrogen and phosphorus), which lead to eutrophication. The tufa formation process in the cascade system of Plitvice Lakes is not endangered, although it is certainly necessary to continuously monitor any possible changes.
Keywords
tufa barriers; national park; freshwater ecosystem; calcium carbonate; tufa-forming organisms
Hrčak ID:
271256
URI
Publication date:
30.9.2021.
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