Vihorlat Protected Landscape Area
Encyclopedia
Vihorlat Protected Landscape Area is one of the 14 protected landscape areas in Slovakia
. The Landscape Area is situated in the middle part of the Vihorlatské vrchy
mountains, in eastern Slovakia. It is situated in the Humenné
, Sobrance
and Snina
districts.
, oak
, ash
, maple
, and fir
trees are most common in Vihorlat. The area contains about 2,000 species of invertebrates and 100 species of birds. Notable species include Eurasian Lynx
, Wildcat
, Gray Wolf
, Otter
, Black Stork
, Ural Owl
, Lesser Spotted Eagle
, and Eurasian Eagle-Owl. A curiosity in the park is the Morské oko
(literally Sea Eye) lake.
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
. The Landscape Area is situated in the middle part of the Vihorlatské vrchy
Vihorlat Mountains
Vihorlat Mountains or colloquially Vihorlat is a volcanic mountain range in eastern Slovakia and western Ukraine. A part of the range is listed as a World Heritage Site.-Vihorlat Mountains in Slovakia:...
mountains, in eastern Slovakia. It is situated in the Humenné
Humenné District
Humenné District is a district inthe Prešov Region of eastern Slovakia....
, Sobrance
Sobrance District
Sobrance District is a district inthe Košice Region of eastern Slovakia.Until 1918, the district was mostly part of the Hungarian county of Ung, apart from the area around the municipalities of...
and Snina
Snina District
Snina District is a district inthe Prešov Region of eastern Slovakia.Until 1918, the district was part of the Hungarian county of Zemplín.-Municipalities:*Belá nad Cirochou*Brezovec*Čukalovce*Dlhé nad Cirochou*Dúbrava*Hostovice...
districts.
History
The park was created on 28 December 1973 and the law creating it was amended on 19 April 1999.Geography, geology and biology
The area of the Vihorlat Mountains is of volcanic origin. BeechBeech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
, oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
, ash
Ash tree
Fraxinus is a genus flowering plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae. It contains 45-65 species of usually medium to large trees, mostly deciduous though a few subtropical species are evergreen. The tree's common English name, ash, goes back to the Old English æsc, while the generic name...
, maple
Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
, and fir
Fir
Firs are a genus of 48–55 species of evergreen conifers in the family Pinaceae. They are found through much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, occurring in mountains over most of the range...
trees are most common in Vihorlat. The area contains about 2,000 species of invertebrates and 100 species of birds. Notable species include Eurasian Lynx
Eurasian Lynx
The Eurasian lynx is a medium-sized cat native to European and Siberian forests, South Asia and East Asia. It is also known as the European lynx, common lynx, the northern lynx, and the Siberian or Russian lynx...
, Wildcat
Wildcat
Wildcat is a small felid native to Europe, the western part of Asia, and Africa.-Animals:Wildcat may also refer to members of the genus Lynx:...
, Gray Wolf
Gray Wolf
The gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family...
, Otter
Otter
The Otters are twelve species of semi-aquatic mammals which feed on fish and shellfish, and also other invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals....
, Black Stork
Black Stork
The Black Stork Ciconia nigra is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It is a widespread, but rare, species that breeds in the warmer parts of Europe, predominantly in central and eastern regions. This is a shy and wary species, unlike the closely related White Stork. It is seen in...
, Ural Owl
Ural Owl
The Ural Owl is a medium-large nocturnal owl of the genus Strix, with up to 15 subspecies found in Europe and northern Asia....
, Lesser Spotted Eagle
Lesser Spotted Eagle
The Lesser Spotted Eagle is a large Eastern European bird of prey. Like all typical eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae...
, and Eurasian Eagle-Owl. A curiosity in the park is the Morské oko
Morské oko (Slovakia)
Morské oko is a lake in the Vihorlat Mountains in east Slovakia. It is at 618 m, covers 0.13 km² with a maximum depth of 25.1 m. It is a national nature reserve since 1984 and part of the Vihorlat Protected Landscape Area...
(literally Sea Eye) lake.