Favorable natural conditions of this mountain massif have facilitated the development of a rich and diverse plant world, which has been studied by numerous researchers from around the globe, from various perspectives. The plant life includes a wide range of species, such as trees, shrubs, herbaceous plants, flowering plants, ferns, and mosses, many of which have medicinal properties. The high-mountain flora of Kopaonik comprises 825 plant species and subspecies, classified into 292 genera and 80 families, representing one-fifth of Serbia’s total flora. The highest forest belt, above 1500 meters above sea level, is dominated by dense spruce forests, while at higher altitudes (1750-1900 meters), the spruce forests thin out, transitioning into communities of low-growing shrubs, where mountain juniper and bilberry predominate.
Compared to other parts of Europe, the Ice Age had a minimal impact on the flora of our mountains, as evidenced by the presence of numerous relict species—plants that are remnants of ancient flora. These relict species indicate the autochthony of the flora and vegetation of Kopaonik. The relict plants of Kopaonik include: Leontopodium alpinum, Vaccinium uliginosum, Eriophorum latifolium, Taxus bacata, Acer heldreichii, Ostrya carpinifolia, Trolius europaeus, and others.
Vegetation
Kopaonik features a remarkably well-structured vertical succession of vegetation, starting with willow, poplar, and alder forests in river valleys, followed by thermophilic black pine forests, communities of Turkey oak and Hungarian oak, sessile oak and hornbeam forests, downy oak and manna ash forests, and then hill beech forests and sessile oak forests (up to 1100 meters above sea level). Beech and fir forests (up to 1600 meters) are interspersed with spruce, which dominates forests between 1550 and 1750 meters. Above 1750 meters, the zone of dwarf mountain pine and bilberry begins, accompanied by a low subalpine form of spruce, extending up to the alpine meadows found above 1950 meters.
Local Endemics
Three stenoendemic plant species inhabit the territory of the Kopaonik National Park. The defining characteristic of stenoendemic species is their extremely limited distribution, often confined to just a few hectares or even a few ares. In Kopaonik, these species include:
Endangered Plant Species
In Kopaonik National Park, there are 91 endemic and 82 subendemic plant species, of which 30 species are protected by the Regulation on the Protection of Natural Rarities of the Territory of Serbia, i.e., they are placed under absolute protection. It is prohibited to uproot, tear, cut, break, or otherwise destroy or damage these species. Exceptions may be made for certain actions solely for scientific purposes, but only with the approval of the Institute for Nature Conservation of Serbia. The protected plant species are as follows:
Plant Species from the European Red List
The European Red List (European Red List, UNESCO, New York, 1991) is a book that details rare and endangered plant and animal species, including their descriptions, distribution, conservation status, and protection measures. This International Red List includes four plant species registered in Kopaonik National Park, specifically from the group of endemic plants:
In Kopaonik, according to the categories of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), species are classified into various categories of threat, including:
Species at risk of extinction: Potentilla palustris and Gentiana lutea.
Vulnerable species: Pinus silvestris, Dactylorhiza majalis, Trolius europaeus, Geum montanum, Leontopodium alpinum.
Extinct (indeterminate) species: Anemone narcisiflora, Primula minima, Geum reptans, Silene sahifraga, Narcissus radiflorus.
Rare species: Arctostaphilus uva ursi, Gentiana cruciata, Aster alpinus, Iris graminea, and many others.
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