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The southeastern European Alps represent the spot where mean annual precipitation is at its highest in the entire Alpine chain. Accordingly, the glacial evolution here might have a different spatial and chronological pattern if compared with other alpine areas. This paper discusses geomorphological evidence of three glacial stages from the Krnica Valley in the Julian Alps of Slovenia, and is the first step towards a comprehensive palaeoglaciological studies in this alpine sector. Very well-preserved glacial landforms in the Upper Krnica Valley allowed the reconstruction of glacier surface topographies and corresponding equilibrium line altitudes (ELAs) by means of field-based geomorphological and sedimentological data and by using geospatial analysis. The uppermost frontal moraines belong to the Little Ice Age (LIA) and the corresponding ELA is estimated at 1973 m a.s.l. Other two stages with the ELA depressed by 50 m and 161 m compared to the LIA ELA, suggest early Holocene and Younger Dryas ages of the palaeoglaciers, respectively. This assumption ensues from absolute age datings and related ELA depressions observed elsewhere in the European Alps. The presence of buried ice under the debris in the Krnica cirque, imaged through geophysical investigations, point to peculiar microclimatic conditions able to preserve relict glacier ice. This is favoured by the recursive presence of snow on the ground caused by the extreme summer shading and the significant winter snow-recharge triggered by snowblow and avalanche feeding. The possible evolution of such relict ice under the ongoing climate warming is also discussed.

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Slepa dolina Brdanska dana se nahaja na južnem robu Brkinov, kjer se ti stikajo s kraškim ravnikom Matarskega podolja. Na preučevanem območju se prepletajo značilnosti fluvialnega ter kraškega geomorfnega sistema, kar se kaže v veliki pestrosti reliefnih oblik in procesov. V okviru te raziskave je bila opravljena geomorfološka analiza preučevanega območja. Na podlagi morfografskih, morfometričnih in granulometričnih podatkov smo preučili glavne geomorfološke značilnosti, funkcijo in razvoj te slepe doline.

Priority habitat types (HTs) within the Natura 2000 network are of the highest importance for conservation in Europe. However, they often occur in smaller areas and their conservation status is not well understood. One such HT is that of the Tilio–Acerion forests of slopes, screes and ravines (9180*). The Natura 2000 study site, Boč–Haloze–Donačka gora, in the Sub-Pannonian region of eastern Slovenia is characterized by a matrix of European beech forests and includes rather small, fragmented areas covered by Tilio–Acerion forests. The goal of this research was to examine the heterogeneity and conservation status of the selected HT through field mapping, which was performed in the summer of 2020. As the conservation of HT calls for a more detailed approach, we distinguished between the following four pre-defined habitat subtypes: (i) Acer pseudoplatanus-Ulmus glabra stands growing mostly in concave terrain, (ii) Fraxinus excelsior stands growing on slopes, (iii) Tilia sp. stands with thermophilous broadleaves occurring on ridges and slopes, (iv) Acer pseudoplatanus stands occurring on more acidic soils with an admixture of Castanea sativa. Field mapping information was complemented with the assessment of habitat subtype characteristics using remote sensing data. The results showed that habitat subtypes differed significantly in terms of area, tree species composition, forest stand characteristics, relief features and the various threats they experienced (e.g., fragmentation, tree mortality, ungulate browsing pressure). The differences between subtypes were also evident for LiDAR-derived environmental factors related to topography (i.e., terrain steepness and Topographic Position Index). This study provides a baseline for setting more realistic objectives for the conservation management of priority forest HTs. Due to the specificities of each individual habitat subtype, conservation activities should be targeted to the Natura 2000 habitat subtype level.