Banjšice Plateau

The Banjšice Plateau (Slovene: Banjška planota, also Banjšice or Banjščice, Italian: Altopiano della Bainsizza) is a karst plateau in western Slovenia, in the traditional region of Goriška. It is a widely settled area, distinguished by its history and biodiversity. Geographically, it belongs to the Dinaric Alps.

Geography

The plateau lies about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north of the town of

tectonic faults, with the largest, the Avče Fault, dividing the plateau into the northern and the southern half.^[1]

History

During World War I, the Italian and the Austro-Hungarian Army fought in the Eleventh Battle of the Isonzo on the plateau from August until September 1917.^[3]

Settlements

The plateau was named after the village of

Kanal

.

Demography

The population on the plateau has been steadily falling. People are mainly of higher age and poorly educated.^[1]

Economy

Most of the plateau is extensively cultivated, with meadows, pastures and old high-tree orchards,^[2] however the only significant farming is husbandry.^[1] 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.^[1]

Biodiversity

The predominant floral species are Danthonia alpina and Scorzonera villosa, forming grasslands, in which flourish endangered and endemic species, such as e.g. Iris sibirica subsp. erirrhiza, Asphodelus albus, Muscari botryoides, Saxifraga tenella, Scopolia carniolica, and Medicago pironae. There are also some forests of Fagus sylvatica and Sesleria autumnalis in the southwest,^[2] and Carpinus betulus in the lower parts of the plateau.^[1]

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

Euphydryas aurinia, Coenonympha oedippus (its most northern area), Zerynthia polyxena, and Lopinga achine.^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g "Banjšice". Geografija na teletekstu TV Slovenija, marec–april 2000. Association of Geographers of the Republic of Slovenia. Archived from the original on 24 June 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Čelik, Tatjana. "Banjšice" [Banjšice]. Enciklopedija naravne in kulturne dediščine na Slovenskem – DEDI [Encyclopedia of Natural and Cultural Heritage in Slovenia] (in Slovenian). Retrieved 23 June 2015.
^ "Prva svetovna vojna: Čepovanska dolina postane vojaški tabor" [The First World War: the Čepovan Valley Becomes a Military Camp]. Kamra.si (in Slovenian). Celje Central Library. Archived from the original on 2015-06-23.

External links

Planota.si – a website dedicated to the Trnovo and Banjšice Plateaus.
Media related to Banjšice Plateau at Wikimedia Commons
Death record of Italian soldier Amelio Forziati, 84th Infantry Reggiment, 1st Company (in Italian)

46°2′56.58″N 13°41′59.82″E / 46.0490500°N 13.6999500°E / 46.0490500; 13.6999500

[Banjsice-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g "Banjšice". Geografija na teletekstu TV Slovenija, marec–april 2000. Association of Geographers of the Republic of Slovenia. Archived from the original on 24 June 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2015.

[DEDI-2] Čelik, Tatjana. "Banjšice" [Banjšice]. Enciklopedija naravne in kulturne dediščine na Slovenskem – DEDI [Encyclopedia of Natural and Cultural Heritage in Slovenia] (in Slovenian). Retrieved 23 June 2015.

[3] "Prva svetovna vojna: Čepovanska dolina postane vojaški tabor" [The First World War: the Čepovan Valley Becomes a Military Camp]. Kamra.si (in Slovenian). Celje Central Library. Archived from the original on 2015-06-23.

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