Obedska Pond
Encyclopedia
Obedska bara is a large swamp
-forest
area and natural reserve stretching along the Sava River
in Southern Syrmia
(Serbia
), some 40 km west of Belgrade
.
The pond is an oxbow lake
, a remnant of the meanders of the old Sava River, whose main stream nowadays flows more southward. Due to its shape the swampy bed of the pond, situated between the villages of Obrež
and Kupinovo
, is called “The Horse-shoe” (potkovica). Higher grounds with cut-in depressions and old oak
forests are called “The Hoof” (kopito).
The pond is an authentic complex of stagnant tributaries, marshes, pits, marsh vegetation, damp meadows and forests. It is home to over 30 different water, swamp, forest and meadow biocoenoses
. The fauna
includes 220 species of birds, 50 species of mammals, 13 of amphibians, 11 of reptiles and 16 of fish
, while the flora
includes 500 species plants, 180 species of mushrooms and 50 species of moss
. It is one of the richest and best preserved wildlife habitats in the Pannonian plain.
Obedska pond is one of the world's oldest nature areas, first administrative protective measures having been introduced 1874, when the Habsburg Empire protected it as hunting ground of the royal family. Presently, it has first-category legal protection status, denoting a natural asset of exceptional value. Its status has been verified by the Ramsar Convention
on swamps since 1977, and included in the List of areas of special significance for birds of Europe of Important Bird Area
project, and UNESCO
's list of world's most important wetland areas.
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
-forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
area and natural reserve stretching along the Sava River
Sava River
The Sava is a river in Southeast Europe, a right side tributary of the Danube river at Belgrade. Counting from Zelenci, the source of Sava Dolinka, it is long and drains of surface area. It flows through Slovenia, Croatia, along the northern border of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and through Serbia....
in Southern Syrmia
Syrmia
Syrmia is a fertile region of the Pannonian Plain in Europe, between the Danube and Sava rivers. It is divided between Serbia in the east and Croatia in the west....
(Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
), some 40 km west of Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
.
The pond is an oxbow lake
Oxbow lake
An oxbow lake is a U-shaped body of water formed when a wide meander from the main stem of a river is cut off to create a lake. This landform is called an oxbow lake for the distinctive curved shape, named after part of a yoke for oxen. In Australia, an oxbow lake is called a billabong, derived...
, a remnant of the meanders of the old Sava River, whose main stream nowadays flows more southward. Due to its shape the swampy bed of the pond, situated between the villages of Obrež
Obrež
Obrež is a name of two villages in Serbia:*Obrež *Obrež...
and Kupinovo
Kupinovo
Kupinovo is a village in Serbia. It is located in the Pećinci municipality, in Srem District, Vojvodina province. In 2002, the population of the village numbered 2,047 people, of whom 1,852 were ethnic Serbs....
, is called “The Horse-shoe” (potkovica). Higher grounds with cut-in depressions and old 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...
forests are called “The Hoof” (kopito).
The pond is an authentic complex of stagnant tributaries, marshes, pits, marsh vegetation, damp meadows and forests. It is home to over 30 different water, swamp, forest and meadow biocoenoses
Biocoenosis
A biocoenosis , coined by Karl Möbius in 1877, describes the interacting organisms living together in a habitat . This term is rarely used in English, as this concept has not been popularized in Anglophone countries...
. The fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
includes 220 species of birds, 50 species of mammals, 13 of amphibians, 11 of reptiles and 16 of fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
, while the flora
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
includes 500 species plants, 180 species of mushrooms and 50 species of moss
Moss
Mosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1–10 cm tall, though some species are much larger. They commonly grow close together in clumps or mats in damp or shady locations. They do not have flowers or seeds, and their simple leaves cover the thin wiry stems...
. It is one of the richest and best preserved wildlife habitats in the Pannonian plain.
Obedska pond is one of the world's oldest nature areas, first administrative protective measures having been introduced 1874, when the Habsburg Empire protected it as hunting ground of the royal family. Presently, it has first-category legal protection status, denoting a natural asset of exceptional value. Its status has been verified by the Ramsar Convention
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
on swamps since 1977, and included in the List of areas of special significance for birds of Europe of Important Bird Area
Important Bird Area
An Important Bird Area is an area recognized as being globally important habitat for the conservation of bird populations. Currently there are about 10,000 IBAs worldwide. The program was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife International...
project, and UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
's list of world's most important wetland areas.