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Priority Habitats for Protection
The area of Lower Kamenjak is included in the Natura 2000 ecological network due to its priority habitats and species for conservation. The target habitats are the eastern sub-Mediterranean dry grasslands (Scorzoneretalia villosae), pseudo-steppe with grasses and annuals of the Thero-Brachypodietea, the Mediterranean maquis dominated by junipers (Juniperus spp.), and the rocks and cliffs of Mediterranean coasts vegetated with endemic species such as sea lavender (Limonium spp.).
The abandonment of livestock farming and grazing reduces the areas of Mediterranean grasslands which are then overgrown with shrubs and trees, especially with Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis). Loss of grasslands means the loss of priority species for conservation, but also many other species (plant and animal) which live on or next to the grasslands.
Six Plant Taxa of the Orchid Family
Among the more important species are six plant taxa of the orchid family and species such as narrow-leaved bindweed (Convolvulus lineatus) and woolly chamomile (Anthemis tomentosa). The only confirmed site in Croatia for the latter species is precisely the area of Kamenjak.
Protection of grasslands is one of the management priorities of the Kamenjak Public Institution and it is for this reason that the Institution encourages livestock farming, especially the raising of indigenous domestic animal breeds.
In the area of Kamenjak, Istrian sheep and autochthonous Istrian cattle are grazed, as traditional agriculture is an important factor in preserving the biodiversity of the area.
