GRASSLANDS IN SLOVENIAN KARST AND ISTRIA AS CULTURAL HERITAGE

Grasslands have always been an important part of the cultural landscape. They were created by people, as they needed fodder for their livestock. But this led to the development of the grassland ecosystem, with its numerous plant species adapted to this particular environment. With sustainable management, farmers preserved the biodiversity of grasslands. The changes in grassland management have resulted in decreasing biodiversity in grasslands. Where the biodiversity in grasslands is still relatively high, we would need to reintroduce the traditional management to preserve the grasslands. At the same time, grasslands would become part of the tourism offer and a source of agricultural pr oducts of higher quality.