Pokljuka Spruce Trees Virgin Forest Plateau (about 1300m a.s.l.); Eastern Julian Alps, Triglavski Narodni Park, Slovenija
04-April-2022: the Pokljuka plateau, at an average altitude between 1200 and 1347m a.s.l. of its most famous locality, Rudno Polje, is located in the easternmost part of the Julian Alps where the main peaks gradually descend towards the Sava Plain.
It rises to the West of the Sava Bohinjka branch valley, between Bled and Bohinj and descends to the East of the Triglav massif pre-ranges (Viševnik, Veliki and Mali Draški vrh, Tosc...)
It is a rare example of an entirely forested plateau in the South-Eastern Alpine Area, mainly composed of Spruce (Picea Abies) and, to a much lesser extent, of Silver Fir (Abies alba), whose morphological, climatic and botanical characteristics bring closer the (definitely more common) forest plateaus of the Karst-Dinaric Region, such as Trnovski Gozd, Northern Nanos-Hrušica/Ad Pirum Forest and the Central part of Snežnika Forest.
The climate is fully Alpine, but, with stable weather and especially in the months when it is snow-covered, a local continental micro-climate prevails, typical of areas subject to thermal inversion, being largely flat with slight concavity.
Overall, it is an area, on average, colder than the surrounding equal-altitude areas and the forest further helps to keep the snow on the ground which is always present from November to mid-late April, often resisting until early June in residual snowfields. This even in less favorable winters, as shown in the photo, while in (once) typical ones, instantaneous accumulations up to 2 meters can occur, especially at the end of winter.
This is why the area is internationally known for Nordic skiing.
Pokljuka Spruce Trees Virgin Forest Plateau (about 1300m a.s.l.); Eastern Julian Alps, Triglavski Narodni Park, Slovenija
04-April-2022: the Pokljuka plateau, at an average altitude between 1200 and 1347m a.s.l. of its most famous locality, Rudno Polje, is located in the easternmost part of the Julian Alps where the main peaks gradually descend towards the Sava Plain.
It rises to the West of the Sava Bohinjka branch valley, between Bled and Bohinj and descends to the East of the Triglav massif pre-ranges (Viševnik, Veliki and Mali Draški vrh, Tosc...)
It is a rare example of an entirely forested plateau in the South-Eastern Alpine Area, mainly composed of Spruce (Picea Abies) and, to a much lesser extent, of Silver Fir (Abies alba), whose morphological, climatic and botanical characteristics bring closer the (definitely more common) forest plateaus of the Karst-Dinaric Region, such as Trnovski Gozd, Northern Nanos-Hrušica/Ad Pirum Forest and the Central part of Snežnika Forest.
The climate is fully Alpine, but, with stable weather and especially in the months when it is snow-covered, a local continental micro-climate prevails, typical of areas subject to thermal inversion, being largely flat with slight concavity.
Overall, it is an area, on average, colder than the surrounding equal-altitude areas and the forest further helps to keep the snow on the ground which is always present from November to mid-late April, often resisting until early June in residual snowfields. This even in less favorable winters, as shown in the photo, while in (once) typical ones, instantaneous accumulations up to 2 meters can occur, especially at the end of winter.
This is why the area is internationally known for Nordic skiing.