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Relief
The Dzūkija National Park lies in the south of the Dainava sandy plain. North-westem edge of the park climbs on the Dzūkai hill. The dividing line between these areas goes by Veisiejai-Merkinė morainal hilly track. Around two thirds of the park territory lie in a sandy plain channeled by steep slopes with river valleys of distinct terraces. The most unique park landscapes are the mainland dune massifs of Marcinkonys, Lynežeris, Grubaulia and Šunupis. These were formed after the second stage of the glacial period (30,000 years ago). The surface of the plain is varied by ravines with small lakes. At Merkinė, the morainal highness is dominated by landscapes of average hilly ravines, different soil and farming land covers and chains of lakes. Where the waters of the Nemunas river had broken a morainal crest, now stony shoals are set (Noblewoman by Ulčičiai, Falcon by Dubaklonis,
Scissors by Merkinė, Sewer by Maksimonys). Before gnawing though the morainal crest, the river wandered into different directions for a while leaving a valley of 4-6 km (near Panara and Netiesa villages, in particular) and the curves of old river-beds of 2-3 km radius (Pakrykštė marsh). The park's territory is at 100 m above sea-level on the average. The highest point is Dalgiakalnis hill (168.2 m above sea-level) that is found in the massif of lowland dunes at 4 km distance north-east from Marcinkonys. The lowest place is a channel of the Nemunas river Krikštonys (66 m above sea- level).
Soils
Within the territory of the park, particularly in the south-east plain, interfile podzolic sandy soils dominate. To the north-east of Marking and in the environs of Email, tureen podzolic sandy and sandy loam soils are found; in higher zones, these soils are interfered with turten carbonate sandy soils ripped off on gravel. Typical turten carbonate soils, formed on freshwater limestone lens or lime layers, are spread in the valleys of the Skroblus and other rivers and lake shores. Alluvial soils may also be discovered in river valleys. Marshy soils of lower type expand in the upper and the middle Skroblus, the upper Grūda and the valleys of Šilingė, Pakrykštė and Kempė. Higher marshy soils are mostly found in the southem park territory, the environs of Musteika village
Rivers
The park's territory belongs to the Nemunas river basin. The park includes the Middle Nemunas, the sections of the Merkys, the Ūla and the Grūda rivers and the unique Skroblus rivulet - 30 large and small rivers in total which are nourished by ground water. Therefore, the flow of rivers and Merkys river - 700 litres per second. There is no other so short and deep brook in Lithuania. Geomorphologic processes take place in the Skroblus river basin very intensively. Some pits particularly capture one's attention - they are deep, steep and shady.
Lakes
The Dzūkija National Park has 48 lakes the total space of which is 232 hectares. The largest lakes are Lizdai (27 ha), Lynas (18.5 ha), Gelovinė (15.9 ha), Glynas (15.9 ha), Galvinis (12.4 ha), Gilšė (10.6 ha) and Kastinis (10.1 ha). In the norfh-west part of the park, where the ravine vale crossesthe sandy terraced plain of the Nemunas river, Krakinis, Ežerinis, Lizdai, Galvinis, Kazamkėlis, Bedugnis, Giluišis Balaežeris, Netiesis, Netiesėlis, Dumblinis, Pakampis, Ešerinis Ešerio and Lauja lakes are centered. Gelovinė, Gilšė, Kampinis, Pakelinis and Linmarkas lakes lie in the Masališkis pit, near Subartonys. These lakes are mostly narrow, deep, with steep shores and meandering. In the territory of the old valley (lower terrace) lakes Mergelės akelės and Glynas are
found.
Forests
Most of the territory is covered by forests where pines dominate (92%). The commonest pine forests are of lichen (51 %) and cowberry (33%) sort. Their warmth-loving plants predetermine the floral uniqueness of the Dainava plain. Sprucegroves are mostly characteristic to highlands, to the north of Merkinė. Black alder groves concentrate near marshes and in river valleys. Birch groves usually gather in former places of conifers and mixed forests. Elmgroves near the valleys of springy rivers, the Nemunas in particular, are notable for their originality. In the Dzūkai hill and in dry river slopes, small thermophylic shrubbery may be found where hawthorns, spindle-trees, buckthoms and other shrubs grow. Ripe tree groups form only 2%. The average age of tree group is 55
years.
Marshes
The largest marsh areas are in the park's south, around Musteika village. The marsh flora is also spread in the shores of singular lakes. Small marshes are found in lowered hilly areas of the park at Subartonys. Very peculiarfloral populations of intermediate marshes are concentrated in the valley of Kempė rivulet and the marshy Skroblus valley in Kapiniškės - so called Skerdzimai meadow. In bigger marshes, the flora of various marsh types - lower, intermediate or higher - may be found. In smaller ones, the floral population is less diverse, since the flora of low marshes dominates. Natural or seminatural meadows account for a small number.
They are concentrated in the valley and hill slopes. Many varieties came to Lithuania by river valleys and sandy plains from south-easten and central Europe. For this reason, many limit-spreading variables, which are absent or very rare in other parts of Lithuania, now may be found in the Dzūkija National Park. Most of these species are included into the list of protected plants. Besides, in the park, certain species where found that are very infrequent in Lithuania and attributed only to 10 finding places - Equisetum telmateia, Dentaria bulbifera, red helleborine (Cephalantera rubra), western marsh orchid (Dactylorhiza maja/is), Botrychium matricariifolium and B. virginianum and other. The forests of the park give the richest mushroom crop known forotters (Lutra lutra), beavers (Castorfiber) and minks in Lithuania. Among edible mushrooms - boletus and chan-
(Lutreola vison). Such rare animals as mountain hare (Lepus terelle are widespread. In the gravelled hills of Merkine timidus) and common dormouse (Glis glis) are also found in and Liškiava, saffron milk-caps are not rare, while in the the National Park. Sands of
Marcinkonys environs, green muschrooms pour out in autumn. There are around 300 mushroom species stated in the park territory, including 10 protected sorts, though this is not the limit as the exploration of the park's mushrooms is rather poor Even 212 lichen species were discovered in the park within 400 sorfs known in Lithuania. Lichen appears on various trees, rotten stumps, soil and granite pebbles. In clean brooklets, even water lichen was found. The lichen flora of pine forests is very rich and diverse.
Continental dunes
The cluster of Dzūkija continental dunes is one of the largest in Lithuania. The Dzūkija dunes occupy an area of 905 km2 and extend in a strip of 61 km from northeast to southwest. Dunes are sand hills formed due to the activity of the wind.
Most often the height of a dune reaches up to 150 m above sea level, but close to Marcinkonys lies Dalgiakalnis, the highest dune of the park, rising 168,1 m above sea level.
The majority of Dzūkija dunes are overgrown with vegetation; such dunes are called immobile and are not affected by the activity of the wind.
The extraordinary natural conditions encouraged the formation of the unique plant and animal life of the Dzūkija dune cluster. The least fertile spots are most often overgrown with silver grass. Lichen pine forest is widespread on dune ridges and southern slopes. The animal life of the dunes is also unique. A great variety of insects are found there. Pine groves are home to rare beetles june beetle and long-horned beetle. Large animals are not common in the dune forests. Occasionally one can see an elk or a wolfs trail left in the sand.
Values
The Dzukija National Park is divided into 4 functional zones: preservative, protective, recreational and economic. The preservative zone (reservations and preserves) occupies 262 580 thousand hedares (47.5% of territory). The stridest protection regime is applied to 3 reservations that cover 2 080 hectares in total. The Musteika reservation stretches through the upper reaches of Musteika brook and the surrounding forests. The Povilnis reservation preservesthe outset sources of Povilnis rivulet, suffosic circuses and canyon-like upper reaches of the rivulet valley. The Skroblus reservation includes the middle reaches of Skroblus rivulet and its lower reaches between Kapiniškiai and Dubininkas villages. The landscape preservations occupy 13 060 hectares. The richest sections of the Nemunas, the
Merkys and the Ula rivers were announced to be the preserves of the park. The unique source and higher reaches of Skroblus rivulet with abundant springs, its wide valley with a structurally charaderistic land-tenure of Kapiniškiai village and the ethnographi- callyvaluable Margionys village are secured bythe Kapiniškiai preserve. In the norfhwestern parf of the park, the Lizdai preserve protects a distinct morainal hill-chain with deep thermocarstic pits, Lizdai, Galvinis and
Bedugnis lakes, lake shore marshes and the Ežerynas camp of the Stone Age. Many archeological riches arefound in the Glynas landscape preserve which includes Lake Glynas, Glynupis brook and a complex of five old camping places. Other natural preserves occupy 10 600 hectares dominated by geomorphologic preserves protecting characteristic to Dzukija and other unique elements of landscape. For the preservation of Dzukija continental dunes, even 4 preserves - Alkunes kampas, Dreves, Marcinkonys and Šunupis - were established. Ucieka, Gudeliai and Pakrukšte geomorphologic preserves were formed to maintain the characteristic relief elements of the Nemunas valley.
The relief of the southern slopes of Dzukija morainal highlands is well represented by the Merkine geomorphologic preserve located norfhwards of Merkine small town. The most cherished elements of the river-chain of Dzukija are also preserved in hydrographic preserves, the Gnuda and the Netiesos. Scarce marshes of the Dzukija National Park are protected in thermologic preserves - Delynas, Didžiabale, Bakanauskai and Imškos. The single botanical preserve of Subartonys forest protects rarely met spruce groves mixed with oak- trees and rich grasses that are characteristic to Dzukai high- lands. The park keeps 60 natural monuments, including 18 landscape objects - precipices of the Ula, the Merkys and the Nemunas, fascinating ravines, springs, rock exposures, mountain-ridges, chasms and lakes.
The most outstanding natural monuments are considered to be the spring "Ula eye", old bee-keeping relics - the hollow pines, the lime tree Lietuvis (Lithuanian) in Margionys village and Zenonai
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