Umjesto pisanja novog teksta koji bi čitatelju ponudio već poznate podatke o puno puta opisanom Velebitu, prilažemo citat iz knjige „Biljni svijet Velebita“ autora akademika Sergeja Forenbachera.
Riječi su to izvrsnog poznavatelja i posjetitelja Velebita, koji je svoje znanje, iskustvo i doživljaje brojnih posjeta osebujnom svijetu Velebita, pretočio u svima nam korisne, u potpunosti upotrebljive i poučne knjige.
„Kako nam kazuju geografski, orografski i drugi izvori, brdski masiv Velebita, jedan od najznatnijih u užem dinarskom području, proteže se, u dužinu otprilike 145 km, od Vratnika nad Senjom na sjeverozapadu do okuke Zrmanje na jugoistoku.
Od obalnog pojasa do kopnenog podnožja u Lici, u prosjeku je širok 14 km, ali od mjesta do mjesta širina varira, od najviše 30 km u sjevernom do najmanje 10 km u njegovom južnom dijelu.
Na površini približno 2 270 km2 razasut je splet bezbrojnih krševitih grebena i ponikva, kukova, gorskih hrptova, dolina i pretplaninskih vrhova, od kojih njih 130 u prosjeku premašuje nadmorsku visinu 1370 m.
Oni u sjevernom dijelu Velebita dosežu visinu gotovo 1700 m (Mali Rajinac 1699 m), u srednjem dijelu više od 1600 m (Šatorina 1624 m, Ograđenik 1604 m, Ograđenica 1614 m), a u južnom i najvišem dijelu od 1700 do 1758 m (Babin vrh 1723 m, Vaganski vrh 1757 m, Segestin 1715 m, Malovan 1709 m, Sveto brdo 1751 m).
Za vedra vremena Velebit se iz zraka, s visine 8 000m, vidi cijeli. Doima se kao glomazan, malo razveden, ali naboran bedem koji se u luku izbočio u more. Padine su mu strme, a hrbat širok. Primorska padina, kojom se spušta do mora, mnogo je viša od kopnene padine.
Visinska razlika primorske padine od mora do najnižeg prijevoja iznosi oko 700 m, a do najvišeg vrha čak 1757 m.
S kopnene strane Velebit se samo 150 do 1150 m uzdiže iznad ličke visoravni, jer ona već leži na nadmorskoj visini oko 500 do 600 m. Obje se padine međusobno bitno razlikuju i izgledom.
Primorska je padina vrlo krševita i gola, mjestimično poput Mjesečeva krajolika, sive ili žućkastosive boje, prošarana sitnim zelenilom. Kopnena padina, iako strma, doima se pitomija, gotovo je sva obrasla šumom, pa je tamnozelene boje.
Za primorsku padinu karakteristične su dvije više ili manje izrazite, uzdužne terase (podgorska zaravan i uzdužna primorska terasa), koje se poput stepenica prostiru uzduž cijelog velebitskog masiva.“
Izvor: Tekst i slike korišteni su uz dopuštenje sa stranice http://www.pp-velebit.hr/
Instead of presenting to our readers already known facts about Velebit which has been so frequently portrayed, we offer a quotation from the book “Flora of Velebit" by Sergej Forenbacher.
These are the words of an expert on Velebit, whose knowledge and experience gained during his numerous visits to this special world have been passed on to us in the form of a useful and instructive book.
As our geographic, orographic and other sources tell us, Velebit is one of the largest mountains in this area of the Dinarides, and stretches about 145 km in northwest-southeast direction from the Vratnik pass above Senj to the River Zrmanja valley.
Its average width from the coastal belt to its continental foothills in Lika averages 14 km, and varies in places from 30 km in its northern parts to 10 km in its most southern parts.
Over a surface area of about 2,270 square kilometres are scattered various karst ridges and sinkholes, barren karst peaks, valleys, and foothill peaks, of which 130 rise above 1,370 m above sea level.
The northern peaks of Velebit reach up to almost 1,700 m (Mali Rajinac 1,699 m), while the central peaks rise to 1600 m (Šatorina 1624 m, Ograđenik 1604 m, Ograđenica 1614 m), and in its southern and highest part, the peaks range from 1700 to 1758 m (Babin vrh 1723 m, Vaganski vrh 1757 m, Segestin 1715 m, Malovan 1709 m, Sveto brdo 1751 m). On a clear day, the entire mountain is visible from an altitude of 8000 m.
It appears as a huge, craggy arch protruding into the sea. Its slopes are steep, and its crest wide. The coastal slope of Velebit that sweeps toward the sea is much higher than its inland slope.
The difference in altitude from the coastal slope to the lowest pass is about 700 m, and to the highest peak even 1757 m.
On the inland side, Velebit rises from 150 to 1150 m above the plateau of Lika, which itself lies 500 to 600 m above sea level. Both slopes also differ greatly in landscape.
The coastal slope is very rocky and bare, moon-like in some places and grey or yellowish-grey in colour, speckled with short plant life.
Although steeper, the inland slope seems gentler. It is almost completely covered in forest so that it is dark-green in colour. The coastal slope is characterized by two more or less distinct longitudinal terraces (the foothill plateau and the longitudinal coastal plateau), which like stairs spread along the entire Velebit ridge.
Source: Text and images are used with permission from the web site http://www.pp-velebit.hr/
