To expand scientific knowledge and monitor the condition of the Park’s forest flora, the Plitvice Lakes National Park Public Institution and OIKON Ltd – Institute of Applied Ecology carried out the project “Mapping rare, endangered and strictly protected plant species in forest ecosystems” from 2021 to 2025. The research was coordinated by Professor Joso Vukelić, PhD.
Plant species were mapped using a combination of field surveys based on a one-kilometre square grid in HTRS96/TM – the official coordinate reference system of the Republic of Croatia – and by adding the locations of individual species based on published and otherwise available findings from previous research.
The study inventoried and analysed the presence of 34 strictly protected and 11 endangered vascular plant species in the forest vegetation of Plitvice Lakes National Park.
Yellow lady’s slipper orchid (Cypripedium calceolus) 
Butcher’s broom (Ruscus aculeatus)
The research results present a list of the species recorded in 323 grid squares, brief general descriptions of the species, their distribution in Plitvice Lakes National Park, their threat status, and maps showing their distribution by grid square. The results presented in this report are an important step towards the long-term monitoring and protection of the Park’s flora and provide baseline data for planning future activities to conserve the natural values of this unique ecosystem.
Based on an analysis of the project results, active measures were recommended to conserve rare, endangered and strictly protected species in the forests of Plitvice Lakes National Park, together with a proposed species-monitoring methodology and accompanying field form.
Violet helleborine (Epipactis purpurata) 
Spineless butcher’s broom (Ruscus hypoglossum)