Geomorphological Geoheritage Sites of the Titel Loess Plateau

Belij, S.¹, Marković, S.B.², Belij, M.³, Vasiljević, Dj.A.², Basarin, B.², Lukić, T.²

¹Institutte for Nature Protection Conservation of Serbia, Dr Ivana Ribara 91, 11 000 Belgrade, Serbia

²Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Managment, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Serbia

³Geographical Faculty, Studentski trg 3/3, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia

The Titel loess plateau (Vojvodina, northern Serbia) is situated in the confluence area of Danube and Tisza rivers. Due to its morphology it dominates over surrounding lower terrain. Different phases of fluvial erosion have shaped the ellipsoid form of the plateau,which is characterized by steep slopes on the margins. In the contrast to that, plateau surface provides more sedative morphology with small hypsometric differences The Titel loess plateau is a unique geomorphologic phenomenon representing the wide diversity of the loess landforms. The Titel plateau represents ‘loess island’ with maximal extension of about 16 km and a maximum width of 7.2 km covering approximately 80 km².

Institute for Nature Protection Conservation of Serbia proposed that Titel loess plateau should be protected and receive the status of Special Nature Reserve. In this study we identified the most important geomorphological geo-heritage sites of the Titel loess plateau:

• Loess clifs between gullys of Feudvar and Dukatar – represents zone with most complete loess-palosol sequences and visible layer of Bag tephra
• Loess profiles near Tisza bank from Rogulić gully to the Titel old brickyard with ultra thick loess horizon accumulated during the last glacial and large diversity of loess microrelief forms
• Kalvarija secton above Titel with large ‘loess pyramide’
• Big gully near Mošorin, with very thick loess horizon accumulated during the last two glacial cycle
• Section with short gullies and alluvial fans between Vilovo and Mošorin with wide diversity of different morphosculpure forms of loess relief
• Large gullies – Stražilovo nera Vilovo, Topol near Lok and Busia near Titel
• Vodica locality near Lok with spring, loess profile and Danube paleomeander
• Largest gully Busija with terrace alluvial fan near Titel

These site have to be incorporated in the existing network of Serbian geoheritage sites. Simultaneously, Special Nature Reserve Titel loess plateau together with other protected loess exposures is planed to be the nucleus of the future Loess geopark.

Corresponding author: Srdjan Belij | FALI MAIL !!!