Flora and fauna of Fruska gora
Plants
In the narrow zone of National Park grows about 1000 species of plants, and their total number, together with plants in the larger protected area, exceeds a figure of 1500 species. With this great diversity Fruska Gora can be compared to much larger and higher mountains in Serbia. Ferns are represented by 15 sub-species. So far, a total of 32 representatives of this group of plants have been recorded, of which 6 are on the list of natural rarities of Serbia. As individual trees or smaller forest complexes on Fruška Gora, many other conifers are planted, such as black and white pine, spruce, larch, tisa, tuja and others. Magnoliophyta plants are the most numerous plants on Fruska Gora, which make up more than 90% of its total flora. Of the total number of recorded magnoliophyta on Fruska Gora mountain, 36 dicotyledons and 27 monocotyledons in Serbia are protected as natural rarities. Fruška gora is known for the presence of a large number (about 700) of medicinal plants. Most of them are "wild" species and the smaller part are grown plants.
VEGETATION - Fruška gora is a forest area, however from the former 130,000 ha of forest area, today only 23,000 ha remains. A man has occupied and destroyed a large part of forests on Fruska Gora and today on this potential forest areas mainly meadows, fields, vineyards and orchards are found, and the remaining forests are usually located at higher and inclined positions. They are within national park boundaries and are protected. Due to centuries of negative impact today, the areas under the steps are reduced to a minimum and fragmentarily preserved mainly on the perimeter of the mountain.
Animals
Fish are present only with about ten species and in lakes, because streams, although very numerous on Fruska Gora mountain, are small, unstable and often dry up. On Fruska Gora, 23 species of amphibians and reptiles are registered. The extremely rare and endangered species is Salamandra, whose last finding is 35 years old. Also exceptionally rare species, and also the only poisonous snake on Fruska Gora, Viper Berus. On Fruska Gora there are 60 species of mammals from 16 families and 42 genera. Most species of the family Rhinolophidae - bats (17 species). Among the larger mammals are important: jackal, wild cat, deer and doe. Most of them are autochthonous species except for deer and moufflon deer whisch are grown in a hunting reserve. Of the total number of mammals on Fruska Gora, 38 species are protected as natural rarities. Birds are present on Fruska Gora with about 200 species. One part of them are migratory birds that are only briefly retained on this mountain twice a year. The presence of a large number of species of predatory birds is particularly significant, such as: eagle, dwarf eagle, steppe falcon etc.
Mushrooms
Gljive, kao jedno od tri "viša" carstva, pored flore i faune, sačinjavaju tzv. fungiju, grupu razlagača, mineralizatora organske materije, izuzetno značajnu u procesima kruženja materije i energije u prirodi. Na Fruškoj gori gljive žive na pašnjacima, u ritovima, plavnim livadama i šumama, odnosno svuda gde se zemljišta ne obrađuju. Do sada je registrovano preko 400 vrsta. Pored visokospecijalizovanih gljiva, poznatijih po nazivu pečurke, koje proizvode plodonosna tela, postoje i prostiji oblici koje poznajemo pod nazivima plesni, buđi, pepelnice, plamenjače, vodene gljive itd. Poznatije jestive pečurke koje mogu da se nađu na Fruškoj gori su: sunčanica, paprena mlečnica, lisičarka, đurđevača biserka, velika đubretarka, poljska rudnjača, šumska rudnjača, jablanovača modrikača, pravi vrganj, smrčak, mrka trubača, kripavac, kao i mnoge druge. Gljivama bukovači (Pleurotus ostreatus) i zimskoj velurki (Flamulina velutipes) pripisuju se, pored hranljivosti, i lekovita svojstva. Smrtonosno otrovne gljive čije je prisustvo zabeleženo na Fruškoj gori su zelena pupavka (Amanita phalloides), najotrovnija naša pečurka, i panterovka (Amanita pantherina). Takođe otrovne, ali retko sa smrtonosnim ishodom, su žuta pupavka (Amanita citrina), muhara (Amanita muscaria), ludara (Boletus satanas) i bljuvara (Russula emetica). Lepotom svojih oblika ističu se sluzave gljive od kojih se na Fruškoj gori susreću na trulim drvenim ostacima i u šumskoj stelji.
Mushrooms, as one of the three "higher" empires, in addition to flora and fauna constitute an organic matter mineralizer, extremely important in the processes of circulating matter and energy in nature. On Fruska Gora the fungi live on pastures, in the meadows, forests and anywhere that land is not processed. So far, over 400 species have been registered. In addition to highly specialized fungi, better known by the name of mushrooms, which produce fruiting bodies, there are also simpler forms we know as mold, mildew, powdery mildew, downy mildew, water mushrooms, etc. Significant number of known edible mushrooms in Serbia can be found here. Pleurotus ostreatus and winter velur (Flamulina velutipes) are attributed, in addition to nutrition, to healing properties. Deadly poisonous mushrooms whose presence is recorded on Fruska Gora are Death Cap (Amanita phalloides) - the most toxic of all mushrooms in this region, and Panterovka (Amanita pantherina). Also toxic, but rarely lethal, are yellow death cap (Amanita citrina), fly agaric (Amanita muscaria), ludara (Boletus satanas) and Russula Emetica. Beautiful in shape are the mushrooms that can be found on rotten wood residues and in the forest bedding.
Geology
Fruska Gora mountain is very broken and it consists of three parts. In geological terms, Fruska Gora has a lot in common with a number of mountains of Slavonia and Croatia. These mountains are located on the same earth belt, and Fruska gora represents their ultimate eastern branch. The entire group of mountains is, according to its position and characteristics, integrated into the Dinaric geotectonic branch of Alpid and in inner dinar belt. Geological and palaeontological research, which has lasted for nearly two centuries on this mountain, indicate that it is a treasure trove of a plant and animal fossils and the history of nature. Based on them, the course of natural changes on Fruska Gora has been reconstructed since about 200 million years ago until today. For a long time, Fruska Gora was an island in the Pannonian Sea, as evidenced by numerous fossils of sea shells, snails, hedgehogs, corals, etc. Fossils also testify about climate changes, specially plants, such as various types of palm trees, then Taxodium, Glyptostrobus, Seqoia, Laurus and many other species that formed vegetation. Fossils of mammoths, reindeers, bison and other mammals which were hunted by a primitive man about a million years ago were found too. Thanks to these values, the Fruska Gora National Park is a unique museum in open nature with an extremely important role in education, as part of the geological scientific, historical and cultural heritage of Europe and the world.
Climate
The area of Fruška gora lies at the boundary of moderate continental climate, and due to changes in climatic characteristics along the altitude gradient and the influence of forest cover, the climate here has subcontinental characteristics. However, Fruska gora with its position, shape and vegetation affects the creation of a specific local climate, which is somewhat different from the climate of the surrounding areas. It is interesting to note that, although Fruska gora is a low mountain, with the rise of altitude the climate becomes wetter and colder, so that on montain tops there are features of the mountain climate with a cooler winter and a fresh summer. On the average the lowest air temperature is in January, amounting to - 0.6 ° C, and highest in July at 21.4 ° C. Average for annual temperature is 11.2 ° C. Fruska Gora belongs to an area where the degree air humidity is moderate (76%). The most moist months are May and June, and the most dry are September and October. The second maximum of precipitation occurs in December. It was found that from the north part of mountain, western winds have a very high frequency throughout the year, followed by winds from the west-southwest direction. They are very frequent and winds from the south-east direction, and occur more often in autumn, spring and winter, and less often during the summer. Winds from the south-southeast and south-south-west are very rare here.
Caves
There are only three famous natural caves on Fruska Gora: Grgurevačka, Ležimirska and the spring of the Dubočaš brook. In addition to them, there are also several longer or shorter mining mines: two in Dumbovo, Perina cave, an old quarry near the Rakovac monastery, an old quarry near the Stari Hopovo monastery, and a small cave near the Rakovac Monastery, which the monks created.
The area of Vrdnik was declared an air resort due to the excellent concentration of ozone in this part of Fruska Gora.