Natural resources in Community Sopiste

Natural resources
Forest resources A very big part of the community is forest (about 40%). The biggest forest areas of beech and fir trees spread over the areas of the villages Drzilovo and Patiska Reka among the hills and high mountainous pastures. The forest reservation "Jasen" is very well protected. The entry in it is restricted so it doesn't have any recreation, tourist and educational function. Its only function is to protect the nature.
	The other bigger region of oak and beech forest spreads over the east slopes of Venec and Ivanski Osoj. It widens very fast in the neighbouring abandoned pastures. The lowest part of the Markova Reka basin is full of vegetation. Nowadays the old forest trees expand towards the hills pastures, abandoned farming areas and bare fields.
At the border areas could be found Italian oak and white hornbeam trees in different shapes. The thermophile vegetation is present at about 900 meters height above the sea level with widely spread forest region. Although Nova Breznica lies on karsts area without any tree, there are bear hazel trees and black ash trees. The inaccessible slopes of the Treska canyon are full of relict forests full of black pine trees and Macedonian anemone. Above the region of Karadjica hillside there are well preserved beech and beech and fir forests. It is very interested that in this region apart from the very rare species of plants and animals there are also several endemic species of insects in the "Bozguni" cave. Thee tree vegetation ends at 1900 meters height above the sea level and up to the highest peak there are high mountainous pastures and meadows. The diversity of the natural conditions makes it possible to plant different plants such as wheat, garden and fruit cultivations. Water resources The surface hydrographical network in the region of Sopiste Community is hardly developed, mainly because of the intensive process of karstification of the mountain ranges of Karadjica, Suva Planina and Venec. The community is very poor in water resources. 90% of the region is without a brook or river. The river Patiska Reka continues its course underground is a very attractive natural phenomenon and potential source of drinking water in the wider region. This river passes along two villages, but the water is not used for drinking because it is not sufficient. There is also one stream, which in the rainless period in summer has a minimum quantity of water and passes by the road.