**4. Conclusions**

Plitvice Lakes National Park has a rather complex management system. The most important part of its management is most certainly the nature conservation and conservation of all the important processes (ecological, chemical and geological) that are present in the protected area. Other important management areas are seen through cultural heritage, tourism and education. However, to be adaptive as a protected area, the National Park has to have good cooperation with local community and different stakeholders. Additionally, the park owns important infrastructure not only for its residents, but also for hospitality services that it provides.

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DOI: 10.1002/9781118785317.weom120103

Sep 2017]

The assessment of management effectiveness for this protected area through SWOT analysis gave an insight into the park's internal and external factors, highlighting that favorable factors still prevail over unfavorable. However, in this changing world with lot of possible threats and weaknesses present through climate change, biodiversity loss, invasive species, uncontrolled construction, insufficiently managed touristic activity, poor infrastructure and ever-changing political atmosphere, every protected area should pay attention to its management to minimize those negative factors.

The future of Plitvice Lakes National Park is situated in well written and adaptive management plan with action plan for visitor management, in developed and applied educational and interpretative programs, in good cooperation with local community and in wise investments in projects, researches and monitoring. In all these activities, the primary end objective should be nature conservation.
