The Tisa Superioară Natura 2000 site was conceived as an area where ichtyofauna is the main target for conservation (11 species of concern) especially Telestes souffia and Hucho hucho. Certainly, one cannot preserve fish species, which are extremely sensitive to the quality of the riverine water parameters without properly conserving their spawning, feeding and shelter habitats. Therefore, aside a complex program for assessing the quality of physical and chemical parameters of the waters of Tisa river and its tributaries we also conducted a complex ecological research upon the riparian forest along the floodplain. Also the project involved a small sub-team of ethnologists and folklorists in the reason to see what is remained level of traditional rural practices along the river which are all ecological – friendly.

Unfortunately, the riparian forest habitat (91E0*) is very fragmented, subjected to a heavy biological invasion (provided by aggressively extending alien species of plants) and the floodplain adjacent to the river and the riverbed itself affected by a damming project which was conceived in total disrespect for ecological principles and nature conservation despite the fact that the Natura 2000 site was implemented before. The traditional rural lifestyle and practices were reduced along the river to a very low level, but our ethnologists results appreciate that there are still chances for implementing projects to restore them. Hence, the task of the future custodians of this Natura 2000 site will be a very heavy one for this sector, the most important one, of the site.

Much better is the conservational situation in the south-eastern appendix of this protected areas, named „the Ronișoara Lobe” which is an extension southwards to include the Ronișoara Durmast Oak reservation, an older protected area situated in the high hills east in the Maramureș Depression. Here dominating the landscape are the beech forests (9130 and 9110) with a consistent island of Durmast Oak (9170) which are more than 200 years old. Also along the sunny ridge to the eastern limit the Durmast Oak is dominant.

The forest in Ronișoara Lobe are well preserved with the exception of some conifer forest plantations, especially with spruce which is an alien species for the region. Due to their heavy impact upon the whole ecosystem, these plantations should be removed in the future and the natural forestry hardwood ecosystem should be left to restore itself.

There are also some mountain pasture ecosystems on the high slopes of the submountaineous hills in the eastern part of the Tisa Superioară site. Due to sheep overgrazing these are not in a good status of conservation and are subjected to heavy ruderalization and Pteridium aquilinum invasion.

The Pricop Huta – Certeze Natura 2000 site by contrast is a typical corridor / connecting site for large mammals like bear, wolf, lynx and red deer. In fact in between the heavily populated areas of Maramureș and Oaș Depression, the site is implemented on a veritable ecological ”isthmus” which links the large volcanic mountainous massif of Igniș in Romania with the volcanic chain of Oaș Mountains, which are partly in Ukraine and party in Romania. The border between Romania and Ukraine should be a barrier only for humans but not for animals, this is the main aim of this protected area aside from preserving the quality of the forest habitat to maintain their permeability for transiting large mammals. The conservation status of the beech forests around the site (9110, 9130) is yet good with the exception of the interference of some forest plantations of spruce (which are alien for the landscape and destructive for the phytocenoses but not bad for the large mammals) and the presence of a medium sized andesite quarry which should be limited in its future expansion – while the opening of other new ones should be forbidden.

These are just some of the general conclusions included in the Integrated Study on the Contribution of Ecosystems in the protected Natura 2000 areas: Pricop-Huta-Certeze and Tisa Superioara to the Sustainable Development of Local Communities (SIENPHCTS) project, funded by the EEA Grants – jointly financed by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway,Programme RO02 – Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, Call for Proposals no. 1, whose Programme Operator is the Romanian Ministry of Environment.

Territorial Analyst Sabin BĂDĂRĂU

Spanning 4 years, this project will be implemented by the Vrancea Environmental Protection Agency, in partnership with ACDB (The Association for Preserving Bio-Diversity), the Covasna Environmental Protection Agency and the Harghita Environmental Protection Agency. The targeted area is located in the Southern and Central Oriental Carpathians and includes 18 Nature 2000 sites, spreading over 6 counties: Vrancea, Covasna, Harghita, Bacău, Neamţ and Mureş.

About the Wolf

 The wolf’s spread in Europe is not uniform, and the main problems are habitat fragmentation and the isolation of small populations.

The Carpathian Mountains, extending over seven countries, (Romania, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Serbia, Slovakia and Ukraine) host the second largest wolf population in Europe, surpassed only by that of Russia. In Romania, official data indicate a population between 2000 and 2700 individuals, spread over 9 million hectares, mostly in areas of high hills and low mountains throughout the entire Carpathian range.

Although Romania boasts one of Europe’s largest wolf populations, the species is subjected to multiple pressures and threats, such as habitat fragmentation, poaching, conflicts with hunters and a lack of management from authorities. 

 “Despite the fact that, at national and international levels, wolves are protected by a series of laws and treaties, such as the Bern Convention, the CITES Convention, the 92/43/EEC Directive and the Romanian Law on Hunting, no significant steps were taken in Romania for truly protecting this species and, most importantly, for ensuring its long-term viability in the Carpathians, The lack of a national management plan and the absence of data on the structure and dynamics of wolf populations can lead to the implementation of inappropriate measures which can impact the species’ existence in the long run” declared Silviu Chiriac, Project manager for the Vrancea Environmental Protection Agency.

About the Project

The WOLFLIFE Project is an answer to the problems and threats previously mentioned and aims to provide the institutions, organizations and individuals involved in the management of wolves and their habitats with the best practices for ensuring a peaceful coexistence and a balance between preserving the wolf and ensuring a sustainable development of local communities.

Furthermore, data obtained through the project will form the starting point in creating a national action plan for maintaining a viable wolf population. Additionally, the project envisions the implementation of pilot solutions for managing the conflicts occurring between man and wolf, by transferring best practices to target groups, such as farmers and hunters.

Another important goal of the WOLFLIFE Project is preventing the decline of wolf populations, by reducing mortality, decreasing competition with other species, limiting poaching and ensuring connections between habitats and protected natural areas.

The negative image of the wolf among local communities is yet another significant threat for the species. Because an important aspect of this project is the change of perception towards the wolf, WOLFLIFE aims to measure, through a sociological research, the attitudes and perceptions of stakeholders towards wolves. Subsequently, based on the results yielded by this research, educational and awareness-raising actions will be implemented in order to help people better understand the species and its role in the ecosystem and to mitigate conflicts between man and wolf

 “The wolf is wrongly seen in a negative light, based on legends, folk tales and terrifying hunting stories. We wish to change this image through our project and show that wolves play an essential role in maintaining the viability of wildlife and in preserving healthy, natural ecosystems which are valuable for us, economically, socially, ecologically, scientifically and in terms of tourism” added Silviu Chiriac.

For more information:

www.facebook.com/wolf.conservation 

Or

Silviu Chiriac, APM Vrancea, Project Manager,

vrancealife@yahoo.co.uk , mobile phone number: 0727774144

Article written by Magda Baidan and translated by Mihail Mitoseriu.