Case Studies

The Romanian portion of the Carpathian Mountains holds the biggest continuous forest ecosystems in Europe, harbours many well-preserved natural habitats, and is home to large herbivores and carnivores, including brown bear (Ursus arctos arctos), wolf (Canis lupus lupus) and lynx (Lynx lynx) (Figure 1). The mountain range is a biodiversity hotspot situated at the crossroads of several important biogeographic regions. Recent changes in land ownership and rapid infrastructure development (highways, industrial and human settlements, tourist facilities) are threatening the largely intact nature of the Romanian Carpathians. A total of 30.2% of the national territory is covered by forest, including virgin forests and ancient beech forests. While some of the forest is in public ownership, a large proportion is privately owned due to restitution that took place in recent decades. A large number of sites, adding up to 24.46% of the terrestrial national territory, are included in the Natura 2000 network; however, these sites are spatially disconnected.

In 2015, an initiative called COREHABS (Ecological corridors for habitats and species in Romania) brought together six entities (two public universities, one national research institute and three NGOs) to design a national ecological network for ensuring habitat connectivity in tandem with sustainable development. COREHABS is providing corridor modelling as a decision support tool for stakeholders, giving them the opportunity to develop infrastructure while considering the ecological measures necessary to ensure the long- term viability of species and habitats. In 2017, COREHABS combined forces with BearConnect (Functional connectivity and ecological sustainability of European ecological networks), an organization focusing on the brown bear. To achieve ecological corridor conservation and facilitate specific ecosystem processes, the organisations are investigating the degree to which existing ecological networks, which include national protected areas and the Natura 2000 network, ensure landscape functional connectivity and ecological sustainability at different scales, and provide practical recommendations for connectivity conservation.

An area of about 10×10 km has been identified as important to connectivity for brown bears between the Bucegi protected areas in the south and the Piatra Mare and Postavaru protected areas in the north (Figure 2). The majority of the land is owned by the state, with small areas being held by the community and private owners.

COREHABS developed an efficient mechanism for identification and assessment of ecological corridors, and is providing specialists in local planning and implementation of a national ecological network for conservation. Romania is on track to protecting a coherent ecological network of protected areas and ecological corridors, which will allow wildlife populations to interbreed, improving long-term genetic viability and responding to climate change.