\n
\n<\/p>\n
The virgin
\nforests are the last forest ecosystems where nature has survived in its purest
\nform, without being significantly affected by human intervention. Elsewhere around
\nEurope, the virgin forests have become almost extinct, yet in Romania, there are
\nroughly 250 thousand hectares. Since, 2015, the virgin forests have been
\nprotected by the law, as they have been included in the Virgin
\nand Quasi-virgin Forests Catalogue. In the virgin forest, trees die of old age,
\nthey fall, they break or they wither rather fast, while the deadwood is
\nleft there, feeding the ecosystem for the generations to come. The virgin
\nforest is home to trees of all ages, from the freshly sprouting seeds to the
\ntrees that have reached their physiological limit, quite like a community:
\nchildren, parents and the elderly supporting each other, living a harmonious
\nand healthy life. Or at least that is what we’ve read in a message posted by
\nWWF Romania environment organization on its own site. <\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Under
\nthe crowns of 500-year-old giant trees, living together are over 10, 000 species, ranging from unicellular organisms, mushrooms,
\nplants, insects, to big mammals, such as the wild boar, the deer, the chamois,
\nthe wolf, the lynx, the brown bear. If the virgin forest disappears, with it, a
\nthousand-year-old natural evolution cycle disappears too. The virgin forest is a
\nliving lesson preserved in nature’s genuine laboratories, but also part of Romanian
\nlocal communities’ cultural identity. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Radu Melu is a national manager of WWF Romania’s
\nforest division. He spoke about the importance
\nof the virgin forests. <\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
They are important
\nin various respects. If we take biodiversity into account, these forests are important
\nbecause in them we can find those categories of species that need peace and
\nquiet, very old trees, large quantities of deadwood, actually all those categories
\nof species that live better when man does not intervene in the forest. If we
\nhave a large landscape, a very large one, with cultivated forest and a forest
\nfrom where wood is extracted, but also some quasi-virgin forest plots where we
\ndid not intervene, allowing nature to have its own evolution, then we can stand
\nthe chance to have the whole biodiversity spectrum in that particular area. So,
\nit is the biodiversity that contributes something more. These forests come with
\nsomething extra when compared to the cultivated forests. In a separate
\ndevelopment, these forests have their evolution, in the absence of no human intervention. In
\neffect, we see how nature would develop, we have the chance to see how nature
\nthinks for its further evolution, if you will, considering climate change.
\nAs for climate change, we’ve had something like that before, our planet has faced
\nthese climate changes before and yet, in their wake, nature found its own ways
\nof survival. For instance, the beech tree has not been a dominant species before
\nthe last glaciation. After the last glaciation, the beech tree has developed
\nperfectly fine, it has become a dominant species in Europe. It is the solution
\nnature found for afforestation and for vegetation to regenerate. Well, then,
\nhere we are again, asking questions, but we cannot ask nature in a cultivated forest
\nor, if the case, with exotic species. We ask nature in such natural forests, in
\nsuch forests whose evolution has never been perturbed by man and we find out,
\nwe see what direction it takes and we can also imitate the same thing, in the
\ncultivated forests.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In order to be protected by the law, Romania’s virgin
\nforests need to be reintroduced in a dedicated catalogue. Such an undertaking is
\nin no way simple, yet it is worth the while doing it. The catalogue of the virgin
\nand the quasi-virgin forests is a project initiated and permanently supported
\nby WWF. The project is operational and held in high esteem by the international
\nauthorities. Here is Radu Melu once again, this time speaking about
\nthis forestry protection official instrument<\/p>\n
The catalogue is in fact a base where all the
<\/p>\n The Environment, Waters and Forests Ministry updates this
WWF Romania and the country’s virgin forests<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":104,"featured_media":153534,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[44315],"tags":[44446,35217,31085,35150,44447,37642],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-153533","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-green-planet","tag-deadwood","tag-forest","tag-funding","tag-logging","tag-updating","tag-virgin"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
<\/span><\/p>\n
\nforests were included, that have been identified as virgin or quasi-virgin
\nforests on the territory of our country. In this catalogue, what we have in
\nfact are those plots and sub-plots, as the forest in Romania is divided in these
\nbasic units known as forest plots, and can be thus identified very easily. They can
\nbe found there. The information is clear, about the forest district, about the area,
\nthe county those plots can be found, and they have been included in the
\nNational catalogue, with their surface area, with all the details, so once a
\nnew arrangement is being done, that is a new planning stipulating where, what and how
\nmuch can be cut down, those particular surface areas are avoided. There, logging
\nis no longer recommended, while the respective surface areas thus remain
\nprotected forever, since the law no longer allows for the planners to come and
\ndecide upon certain works, or on logging operations or any other intervention that
\ncould affect the natural evolution of those forests.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
\ncatalogue periodically. As we speak, a surface area of more than 71,000 hectares
\nhas been included, of virgin and quasi-virgin forests. The process is ongoing,
\nyet more involvement is needed, on the part of the interested entities: forests
\nand protected areas administrators, education or research institutions,
\nnon-governmental organizations.(EN)<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"