NATURE, FOREST AND BIODIVERSITY:
Curent state of habitats
 
Forests. Forests cover 9.6% of the territory, 86% of these are planted.  Natural formations represent only 4% of the total cover.  The largest forests are located in the centre and western centre (Codri).  Forest cover is low elsewhere (see Figure 8.2).  In the south and south-east (Cahul and Bender regions), cover can be less than 25% of the average.
In 1848 (when records began), forests occupied 366 200 ha; in 1918, 230 000 ha.  In this period the logging of trees took place without protecting or preserving seed varieties.  Species with greater shooting capacity and quicker growth have replaced indigenous species.  This management has also prevailed during the last 40-50 years.  As a result, the forest fund now consists of biologically old trees, of little resistance to destructive factors, with reduced growth and low fruiting capacity.  During the past 20 years, the surface of forests has increased from 271 200 ha in 1973 to 342 000 ha in 1995 (Table 8.1) and consists of 800 forest plots of 5 to 1500 hectares.  About 54% (193 000 ha) of them are considered suitable for exploitation.
Moldovan forests have the highest proportion of broadleaved species of any temperate zone country (over 99% of the growing stock of 35.3 million m3).  Oak (Quercus robur, Q. petraea and Q. rubescens) is the predominant species (52% of area).  The second most common species (26%), namely robinia (Robinia pseudoacacia), has been introduced to stabilize poor soils.  The rest covers a wide range of other indigenous species, such as ash, beech, lime, maple, hornbeam, birch, and poplar.
At the end of 1994, 69 700 ha of forests were affected by pests and diseases.  The 1995 survey undertaken under the Convention of Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution showed that 25.6% of trees were healthy, 40.4% were damaged (classes 2-4), and 1.0% were dead.  43.0 % of oaks and 27.6% of sessile oaks were affected.  In comparison with 1994, the percentage of trees showing over 25% defoliation increased.  This situation can be explained by excessive drought during the past 15 years and the effects of air pollution.  Moldovan forests are also vulnerable to insects and fungi.  Oak forest stands are particularly affected by insects.  Forest fires destroyed 120.1 ha in 91 events in 1990, while 3 fires in 1995 destroyed 1.4 ha.

Figure 7.1:  Biodiversity in Moldova, 1997

 Source: The Department for Environmental Protection and the Institute of Geography of the Academy of Science.

Figure 7.2:  Forest deficiency on Moldovan territory, 1997

 

Source: The Department for Environmental Protection and the Institute of Geography of the Academy of Science.

Table 7.1:  State of forests, 1990-1995

 

Source: Moldova’95, Department for Statistics, Republic of Moldova.

In Moldova, no forests are in private hands.  They are either State property (86%) or municipal property (14%).  Because of the structural reform and the very

Aquatic habitats. Most wetlands have been drained with the exception of small isolated areas in the lower Nistru river and areas bordering the Prut river.  In 1994, marshes represented only 0.2% of the territory (i.e. 5 500 ha).  Limestone quarrying and river bed dredging for sand have significantly contributed to altering river ecosystems and their fish populations.

Protected areas. Protected areas in Moldova are classified into eight categories.  Strict Nature Reserves cover about 0.58% of the territory (only 0.17% in 1990).  Currently four out of the five strictly protected areas (scientific reserves) are effectively subordinated to Moldsilva because they are mostly forest zones; the fifth (Iagorlic) is located on the Nistru left bank.  Other types of protected areas (natural protected landscapes, fenced-in districts, landscape, natural monuments, garden art monuments, botanic gardens, dendrological parks, zoological parks) are under the local authorities.
Protected areas occupy 1.42 % of the territory of the Republic, placing it far behind most other European countries.  There is no national park in Moldova, and no wetlands of international importance/Ramsar sites.  In 1996, the existing State Protected Areas were inventoried and classified in accordance with the IUCN criteria.  The draft law on protected areas and the draft national biodiversity strategy foresee the extension of protected areas to 2% of the territory as shown in Table 7.2.

Table 7.2:  Protected areas, 1995

 
Source:  DEP, the draft law on protected areas (1995) and the draft biodiversity strategy (1997).

Flora and fauna. About 5 000 plant species are known in Moldova.  Most of them are concentrated in the northern and eastern part of the country.  The greatest fauna diversity is found in the northern forest zones, in the Prut and Nistru meadows, the Beleu lake, etc.  The current situation of many protected plant and animal species is difficult, as reflected in the decreasing number of species and population density, and their restriction to specific habitats (Table 8.3).  This is the result of intensive land use and the destruction of wetlands.  For example, the Kashmir deer was anendemic species.  It almost disappeared in the 1950s.  Since then, species such as the Ascanian deer from Ukraine and the sika deer were introduced in the same reserves, leading to natural hybridization.  In 1961, an attempt was made to introduce the European elk into the Codrii reserve.

The situation of the fish population is of great concern.  Amongst the 75 species mentioned in Table 8.3, the most common are perch Perca fluviatilis, pike Esox lucius, bream Abramis brama, crusian carp Carassius auratus, common carp Cyprinus carpio, silver carp Hypophtalmichthys molitrix, grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella, roach Rutilus rutilus, rudd Scardinius erythrophthalmus, and zander Stizostedion lucioperca.  Some species such as Umbra krameri and Zingel zingel are endangered; trout and lamprey have been totally wiped out.

Table 7.3:  Flora and fauna species by group
 

 
Source:  DEP, National Strategic Action Programme (1995) and the Red Book for Moldova.

The last Red Book of  the country includes a significant number of species: 131 of vegetal species nd 110 of  animal species.

 
Introduction  Curent state of habitats Driving forces for nature and biodiversity changes Nature protection policies and management
  Conclusions and recommendations
 
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