Supporting Agriculture, Tradition and Ecosystems in the Pogány-Havas Microregion of Transylvania (Romania) Gergely RODICS1 and Barbara KNOWLES2 Pogány-havas Association, Miercurea Ciuc, Str. Szék nr.123, jud. Harghita, Romania
[email protected] [email protected] KEYWORDS: Romania, Transylvania, rural development, traditional agriculture, biodiversity ABSTRACT Our diverse region comprises parts of two distinct geographical and cultural areas in the Eastern Carpathians of Romania: Csík (Ciuc) and Gyimes (Ghimeş). The Csík Basin has a wide, open landscape surrounded by mountains, while Gyimes is a mountain area with deep and narrow valleys. Both are exceptionally rich in natural treasures: many rare plants and animals, including the southernmost range of several species left here since the last ice age. Traditional agriculture has created and maintains a small scale patchwork of hay meadows, pastures, fields and forests: an ideal management system for biodiversity. It provides essential ecosystem and conservation services, and offers resilience to economic and environmental shocks. This beautiful region has important lessons to offer the modern world. There is much talk of sustainable agriculture and forestry, local food production and biodiversity protection in Europe, yet the villagers of Transylvania have been managing their land and rural economies sustainably for the past thousand years. We describe an integrated programme to improve rural incomes, support traditional agriculture, understand the ecology and biology of mountain hay meadows, and identify and protect key species and habitats in need of conservation. INTRODUCTION Pogány-havas (Pagan Snow Cap) Microregion Association was founded in 1999 by Harghita County Council. Its founding members are the local councils of seven municipalities as well as local NGOs and entrepreneurs.