Biodiversity Assessment Report Romania 2001 Sumbitted to: USAID/Romania Submitted by: John Hansen, USAID/EGAT/ENV/DAA Dr. Dan Manoleli, Ecological Group for Co-operation - Romania Dr. Nicolea Galdean, Ecological Group for Co-operation - Romania Prepared: September 2001 Approved: January 2002 COL L E O U G P IC U D R E G C O E LABORAR Table of contents Page Introduction 1 Chapter 1. Romanian Biodiversity Status 2 1.1. Overview 2 1.2. Habitat diversity 3 1.2.1. Woodland and forests 4 1.2.2. Wetlands 4 1.2.3. Grasslands, Shrubs 5 1.2.4. Bogs 5 1.2.5. Caves and cave ecosystems 5 1.2.6. Soils and agriculture 5 1.3. Species diversity 6 1.3.1. Flora 7 1.3.2. Fauna 7 1.3.2.1. Migratory birds 7 1.3.2.2. Conservation of Large carnivores 8 1.3.2.3. Other fauna with Conservation 9 status 1.3.2.4. Sport fishing 10 1.4. Hydrographic network 10 Chapter 2. Threats to Romanian Biodiversity 12 2.1. Environmental degradation 12 2.2. Engineering of Waterways 13 2.2.1. Channelization 13 2.2.2. Damming 13 2.3. Wetlands 14 2.4. Forests 15 2.5. Poaching 15 2.6. Mining 15 Chapter 3. Romanian Biodiversity Conservation Efforts 17 3.1. Protected areas 17 3.2. Legal and Institutional Framework 19 3.2.1. Identification of relevant laws 19 3.2.2. The Romanian Constitution and Environmental Protection 19 3.2.3. Romania’s Current Protected Area Administrative and Management Structure 19 3.2.4. International Agreements 22 3.2.5. International and Regional Conventions 22 3.2.6. Romania and the European Union Accession Process 22 3.2.7. The Europe Agreement 22 3.2.8. EU Assistance Programs 23 3.2.9. EU Environmental Legislation 23 3.2.10. Romanian Legislative Approximation to EU Environmental Instruments 23 3.2.11. Domestic Law on protected areas and biodiversity conservation 24 Primary Legislation 24 National Legislation-Environmental Protection 24 National Legislation-Land Use, Ownership and Management 24 National Legislation-Forest Code 25 National Legislation-Hunting Law 25 3.3. Status of current situation 25 3.4. International Donor Biodiversity Conservation Efforts in Romania 26 Chapter 4. Summary of Biodiversity Conservation Issues, Existing Problems, and Recommendations 27 4.1. Legal framework 27 4.2. Land Restitution 28 4.3. Bioconservation Education 30 4.4. Conclusions 30 Attachements: Annexes, Maps, Figures, and Plates LIST OF MAPS MAP 1 Romania-physical map MAP 2 Land utilization MAP 3 Potential vegetation of Romania MAP 4 The Romanian bogs distribution MAP 5 Romanian Fauna and Flora Diversity (species richness) MAP 6 Hydrographic map LIST OF FIGURES FIG. 1A Some aspects of the present state of land stock FIG. 1B Quality of river water FIG. 2A Regional dsitribution of woods (% of surface area) FIG. 2B The environmental quality of the woodlands FIG. 3 Institutional Framework for Management of Existing Protected Areas LIST OF PHOTOS PLATE 1 Gemenele Lake-Retezat Mountains Gemenele Research House-Retezat Mountains PLATE 2 Squacco heron (Ardeola raloides) Pygmy Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pygmeus) Coot (Fulica atra) PLATE 3 Black-necked grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) Black-necked grebe nest Black-headed gull nests (Larus ridibundus) PLATE 4 Black-headed gull colony (Larus ridibundus) Black-tailed goodwit (Limosa limosa) Great White Egret (Casmerodius albus) and Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) feeding ground PLATE 5 Common Toad (Bufo bufo) Tortoise (Testudo graeca ibera) Tortoise (Testudo graeca ibera) PLATE 6 Ruddy shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) Mute swan (Cygnus olor) Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) PLATE 7 Red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio) White storck (Ciconia ciconia) Mallard (Anas platyrrhynchos) PLATE 8 Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) Wolf (Canis lupus)-Piatra Craiului Mountains Wolf collars for telemetry PLATE 9 Landscape Hateg Depression Grassland-Hateg Depression Fossil Coral Reef-Casimcea, Gura Dobrogei PLATE 10 Wooded meadows -Bucegi Mountains Piatra Craiului National Park Piatra Craiului Mountains in spring LIST OF ANNEXES 1. ANNEX I A USAID Environment and Natural Resources Code ANNEX I B USAID endangered species (biodiversity) Code 2. ANNEX II Institutions and personalities interviewed in preparation of the Romanian Biodiversity Assessment Report 3. ANNEX III Main groups of ecosystemic formations of Romania, number of ecosystem types, their present status and territorial distribution 4. ANNEX IV Natural habitat types whose conservation requires the designation of special areas of conservation 5. ANNEX V Romanian meadows distribution 6. ANNEX VI The list of endemic and subendemic plant and animal species of Romania. A. Endemic plant species; B. Subendemic plant species; C. Endemic and subendemic animal species 7. ANNEX VII Protected areas in Romania. A. Statistics; B. List of protected areas; C. The main protected virgin forests 8. ANNEX VIII Plant and animal species with a special conservation status in Romania A. Plant species; B. Animal species; C. Species of Black Sea importance 9. ANNEX IX The treaties, the conventions and the international agreements 10. ANNEX X EU legislation for nature conservation 11. ANNEX XI Romanian Environmental Protection Law 12. ANNEX XII Other domestic regulations with significance to biodiversity conservation 13. ANNEX XIII International donor biodiversity conservation efforts in Romania 14. ANNEX XIV References INTRODUCTION This Biodiversity Assessment Report (BAR) for Romania was prepared for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)/Romania mission. It addresses statutory concerns for biodiversity promulgated at Section 119 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (“FAA”) [22 U.S.C. Section 2151(q)], and guidelines for environmental protection and natural resources conservation promulgated at FAA Section 117 [22 U.S.C. Section 2151(p)]. The statutory requirements of FAA Section 117 have been promulgated into USAID regulations at Title 22 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 216 (22 CFR 216), and have been incorporated into the USAID Automated Directives System at section 204 (ADS 204). The relevant sections of the U.S. Code have been included at Annexes I A and I B. USAID Romania prepared this report in preparation for its FY 2002- FY 2006 Country Strategic Plan. To prepare the BAR, the project team extensively researched and compiled natural resources data. Interviews with scientific and educational institutions, governmental bodies, bilateral and multilateral donors, and the national and international NGO community were conducted. Field trips to Retezat and Piatra Crailui National Parks and the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve were conducted to gain first hand experiences of some natural resources conservation areas and to meet individuals and organizations directly involved in bioconservation efforts in Romania. The BAR is not intended to be a comprehensive scientific summary of Romanian flora and fauna, rather it is designed to summarize major trends in biodiversity loss and conservation efforts in Romania. The BAR is divided into four chapters: Chapter 1 identifies Romanian biodiversity, identifying areas rich in species diversity as well as areas unique to Romania. This chapter describes major ecosystems, species endemism, and key habitats, and identifies key landscape features and areas for the conservation of biodiversity; Chapter 2 summarizes current and future threats to Romania’s biodiversity, providing information on endangered and threatened species, and summarizing policies, land use practices, pest/contamination sources, and transboundary obstacles to biodiversity; Chapter 3 describes ongoing governmental, bilateral donor, multilateral donor, NGO, and other efforts being undertaken in Romania to conserve biodiversity. These efforts include national conservation legislation, policies and strategies, international conventions, protected area management capacities. Chapter 4 includes a summary of efforts needed to conserve Romanian biodiversity, summarizes donor impact on biodiversity; and identifies potential opportunities to support biodiversity conservation. This BAR was prepared entirely in country from August 6 to September 7, 2001. The Romanian NGO contractor retained by USAID, Ecological Group for Co-operation (GEC), provided two Romanian biodiversity specialists from its staff: Professor Dan Manoleli, Ph.D. of the University of Bucharest Department of Ecology; and Dr. Nicolae Galdean, of the Ecological University, Bucharest. John Hansen, a USAID Environment Officer, who worked closely with the project team, conducted interviews in Washington, D.C. and Romania, participated in field trips to gain first hand knowledge of Romanian biodiversity, provided technical guidance, and assisted in formatting, editing, and preparing the recommendations of the report. Overall, the team conducted 30 interviews with USAID staff, bilateral and multilateral donors, and local experts in forestry, natural resource and wildlife management, Danube delta conservation, governmental policy and regulation, bioconservation and other related matters. Individuals from different Institutions who were interviewed are presented in Annex II. Numerous documents, including the Romanian Biodiversity Conservation National Strategy, the National Environmental Action Plan, World Bank Forestry Sector Note, reports from World Bank-funded biodiversity projects in the Danube Delta and Carpathian Mountains, and reports from the World Wildlife Fund Carpathian Ecoregion and Carpathian Large Carnivore Project, among others, were valuable sources of information for this report. A comprehensive listing of references