THE SOUTH MOLDAVIAN FORESTS (COVURLUI PLATEAU) at the END of the 19Th CENTURY
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THE SOUTH MOLDAVIAN FORESTS (COVURLUI PLATEAU) AT THE END OF THE 19th CENTURY SORIN GEACU1 Key words: Covurlui Plateau, past forest extension The forests are a major landscape element. In Acad. E. Pop's words, "the forest is a collective being. The most magnificent of all, vibrating with a life of its own formed of the huge diversity of millions of individual lives blended in a physical harmony that over helms and puzzles the human mind" (1942, p. 8). In the Antiquity and the Middle Ages, most of the Covurlui Plateau - the southernmost unit of the Moldavian Tableland between the towns of Bârlad and Galaţi, was covered with forests. In time, however, once human activity began intensifying and diversifying afforested areas would shrink. This situation got momentum after the 1829 Adrianopole Treaty which ended the Turkish monopole on the Moldavian trade, fact that increased the transport of wood through the port of Galaţi. The forest-rich territory continued to shrink. In 1943 Acad. S. Mehedinţi write: "what has been left of Moldavia's hillside forests which used to frighten the passer-by are but a few small patches" (p. 49). In order to give a correct and detailed outline of the forests that had existed in the two compartments of the Covurlui Plateau (the Covurlui Hills in the north and the Covurlui Plain in the south) at the end of the 19 th century, we studied the following sheets: Bujor, Bereşti, Drăguşeni, Folteşti, Galaţi, Murgeni, Pechea and Puţeni (scale 1: 50,000) printed in 1892- 1893 and included in the Atlas of Moldavia. The size of the then afforested areas was measured with the Reiss planimeter (see tables). The findings revealed the presence of a big afforested massif (6.080 ha) in the Covurlui Hills between Chineja and the Pruth River, extending from Balinteşti-Cavadineşti in the north to Roşcani in the south. Its northern part in the vicinity of Suceveni Village (then Chirileşti), was dotted with glades numerous agricultural lands penetrating deep into the forest, eg in the Gruiu and Viilor valleys; nine glades, on the Scumpieriei Hill (the largest was 7 ha, the others 0.5-1 ha each); two on the Piscu Rădiciului Hill (1 ha and 2.5 ha) and another one (3.3 ha) on the Piscu Viilor Hill. A continuous stretch of forests covered the hillsides of Crângu, Pogoneşti, Chifu Mare and the valleys running in between them (Pogoneştii Mari, Pogoneştii Mici, Stancei, Buţii, Pustie, Rediu Scumpiei, La Stâlpul Grecului, Rediu Tarciu, Roşcani, Rediu Vâscu). On the Mare and the Chifu hills towards the Oarba Valley, the forest rose up to 80 -150 m. There were few glades (one 2.2 ha on the Crâng Hill, two more 3.5 ha and 3.7 ha, respectively on the Pogoneşti Hill, and one, 3 ha, on the Mare Hill). The 2 km-road connecting the villages of Suceveni and Roşcani offered numerous clearings; farther south there were two more glades one (4.2 ha) stood "La târla lui Bălac" point, the other – (40 ha, and 2 km long) , was named Smolniţa Mică in the south and Smolniţa Mare in the north (surce: "Planul economic al moşiei Rogojeni-Covurlui" - The Economic plan of Rogojeni-Covurlui Estate) drawn up at that time. In its north-western part this big afforested massif showed two deforested areas - one (25 ha) on the Lanu Scafarului Hill and the other (175 ha) in the upper part of the Caprei, Piscu Gemeni, Lanu Părului Hills (180-230 m altitudine). Apart from it, there were nine small glades (0.7-3.5 ha). The north-western fringe of the massif extended up to the Ţarina Valley (near Balinteşti) in the Rediu Carelor and Rediu Tătarului points. In its central- southern part, the Suceveni-Roşcani road ran through a large glade - Ciucliuveni (175 ha, at 1 Institute of Geography, Bucharest Sorin Geacu 110-210 m alt). Close to it there was Ciotcăria (a name illustrative of tree-cutting) - 55 ha, which was 1.5 km long from the north to the south on the homonymous hill (100-140 m alt.). Rădivâscu Glade (Rediu Vâsc) - 23 ha stood on the Rădivâscu Hill; Oancea Glade extended as far as Mateiaş, on the same massif. Another six small clearings (1-3 ha) opened near Roşcani. In the south the afforested zone covered the Rădivâscu and Ciucliuveni hills and the eastern side of Băneasa Hill. This massifs measuring 16 km from the north to the south and 12 km from the east to the west, was criss-crossed by numerous roads: Suceveni-Rogojeni, Suceveni-Băneasa, Suceveni-Slivna, Slivna-Băneasa, Băneasa-Roşcani, Rogojeni-Roşcani and Slivna-Roşcani. Today, only a few fragments have been left: Pogoneşti, Arcaciu Leului, Arcaciu Brenei, Rediu Vâsc, Valea Teiului and Iezătura. Another afforested zone (5.500 ha, 60-190 m alt.); 16 km from N-W to S-E and 10 km from W-E (Cuca-Folteşti), on the edge between the Covurlui Hills and the Covurlui Plain, was lined by the Viile-Băleni-Cuca road in the NNW and the Fântânele Village off it in the SE. The name given to this woodland was Puţichioaia (present-day Viile), Ventura and Lupul in the north and Căligar in the south close to Cuca. This uninterrupted mass of wood covered the hills of Piscu Rediu Eciu, Piscu Velichi, Piscu Sărei, Piscu Tăieturei, all with northern exposition, and the valleys of Rediu Frasin, Ezătura, Chişteala, Rediu Lung, Velichi, Rediu Surpat, Fântâna Dascălului. Its central body encompassed the Mâţilor, Coşarelor and Boeresc hills. Glades (3.5 and 3.8 ha) could be seen only in the Coşarelor Valley; other clearings were Curătura Ţocului (4.8 ha) in the north of Coşarelor Hill and Poiana Rediului (2.8 ha) close to it; four more clearings (0.5-1.5 ha) were also there. Lots of glades dotted the Frumuşiţa Valley: one (11 ha) at its springs, followed by a larger clearing (25 ha) and six more (0.3-1.7 ha) near it, on the sides of the limitrophe hills. Three clearings appeared alongside the Folteşti-Fântânele road, the largest (2.8 ha) opening at the road-crossing with the Frumuşiţa Valley. In the point where the road emerged from the forest toward Fântânele stood "Poiana lui Vintilă" glade. A 0.7 ha clearing was found on the Plopu Brook, a tributary of the Fântânele Valley; farther south in the valley proper, a large glade (32.3 ha) extended uphill. In the southern extremity of the massif, part of the Şerpoaia Valley slopes were deforested. Another three clearings (0.7 ha, 1.5 ha and 2.5 ha) stood on the northern side of Halagiu Hill. No oak grooves from this tree-covered land have remained. An acacia plantation was grown after 1948 in order to prevent the onset of erosion processes. So, in the northern and central parts of the former area, several forests appeared: Viile, Iezătura, Cuca, Dălbăneasa, Călugăreasca Mică, Viilor and Buturiş. Another afforested massif (1.825 ha) extended in the S-E of Covurlui Hills, false between Roşcani (in the north) and Brăneşti (in the south). Forests would line either side of the Roşcani Valley south of the homonymous village growing on the Schin Hill and Valley (Arcaciu Murgoci). On the lefthandside of this valley a continuous forest strip (13.5 km) covered the whole of the Cordaşu Hill (inclusive of the small valleys - Strâmbele, Strâmbele Mari, Strâmbele Mici and Cordaşu) extending over the Părul Hill as far as west of Brăneşti. In the south, it was seen on the Grumăzoaia Valley slopes. Glades were few: two on the righthandside of the Roşcani Valley (2.8 ha close to the valley and 1.5 ha on the hill), another two (4.2 ha and 2.5 ha) in the northern extremity, other six (0.7-1.5 ha) in the Strâmbele area; Poiana Bulgarului clearing (7.3 ha) and two more in the south (3.5 ha) and south-east ends (5.8 ha). What has been left today of this afforested land are the Strâmbele, Cordaş and Valea Schin woods. 296 The South Moldavian Forests (Covurlui Plateau) at the end of the 19th century But for a few exceptions, the 19th-century afforested areas from the north, north-west and central-north of the Covurlui Hills are still in place. At that time, Tihuleşti Woods covered 627 ha extending as far as the Bereşti-Pleşa road; south of Bălăneşti Woods stood the forests of Roşia (113 ha) of which only two- fragments: Capătu and Cruceanu (62 ha) are there today. In-between them are two small clearings: Teilor (1.5 ha) and Artenie (0.6 ha). Docăneasa (125 ha and a 0.5 ha glade) and Ghibarţu woods (113 ha) also existed then. Missa (today Nisa !) and Banciu woods (together 1.050 ha) stretched north of the Pupezeni Valley up to the fringes of Bălăbăneşti. There were only two glades: Poiana Vântului (3.2 ha), in Missa Woods and Poiana Porcăreţelor (1.7 ha) in Banciu Woods. South of Hobana stood Jerdia-Gurguieţi-Stroiu-Foteşeni forests (700 ha) and an 8.7 ha glade at Stroiu. Only its south-eastern section (Foteşeni) is deforested. Five small forest patches (0.5-7 ha) were found on the southern side of the Mănăstirii Valley (west of Cârlomăneşti). In 1892, the forest which today they call Fundeanu, was known by that name only along the Findeanu-Adam road, its central and western parts being called Pogana-Cernăteşti and Buhneala respectively. All these forests had only a few clearings: two (2.5 ha) in Cerţeşti Woods at the sources of the Mănăstirii Valley, two more in Pogana-Cernăteşti: Ursoaia (8.2 ha) and "La Nisipuri" (0.9 ha); on the northern fringe, near Căuieşti; stood a larger glade (9.3 ha).