Retezat National Park: Difference between revisions
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The '''Retezat National Park''' ({{lang-ro|Parcul Naţional Retezat}}) is a [[protected area]] ([[national park]] category II [[IUCN]]) |
The '''Retezat National Park''' ({{lang-ro|Parcul Naţional Retezat}}) is a [[protected area]] ([[national park]] category II [[IUCN]]) located in the [[Retezat Mountains]] in [[Hunedoara (county)|Hunedoara county]], [[Romania]].<ref>[http://www.protectedplanet.net/sites/Retezat_National_Park protectedplanet.net - Retezat National Park (location)]; retrieved on June 14, 2012</ref>Founded in 1935, it is the oldest national park in the country. |
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Retezat is particularly notable for its [[Biodiversity|biodiverse]] flora, with over one thousand species of plants present within the park. It is also home to some of the last remaining pristine [[Old-growth forest|old-growth forests]] in Europe. Despite its protected status, recent decades saw an increase in damaging activities such as logging and sheep-grazing in the park. |
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== History == |
== History == |
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The Retezat region has been a subject of scientific interest, particularly |
The Retezat region has been a subject of scientific interest, particularly with regard to its [[flora]], since at least the early 19th century.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Coldea |first=Gheorghe |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yj-MEAAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&hl=en |title=The Vascular Plant Communities of the Retezat National Park (Southern Carpathians) |last2=Cristea |first2=Vasile |date= |publisher=Springer Nature |year=2022 |isbn=978-3-031-05618-5 |series=Geobotany Studies |location=Berlin |pages=11 — 14 |language=en |chapter=Chapter 2: History of Floristic and Vegetation Research}}</ref> During the 1930s, several scientific personalities like [[Alexandru Borza]] and [[Emil Racoviță|Emil Racoviţă]] campaigned for the creation of nature reserves in the country.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Guţă |first=Daniel |date=6 March 2018 |title=Savanţii care au transformat Retezatul în primul parc naţional al României: „În aceşti munţi vom sorbi aerul de libertate lăsat moştenire de Craiul Decebal” |work=[[Adevărul]] |url=https://adevarul.ro/stiri-locale/hunedoara/savantii-care-au-transformat-retezatul-in-primul-1848425.html |access-date=22 August 2023}}</ref> In 1935, the [[Gheorghe Tătărescu|Tătărescu]] government set aside 100 square kilometers of the Retezat Mountains, creating the country's first national park. It took four more years for legislation to be passed regarding the park's status, paving the way for all future [[protected areas of Romania]].<ref name=":0" /> |
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In 1979, [[UNESCO]] included the park in the [[Man and the Biosphere Programme|Man and the Biosphere Program]] international network of [[biosphere reserve|biosphere reserves]], while in 1993 it was included by the [[International Union for Conservation of Nature]] among its demonstration projects on sustainable rural development.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=IUCN |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RljPERbA2a4C&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA39&dq=Retezat+National+Park&hl=en |title=Best Practice for Conservation Planning in Rural Areas: Biological and Landscape Diversity in Central and Eastern Europe |date= |publisher=IUCN |year=1995 |isbn=978-2-8317-0286-5 |location=Gland, Switzerland, and Cambridge, UK |pages=39 — 45 |language=en |chapter=3.6 Retezat National Park, Romania}}</ref> In 2008 it was granted the [[European Diploma of Protected Areas]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 July 2008 |title=Resolution CM/ResDip(2008)2 on the award of the European Diploma of Protected Areas to the Retezat National Park (Romania) |url=https://search.coe.int/cm/Pages/result_details.aspx?ObjectId=09000016805d3083 |access-date=22 August 2023 |website=[[Council of Europe]]}}</ref> |
In 1979, [[UNESCO]] included the park in the [[Man and the Biosphere Programme|Man and the Biosphere Program]] international network of [[biosphere reserve|biosphere reserves]], while in 1993 it was included by the [[International Union for Conservation of Nature]] among its demonstration projects on sustainable rural development.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=IUCN |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RljPERbA2a4C&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA39&dq=Retezat+National+Park&hl=en |title=Best Practice for Conservation Planning in Rural Areas: Biological and Landscape Diversity in Central and Eastern Europe |date= |publisher=IUCN |year=1995 |isbn=978-2-8317-0286-5 |location=Gland, Switzerland, and Cambridge, UK |pages=39 — 45 |language=en |chapter=3.6 Retezat National Park, Romania}}</ref> In 2008 it was granted the [[European Diploma of Protected Areas]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 July 2008 |title=Resolution CM/ResDip(2008)2 on the award of the European Diploma of Protected Areas to the Retezat National Park (Romania) |url=https://search.coe.int/cm/Pages/result_details.aspx?ObjectId=09000016805d3083 |access-date=22 August 2023 |website=[[Council of Europe]]}}</ref> |
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Since the 1990s sheep grazing and logging |
Since the 1990s [[sheep grazing]] and [[logging]] increased considerably in the region, damaging the park's natural capital. In the 21st century Retezat has been the subject of several restoration and renaturation efforts.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Kiss |first=Imre |last2=Alexa |first2=Vasile |date=November 2014 |title=Ecological Restoration Activities for Long-Term Preservation of the Common Habitats in the Retezat National Park |url=https://wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=production&url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=110907310&lang=en-gb&site=eds-live&scope=site |journal=Annals of the Faculty of Engineering Hunedoara - International Journal of Engineering |volume=13 |issue=4 |pages=213–216}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last=Kiss |first=Imre |last2=Alexa |first2=Vasile |date=November 2014 |title=Renaturation Activities of Mountain Habitats with Creeping Mountain Pine Seedlings in Retezat National Park |url=https://wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/login?auth=production&url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=99308284&lang=en-gb&site=eds-live&scope=site |journal=Annals of the Faculty of Engineering Hunedoara - International Journal of Engineering |volume=12 |issue=4 |pages=353–358}}</ref> |
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In 2006 the Romanian state decided in favor of heirs to the Austro-Hungarian aristocratic family Kendeffy, who claimed 10,000 hectares of land in the Retezat Mountains, including large tracts of the park, under a law allowing the restitution of propriety seized by previous regimes. The [[Romanian Academy]], who was granted the land in the 1930s, challenged the decision. After a lengthy trial, the land restitution was deemed illegal by a 2022 court decision, and the park returned to being state propriety.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Chirileasa |first=Andrei |date=11 November 2022 |title=Romanian court rules that 10,000ha of forest, including protected land, was illegally ‘restituted’ |work=Romanian Insider |url=https://www.romania-insider.com/court-retezat-forest-illegally-restituted-2022 |access-date=24 August 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=11 November 2022 |title=S-a decis! Parcul Retezat revine în proprietatea statului român |work=[[Jurnalul Național]] |url=https://jurnalul.ro/stiri/justitie/s-a-decis-parcul-retezat-revine-in-proprietatea-statului-roman-915100.html |access-date=24 August 2023}}</ref> |
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== Description == |
== Description == |
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Containing more than sixty peaks over {{convert|2300|m|ft}} and over one hundred crystal clear deep glacier lakes, the [[Retezat Mountains]] are some of the most spectacular in the Carpathians. |
Containing more than sixty peaks over {{convert|2300|m|ft}} and over one hundred crystal clear deep glacier lakes, the [[Retezat Mountains]] are some of the most spectacular in the Carpathians. [[Peleaga|Vf. Peleaga]], the highest peak of the Retezat Mountains, {{convert|2509|m|ft}} is located in the park. Currently the park occupies {{convert|380.47|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{in lang|ro}} [http://apmhd.anpm.ro apmhd.anpm.ro - Agenţia pentru Protecşia Mediului Hunedoara]; retrieved on June 14, 2012</ref> |
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The park is often described as containing ”Europe's last intact forest", as it harbors one of the few remaining intact [[old-growth forest]] landscapes and the largest single area of pristine mixed forest on the continent.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Moss |first=Stephen |date=5 January 2007 |title=The last great forest |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2007/jan/04/g2.conservationandendangeredspecies |access-date=24 August 2023 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Planet |first=Lonely |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QqSTDgAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PT652&dq=retezat+last+forest+Europe&hl=en |title=National Parks of Europe |last2=Averbuck |first2=Alexis |last3=Bain |first3=Carolyn |last4=Bindloss |first4=Joe |last5=Blasi |first5=Abigail |last6=Christiani |first6=Kerry |last7=Duca |first7=Marc Di |last8=Filou |first8=Emilie |last9=Ham |first9=Anthony |date= |publisher=Lonely Planet |year=2017 |isbn=978-1-78701-074-1 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Dejeu |first=Călin |date=29 May 2021 |title=CCSG Member News: Conserving the integrity of Retezat National Park, Romania |work=Conservation Corridor |url=https://conservationcorridor.org/ccsg/ccsg-news/2021/05/retezat/ |access-date=24 August 2023}}</ref> |
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The park also includes about eighty [[glacier lake]]s.[[File: Retezat National.jpg|thumb|right|Mountains and pines in the Retezat National Park]] |
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== Flora and fauna == |
== Flora and fauna == |
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The flora |
The flora of Retezat demonstrates "exceptional biodiversity", consisting of approximately 1,190 plant species, of which 130 have the "endangered" or "vulnerable" status. More than a third of Romania's flora can be found in this area.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Magyari |first=Enikő |last2=Vincze |first2=Ildikó |last3=Orbán |first3=Ildikó |last4=Bíró |first4=Tamás |last5=Pál |first5=Ilona |date=30 May 2018 |title=Timing of major forest compositional changes and tree expansions in the Retezat Mts during the last 16,000 years |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1040618217311801 |journal=Quaternary International |series=Providing long environmental records of Late Quaternary climatic oscillations in the South Carpathian Retezat Mountains (PROLONG) |volume=477 |pages=40–58 |doi=10.1016/j.quaint.2017.12.054 |issn=1040-6182}}</ref> [[Pinus mugo|Mountain pine]] and [[Juniperus communis|juniper]] habitats are dominant, with [[Picea abies|spruce]] and [[rhododendron]] also common.<ref name=":2" /> |
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[[Gray wolf|Wolves]], [[brown bear]], [[wild boar]], [[Eurasian lynx]], [[European wildcat]], [[chamois]], [[roe deer]] and [[red deer]] as well as small carnivore species such as [[Eurasian badger]] and [[Eurasian otter]] populate the park. |
[[Gray wolf|Wolves]], [[brown bear]], [[wild boar]], [[Eurasian lynx]], [[European wildcat]], [[chamois]], [[roe deer]] and [[red deer]] as well as small carnivore species such as [[Eurasian badger]] and [[Eurasian otter]] populate the park. |
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Revision as of 11:14, 24 August 2023
| Retezat National Park | |
|---|---|
| Parcul Național Retezat | |
 Retezat Mountains, near camping site Bucura | |
  Location within Romania | |
| Location |  Romania  Hunedoara County |
| Nearest city | Lupeni |
| Coordinates | 45°20′N 22°50′E / 45.34°N 22.83°E[1] |
| Area | 38047 hectares (94020 acres) |
| Established | 2000[2] |
| Website | retezat.ro |
The Retezat National Park (Romanian: Parcul Naţional Retezat) is a protected area (national park category II IUCN) located in the Retezat Mountains in Hunedoara county, Romania.[3]Founded in 1935, it is the oldest national park in the country.
Retezat is particularly notable for its biodiverse flora, with over one thousand species of plants present within the park. It is also home to some of the last remaining pristine old-growth forests in Europe. Despite its protected status, recent decades saw an increase in damaging activities such as logging and sheep-grazing in the park.
History
The Retezat region has been a subject of scientific interest, particularly with regard to its flora, since at least the early 19th century.[4] During the 1930s, several scientific personalities like Alexandru Borza and Emil Racoviţă campaigned for the creation of nature reserves in the country.[5] In 1935, the Tătărescu government set aside 100 square kilometers of the Retezat Mountains, creating the country's first national park. It took four more years for legislation to be passed regarding the park's status, paving the way for all future protected areas of Romania.[5]
In 1979, UNESCO included the park in the Man and the Biosphere Program international network of biosphere reserves, while in 1993 it was included by the International Union for Conservation of Nature among its demonstration projects on sustainable rural development.[6] In 2008 it was granted the European Diploma of Protected Areas.[7]
Since the 1990s sheep grazing and logging increased considerably in the region, damaging the park's natural capital. In the 21st century Retezat has been the subject of several restoration and renaturation efforts.[8][9]
In 2006 the Romanian state decided in favor of heirs to the Austro-Hungarian aristocratic family Kendeffy, who claimed 10,000 hectares of land in the Retezat Mountains, including large tracts of the park, under a law allowing the restitution of propriety seized by previous regimes. The Romanian Academy, who was granted the land in the 1930s, challenged the decision. After a lengthy trial, the land restitution was deemed illegal by a 2022 court decision, and the park returned to being state propriety.[10][11]
Description
Containing more than sixty peaks over 2,300 metres (7,500 ft) and over one hundred crystal clear deep glacier lakes, the Retezat Mountains are some of the most spectacular in the Carpathians. Vf. Peleaga, the highest peak of the Retezat Mountains, 2,509 metres (8,232 ft) is located in the park. Currently the park occupies 380.47 km2 (146.90 sq mi).[12]
The park is often described as containing ”Europe's last intact forest", as it harbors one of the few remaining intact old-growth forest landscapes and the largest single area of pristine mixed forest on the continent.[13][14][15]
The park also includes about eighty glacier lakes.
Flora and fauna
The flora of Retezat demonstrates "exceptional biodiversity", consisting of approximately 1,190 plant species, of which 130 have the "endangered" or "vulnerable" status. More than a third of Romania's flora can be found in this area.[9][16] Mountain pine and juniper habitats are dominant, with spruce and rhododendron also common.[9]
Wolves, brown bear, wild boar, Eurasian lynx, European wildcat, chamois, roe deer and red deer as well as small carnivore species such as Eurasian badger and Eurasian otter populate the park.
The Gemenele ("The Twins" in Romanian) scientific reserve is a strictly protected area of the park enclosing 1,800 hectares of intact old-growth forest.[6]
See also
References
- ^ eunis.eea.europa.eu - Retezat National Park (coords); retrieved on June 14, 2012
- ^ (in Romanian) cdep.ro - Legea Nr.5 din 6 martie 2000, publicată în Monitorul Oficial al României, Nr.152 din 12 aprilie 2000; retrieved on June 14, 2012
- ^ protectedplanet.net - Retezat National Park (location); retrieved on June 14, 2012
- ^ Coldea, Gheorghe; Cristea, Vasile (2022). "Chapter 2: History of Floristic and Vegetation Research". The Vascular Plant Communities of the Retezat National Park (Southern Carpathians). Geobotany Studies. Berlin: Springer Nature. pp. 11–14. ISBN 978-3-031-05618-5.
- ^ a b Guţă, Daniel (6 March 2018). "Savanţii care au transformat Retezatul în primul parc naţional al României: „În aceşti munţi vom sorbi aerul de libertate lăsat moştenire de Craiul Decebal"". Adevărul. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
- ^ a b IUCN (1995). "3.6 Retezat National Park, Romania". Best Practice for Conservation Planning in Rural Areas: Biological and Landscape Diversity in Central and Eastern Europe. Gland, Switzerland, and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. pp. 39–45. ISBN 978-2-8317-0286-5.
- ^ "Resolution CM/ResDip(2008)2 on the award of the European Diploma of Protected Areas to the Retezat National Park (Romania)". Council of Europe. 2 July 2008. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
- ^ Kiss, Imre; Alexa, Vasile (November 2014). "Ecological Restoration Activities for Long-Term Preservation of the Common Habitats in the Retezat National Park". Annals of the Faculty of Engineering Hunedoara - International Journal of Engineering. 13 (4): 213–216.
- ^ a b c Kiss, Imre; Alexa, Vasile (November 2014). "Renaturation Activities of Mountain Habitats with Creeping Mountain Pine Seedlings in Retezat National Park". Annals of the Faculty of Engineering Hunedoara - International Journal of Engineering. 12 (4): 353–358.
- ^ Chirileasa, Andrei (11 November 2022). "Romanian court rules that 10,000ha of forest, including protected land, was illegally 'restituted'". Romanian Insider. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ^ "S-a decis! Parcul Retezat revine în proprietatea statului român". Jurnalul Național. 11 November 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ^ (in Romanian) apmhd.anpm.ro - Agenţia pentru Protecşia Mediului Hunedoara; retrieved on June 14, 2012
- ^ Moss, Stephen (5 January 2007). "The last great forest". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ^ Planet, Lonely; Averbuck, Alexis; Bain, Carolyn; Bindloss, Joe; Blasi, Abigail; Christiani, Kerry; Duca, Marc Di; Filou, Emilie; Ham, Anthony (2017). National Parks of Europe. Lonely Planet. ISBN 978-1-78701-074-1.
- ^ Dejeu, Călin (29 May 2021). "CCSG Member News: Conserving the integrity of Retezat National Park, Romania". Conservation Corridor. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
- ^ Magyari, Enikő; Vincze, Ildikó; Orbán, Ildikó; Bíró, Tamás; Pál, Ilona (30 May 2018). "Timing of major forest compositional changes and tree expansions in the Retezat Mts during the last 16,000 years". Quaternary International. Providing long environmental records of Late Quaternary climatic oscillations in the South Carpathian Retezat Mountains (PROLONG). 477: 40–58. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2017.12.054. ISSN 1040-6182.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Retezat National Park.
- Official site
- Map of the Park
- Jiu Valley Portal - the home of the Official Jiu Valley City Websites and a gateway to the Retezat National Park and other destinations in the Transylvanian Alps
- Maps of the Retezat and other mountain ranges in the Transylvanian Alps
- Touristic Maps of the Retezat Mountains
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