Replacing monocultures with natural forests in the Făgăraș Mountains
SUBERB’s first restoration activities in Romania
More than 7,000 saplings were planted in Romania’s Upper Dâmbovița Valley this autumn as part of SUPERB. In this area, SUPERB’s partner Foundation Conservation Carpathia is gradually restoring the natural mixed forest which existed until the 1950s through ecological restoration actions replacing the spruce monoculture.
Artificial spruce monocultures have a reduced diversity of plant and animal species, are more fragile in the face of storms, snow and insect calamities and negatively influence soil structure and acidity.
“Until the 1950s, a natural mixed forest grew here, which also had fir, beech and sycamore,” said Mihai Zotta, Conservation Director of Foundation Conservation Carpathia. “After being logged, the forest was replaced by an artificial spruce monoculture for purely economic reasons. Through ecological restoration actions, we are facilitating or imitating natural processes as far as possible and taking into account the future effects of climate change. We are creating pockets of light and planting deciduous species in these areas to restore the natural, strong and biodiverse mixed forest. The gradual return of the natural forest in place of spruce monoculture is a long-term process, in successive stages that can last up to twenty years.”
The ecological restoration activities will lead to the gradual recovery of the mixed forest, specific to this region, without affecting the natural balance of the area. The process involves the spacing of deciduous tree species (beech, sycamore, rowan, elm) by removing spruce trees from around them or by creating openings in the dense spruce forest, in order to brighten the interior of these forests and create space for natural regeneration and planting of saplings.
The saplings were provided by Foundation Conservation Carpathia’s own nurseries and were produced in an organic way without the use of chemical treatments. The seed sources have also been carefully chosen and are mainly local.
The sycamore, rowan, elm and beech seeds were collected three years ago from the surrounding forests, and the fir seeds were purchased six years ago from a nearby certified seed source grown in similar mountainous conditions.
Our SUPERB demonstration area in Romania is located in the eastern Făgăraș Mountains, on the forest properties owned by Foundation Conservation Carpathia, and the project is implemented in collaboration with the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance, established by His Majesty, King Charles III.
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This text was originally published by the Foundation Conservation Carpathia on carpathia.org.