COST Action E27 (PROFOR)
Working Group 1
Questionnaire: selection criteria
of protected forest areas (PFA) in Europe
This questionnaire aims at gathering detailed information about selection criteria of PFA in Europe in
order to fulfil a priority task of the WG1 of the Profor COST action. Please fill in this questionnaire and
send it to Etienne Branquart (E.Branquart@mrw.wallonie.be).
Conservation and natural value of forest ecosystems
The creation of protected forest areas may fulfil two main motivations related to biodiversity: to
maximise either conservation value or natural value (i.e. naturalness). The first one aims to protect key
sites for the conservation of rare or threatened species and habitats. The second one aims to restore
natural structures and processes typical of pristine woodlands. Naturalness quest meet therefore also
scientific objectives (learning by watching nature, close to nature forestry, etc.).
A lot of rare and threatened species are to be found in woodlands characterised by a high naturalness
such as old growth forests. For instance, saproxylic species are typically linked to over-mature trees or
to large woody debris, two key structural elements often eliminated from managed forests. It means
that naturalness objectives usually fulfil conservation ones. However, the opposite is not always true.
Conservation management does not always lead to the restoration of natural landscapes: dry
grasslands, heathlands and coppice woodlands are typically distinguished by a high conservation
value (they shelter numerous red-listed species) but a low naturalness.
Questionnaire
0. General information
Country:
Responsible person:
Institute:
ROMANIA
IOVU – ADRIAN BIRIS
FOREST RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE
1. Number of PFA types
1A. Total number of PFA types in the country
1B. Number of PFA types primarily dedicated to forest biodiversity
(conservation and scientific purposes)*
N=9
N=4
* corresponding to 1.1 to 1.3 categories of the MCPFE classification
2. Motivations
The main motivations to designate PFA matching 1B criteria could be: (1) mainly a conservation target
(should be based on species or habitat action plans and can involve active management for
conservation purposes), (2) mainly a naturalness target (restoration of dynamic natural processes), (3)
both of them, depending on individual areas within a single PFA type.
Please fill in the following table for the PFA types primarily dedicated to the conservation of forest
biodiversity (cf 1B). In the last column (prime motivation), indicate (1)-(3), according to the description
here above.
Table 1 – Main local types of PFAs primarily dedicated to the conservation of forest biodiversity
PFA
code
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
PFA local name
Scientific Reserve
National Park
Nature Monument
Nature Reserve
Natural Park
Biosphere Reserve
Ramsar Site (wetland of international importance)
World Heritage Natural Site (WHNS)
NATURA 2000
MCPFE
category
Prime
motivation
(1, 2 or 3)
1.1
1,2 and 3
1.2
1.2 and 3
1.2
1.2 and 3
1.2 – 1.3
1.2 and 3
2
Not primarily
Not primarily
Not primarily
Not primarily
Dedication not Dedication not
finished
finished
Comments:
3. Use of scientific selection criteria
3A. Are scientific standardised criteria currently used for the selection of PFA in your country ?
Yes, there are scientific criteria which are used to select PFAs. These criteria are used, generally, to
select scientific reserves, natural monuments and natural reserves and less of national and natural
parks.
3B. Do they prevail on pragmatic criteria (e.g. site history, owner and availability) ?
Yes, scientific criteria prevailed, generally, about those pragmatics in selecting PFAs. The aspects on
the history of the site, the nature of property, etc., actually were not take in consideration as long as all
forests were in state property. After 2000 (by Law No. 1/2000 it has been settled the retrocession of
forests towards owners or their successors, maximum 10 hectares for natural person, and maximum 30
hectares for legal person) taking in consideration of pragmatically criteria come true. With all these,
actually regulations give priority to scientific criterions.
3C. Since when are scientific criteria used for site designation ?
Since 1930, by adopting the first "Law for protection of natural monuments" and afterwards in 1935
the "Law for protection forests" it stipulates some scientific criteria to declare protected areas.
Adopting the Romanian system of functional zoning of forests (Decision of Ministry Council No.
114/1954) and Technical Norms for Forest Management ( Ministry of Silviculture 1986, 2000)
brought important clarifications in this respect. There is no regulation to stipulate criteria and
indicators necessary in selection and declaration of a protected area, but there are regulations on
necessity of substantiation on scientific bases in elaborating a proposal for protected area, both in Law
of Environment Protection (137/1996) and Forest Code (26/1996).
Comments: 3.A. The scientific criteria refer to naturalness, rarity/uniqueness of the site, existence of
endemic, rare and threatened species, representative habitats, specific diversity and distinct
ecosystems, geological, geomorphologic and topographical distinct particularities. Sometimes it
referred to the virgin character of ecosystems, their ecological role, etc.
3.B. According to the legislation in force the forests declared protected areas are excluded from
retrocession. Therefore, the legislation considered scientific criteria more important than historical,
property, etc. Much more, using the scientific criteria to declare both forest and non-forest protected
areas must apply, according to the law, in the state and private forests.
3.C. Declaration of a protected area is based on an ample scientific study, the same intern zoning of
national and natural parks, and Biosphere reserves. The is no set of selection criteria and evaluation of
biologic and ecological quality in order to designate a protected area adopted at national level, such
stipulations are found in different normative acts
4. Types of selections criteria
For each of the PFA types considered in Table 1, fill in the following table. Please use the following
grading: (1) primary importance, (2) incidental importance and (3) not taken into consideration.
Criteria definition
1A/ Habitat representativity: does PFA selection process aims to contain a representative selection of all forest types
present in the country?
1B/ Threatened habitats: does PFA selection process focus on rare and threatened habitats (e.g. prioritary Natura 2000
habitats)?
1C/ Phytocoenotic integrity: does PFA selection process focus on forest sites with a representative and undisturbed
vegetation (potential natural vegetation)?
1D/ Presence of signal species: are indicator species of natural conditions (forest continuity and integrity) used for PFA
selection in your country?
1E/ Presence of red listed species: does PFA selection process focus on specific rare and threatened species (e.g.
Natura 2000 species)?
2A/ Vertical and age structure: is a complex vertical and age structure a prerequisite for PFA selection? Do all the forest
developmental phases have to be represented into individual reserves?
2B/ Natural regeneration: is the presence of large amounts of young trees and saplings another prerequisite?
2C/ Old growth stages: does the selection process focus on old-growth areas characterised by the presence of overmature trees and minimal amount of dead wood?
2D/ Soil and hyrdology integrity: does PFA selection process focus on sites with undisturbed soils and hydrology,
including water quality and drainage?
3A/ Forest cover continuity over time: does PFA selection process focus on ancient forests with a long cover continuity
over time?
3B/ Old-growth continuity over time: ditto, with a continuity in over-mature trees and dead wood within the forest.
3C/ Minimal area for PFA designation: is a minimal structural area a prerequisite for PFA selection?
3D/ PFA environment and buffer area: is PFA environment taken into account before site selection ? Has it to be
included in a larger forest areas to fulfil connectivity requirements ? Has it to be remote from roads and pollution
sources ? Etc.
3E/ Habitat diversity within PFA: does PFA selection process focus on habitat complexes made of various habitat types?
3F/ Landform and topography: are PFA concentrated in particular landforms (mountains, flood plains, etc.)?
Table 2 – Main selection criteria for PFA dedicated to biodiversity conservation
A
B
C
D
1
2
1
2
1
1
2
1
3
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
2
1
3
1
1/ Composition
1A. Habitat representativity
1B. Threatened habitats
1C. Phytocoenotic integrity
1D. Presence of signal species
1E. Presence of red listed species
2/ Structure/functioning
E
F
G
2A. Vertical and age structure
2B. Natural regeneration
2C. Old-growth stages
2D. Soil and hydrology integrity
1
3
2
3
3
3
2
2
1
2
2
3
1
2
2
2
1
1
2
2
2
3
2
3
1
1
2
3
3
3
2
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
3
3
3/ Landscape ecological context
3A. Forest cover continuity over time
3B. Old-growth continuity over time
3C. Minimal area for PFA designation
3D. PFA environment and buffer area
3E. Habitat diversity within individual PFA
3F. Landform and topography
Are there other primary scientific criteria used for site designation that have been omitted in the Table
2?
- The existing of some natural limits of PFAs and of buffer zones.
- Diversity of structure, ages, stands texture.
- Biologic and ecological diversity.
- The rarity/uniqueness of ecosystem/landscape.
- Naturalness, sometimes manifested/expressed through absence of anthropic impact.
- Conservative, scientific, cultural and instructive value of the site.
5. Quantitative assessment
For those criteria of primary importance for PFA selection ((1) in Table 2), explain hereafter how they
are assessed and which benchmarks, references and international or national standards are used. For
example, if minimal structural area is considered as a priority for the designation of some PFA type,
give some indicative value of the minimum size.
Criterion 1 = Habitat representativity. It is a primary criterion in selecting of PFAs (mostly scientific
reserves, natural monuments and natural reserves). It estimates by forest ecosystem type (according
to Donita et al. classification, 1990 – Types of forest ecosystems in Romania) for each biogeographical region.
Criterion 2 = Threatened habitats. This criterion has mostly taken in consideration in designation of
PFAs in which conservation of some species depends essentially on maintaining and/or restoration of
the habitat (i.e. mating places for cappercaille, nestling places for birds, places of concentration for
some populations, etc.). References in this aspect are given in technical norms for forests planning
(Ministry of Silviculture, 1986).
Criterion 3 = Phytocoenologic integrity. This criterion has been evaluated through existing of some
vegetal associations/ecosystem types of potential natural type, without major influences due to
anthropic factors (i.e. absence of impact on biotop, on biocoenosis).
Criterion 4 = Presence of redlisted species. This criterion has been used as based criterion to declare
new scientific reserves, natural monuments or natural reserves for animal and plant species
characteristic or associated to the forest environment (i.e. yew, cappercaille, Banat black pine, etc.)
based on red lists of plant and animal species in Romania.
Criterion 5 = Vertical and age structure. For selecting PFAs it has to take in consideration the
existence of a structure as much as diverse of stand (irregular structure) in horizontal and vertical plan.
It refers to the alternative different development stage of stand, the progress of natural processes
without major perturbations. It also has to take in consideration the presence of trees with exceptional
dimensions and age.
Criterion 6 = Forest cover continuity overtime. The primary criterion of forest vegetation is a based
criterion in accepting a new site for selection. When succession toward a forest cover has made on
natural way is accepted.
Criterion 7= Old-growth overtime. The absence of human interventions (exploitation, arson, etc.)
represents an accepting criterion of sites as scientific reserves. There are not take in consideration
disturbances due to some natural factors (wind, insects, etc.).
Criterion 8= Minimal area. It has been taken in consideration especially in designation of national
parks. In Romanian conditions it has been accepted, without a rigorous scientific susbstantiation, that
minimum surface of national and natural parks to be over 5 (7) thousand hectares. It has not been
used the criterion of minimum area as first grade criterion in case of scientific reserves, natural
monuments. In particular case of PFAs it has been accepted as minim area of natural reserves,
natural monuments and scientific reserves to be equal with size of elementary unit of management.
Criterion 9= PFA environment and buffer area. This criterion has been taken in consideration as first
grade criterion to establish the limits of national parks. Incidental it too referred to limits of scientific
reserves, natural reserves, and rarely to natural monuments. It reefers as much as possible that PFAs'
limits to overlap over the natural limits (edges, gorges, valleys) setting up the buffer zone or even
barriers for activities in neighboring zones.