Case Study
Landscape monitoring in two transboundary parks from Romania and Serbia: Iron Gates Nature Park and Djerdap National Park.
Contact name
Amalia Dumbravă
Institution name
Romania National Forest Administration Romsilva – Iron Gates Natural Park Administration
Region & country
Banat region - Romania
Summary
The Iron Gates Nature Park administration implements a monitoring strategy developed in a European project. This activity started in 2015 and the monitoring protocol is applied every three months. The methodology assumes to select a point, take photos from all the four geographical points and to complete a fact-sheets of the landscape.
Danube Gorge
Photo by: Iron Gates Natural Park Administration
Background of the project
Before implementing this strategy, we did not know what kind of landscapes we had, on which ecological category they were included or what kind of management measures we had to take.
Being a nature park, with many localities and with a high diversity of flora and fauna, geology and geomorphology, it was very important for us to have the possibility to evaluate the landscape.
We needed to see what kind of landscapes we have, in which condition they were and which ecological category they belonged to.
Solution and actions taken
Iron Gate Nature Park became a partner in a transnational project (BioREGIOCarpathians project). In this project, the methodology was developed as a common management measure of the two neighboring parks in Romania and Serbia: Iron Gates Nature Park and Djerdap National Park.
One of the activities was to have a common methodology regarding the landscapes. After that, we have started to implement the methodology.
Other institutions or parties involved
The elaboration of the methodology was done in this project together with Serbian partner – Djerdap National Park. After that, in the implementation period, we did the evaluations by ourselves.
Results
The landscapes are periodically evaluated and we can take management measures to improve the ecological category of them, where is necessary.
Challenges
We needed more than one training to apply the methodology, but after we have learned, we did not meet problems.
Lessons learned
This activity is also important and can be used in monitoring habitats using the photographic method, but also in promoting ecotourism in protected areas, each landscape of particular value being promoted by the means provided in the management plan of visitors.
Contact name
Amalia Dumbravă
Institution name
Romania National Forest Administration Romsilva – Iron Gates Natural Park Administration
Website(s)
