D. RECURRING BIOTOPE MANAGEMENT

D.2 Alpine watch

Patrols of the RNPA staff attended by local institution delegates with responsibilities in the field of environment conservation was constantly watch over project implementation site. This is a permanent action, in which are involved mainly the new hired park rangers. For the good development of this action a 4X4 truck and special field equipment was bought.
The Public Relation Officer and the Community Officer assisted the activity of the rangers, being active mostly in relation to conflict management, mitigation of anthropic induced practices effects, etc.
The activity of the alpine rangers was focused on law enforcement, tourist practices control, traditional activity regulation, etc. within project implementation site.
Rangers' activity was very important since the project site is quite remote, less accessible and therefore exposed to abusive, uncontrolled exploitation. Also tourists are very exposed to accidents often occurring because of the particular unstable weather conditions, unfit training and improper equipment of tourist, etc.
The RNPA staff focused mainly on the spring–autumn season, when activities with a possible damaging impact on the park natural values develop: tourism, grazing, fishing.

In order to decrease the anthropic impacts on alpine habitats, during the spring-autumn season the park rangers deployed with regularity patrols in alpine area. The activity of the alpine rangers aimed law enforcement, tourist practices control and traditional activity regulation. In regard of reducing of over-grazing effects several patrols were focused on monitoring of grazing activities (animals’ count, existence of grazing agreements, location of shepherds’ shelters, etc). As the results of this activities it noticed a swift reduction of overgrazing effects.

Starting 2007 the patrol actions were done together with Romanian Mountain Police staff.

D.2 Project actions effectiveness evaluation
Until now we have started the identification of the relevant bio-indicator species for the evaluation of   the next alpine habitats: 6230 *Species-rich Nardus grasslands, on siliceous substrates in mountain areas (and sub-mountain areas, in Continental Europe) and 4070 *Bushes with Pinus mugo and Rhododendron hirsutum (Mugo Rhododendretum hirsute).
A new thing we have observed is that in the places with burned dwarf pine a natural recovery process has started.
For action D3 a monitoring protocol was elaborated; in two “witness” area the action D3 will continue after the end of project (in MP).

D.3 Habitats recovery by sustainable use
Since the project idea has arisen and the project proposal was submitted to the European Commission, a decrease of traditional grazing activity was observed. According to that, some of the places where previously used to be shepherd shelters decreased in number and surface, even the specific alien plants are still in place there.
In 2007 two mowing stages where done with the aim of removing “alien” plants (Rumex sp. and associations). Two mowing stages were done also in 2008, the monitoring will continue. A total of about 40 ha were mowed. Mowing has been done mainly in traditional way (with scythes).