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Fig. 21.5
Areas affected by mining activities, over-grazing and floods in the “Muntii
Maramuresului” Natural Park
understanding the dwarf mountain pine's protection role and by declaring it nature
monument, in 1994, the local authorities have forbidden its cut. Presently, the dwarf
juniper (
Juniperus nana
) can be found only on very small areas: Pop Ivan, Serban,
Pecealu, Pietrosul Bradaului, Farcau (Moisei,
2000
; Sparchez et al.,
1977
).
As a result of over-grazing (Fig.
21.5
), other effects are to be identified, such
as
habitats fragmentation
by reducing the areas covered by native species such as
Juniperus nana, Pinus mugo
or
Rhododendron myrtifolium
;
biodiversity reduction
,
for instance, Tisa (
Taxus baccata
), which used to cover large surfaces in the study
area, today only has 2-3 species left because shepherds believed that its leaves (nee-
dles) were toxic for the animals (Resmerita,
1966
) and
land degradation
,themain
processes affecting the area under discussion are gully erosion (Fig.
21.6
), sheet
erosion (mainly solifluctions) and shallow landslides.
Although the law forbids the grazing within the forest area, the
margin forests
are
always affected by the intensive grazing and by the expansion of the Alpine pastures
towards the forest, as a result of the same process. Another significant consequence
of the over-grazing is related to the
increasing of the occurrence of flash floods
(1998, 2000, and 2008) in the basins with high torrential risk, such as Valea Repedea
(Vinderel) and Valea Socolau.
21.2.3 Deforestation
The Park's main natural resource, the forest, is both an environmental regulator
and a wood and non-wood goods supplier. Forest management tends to achieve
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