Retezat National Park

The 381 km ² national park Retezat ( Parcul Naţional Retezat ) is a national park in the high mountains of the Carpathian Mountains of Romania. It was founded in 1935 as the first national park in the country and is located in the Retezat Mountains, in the west of the Southern Carpathians. Since 1979, a part of the National Park has been designated a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. 14,215 ha of the core zone of the national park are certified as so-called " PAN Parks Wilderness Area " and belong to the Network of European Wildlife sanctuaries.

The highest elevation is 2,509 meters with the Peleaga. The lowest 794 m point in the park is located near the refuge Gura Zlata. The national park is very significant for the conservation of biodiversity of European alpine flora, particularly in mountain forest.

Fauna

The national park is home since the beginning of the large predator species in Europe, brown bear, wolf and lynx, but also for smaller ones such as red fox or wild cat. Here one also applies to red deer, roe deer and wild boar. At higher altitudes, chamois and alpine marmots live. In the rivers of the National Park otters, brown trout and flat beetles are at home.

The spruce forests are inhabited by capercaillie, the stone pines of nutcrackers.

Of the birds of prey of the rare golden eagle, but also lesser spotted eagle, eagle owl, griffon vulture and black vulture are represented.

Among the 120 different bird species Chaffinch, Song Thrush, Ring Ouzel, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Chiffchaff and Crag Martin, Common Rosefinch, Three-toed Woodpecker, Horned Lark are just some of which breed in the Retezat National Park. Therefore, the national park was declared a bird sanctuary or Natura 2000 site.

The reptiles are represented for example by the adder and amphibians by the Alpine newt.

Flora

More than a third of the Romanian flora can be found in Retezat mountains.

Hilltop meadows form the basis for a rich alpine flora. The mountain regions are covered with different forest types, especially beech, spruce and fir, birch and rowan as pioneer plants. In supalpinen heights will often have to pines. The tree line is at about 1900 meters, where now and then a few spruce brave the harsh climate. Zirbelkiefern provide the basic food for many bird species. Some areas are covered with rhododendrons, but also the green alder true to you. Below the high peaks prevail simply talus and stones.

The protection of the rich alpine flora was the main reason to expel the Retezat Mountains as a National Park.

Some of the species occurring here are relatively rare, such as Glacier clove, whitlow, lice herb, dwarf - primrose, tragacanth, Sharp fleabane, Artemisia and sprouts.

The Retezat National Park is the genetic center for two major mountain plant genera, hawkweed and bluegrasses.

History

The protected status of the high mountains of Retezat Mountains and the establishment of the National Park dates back to the initiative of Professor Alexandru Borza, founder of the Botanical Garden of Cluj ( Kolozsvár ) and Emil Racoviţă.