Conservarea biodiversităţii şi dezvoltare comunitară în Transilvania
Threats
Although this ancient and special landscape remains substantially intact, the whole area is extremely fragile. Application of artificial fertilizers would seriously damage or destroy many of the wildflower meadows, allowing coarse or vigorous grasses to invade.Research has identified a number of the most frequent and substantial threats to wild plants and animals and their habitats in the Saxon Villages, which must be addressed in conservation strategies for the area.
- Intensification of grassland management, with nutrient over-enrichment by fertilizers or high stocking rates, or over-grazing, especially by sheep.
- Abandonment or reduction of traditional land management practices such as mowing or scrub clearance.
- Unsustainable forestry practices such as clear-felling with loss of tree cover, or planting with exotic trees.
- Drainage or alteration of the small surviving wetlands.
- Further spread of invasive weeds, especially aggressive alien species such as Japanese Knotweed.
- Unsuitable infrastructure development for tourism or industry.
- Unsustainable collection of medicinal plants or other wild species.
- Loss of ruderal plants around villages, including medicinal herbs and other species of economic or cultural value.
- Climate change, perhaps with increased drought.
- Lack of public knowledge and information about the rich ecological and cultural value of the area.
Biodiversity
Biodiversity in the areaFlora and Fauna
Threats
Conservation
Research
References
The threat of damage by vehicle access
Further reading
Akeroyd, J. R. & Page, N. (2006) The Saxon Villages of Southern Transylvania: Conserving Biodiversity in a Historic Landscape. In Gafta, D. & Akeroyd, J.[R.], Eds (2006) Nature Conservation: Concepts And Practice, pp. 199–210. Springer Verlag, Heidelburg, Germany.Curtean-Bănăduc, A., Bănăduc, B., I., Eds (2007) Transylvanian Review of Systematical and Ecological Research, 4 – The Saxon Villages Region of southeast Transylvania, 216 pages, Editura Universităţii „Lucian Blaga” Sibiu, ISSN 1841-7051, including:
- p. 73-82, Jones, A., The challenge of High Nature Value grassland conservation in Transylvania
- p. 57-64, Erika Schneider-Binder, Xerophilous and Xero-Mesophilous Grasslands on Slumping Hills around the Saxon Villages Apold and Saschiz (Transylvania, Romania).
