Reservation of Wild Peony from Pleniţa

Asociatia Ape Fara Plastic Obiectivul asociatiei Ape Fara Plastic: niciun deseu plutitor sa nu mai ajunga din Jiu in Dunare(fie el plastic, metal sau sticla).

The ROSCI0045 site includes the Zăval Forest natural reserve of botanical interest, a reserve established following the Government Decision no. 2151/2004 regarding the establishment of the protected natural area regime for new areas. The coordinates of the centroid of the Zăval Forest nature reserve are: 230 51'44 "East and 430 49'39" North. Zăval Forest is a mixed meadow forest, with species of oak, ash and elm (Habitat 91F0). This type of habitat includes hardwood species located in the major riverbed, regularly exposed to flooding during rising water levels, or in low areas, exposed to flooding caused by rising groundwater. These forests develop on recent alluvial deposits. Depending on the water regime, the dominant wood species belong to the genera Fraxinus, Ulmus or Quercus with a well-developed undergrowth. (Gafta et al., 2008 p.71). This type of habitat develops on well-drained soils, remains wet between floods, and the dominance of certain species that characterize this type of habitat depends on the water levels (Fraxinus, Ulmus, Quercus). These forests form mosaics of pioneer forests in the lower areas of the rivers. Riparian forests in Mediterranean areas are dominated by species of Salix (Salix alba, S. fragilis) and various species of poplar. It is a habitat that often appears in conjunction with the Alno-Padion type. Both have a fragmented distribution. The riparian forests along the great rivers of Europe correspond to the Ulmenion minoris alliance which, from a floristic and faunistic point of view, is a very diverse ecosystem. Much of the Zăval Forest, north of 55A National Road, is occupied by poplar plantations, which most likely replaced the habitat-specific species. In the southern part, however, there is an area of riparian forest in very good state of conservation. The forest is crossed by several water canals that have a temporary status. The ash trees and oak trees in the Zăval Forest have an estimated age of over 80 years. Towards the central area of the forest you can see a colony of grey herons. Source: www.coridoruljiului.ro

Lake Bistreț is located in the south of Dolj county, on the territory of Bistreț and Cârna communes, about 5 kilometers away from the Danube. Its geographical position and the living conditions offered by its habitats provide the lake a role of refuge for birds that move along the Danube. During the whole year, but especially during the spring and autumn migrations, the lake hosts hundreds or even thousands of birds. Lake Bistreț covers an area of 1,936 hectares and is a reference site for the protection of migratory birds. In the area various species can be admired - ducks, geese, grebes, pelicans, cormorants, herons, egrets, storks, seagulls, terns and thrushes, various species of waders. Locals report that the place is dreamlike and you can see thousands of waterfowl with your eyes. “Lake Bistreț is protected by law. It is an area where you can see thousands of bird species all over the place. Few are the ones who know about the existence of this reference site. I am fascinated by this place. Some birds stay on the lake all summer, and others stay only during the cold season, until the surface of the water is covered by ice. I stayed a meter away from storks or seagulls, and the sensation was indescribable. Over time I have studied and slowly I managed to discover a new world on Lake Bistreț ”, said Iulian Stoica from Bistreț. Mirela Sabina Ridichie, a museographer at the Natural Sciences Department of the Oltenia Museum, said that Lake Bistreț received the status of Special Avifauna Protection Area in 2007. In 2012, Ramsar site status was also conferred. "The Ramsar site designation procedures, started as early as 2011, were made by the Romanian branch of the international non-governmental organization WWF (World Wildlife Fund) and SOR (Romanian Ornithological Society), which seek to identify cross-border sites with significance as living environment for birds migrating along the river. Thus, the newly registered Ramsar cross-border network comprises wetlands on both sides of the Danube, namely: Bistreț - Ibisha Island, Suhaia - Belene and Iezer Călărași - Sreberna”, said the museographer Mirela Ridichie. The birds are attracted to this place by the rich and diversified food sources (fish, batrachians, snakes, worms, snails, shells, insects, phytoplankton), but also by the resting conditions. Many of the bird species that inhabit Lake Bistreț and its immediate surroundings are species protected by national and international law. The residents of Bistreț are confident that the area can be transformed into an exceptional tourist destination. "We can promote local customs and organic products. We have the opportunity to develop economically with the help of Lake Bistreț, but unfortunately I think the authorities do not want this. It is sad that such a place is not very well known. European funds for infrastructure improvement could be accessed. Once you reach Lake Bistreț you are fascinated by everything you see. There are thousands of species of birds. We can admire species of ducks, geese, grebes, pelicans, cormorants, herons, egrets, storks, seagulls”, said Constantin Diaconu. The Bistreț special avifauna protection area was in the custody of the Oltenia Museum between 2008-2009, and is currently included in the Natura 2000 site of the Jiu Corridor, under the administration of the Dolj County Council. Source: adevarul.ro

The Balta Neagră (Black Pond) natural reserve, is a protected area of national interest according to Law no. 5/2000 and has an area of 120 ha. The Balta Neagra covers an area of 1.2 hectares, located on the territory of Desa. It is bordered by an acacia forest, private property to the north, a vineyard planting in the east, and private property to the west. This pond is accessible by road in the direction of the Poiana Mare - Desa county road and then on the roads DE1110 - 1112 and DE1105. It is a temporary pond that is completely dry during the dry summers. There are, however, several wetlands, permanent or temporary meshes, springs, marshes inside the site, whose hydrological level largely depends on the principle of infiltration of the floodplain area of the Danube River and to a lesser extent on the amount of precipitation in rainy periods. It is a protected area of national interest that corresponds to the fourth category IUCN aquatic nature reserve situated in the Dolj County, on the administrative territory of the Desa commune; it represents a natural lustre of water and the surrounding area with the fauna specific to the wetlands of the Danube Plain. Source: ananp.gov.ro Photo: www.ruralroute.org

The Balta Lata natural reserve is designated as a protected area of national interest according to Law no. 5/2000, and has an area of 28 ha. It is located on the administrative territory of Desa and is bounded by the DE 1340 to north, DE 1339 road and a meadow to east, DE 1315 road and a Canadian poplar forest to south and DE 1335 road and some unproductive sandy land to west. It is a permanent pond that does not totally dry up not even during the hottest summers. It is a protected area of national interest corresponding to the IV th category of the IUCN natural reservation of the aquatic type situated in Dolj County, on the administrative territory of Ciupercenii Noi commune. It is a protected area overlaid on the Natura 2000 Ciuperceni-Desa site and it is a natural area of water scenery and the surrounding area with meadows, sand dunes, floodplain meadows with flora and fauna characteristic of the Danube Plain. Source: ananp.gov.ro Photo: ruralroute.org/

The protected area of national interest Adunatii de Geormane Lake is located in a plain area of the Jiu river basin, which extends to the territory of Bratovoeşti and Teasc and is part of the wetland category. This protected area is characterized by the presence of lacustrine ecosystems, namely Victoria Lake and Marica Pond, adjacent to marshy areas. Lake Victoria is located on the upper left terrace of the Jiu river at a distance of about 25 kilometres from Craiova to the south, in the Oltenia Plain on Rojistea Terrace. This lake forms an isolated biological unit linked to Jiu by a channel for extracting excess water through the Marica pond. The shape of the lake is almost oval, with low, sandy banks and few trees. Source: www.mmediu.ro Photo: www.facebook.com

At the Bailesti area there is an acacia forest with "Sand" - Bailesti oak reserves. It covers an area of 50 ha and has been declared natural protected area of local interest by the Decision of the County Council no. 26/1994. In the Nisipuri - Băileşti forest there are numerous secular trees, from the spontaneous flora such as the wild pear and the oak, along with the already mentioned species of acacia.

The natural area Ciuperceni-Desa is located in the floodplain area of the Danube meadow and is an ornithological reserve of approximately 200 hectares, including the Balta Lata and the Balta Neagra. Here is also located the Ciurumela Forest where huge acacias are found, whose diameters reach 70-80 cm and heights up to 35 meters. The habitats of Salix alba and Populus alba are those that contributed to the designation of the site as a site of community importance Natura 2000. Among the birds that can be found in this site are white stork, black stork (Ciconia nigra), little aigrette (Egretta garzetta), Philomachus pugnax, red egret (Ardea purpurea), Himantopus himantopus, Plegadis falcinellus. The Ciuperceni-Desa site is unremitting and it is the only place that has remained so in the Danube's meadow.

It is located in Bucovăţ commune. It covers an area of 4 hectares. It is an important fossil point, with a rich fossil fauna of shellfish shells dating from the Palaeolithic, discovered in 1949.