The Carpathian Convention has successfully established a Carpathian wide inventory of old-growth forests. The improved management strategies, resulting from this, will have far-reaching positive impacts on the mountain range and will help to combat climate change.

Rich in biodiversity and wildlife, the Carpathian Mountains support the most precious natural forests in Europe. Not only do their old-growth forests harbour a large diversity of species, they also sequester great amounts of carbon – minimising the impacts of climate change and making their protection incredibly valuable.

Romania – known for its abundance of old-growth forests, which support the biggest populations of Brown Bear, Gray Wolf and Lynx in the Europe – experienced a 1.3% reduction of forest cover over the years 2000 to 2010. Remarkably, in 2007 it was recorded that 72% of Romania’s old-forest disturbances were in protected areas, highlighting the need for more effective management strategies in the region.

Determined to change this, the Carpathian Convention held a meeting on Sustainable Forest Management from 26 - 27 September in Brasov, Romania.

The meeting was home to the start of a Carpathian wide inventory of old-growth or ‘virgin’ forests, so that conservation efforts could be maximised in those areas. There was also a discussion on the recent application of the Sustainable Forest Management Protocol, where ideas were shared on successful management practices.

The Carpathian Convention is made up of seven parties that facilitate a dialogue between all stakeholders involved in the Carpathian region, including: community groups, NGOs, governments, the European Union and the United Nations. These institutions work together to protect areas of high biodiversity in Carpathian forests.

Old-growth forests are those which have reached a great age without experiencing major levels of disturbances such as fires or logging, and hold enormous ecological importance.

For more information contact harald.egerer@unvienna.org or vanessa.burrows@unep.org