... one-third of all European vascular plant species can be found in the Carpathians? That means almost 4,000 plant species, and 481 of them are found only in the Carpathians!
… Gerlachovsky Peak (2,655 m altitude) in the High Tatras in Slovak Republic is the highest peak of the Carpathians?
… the European Union’s largest populations of brown bears, wolves, lynx, European bisons and imperial eagles (globally threatened species) are found in the Carpathians?
… 36 national parks, 51 nature parks and protected landscape areas, 19 biosphere reserves and 200 other protected areas are member of the Carpathian Network of Protected areas
… there are 36 registered UNESCO World Heritage sites and 49 important pilgrimage destinations in the Carpathian area?
… the number of hotels in the Carpathians has increased by nearly 60% in the last ten years?
… the Carpathians contain the continent's largest remaining natural mountain beech and beech/coniferous forest ecosystems and the largest area of pristine forest in Europe (outside Russia)?
... the Carpathians are the largest, most twisted and fragmented mountain chain in Europe? They are Europe’s largest mountains by area.
… in the 1970’s, about 1,000,000 people worked in the mining sector in the Carpathians? Today, the number of employees in this sector is about 340,000.
… the Carpathians were put on the WWF ‘Global 200’ list of major ecoregions in need of biodiversity and habitat conservation?
… more than half of the Carpathians are covered by forests? The Carpathian forests are a vital link between the forests of the north and those of the west and south-west of Europe.
The next Meeting of the Working Group on Sustainable Forest Management will be hosted by Slovakia, Chair of the WG Forest, on 10-12 October 2022 in Levice, Slovakia. After a long break, partly caused by the COVID-19, it will be an occasion for the WG Forest to meet in person and discuss the ongoing task of the WG and future priorities.
The meeting agenda focuses mainly on finalization of the Inventory of the virgin forest in the Carpathians, advancing on development of the Assessment of climate change risks and impacts on the Carpathian forests and their ecosystem services. In addition, the meeting will receive inputs from the Science for the Carpathians for consideration within the further work of the WG Forest. Furthermore the topic of the importance of science communication will be brought up at the meeting, which will be substantiate with the result of the workshop held recently in Vermont, U.S (see previous posts for more info).
Draft Agenda and further information about the meeting will follow shortly.