Our projects on biodiversity conservation

Snakes conservation and steppe habitat restoration in the Lower Dniester National Park in Moldova

The project is supported by the Frankfurt Zoological Society, Germany.

Most valuable habitats with primarily and valuable secondary steppe plant communities are conserved in larger areas of hyrnets – southern forest-steppe complex of curtains of semiarid Pubescent Oak alternating with steppe glades, and with sufficient representation of the steppe plants under canopy; rarely steppes remain on steep open slopes. They support 9 endangered and critically endangered species of Moldova’s. Unluckily hyrnets are substituted by locust-tree more than for one half of the total area and transformed due to activities of forestry while main part of steppe under pastures is degrading owing to overgrazing. Populations of snakes of European concern are stable as in Coronilla аustriaca and Coluber caspius or increase as in Elaphe longissima while main in Moldova population of Elaphe quatuorlineata is threatened; distribution of runners is patchy. Six properly steppe and nine other threatened insect species inhabit steppe biotopes. As the result of project three steppe seed-nurseries were created in collaboration with local authorities and schools to make basis for steppe restoration and pastures improvement; management plan and popular brochure are prepared as a basis to improve situation.

The project supported by GEF is being implemented under supervision of the World Bank from 2002 and is going to be completed at the beginning of 2005.

Its main objective is the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity of global importance of the Moldavian part of the Lower Dniester delta ecosystem by creation of the first national park in this area, which would become a part of the biosphere reserve in the future created together with the Ukrainian protected area. Moreover, the project will contribute to the reduction of the Dniester’s pollution which has a transboundary status in the Black Sea basin.

Project has four components: Establishment of Moldova Lower Dniester National Park, Biodiversity Activities in the Buffer Zone, International Cooperation and Project Management and Commitment Building.

The project was realized in 2000-2001 with the support of the National Environmental Fund of the Republic of Moldova. The concept of the creation of the National Ecological Network of Moldova was elaborated and the map of the network was executed, indicating the distribution of core areas, buffer zones and biological corridors of international and national importance, as well as the most important local corridors on the territory of the country.

The concept, in case of its using, assures the integration of the country in the process of creation of the Pan European ecological network and the harmonization of the econetwork’s creation in the country, taking into consideration its real natural and social conditions. In its turn, the map of ecological network is an informative and analytic instrument of its creation, and indicates the directions of the necessary activities, including those regarding the management of valuable natural areas.

Elaboration of the project proposal «Management of water quality and biodiversity conservation in Lower Dniester»

The project “Management of water quality and biodiversity conservation in Lower Dniester” was implemented in the period of May 1999 – May 2000 supported by the Global Ecological Facility (GEF) and supervised by the World Bank with the purpose to prepare project proposal, including the creation in the zone of a new national park which may become a part of the transboundary Moldavian-Ukrainian protected area. Within its framework the preliminary project of ecological network of the Lower Dniester was prepared.

Elaboration of the Concept on the ecological restoration of the Dniester River

The concept of the ecological restoration of the Dniester River was elaborated within the framework of the project «Ecological restoration of the Dniester River» supported by John & Catherine MacArthur Foundation (USA). The goals of the project were the creation of the necessary scientific, technical and social conditions for the protection of the water and wetlands ecosystems of Lower and Middle Dniester, as well as the elaboration of the basis for the establishment of strict protected areas.

In 1998-1999 biological investigations of water ecosystems of Dniester River and its adjacent natural territories were conducted; two international scientific practical conferences were organised and a book concerning the ecological problems of the Middle Dniester was published. The materials of the researches collected thanks to the MacArthur Foundation were very useful in the elaboration of the concept of the creation of new protected areas in the Lower Dniester region realized within the framework of GEF project.

Expedition «Middle Dniester-98» was organized in the period from July till August, 1998 within the framework of the project with the same name, supported by ISAR Inc in Kyiv. Its main goals were the study of the ecological situation, created on the Middle Dniester as a result of the construction of a hydro-power station and the lack of the coordination between the environment authorities of Moldova and Ukraine, and public dissemination of the results. During the expedition observation on hydrochemical and hydrobiological parameters of the Dniester River, using classic research methods was conducted; the servance of the protective regime of the water protective zones was evaluated and the pictures were taken. After the expedition the book «Environmental Problems of the Middle Dniester» was published and recommendations on the improvement of the situation were elaborated and presented to the authorities.