Table of content:

Acknowledgements & Authors

Summary

List of abbreviations

Introduction

1. Ecological Network of Moldova

1.1. Components of Eco-Network

1.2. Geographical Aspects of NENM

1.3. Levels of Components of the Eco-Network

1.4. Eco-Network as Informational System

2. System of Criteria for Estimate of Value of Components of Ecological Network

2.1. Criteria for Attribution of Particular Status to Core Areas with Natural and Semi-Natural Ecosystem Cover

2.2. Criteria for Ranking Areas of the Eco-Network which are Not Core Areas

2.3. Principles for Designating Areas Intended for Ecological Restoration and for Establishing Biological Corridors in Conditions of Excessive Economic Land Use

2.4. Use of Lands for Establishing Biological Corridors and Restoration, which Not Meet Criteria of Areas Intended for Ecological Restoration

3. Operational Checklists

3.1. Operational Checklist of Vascular Plants

3.2. Operational Checklist List of Endemic Vegetation Associations

3.3. Operational List of Insects

3.4. Operational List of Terrestrial Vertebrates

4. Objects of Eco-Network

5. Main Actions Concerning National Eco-Network of Moldova

6. Estimation of Potential and Some Recommendations for Establishing National Ecological Network of Moldova

6.1. Main Conditions for Establishing NENM

6.1.1. Elaborating the Concept of Eco-Network in Moldova

6.1.2. Ecological and Socio-Economical Conditions of Forming Eco-Network

6.1.3. Analysis of Legal Framework for Establishing National Eco-Network

6.2. Comment on Results of Area Estimations, Based on Main Components of Ecological Network of Moldova (by Biological Indicators)

6.2.1. Estimation of Core Areas

6.2.2. Designated Components of Eco-Network in the Structure of the Country’s Area

6.3. Recommendations

6.3.1. Concerning the Development of a System of Management for Natural Protected Areas

6.3.2. Priorities of scientific estimation of core areas

6.3.3. Law on Modification and Completion of some Legislative Acts (Draft)

Conclusion

References

Map of the Ecological Network

3. Operational Checklists

Lists, distribution data and other information relating to threatened species (and other taxonomic units, which are quite accurately identifiable, primarily in the Red Data Lists) have a two-fold meaning according to the adopted nature protection system, as:

1. operational instruments serving as supplementary analytical tools for assessing other materials, official procedures and decision making, and
2. means for publicising and raising awareness.

From the time of publishing the first version of the Red Data List of Moldova in 1978 to the finalization of basic materials for the second version in 1987, the number of plant and animal species reaching threatened status has grown by several times. This has resulted both from progressive deterioration of wildlife and vegetation and the accumulation of data on these phenomena. At present, the second version of the Red Data List requires a major elaboration.

To this end, the development of the concept of the Ecological Network of Moldova (ENM) requires the application of operational checklists, necessary for estimating the value of potential areas for protection.

Within the European Community (CORINE Biotopes Programme), the Operational checklists for selecting core areas were lists of threatened species, including those of the Bern Convention, supplemented by regional Red Data Lists. Due to biogeographical realities, European lists are in fact lists of the West-European macro-region and cannot be applied directly to Moldova. This especially refers to plants and invertebrates. It can be inferred that while developing a Pan-European Ecological Network, countries and regions of East Europe and Scandinavia will be grouped into two or three macro-regions. Consistency and comparability of estimates within these macro-regions can be ensured with appropriate operational checklists. Operational Checklists (OCL) of animals and plants have been developed within the concept of ENM. They have been used to estimate number of areas using available data, in parallel with the Red Data Lists of Moldova.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS

OCLs are based on:

1. data and expert opinions concerning threatened species in Moldova;
2. materials from other countries, whose areas include the Moldavian biogeographical regions;
3. official international lists of threatened species, as far as they are relevant to Moldova.

OCLs comprise:

1. species recently extinct in Moldova with absolute or extremely high probability and whose inclusion in the lists is required by:
   1. absence from the Red Data List of Moldova (the first and second versions), despite the international tradition,
   2. certain probability for some to be moved from a category to another;
2. species that correspond to different threatened categories, in accordance with the current classification of IUCN, as far as classification under these categories can be recognized in conditions of:
   1. extreme scarcity of data, which is characteristic of Moldova and
   2. limited applicability of numeric procedures of survey for many taxa.

Species declared extinct on Moldavian territory are considered in order to formulate estimation procedures for moving them to another category.

The OCLs comprise inventories of:

1. Vascular plants - ferns, angiosperms;
2. Endemic plant communities;
3. Higher vertebrates - birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians;
4. Insects.

Some of these can be expanded. OCLs of other taxa of biota can be developed, as far as this has value for biodiversity conservation.

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