The Moldavia Sylvosteppe Section

Location and superficies

The Section Moldavia Sylvosteppe is in the northern part of the Botanic Garden, on a superficies of 13,92 hectares. Romanian Flora and Vegetation Section and Globe Flora Section are in the Southern part of the mentioned Moldavia Sylvosteppe Section, Copou Agriculture Ranch is in the northern and eastern parts of it and individual proprietorships in the eastern part.

Thematics

The Section Moldavia Sylvosteppe wants to preserve in situ and ex situ the main types of ecosystems of Moldavia sylvosteppe: natural ecosystem of sylvosteppe, natural ecosystem of bogs and forestall ecosystem.

Natural ecosystem of sylvosteppe, situated on the slopes of Podgoriilor brook, favors the installation of primary and secondary steppic lawns. The composition of phytocoenoses, which differs in various points of the ecosystem, creates a reference frame for breeding and propagating some characteristic species (Iris brandzae, Crambe tataria, Echium rossicum, Pulsatilla vulgaris ssp. grandis, Beta trigyna, Dianthus capitatus, Artemisia austriaca, Achillea setacea, Astragalus onobrychis, Hyacinthella leucophaea, Plantago schwarzenbergiana, Rumex tuberosus ssp. tuberosus, Crocus reticulatus, Galium moldavicum, Paeonia tenuifolia, Amygdalus nana etc.).

Natural ecosystem of bog is situated in the meadow of Podgoriilor brook, where there is some excessive humidity. The characters of the biotope favor the development of the hygro-hydrofile species, represented by Phragmites communis, Typha latifolia, Typha angustifolia, Glyceria fluitans, Bolboschoenus maritimus, Carex acutiformis, Carex riparia, Epilobium palustre, Iris pseudacorus, Lytrum salicaria, Symphytum officinale, Angelica palustris etc. The vegetal species set up here have a major importance in decontaminating the waters which supply Podgoriilor brook.

Arranged forestall ecosystem occupies a significant part of the territory and groups various foliated and conifer woody cultivated species, which constituted in time various types of forests. Most of the vegetal species, ex situ preserved (Ulmus minor, Quercus pedunculiflora, Quercus robur, Cerasus avium, Malus sylvestris, Carpinus betulus, Abies alba, Taxus baccata, Larix decidua ssp. carpatica, Pinus sylvestris, Sorbus dacica, Sorbus torminalis, Tilia tomentosa, Evonymus nana, Corylus colurna, Galanthus nivalis etc.), have the role of making steady the lands predisposed to falls and of slowing down the soil erosion processes.

The geomorphology of the land, the lithologic substratum, the hydrography and the variety of soils favored the installation of primary and secondary steppic vegetation, as well as of the animals characteristic to the biocoenoses of the ecosystems, which are present as fragments in Moldavia nowadays and, in some cases, protected as natural areas.

The composition of the phytocoenoses, which differs in various parts of the ecosystems, creates a reference frame for breeding and propagating more than 107 species of birds (Anas platyrhynchos, Ixobrychus minutus, Nycticorax nycticorax, Ciconia ciconia, Pernis apivorus, Falco columbarius, Larus minutus, Picus canus, Lanius collurio, Bombycilla garrulus, Erithacus rubecula, Emberiza hortulana etc.), reptiles (Lacerta viridis, Lacerta agilis, Emys orbicularis, Natrix natrix), amphibians (Bombina bombina, Hyla arborea, Triturus cristatus, Triturus vulgaris and Rana sp. complex) and mammals (Erinaceus europaeus, Talpa europaea, Lepus europaeus, Sciurus vulgaris, Apodemus agrarius etc.).

Being in a continuous transformation because of the natural and anthropic factors, this section has the purpose to protect the present ecosystems, through preserving and maintaining the significant aspects or characteristic aspects of the existent landscape, derived from the natural configuration and human intervention, during time.

Through this section, the Botanic Garden of Iasi adders to a series of referenced instruments belonging to spatial planning domain and surrounding environment, to respect the politics and strategies of landscape developing: Habitates Directive 92/43/EEC, Appendix ll b, IV b and V b, GRL – Global Red List, WLT – World Red List of trees and Romanian Red Lists of Superior Plants, Romanian Red Book of Vascular Plants, Low no. 24/2007 regarding the Reglementation and Administration of Green Spaces from Urbane Zones completed by Low no. 393/2009, Birds Directive 79/409/EEC, Urgency Decree no. 57/2007 regarding the system of natural protected areas, preservation of natural habitats, wild flora and fauna.

The scientific value is amplified by its status like a link corridor between the closest natural reserve – David Valley and the Moldavia Sylvosteppe Section from the Botanic Garden of Iasi, as it is mentioned in the European legislation for preserving species of plants, animals and natural habitats (Network Natura 2000).