International Day of Nature Reserves marked on 11 January

Chisinau, 11 January /MOLDPRES/ - The International Day of Nature Reserves is marked on 11 January. The goal of this day is to protect and preserve important habitats and natural species, which stretch on big areas and comprise a complex of terrestrial and water ecosystems, lakes and water flows, wet zones with unique flora and fauna communities.   

In Moldova, the nature reserves are protected areas representing natural spaces which are valuable from the scientific viewpoint, meant for the preservation and re-establishment of one or more components of the nature, in order to maintain the ecological balance. Under the law on the fund of national areas protected by the state, 63 nature reserves are registered in Moldova: 51 forest reserves, nine ones of medicinal plants and three mixed ones.   

Among the most important nature reserves of Moldova, regarded as monuments of nature of international importance, with a great variety of unique landscapes, there is the nature scientific reserve Codri (Forests), Pădurea Domnească (The Princely Forest), Prutul de Jos (The Lower Prut), Plaiul Fagului, Iagorlac.  

The nature scientific reserve Codri is the oldest one in Moldova, founded in 1971, with an area of 5,177 hectares. There are almost 1,000 varieties of protected plants in the Codri reserve, i.e. a half of the flora specific for Moldova.  

The nature scientific reserve Pădurea Domnească was created in 1993, in order to preserve the riverside coppices for the protection of the rare plants and animals.   

The Lower Prut nature scientific reserve was founded in 1991, with an area of 1,691 hectares. About two thirds of the reserve’s area represents the waters of the Beleu lake. The rest of the area is occupied by the Prut river’s meadow. Researches  showed that the Beleu lake can be considered as a natural ecological laboratory in this reserve.    

The Plaiul Fagului nature scientific reserve was created in 1991 to protect the beech forests. The reserve occupies the north-western part of Codri, with an overall area of 5,642 hectares, of which 4,639 hectares are occupied by forests.  

The Iagorlac nature scientific reserve was set up in 1988 and occupies 836 hectares of dry ground and 270 hectares of water area.    

The nature reserves of Moldova have become important destinations in the national and international circuit, with more than 10,000 tourists, on average, visiting them annually.