Motto: Nature and legend  in the region of Hercules

 

Weather now in Herculane:

 

 

 

        

       

            One of the important habitats for flora, fauna, landscape and conservation point of view is the rocky habitat. In this habitat the protected and endemic Black Pine of Banat flourishes.  This tree species forms analogue arboretums with the xero-thermo coniferous forests from the Moesic Sub-Mediterranean regions. The surface of these arboretums, according to forest plans, is 1953 ha.  

            The surface of the national park is 61.211 ha.  Of this, 75,31% is forest. The main species in these forests is Fagus sylvatica (beech).  The other trees represented in the park are Picea abies (spruce), Abies alba (fir), Ulmus montana (elm), Acer pseudoplatanus (sycamore), Fraxinus excelsior (ash), Carpinus betulus (hornbeam), Populus tremula (quaking asp), Corylus avellana (hazel), Sorbus aucuparia (rowan), Euonymus europaeus (European spindle).

            The limit of the forest is at the altitude of 1800 m.  Descending from this point, we first encounter clusters of spruce, fir and beech (mostly spruce) – the existence of a forest of co-dominant spruce and beech is more likely – and then we reach the beech forests, which in the Cerna’s inferior basin are followed by oak forests.

            Most of the surface of the park is covered by beech forests, constituted of Fagus sylvatica, F.s.var.Moesiaca, Fagus orientalis, Ulmus montana, Acer pseudoplatanus. Due to influences of the Mediterranean climate in the beech forest we can also find (on southern slopes) Ouercus petraea and Acer pseudoplatanus.

            At the altitude of approximately 1700-1800m, the meadows are predominantly dwarf herbage.  There, we can also find Rhododendron kotschy (rhododendron) – protected species – and at 1500-1800m, we can find the Vaccinium myrtillus (blueberry bush). 

            Under 1700-1800m, the presence of junipers can be observed, from this point on the forest story starts. The junipers are represented in the north and northwest sections of the national park by Pinus montana and Juniperus nana in Arjana, Mehedinti Mountain's summit and Oslea Romaneasca summit.

            Junipers don't form compact surfaces but small areas covered by shrubs. In the northern section of the Godeanu Mountains (Galbena and Paltina depression), junipers cover a large area.  But in the southern section of the mountains, they cover only a small area. They grow mostly on northern slopes, sometimes reaching 2000m in altitude.

            The aquatic habitats within the national park are represented by Cerna and Motru rivers, brooks (Cerna and Motru rivers affluents), mountain reservoirs on the mentioned rivers (Iovanu, Prisaca on Cerna river, and Valea Mare on Motru river), temporary glacier accumulations on Godeanu mountains, puddles and ponds in Cerna-Sat village area.

           The construction of hydro-electric power stations, on the Cerna river, has some consequences and possible negative impacts on the natural balance within the park:

-        in time the thermo-mineral springs could dry out,

-        the aquatic fauna, especially the piscicultural, is characterized by changes in the whole Cerna basin,

-        and the most negative effect, due to the reduction of Cerna river's volume on a 40 km section, is the modification of the air ionisation and local climate.