Romania's Carpathians, covering over 7 million hectares, include diverse ecosystems rangingfrom forests to grasslands and meadows. The dominant soils are Cambisols (44.7%) andSpodosols (43.98%), characterized by low fertility but important for forest vegetation andmountain pastures. The biodiversity of soil microflora is a crucial factor, with algae, fungi andbacteria contributing to the decomposition of organic matter and soil regeneration. Mountaingrasslands support a diverse flora, including many medicinal plant species, such as in theApuseni Mountains. Although soils are vulnerable to erosion and scouring, nutrientaccumulation processes in micro-depressions contribute to local soil fertility. The Dorna basinis an example of geological diversity, rich in mineral resources such as manganese and hydromineral waters, which support local industry and spa tourism. Dorna Emmenthal cheese,traditionally made from milk from natural pastures rich in minerals (Ca, Mg, Zn), is also asymbol of the valorisation of mountain resources. However, production was abandoned after2020 due to economic problems. Radu Rey proposes an associative-cooperative model for theorganization of mountain areas, based on interconnected local cooperatives to manage theproduction, the certification of “mountain products” and their marketing on foreign markets.Similar models in Switzerland, Italy and France have shown that this strategy couldsignificantly increase the income of local farmers. For the sustainable future of the RomanianCarpathian Mountains, it is essential to support small farmers, protect biodiversity andmaintain traditional farming practices, thus preventing the worrying ecological degradationand depopulation of mountain areas.
Radu Rey (Wed,) studied this question.