Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Beușnița Waterfall in Nera Gorge-Beușnița National Park
Location	(see map)
Inscription	2007 (31st Session)
Extensions	2011, 2017, 2021

The Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe is a very special natural area. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which means it's protected because it's important for everyone on Earth. This site is made up of 94 different forest areas across 18 countries in Europe.

These forests are home to the largest and most untouched groups of European beech trees. Many of these forests, especially in the Carpathians, have grown naturally for thousands of years. They haven't been disturbed by humans since the last ice age. This helps scientists understand how these forests have grown and spread over time.

Exploring the Carpathian Beech Forests
Where are These Forests?
How These Forests Are Protected
Future Protection: Tentative List
Images for kids
See also

Exploring the Carpathian Beech Forests

The Primeval Beech Forests in the Carpathians are found in ten separate areas. They stretch for about 185 kilometers (115 miles) from the Rakhiv mountains in Ukraine to the Vihorlat Mountains in Slovakia. In 2011, five more areas in Germany were added to this special site. These German forests cover about 4,391 hectares (10,850 acres).

The Carpathian part of the site covers a huge area. About 29,278 hectares (72,350 acres) are strictly protected. The rest is a "buffer zone" that helps protect the main areas. Most of this site (over 70%) is in Ukraine. It includes two national parks and other protected areas, especially in Slovakia. These parks, along with a nearby area in Poland, form a larger biosphere reserve called the East Carpathian Biosphere Reserve.

Some parts of these forests, like Stužica in Slovakia, have hiking trails. This allows visitors to explore these ancient woodlands. Over the years, UNESCO has added more beech forests to this site. In 2017, forests in Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy, Romania, Slovenia, and Spain joined the list. Then, in 2021, even more forests were added from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czechia, France, Italy, North Macedonia, Poland, Slovakia, and Switzerland.

These Carpathian forests are some of the last untouched virgin forests in Europe's temperate regions. Trees here can live for hundreds of years! They provide a vital home for many living things. You can find mushrooms, moss, lichen, and insects. Rare birds like the capercaillie and black grouse live here. Many mammals also call these forests home, including bats, brown bears, wolves, and lynx.

Sadly, some parts of the forest in Romania have been lost due to too much tree cutting. There's also a risk of more logging in Ukraine. To protect these amazing forests, it's important to expand and strengthen conservation areas. In the Ukrainian Carpathians, there are already nine national parks and two biosphere reserves. Cutting down coniferous trees above 1,100 meters (3,600 feet) is generally not allowed. If park managers do a good job, more unprotected virgin forest areas could be saved forever. There are about 100,000 more hectares (247,000 acres) of forest that could be added to the protected areas.

Where are These Forests?

Map showing where Fagus sylvatica (European beech) trees grow in Europe (green areas).

This World Heritage Site includes 94 different forest areas. These are spread across 18 European countries. The total area of these protected forests is about 98,125 hectares (242,470 acres). When you include the "buffer zones" around them, the total protected area is much larger, about 392,846 hectares (970,740 acres). The largest parts of these forests are found in Ukraine and Romania.

How These Forests Are Protected

The different parts of this World Heritage Site are protected in many ways. They often overlap with other protected areas. These include national parks, nature reserves, and areas part of the Natura 2000 network. This network helps protect important natural habitats across Europe.

Here are some examples of how these forests are protected in different countries:

In Albania, parts of the forests are in strict nature reserves like the Gashi River area and the Shebenik – Jabllanicë National Park.
Austria protects its beech forests within the Dürrenstein Wilderness Area and the Kalkalpen National Park.
Belgium has strict forest reserves within the Sonian Forest Protected Landscape.
Bosnia and Herzegovina protects the Prašuma Janj as a strict nature reserve.
Bulgaria has nine strict reserves within the Central Balkan National Park.
Croatia protects its forests in strict reserves within the Northern Velebit National Park and Paklenica National Park.
The Czech Republic has the Jizerskohorské bučiny National Nature Reserve.
France protects its parts in national nature reserves like Massif du Grand Ventron and Massane.
Germany includes its forests in national parks like Jasmund, Müritz, Hainich, and Kellerwald-Edersee.
Italy has several protected areas, including parts of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park, and strict reserves within Gargano National Park and Pollino National Park.
North Macedonia protects its Dlaboka Reka forests within Mavrovo National Park.
Poland's parts are in the Bieszczady National Park.
Romania has forests in national parks like Cheile Nerei-Beușnița and Cozia, and other strictly protected zones.
Slovakia's forests are in Poloniny National Park and Vihorlat Protected Landscape Area.
Slovenia protects its forests in the Krokar and Snežnik–Ždrocle forest reserves.
Spain has its beech forests in areas like Sierra Norte de Guadalajara Natural Park and Picos de Europa National Park.
Switzerland protects its forests in reserves like Bettlachstock–Hasenmatt and Lodano Valley.
Ukraine has many parts of the site within the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve and national nature parks like Uzhanian and Synevyr.

Future Protection: Tentative List

Some other forests are being considered to join this special World Heritage Site. They are on a "Tentative list" as proposals for future expansion.

In Montenegro, the Virgin Forest Reserve in Biogradska Gora National Park is being considered.
In Serbia, forests in Fruška gora, Kopaonik, and Tara mountains are also on the list.