Saturday, July 14, 2012

Destroyed forest in Ciucaş Mountains, Romania


The Ciucaş Mountains are a mountain range in Romania, part of the Curvature Carpathians. The highest peak is Vârful Ciucaş (Ciucaş Peak) and it measures 1,954 meters. (wikipedia)
The Ciucaş Mountains are famed for the spectacular rocky formations known as “Tigăile Mari” and “Tigăile Mici” (Big and Small Pans) , “Turnul lui Goliat” (Goliat’s Tower), “Colții Bratocei” (The Bratocei Fangs) or “Mâna Dracului” (Devil’s Hand).
The Ciucaş Mountains host a natural reservation with a ruiniform relief and a rich vegetation which consists of grazing, brushwood and rocky plants. Also, the Ciucaş Mountains are the natural habitat for wild animals such as bear, wild boar, deer, fox, lynx, marten, squirrel, black goat, birds – eagle, golden eagle, hawk, nightingale, chaffinch, or reptiles as: adder (Vipera berus) and lizard (Lacerta vivipara). (wikipedia)

Beginning with the year 2008, the forest in the Western part of the Ciucaş Mountains was cut in half by a road witch leads to a new refurbished hotel named “Ciucaş Peak Chalet“. The hotel replaces an old chalet, named “Alexandru Vlahuță”, which burned years ago. This forestry road starts from the 1A Highway through the “Valea Berii” (Beer Valley) and reaches the hotel. The road is open to all cars which makes a high rank of pollution in the mountains. By entering so deep in the heart of the mountains, the impact of the road on fauna and flora is high and endangers the natural habitat and the species.


Thursday, July 12, 2012

Goats at Green Mountain

Goats rest on a Green Mountain's terrace (Green Rock) near Slanic Prahova, Romania. The volcanic rock formations are the result of strengthening of the volcanic ashes over the years and they are geologically disposed in layers with perfect plane surfaces. The mountain gets a green color every time it rains.