ASSESSEMENT OF THE MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS IN ROMANIAN PROTECTED AREAS USING BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS

A monitoring program, based on biological indicators, designed for three pilot sites, Piatra Craiului National Park, Retezat National Park and Vanatori Neamt Natural Park, is meant to provide regularly information for protected areas' administrators on the effectiveness of the management actions. The monitoring program has been developed for each of the selected protected areas, in close correspondence with the management plan. A biodiversity monitoring plan was also developed for each park. Monitoring questions, derived from the management plans, were assessed based on relative priority and a set of indicators, focus on trends in biodiversity and resources, was developed for each question. Each monitoring plan contains a Table, which lists all the priority monitoring questions, what will be monitored (target species or indicator), what aspect of the species or area will be monitored, the limits of acceptable change, and how it will be monitored. The body of the plan contains the list of monitoring protocols, written to expand the monitoring process for each identified monitoring question, target species or area and indicator. Each monitoring plan contains some estimates of the time and personnel requirements and it was prioritized allowing the possibility that some constraints appear to concentrate on the most important monitoring targets only. The feedback on the status of biodiversity from the monitoring plan will determine whether management has been effective in maintaining the park's key populations and habitats. Adapting the management plans of the three pilot sites according to the data provided by biodiversity monitoring actions are compulsory.