Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians

The Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians are around 185 kilometres long from the Rakhiv Mountains and the ridge of Chornohora in Ukraine. It covers an area of about 192,672 acres. Of this area, one is the actual preserved area, about 72,350 acres, and the other is called the “Buffer zone.” It also covers a place like the Zakarpattia and Presov regions. Approx. 70% of the area of the forests is located in Ukraine. The tree of this forest is one of the best and most important trees for use, for medical benefits, and health-related issues. 

Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe

European beech tree Fagus sylvatica is not found anywhere else in the whole world, but only in Europe. The European beech has a great history; it’s a highly successful tree species that has helped shape an entire continent; this story begins 12,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age. At that time, a thick layer of ice forests covering large areas of Europe had survived only a tiny remnant in southern Europe during these challenging times. 

The European beaches’ centres of distribution and diversity were found in southern Europe in the lyric Dinaric region in the Pyrenees, the Apennines, and the Balkans. Starting from these lower asylum regions, the different genotypes expanded to various parts of Europe. This expansion process is still ongoing and evolving today; it took several thousand years for the beach to reach the Baltic Sea; many plant species, fungi, and insects followed this march to the north. The European beach can form forests of pure stands; the tree can reach an age of 600 years. The phenomenon that one tree species had recolonised a whole continent is of outstanding universal value. Still, human intervention has caused the European beech forest to largely disappear untouched intact primaeval.

About Beech Forests

Beech forests are scarce today, and they are endangered in old-growth and ancient beech forests; all life has adjusted to the eternal cycle of growth and decay of beach; unlike in managed forests, prehistoric and ancient beech forests in central Europe constitute the essential habitat of more than 10,000 animal species plant species and mushrooms.

Twelve different European beech forest regions are determined by other microclimatic conditions and floristic species pools. It’s critical to ensure comprehensive preservation of this unique natural heritage and raise awareness about its outstanding value; the serial world heritage of ancient and primaeval beach forests of the Carpathians and other regions of Europe aims to preserve the full diversity of beech forests in Europe. Therefore, the priority is to cover a comprehensive selection of different beech forests. For this reason, the cereal world heritage property consists of 80 parts located in the most crucial beach forest regions. 

The world heritage process started in 2007 when ancient beech forests in the Ukrainian and Slovak Carpathians were added to the UNESCO world heritage list; in 2011, this property was outstretched to include the old beech woodlands of Germany. The UNESCO world heritage committee recommended the continuation of the extension process with other interested state parties towards a finite serial transnational nomination to assure the protection of this unique forest ecosystem. 

In 2012, a screening process was started involving 260 experts and more than 20 state parties had to select suitable for an excellent significant extension of the world heritage listing. In the end, ten state parties have participated in this process; with this extension, eighty percent of the prehistoric or ancient beech forest remnants in Europe’s protected areas with strict protection status would be designated as world heritage.

About Health and Medical Benefits

It provides many health and medical benefits such as protecting the immune system, reducing respiratory distress, relieving many pains, preventing the body from infections, making one skin healthy, detoxifying the kidneys, and also helping to protect from chronic disease. This wood also burns very quickly. Many people also use this to cook food for their families. A large quantity of beech trees is considered poisonous. 

Conclusion

The Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians have several benefits. It is one of the significant trees in that forest. These forests also have other trees like birches (Betula alba), oaks (Quercus robur), etc. The wood of the beech tree has many uses like fuel, cooking, utensils, tool handles, furniture, and sports equipment. The beech tree’s wood is considered one of the best firewood. Many people also use this wood in a home for heating purposes. The beech tree is helpful in the health and medical area. A large quantity of beech trees is considered poisonous.