The beech forests in Romania

Passing by a beech forest is not something rare in Romania, and people usually tend to not pay attention anymore to these majestic trees. Nevertheless, they do have a great story to tell. Not only that the beech forests play an important part in Romania’s ecosystem, as stable forests with a rich biodiversity, but they are also of very high importance in the economy.

Things to know about the beech forests

The most common beech species found in Romania is the European beech (Fagus Sylvatica). These are large trees that can reach heights of 40 m and can live up to 300 years or more. These forests, single-species or mixed, can be found at altitudes between 400-500 m to 1300-1500 m. However, recent studies have shown that the climate change may increase the maximum limit of these forests by at least 100 m in the next 30 years. This means that the beech could go up to over 1,500 m, in the alpine area.

The beech trees’ toothed parallel-veined leaves are shiny-green but turn reddish-coppery bronze in fall; they are 5-10 cm long and 3-7 cm broad. The trees can produce small quantities of seeds around 10 years of age, but not a heavy crop until they are at least 30 years old. The female flowers produce beechnuts, which are small, sweet-flavored triangular nuts. These nuts are an important food for birds and rodents.


Read the entire article on Romania Insider 

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