Primeval forests of Uzhanskyi NNP area UNESCO World Heritage Site.

On June 28, 2007 the Committee on World Heritage List during its 31 st session adopted the decision to include the Ukrainian-Slovak nomination “Beech Forests of the Carpathians” onto the list of World Natural Heritage. Primeval beech forests of Ukraine and Slovakia consisted of sites located within Uzhanskyi National Nature Park, Carpathian Biosphere Reserve and National Park “Poloniny” – a total area of 77971,6 hectares, of which 29278,9 hectares are the core zone.

In 2011, five more sites joined the World Heritage List. UNESCO Committee combined the relict beech forests of Germany with the earlier included forests of Slovakia and Ukraine. New addictions to the list include five forest massifs, total area of which amounts to 4391 hectares – Jasmund (Jasmund National Park), Serrahn (Muritz National Park), Grumsin (Schorfheide-Chorin Biosphere Reserve), Hainich (Hainich National Park), Kellerwald (Kellerwald-Edersee National Park).The site, which unites the three countries, is now called “Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and the Ancient Beech Forests of Germany” (Slovakia, Ukraine, Germany).

Primeval forests of Uznaskyi NNP occupy over 2650 hectares and mainly consist of beech and maple, beech and spruce, beech-spruce-maple stands.

Farsighted foresters had expressed their interest in the natural forests of Transcarpathia at the beginning of the 20th century. Thus, in 1908, during the times of Austro-Hungarian Empire, one of the first reserves in the Carpathians called “Stuzhytsya” was established for the protection of primeval forests in the upper part of Uzh River – it area amounted to 331 hectares. In 1936-38, Czech geobotanist A.Zlatnik conducted fundamental soil and dendrologic research at this site. Test plots, which he then set up, are used today for joint research by scientists of Uznaskyi NNP and the scientists from Mendei University (Brno, Czech Republic).

Source: Uzhanskyi national nature park

89000, Ukraine, Transcarpathian region, Veliky Berezny vil, Nezalezhnosti street, 7

Phone/fax: (03135) 2-10-37

e-mail: uzhanskij@gmail.com, web: www.unpp.com.ua