EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - UNESCO World Heritage

type - beginning since 10-12% in the upper horizons and 1-2% in transitional and bottom
horizons. A low content of amfoteric bases is also characteristic for soil here (degree of
saturation less than 30%).
Biota (vegetation)
The total area of the Chornohora cluster is 15.401 ha: 1.323,8 ha of the core zone and
14.078 ha of the buffer zone. The core zone includes three patches of virgin forests located
close one to another and united with the sites of buffer zone, therefore, at present time this
cluster represents the continuous natural massif. Besides, the territory of the Carpathian
National Nature Park is adjusted to the foregoing cluster.
The Chornohora cluster covers an area from the lowest limit of the the Mountain Forest
belt (ca. 600 m) up to the High Mountain vegetation belt (2.061 m). Its forests are
characterized by a high diversity of communities, and within them there are a lot of sites of
natural forests (viz., Fagetum, Piceeto-Fagetum, Abieto-Piceeto-Fagetum, Piceeto-Abieto-
Fagetum, Acereto-Piceeto-Fagetum, Fageto-Piceeto-Abietum, Fageto-Abieto-Piceetum,
Piceetum and others). In the Chornohora the pure beech virgin forests cover about 20% of the
total beech forests area, and they occur on the altitude 600-1.250 (1.300) m above sea level.
Predominate communities Fagetum symphytosum, Fagetum dentariosum, Fagetum
athyriosum, Fagetum mercurialidosum, Fagetum asperulosum, and the mixed Piceeto-
Fagetum symphytosum, Piceeto-Fagetum oxalidosum, Piceeto-Fagetum myrtllosum, Piceeto-
Abieto-Fagetum asperulosum, Piceeto-Abieto-Fagetum mercurialidosum, Fagetum
stellariosum and Abieto-Piceeto-Fagetum. They have the large standing volume (800–
900 m 3 /ha), besides, beech and fir trees occured here are sometimes 300-350 years old and 1.3
m and 1.6-1.8 m in diameter respectively.
There are also the rare communities Ulmeto-Acereto-Fagetum symphytosum and others.
The most peculiar features of this cluster is the presence of the vast continuous groves of
Pinus mugo, Duschekia viridis and Rhododendron kotschy distributed above the upper forest
limit.
The shrub layer in the Chornohora virgin forests is poorly developed and it includes
solitary plants of Lonicera nigra and Corylus avellana. The herbaceous layer mainly consists
of Athyrium filix-femina, Dryopteris filix-mas and D. carthusiana, but also sometimes
Polystichum braunii, Gymnocarpium dryopteris, Oxalis acetosella, Galeobdolon luteum and
Mercurialis perennis.
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