EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - UNESCO World Heritage

3.c Comparative analysis (including state of conservation of similar properties):
Where were the beech trees?
Simon Schama: Landscape and memory
Comparative analysis within the biogeographical province Middle European Forest
(2.11.5)
Slovak Republic: several other localities than those included in the serial nomination contain
very good examples of pure beech primeval forests, e. g. Vtáčnik (246 ha) in the Vtáčnik
Range, Raštún (109 ha) in the Lower Carpathians, Vozárska (77 ha) in the Ore Mts. and
others that however do exist outside the main European beech belt of the West Carpathians.
The nearly monodominant tree species composition formed due to special position of the
Lower Carpathians on the outer NW rim of the West Carpathians having typical oceanic
climate owing to the “comb” effect, the combined effect of migratory routes and geobarriers,
or soil. The main forest areas with the monodominant European beech however extend in the
Eastern part of the country over tens of thousands of hectares, where properties of the serial
nomination have been selected as best examples creating a contiguous complex or such that
can be easily connected by ecological corridors.
Poland and Belorussia: Beech Primeval Forests of the Carpathians as elements of the
nominated series belong to the biogeographical province Middle European Forest (2.11.05).
There is only one world heritage site that partly represents natural forests of the province
on its border with the Boreonemoral biogeographical province (2.10.5), namely the
Bialowieza Forest / Beloweyhskaya Pushcha, included in 1979. The Bialowieza Virgin Forest
features some 20 major forest associations typical of that part of Europe, mainly Tilio-
Carpinetum and Querco-Carpinetum. The virgin forest is dominated by spruce (Picea abies),
pine (Pinus sylvestris), hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), lime (Tilia cordata), alder (Alnus
glutinosa), oak (Quercus robur), maple (Acer platanoides), ash (Fraxinus excelsior), birch
(Betula pubescens, B. verrucosa) and aspen (Populus tremula), whereas beech (Fagus
sylvatica), yew (Taxus baccata) and larch (Larix decidua) are missing almost entirely.
In a stark contrast to Bialowieza Forest, the serial nomination “Beech Primeval Forests of
the Carpathians” encompasses forest associations whose main or sole constituent is the
European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.). The most abundant among them are Fagetum pauper
and Fagetum typicum. However, opportunities for extension of the presented serial
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