EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - UNESCO World Heritage

NOMINATION DOSSIER ANNEX 6.2.2
"ANCIENT BEECH FORESTS OF GERMANY"
Summary of the current application for a research project
“Mountain Landscape Management in CEE states – Perspectives of
transition to international markets (CEEMP = Central Eastern
European Mountains Perspectives)”
(Decision on the project proposal is expected to be taken in March
2010.)
APPLYING INSTITUTION:
Universität Marburg, Fachbereich Biologie, Fachgebiet Naturschutz
Technical University of Dortmund, Fakultät für Raumplanung
Applied University of Eberswalde, Faculty of Forest and Environment
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
Institute for Carpathian Ecology of the Ukrainian Akademy of Science
Administration of the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve
Institute for Geography, Ivan-Franko University Lviv
AIMS OF THE PROJECT
As a consequence of the breakdown of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact, the central
eastern European states (in the following: CEE) seek to catch up with the international
markets. The economy of these countries was mainly focussed on primary production, with a
considerable share of areas in mountainous regions (South eastern Poland, Slovakia,
Romania, western Ukraine, Slovenia and others). Many of these mountainous regions turned
to subsistence production after the breakdown of the Warsav Pact, which was also a treaty
commitment. But this cannot be a sound perspective for the future. To find alternatives of
development it is crucial for these states to save economic prosperity and social welfare
(ROTH ET AL. 2008). In parallel these alternatives may protect one of the most prominent
hotspots of biodiversity outside the Mediterranean.
In recent years one focus of sustainability research was on problems in high mountain areas.
But the situation is much more complicated on low mountain range, where humans, in
contrast to the high mountains, constantly settle. Europe disposes on a great variety of low
mountainous regions with altitude between 500 and 2.000 m above sea level.
This project seeks to transfer western European and international knowledge and experience
in transformation processes caused by similar conditions to representative CEE low
mountain range areas with special emphasis on ecosystem functions and services, after
adaptation to the specific local circumstances. In turn models and solutions there may
contribute to a more sustainable development in Western European areas under lower public
subsidies.
GENERAL CONCEPT OF THE PROJECT
This project unifies outstanding institutions and scientists on the field of sustainable
development on the landscape level. Due to logistic restrictions and the regulations of the
call scientific work is arranged into 6 work packages. However, it is believed that the
substantial scientific and practical novelties will emerge just in between the WPs, by very
close co-operation and developing innovative approaches. Therefore a dense network
between the WP and between the scientific partners is planned and partially already
established. Much knowledge and experience is already accumulated in the related
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