The Nera Gorge-Beușnița National Park ( ro, Parcul Național Cheile Nerei-Beușnița) (

national park A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...

category II

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

) is a

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

situated in

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

, in

Caraș-Severin County Caraș-Severin () is a county ( județ) of Romania on the border with Serbia. The majority of its territory lies within the historical region of Banat, with a few northeastern villages considered part of Transylvania. The county seat is Reșița ...

Location

The Natural Park is located at the south-west limit of the country, in the south of the Anina Mountains (group mountain included in

Banat Mountains The Banat Mountains ( ro, Munții Banatului; hu, Bánsági-hegyvidék) are a number of mountain ranges in Romania, considered part of the Western Romanian Carpathians (''Carpații Occidentali Românești'') mountain range. The Banat Mountains ...

), in Caraș-Severin County, on the middle course of

Nera River Nera may refer to: People * Nera Smajic (born 1984), Bosnian-born Swedish footballer * Nera Stipičević (born 1983), Croatian actress * Nera White (1935–2016), American basketball player * André António Ribeiro Novais (born 1988), Portuguese ...

and on the upper Beu River.

Description

Nera Gorge-Beușnița National Park with an area of 36,758 ha was declared natural protected area by the ''Law Number.5 of March 6, 2000'' (published in Romanian Official Paper Number.152 on April 12, 2000) and represents a mountainous area (

mountain peaks A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous. The term (mountain top) is generally used only for a ...

cirques A (; from the Latin word ') is an amphitheatre-like valley formed by glacial erosion. Alternative names for this landform are corrie (from Scottish Gaelic , meaning a pot or cauldron) and (; ). A cirque may also be a similarly shaped landform ...

crevasses A crevasse is a deep crack, that forms in a glacier or ice sheet that can be a few inches across to over 40 feet. Crevasses form as a result of the movement and resulting stress associated with the shear stress generated when two semi-rigid pie ...

caves A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...

valleys A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over ...

canyons A canyon (from ; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), or gorge, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tendency to cu ...

waterfalls A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in several wa ...

) what shelters a large variety of flora and fauna; some of the species are endematic or very rarely. Protected areas included in the park: ''Nera Gorge-Beușnița, Șușara Gorge, Ducin,

Izvorul Bigăr Bigăr ( eng, Bigăr Spring, but more commonly known as Bigăr Waterfall) is a protected area (nature reserve IUCN category IV) situated in the administrative territory of Bozovici, in Caraș-Severin County in southwestern Romania. On 7 June 2021, ...

, Izvoarele Nerei, Lisovacea'' and ''Valea Ciclovei-Ildia''. Cascada Beusnita

Climate

Climate Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorologic ...

is a temperate continental, with moderate winters, warm summers, low thermal amplitude, with rich rainfall, with Mediterranean influences.

Hydrology

The hydrological network includes

and its

tributaries A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage b ...

: Coșava,

Bănia Bănia ( hu, Bánya) is a commune in Caraș-Severin County, western Romania, with a population of 2,014 people. It is composed of two villages, Bănia and Gârbovăț (''Gerbóc''). Natives *Păun Otiman Păun Ion Otiman (born 28 May 1942) is ...

, Beu, Ducin, Miniș, Nergana, Nerganița, Prigor, Rudăria, and Șopotu.

Flora and fauna

Flora

On the territory of the protected area it has been identified several species of flora with European elements, Central European and Euro-Asian. RO BV Forest 1

Tree and shrub species include:

English oak ''Quercus robur'', commonly known as common oak, pedunculate oak, European oak or English oak, is a species of flowering plant in the beech and oak family, Fagaceae. It is a large tree, native plant, native to most of Europe west of the Caucasus ...

(''Quercus robur''),

Common hornbeam ''Carpinus betulus'', the European or common hornbeam, is a species of tree in the birch family Betulaceae, native to Western Asia and central, eastern, and southern Europe, including southern England. It requires a warm climate for good growth, ...

(''Carpinus betulus''),

European beech ''Fagus sylvatica'', the European beech or common beech is a deciduous tree belonging to the beech family Fagaceae. Description ''Fagus sylvatica'' is a large tree, capable of reaching heights of up to tall and trunk diameter, though more ...

(''Fagus sylvatica''),

European ash ''Fraxinus excelsior'', known as the ash, or European ash or common ash to distinguish it from other types of ash, is a flowering plant species in the olive family Oleaceae. It is native throughout mainland Europe east to the Caucasus and Alborz ...

(''Fraxinus excelsior''),

Turkey oak Turkey oak is a common name for several species of oaks and may refer to: *''Quercus cerris'', native to southeastern Europe and Asia Minor *''Quercus laevis ''Quercus laevis'', the turkey oak, is a member of the red oak group of oaks. It is n ...

(''Quercus cerris''),

Sessile oak ''Quercus petraea'', commonly known as the sessile oak, Cornish oak, Irish Oak or durmast oak, is a species of oak tree native to most of Europe and into Anatolia and Iran. The sessile oak is the national tree of Ireland, and an unofficial embl ...

(''Quercus petraea''),

Black alder Black alder is a common name for several plants and may refer to: *''Alnus glutinosa ''Alnus glutinosa'', the common alder, black alder, European alder, European black alder, or just alder, is a species of tree in the family Betulaceae, nativ ...

(''Alnus glutinosa''),

European yew ''Taxus baccata'' is a species of evergreen tree in the family Taxaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe (including Britain and Ireland), northwest Africa, northern Iran, and southwest Asia.Rushforth, K. (1999). ''Trees of Britain ...

(''Taxus baccata''),

Manna ash Manna ( he, מָן, mān, ; ar, اَلْمَنُّ; sometimes or archaically spelled mana) is, according to the Bible, an edible substance which God provided for the Israelites during their travels in the desert during the 40-year period follow ...

(''Fraxinus ornus''), Turkish hazel (''Corylus colurna''),

European cornel ''Cornus mas'', commonly known as cornel (also the Cornelian cherry, European cornel or Cornelian cherry dogwood), is a species of shrub or small tree in the dogwood genus ''Cornus'' native to Southern Europe and Southwestern Asia. Description It ...

(''Cornus mas''), Eurasian smoketree (''Cotynus coggygria''), Ruscus (species of: ''Ruscus aculeatus'' or ''Ruscus hypogllosum'') or

Lilac ''Syringa'' is a genus of 12 currently recognized species of flowering plant, flowering woody plants in the olive family or Oleaceae called lilacs. These lilacs are native to woodland and scrub from southeastern Europe to eastern Asia, and wid ...

(''Syringa vulgaris''). Herbaceous plants include the orchid ''

Himantoglossum caprinum ''Himantoglossum caprinum'' is a species of orchid native to southeastern Europe and the Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabia ...

'', the fritillary '' Fritillaria montana'', yellow

linum ''Linum'' (flax) is a genus of approximately 200 species''Linum''.
The Jepson Manual.

('' Linum uninerve''), Asplenium ceterach (''Ceterach officinarum''),

Cephalaria ''Cephalaria'' is a genus of about 65 species of flowering plants in the family Caprifoliaceae, native to southern Europe, western and central Asia, and northern and southern Africa. They are annual or perennial herbaceous plants growing to 0.8 ...

('' Cephalaria laevigata''), monkey orchid (''Orchis simia''),

fragrant orchid ''Gymnadenia conopsea'', commonly known as the fragrant orchid or chalk fragrant orchid, is a herbaceous plant of the family Orchidaceae native to northern Europe. Etymology The name of the genus ''Gymnadenia'' is formed from Greek words (', ...

(''Gymnadenia conopsea''),

corydalis ''Corydalis'' (from Greek ''korydalís'' "crested lark") is a genus of about 470 species of annual and perennial herbaceous plants in the family Papaveraceae, native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere and the high mountains of tropical eastern ...

('' Corydalis pumila''), yellow crocus (''Crocus flavus'').

Fauna

Species of

mammal Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or ...

brown bear The brown bear (''Ursus arctos'') is a large bear species found across Eurasia and North America. In North America, the populations of brown bears are called grizzly bears, while the subspecies that inhabits the Kodiak Islands of Alaska is kno ...

(''Ursus arctos''),

deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the reindeer ...

(''Cervus elaphus''),

roe deer The roe deer (''Capreolus capreolus''), also known as the roe, western roe deer, or European roe, is a species of deer. The male of the species is sometimes referred to as a roebuck. The roe is a small deer, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapt ...

(''Capreolus capreolus''),

gray wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly ...

(''Canis lupus''),

wild boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species is ...

(''Sus scrofa''),

European otter The Eurasian otter (''Lutra lutra''), also known as the European otter, Eurasian river otter, common otter, and Old World otter, is a semiaquatic mammal native to Eurasia. The most widely distributed member of the otter subfamily (Lutrinae) of th ...

(''Lutra lutra''),

lynx A lynx is a type of wild cat. Lynx may also refer to: Astronomy * Lynx (constellation) * Lynx (Chinese astronomy) * Lynx X-ray Observatory, a NASA-funded mission concept for a next-generation X-ray space observatory Places Canada * Lynx, Ontar ...

(''Lynx linx''),

wildcat The wildcat is a species complex comprising two small wild cat species: the European wildcat (''Felis silvestris'') and the African wildcat (''F. lybica''). The European wildcat inhabits forests in Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus, while the ...

(''Felis silvestris''),

pine marten The European pine marten (''Martes martes''), also known as the pine marten, is a mustelid native to and widespread in most of Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus and parts of Iran, Iraq and Syria. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. ...

(''Martes martes''),

badger Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the family Mustelidae (which also includes the otters, wolverines, martens, minks, polecats, weasels, and ferrets). Badgers are a polyphyletic rather than a natural taxonomic grouping, being united b ...

(''Males males''), pygmy shrew (''Sorex minutus''), Blasius's horseshoe bat (''Rhinolophus blasii'') or

lesser mouse-eared bat The lesser mouse-eared bat or lesser mouse-eared myotis (''Myotis blythii'') is a species of insectivorous bat in the family Vespertilionidae. Distribution Lesser mouse-eared bats can be found in the following countries: Afghanistan, Albania, A ...

(''Myotis blythii''). Kingfisher India

Species of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

golden eagle The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known bird of p ...

(''Aquila chrysaetos''),

lesser spotted eagle The lesser spotted eagle (''Clanga pomarina'') is a large Eastern European bird of prey. Like all typical eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. The typical eagles are often united with the buteos, sea eagles, and other more heavy-set Acc ...

(''Aquila pomarina''),

common kingfisher The common kingfisher (''Alcedo atthis''), also known as the Eurasian kingfisher and river kingfisher, is a small kingfisher with seven subspecies recognized within its wide distribution across Eurasia and North Africa. It is resident in much of ...

(''Alcedo athis''),

hazel grouse The hazel grouse (''Tetrastes bonasia''), sometimes called the hazel hen, is one of the smaller members of the grouse family of birds. It is a sedentary species, breeding across the Palearctic as far east as Hokkaido, and as far west as eastern a ...

(''Bonasa bonasia''),

hen harrier The hen harrier (''Circus cyaneus'') is a bird of prey. It breeds in Eurasia. The term "hen harrier" refers to its former habit of preying on free-ranging fowl. It migrates to more southerly areas in winter. Eurasian birds move to southern Eur ...

(''Circus cyaneus''),

Eurasian eagle-owl The Eurasian eagle-owl (''Bubo bubo'') is a species of eagle-owl that resides in much of Palearctic, Eurasia. It is also called the Uhu and it is occasionally abbreviated to just the eagle-owl in Europe. It is one of the largest species of owl, ...

(''Bubo bubo''),

short-toed snake eagle The short-toed snake eagle (''Circaetus gallicus''), also known as the short-toed eagle, is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, buzzards and harriers. The genus n ...

(''Circaetus gallicus''), red-breasted flycatcher (''Ficedula parva''),

European honey buzzard The European honey buzzard (''Pernis apivorus''), also known as the pern or common pern, is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Etymology Despite its English name, this species is more closely related to kites of the genera '' Leptodon'' a ...

(''Pernis apivorus''),

European nightjar The European nightjar (''Caprimulgus europaeus''), common goatsucker, Eurasian nightjar or just nightjar, is a crepuscular and nocturnal bird in the nightjar family that breeds across most of Europe and the Palearctic to Mongolia and Northwest ...

(''Caprimulgus europaeus''), grey-headed woodpecker (''Picus canus''), Ural owl (''Strix uralensis''),

corn crake The corn crake, corncrake or landrail (''Crex crex'') is a bird in the rail family. It breeds in Europe and Asia as far east as western China, and migrates to Africa for the Northern Hemisphere's winter. It is a medium-sized crake with buff- ...

(''Crex crex''), barred warbler (''Sylvia nisoria''), red-backed shrike (''Lanius collurio''),

ortolan bunting The ortolan (''Emberiza hortulana''), also called ortolan bunting, is a Eurasian bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a passerine family now separated by most modern scholars from the finches, Fringillidae. The genus name ''Emberiza'' is fro ...

(''Emberiza hortulana''),

European roller The European roller (''Coracias garrulus'') is the only member of the roller family of birds to breed in Europe. Its overall range extends into the Middle East, Central Asia and the Maghreb. The European roller is found in a wide variety of hab ...

(''Coracias garrulus''),

Montagu's harrier Montagu's harrier (''Circus pygargus'') is a migratory bird of prey of the harrier family. Its common name commemorates the British naturalist George Montagu. Taxonomy The first formal description of Montagu's harrier was by the Swedish na ...

(''Circus pygargus'') or

middle spotted woodpecker The middle spotted woodpecker (''Dendrocoptes medius'') is a European woodpecker belonging to the genus '' Dendrocoptes''. Taxonomy The middle spotted woodpecker was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the ...

(''Dendrocopos medius'').enrid.grida.no - Flora şi fauna sălbatică a României
; retrieved on June 05, 2012 Species of

reptile Reptiles, as most commonly defined are the animals in the class Reptilia ( ), a paraphyletic grouping comprising all sauropsids except birds. Living reptiles comprise turtles, crocodilians, squamates (lizards and snakes) and rhynchocephalians ( ...

amphibian Amphibians are tetrapod, four-limbed and ectothermic vertebrates of the Class (biology), class Amphibia. All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terres ...

s and

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely Carnivore, carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order (biology), order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-f ...

common adder ''Vipera berus'', the common European adderMallow D, Ludwig D, Nilson G. (2003). ''True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers''. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company. . or common European viper,Stidworthy J. (1974). ...

(''Vipera berus''),

green lizard The European green lizard (''Lacerta viridis'') is a large lizard distributed across European midlatitudes from Slovenia and eastern Austria to as far east as the Black Sea coasts of Ukraine and Turkey. It is often seen sunning on rocks or lawns, ...

(''Lacerta viridis''),

smooth snake The smooth snake (''Coronella austriaca'')Street D (1979). ''The Reptiles of Northern and Central Europe''. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. 268 pp. . is a species of non-venomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is found in northern and cen ...

(''Coronella austriaca''), fire salamander (''Salamandra salamandra''),

alpine newt The alpine newt (''Ichthyosaura alpestris'') is a species of newt native to continental Europe and introduced to Great Britain and New Zealand. Adults measure and are usually dark grey to blue on the back and sides, with an orange belly and thro ...

(''Triturus alpestris''),

common toad The common toad, European toad, or in Anglophone parts of Europe, simply the toad (''Bufo bufo'', from Latin ''bufo'' "toad"), is a frog found throughout most of Europe (with the exception of Ireland, Iceland, and some Mediterranean islands), in ...

(''Bufo bufo'') or

yellow-bellied toad The yellow-bellied toad (''Bombina variegata'') belongs to the order Anura, the family Bombinatoridae, and the genus of fire-bellied toads. The toad is distributed mainly across western Europe as well as a handful of countries in eastern Euro ...

(''Bombina veriegata''). Species of

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...

: Danube gudgeon (''Gobio uranoscopus''), Mediterranean barbel (''Barbus meridionalis''), '' Sabanejewia aurata'', streber (''Zingel streber''), Balkan loach (''Cobitis elongata''), Kessler's gudgeon (''Gobio kessleri'') or

Amur bitterling The Amur bitterling (''Rhodeus sericeus'') is a small fish of the carp family. It is sometimes just called "bitterling", which dates back to the time when the European bitterling ('' Rhodeus amarus'') was still considered conspecific with ''R. ...

(''Rhodeus sericeus amarus'').

Access

* National road DN57B Oraviţa - Sasca Montană - Şopotu Nou - Cărbunari -

Bozovici Bozovici ( hu, Bozovics; german: Bosowitsch; cs, Božoviče) is a commune in Caraș-Severin County, western Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borde ...

- Anina * National road DN57B Reşiţa - Caraşova - Anina

Gallery

File:Felis silvestris silvestris.jpg,

Wildcat The wildcat is a species complex comprising two small wild cat species: the European wildcat (''Felis silvestris'') and the African wildcat (''F. lybica''). The European wildcat inhabits forests in Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus, while the ...

File:Coracias garrulus am.jpg,

Coracias garrulus The European roller (''Coracias garrulus'') is the only member of the roller family of birds to breed in Europe. Its overall range extends into the Middle East, Central Asia and the Maghreb. The European roller is found in a wide variety of hab ...

File:Fraxinus ornus JPG2.jpg, Fraxinus ornus File:Beușnița (Beu) valley 36.jpg, Vaioaga waterfall. File:Beușnița (Beu) valley 38.jpg, Beușnița (Beu) river bed. File:Beușnița (Beu) valley 40.jpg, Beușnița (Beu) river bed. File:Beușnița (Beu) valley 41.jpg, Beușnița (Beu) river bed. File:Beușnița (Beu) valley 42.jpg, Cascade Beusnita (Beușnița).

References

External links

infocheilenerei.ro - Cheile Nerei-Beuşniţa National Park
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cheile Nerei-Beusnita National Park National parks of Romania Geography of Caraș-Severin County Protected areas established in 2000 Tourist attractions in Caraș-Severin County Primeval Beech Forests in Europe