Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve

Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve
The narrow part of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve ( Ukrainian дельти Дунаю ) north of the border is in Ukraine , the larger southern part in Romania.
Coordinates: 45 ° 9 ′ 46.5 ″  N , 29 ° 38 ′ 50.3 ″  E
Location:	Tulcea , Romania
Next city:	Tulcea and Constanța
Surface:	4178 km²
Founding:	1991
Great white pelicans and cormorants in the Ukrainian part of the delta, 2009
Cormorant in the Danube Delta, 2012
Birds of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, Ukrainian stamp pad from 2004, pictured from left to right are a mute swan, a pygmy shrew, a great egret, a gray goose and a spoonbill

Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve
UNESCO world heritage
National territory:	Romania
Type:	nature
Criteria :	(vii) (x)
Surface:	312,440 ha
Reference No .:	588
UNESCO region :	Europe and North America
History of enrollment
Enrollment:	1991  (session 15)

The Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve ( Romanian Delta Dunării ) is located in the area where the Danube flows into the Black Sea . The Danube Delta prepared according to the Volga Delta the second largest delta Europe represents and covers an area of 5800 square kilometers, of which 72% with an area of 4178 square kilometers under conservation stand. 82.5% of this area is in the Romanian part of the Dobruja region and 17.5% in the Ukraine .

The northern part of the reserve - the actual delta - is traversed by the three mouths of the Danube flowing in from the west: the Chilia arm as the Romanian-Ukrainian state border in the north, the Sulina arm in the middle and the Sfântu-Gheorghe arm in the south. Just south, the fed of channels includes Razim - Sinoie - lagoon complex at. The area has been sparsely populated since ancient times. Agriculture, cattle breeding and fishing often make use of the local natural resources.

So far, around 5200 animal and plant species have been cataloged in the biosphere reserve . The high number of species is attributed on the one hand to the wide range of aquatic and terrestrial habitats , and on the other hand to the geographical coincidence of the Central European forests and the Balkan Mountains with the Mediterranean regions . The closely interconnected habitats such as reed beds , floating islands , oxbow lakes, alluvial forests and extremely dry biotopes in the dunes form a unique network of over 30 ecosystems in the estuary. Some of these species are considered rare or critically endangered. The reserve is home to the world's largest contiguous reed area with an area of ​​around 1800 km² and an important bird sanctuary with the largest colonies of the Great White Pelican and the second largest of the Dalmatian Pelican in Europe.

In 1990 Romania became the first country bordering the Danube to declare its part of the delta a biosphere reserve. The list of wetlands of international importance in the Ramsar Convention was expanded to include the delta in 1991. In 1993, UNESCO included the area on the World Heritage List . Romania designated the reserve as a nature reserve of national and international importance in the same year . The Ukrainian part of the Danube Delta has also been a recognized biosphere reserve since 1998.

From the 1960s, large parts of the marshland were drained for agricultural use, which by 1986 destroyed around a fifth of the natural habitat in the delta. In 2000 Romania, Bulgaria , Moldova and Ukraine committed themselves to the protection and renaturation of the wetlands along the approximately 1000 km long lower Danube. This Green Corridor , initiated by the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF), created the largest cross-border protected area in Europe.

The unemployment rate for local residents is between 30 and 40 percent. They are hoping for opportunities from the European Union's initiatives to promote gentle tourism in the region, but tourism has already reached the limits of its natural compatibility in some areas. Accidents in the oil industry, the straightening and containment of shipping lanes, but also illegal poaching affect the ecological balance .

geography

Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, satellite image 2000

In the Danube Delta, 2005

In the Danube Delta, 2008

landscape

The Danube is the most important receiving water in Southeast Europe and the collecting artery for the major rivers of the Eastern Alps ( Inn , Drau ), the Carpathians ( Tisza ) and the Eastern Dinarides ( Save ). The Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve is located in the area where the Danube flows into the Black Sea and forms a refuge for a large number of plants and animals.

More than half of the total area of ​​the reserve of 5800 km² includes the area commonly referred to as the Danube Delta with 3510 km², while the remaining area extends to the upstream Danube floodplains between Isaccea and Tulcea (102 km²), the Razim-Sinoie lagoon complex (1145 km²) , a narrow strip in the Black Sea (1030 km²) down to a depth line of 20 m, and the area on the Danube between the island of Cotul Pisicii and Isaccea (13 km²). The reserve extends in the south-eastern part of Romania with an area of ​​3446 km² over the districts of Tulcea and Constanța , and a 732 km² area in the south of Ukraine in the Odessa Oblast . The Danube forms the 54 km long natural border between Romania and Ukraine. There are no official border crossings in this part of the border, the closest crossings are in Galați and Brăila .

The reserve is integrated into the historical Dobruja landscape. The mostly hilly surrounding region can be divided physiographically into the following areas:

The hinterland is predominantly marked by Paleozoic and Mesozoic soil formations. Its northern part has the highest peaks in the region with altitudes of 180–467 meters above zero sea ​​level on the Black Sea. The south of the Dobruja consists of limestone plateaus that are about 100 to 200 meters above sea level and are covered by loess soils . Overall, 60 percent of the Dobruja land area does not rise above 100 meters. In the inner area of ​​the Dobruja, the terrain flattens from north to south to maximum values ​​of 300 meters. The predominant soil-forming rock is schisto. The eastern area along the coast is characterized by the extensive delta area of ​​the Danube and its numerous lagoons. The low flat plain is 0.52 m above mean sea level of the Black Sea and has a mean rise in general gradient of 0.006 m / km. The maximum height difference is 15 m, which results from the highest point (+12.4 m) in the dunes near Letea and the lake bottom (−3 m) in the marine part. 20.5% of the delta area is below sea level of the Black Sea, the remaining 79.5% are above. Of the area above sea level, 54.6% are between 0 and 1 m in height, and 18.2% between 1 and 2 m. Overall, 93% of the delta lies within a hypsometry of 0–3 m.

Under the hydromorphological aspect, the reserve is divided into:

Areas from before the delta was formed

These areas are located in the historical Budschak landscape north of the Chilia arm. The loess deposits in this area were eroded by water and deposited as the base of the Câmpul Chiliei and Stipoc sandbanks . They make up 2.4 percent of the area of ​​the delta.

Sandbanks on river arms or by the sea

The river sandbanks lie along the edges of the main branches and branches of the Danube. The accretion and height of the sandbanks decrease towards the sea. For the formation of the sea sandbanks running parallel to the sea coast (also known as grind ), the sea currents are primarily responsible, which formed natural sea dams from alluvial Danube sediments and which increased over time due to further deposits in the sea. The larger sandbanks were deposited as a series of high dunes with dune transverse valleys in between.

Rivers and canals

On the arm of the Chilia, 2005

At the Sulinaarm, 2004

At the beginning of the delta west of Tulcea, the mean flow of the Danube is 7320 m³ / s. The differences between low water (2000 m³ / s) and high water (24,000 m³ / s) are considerable.

With a length of 116 km, the Chilia arm to the north is the largest of the three arms of the Danube. At the junction in Ismajil the Tulceaarm separates from the Chiliaarm, after which the Chiliaarm still carries 67 percent of the total amount of water of the Danube through about 25 mouths to the Black Sea. Gravel, sand and mud carried along with organic residues are deposited in a delta of around 2,430 km². Two fifths of this area is on Ukrainian territory.

The Sulinaarm runs in a straight line from west to east and, after the junction, only carries about 13 percent of the total river water, but is the most important arm of the Danube for shipping . Between 1858 and 1902 it was regulated and its stream bed deepened. The originally 84 km long waterway was shortened to 62 km by straightening its pronounced curves. Dredging and maintenance work continues to this day. The water depth reaches at least 23 feet = 7.32 meters and thus enables the traffic of medium- tonnage shipping .

About 20 percent of the water flows through the 70 km long Sfântu-Gheorghe arm into the sea, which forms the northern border of the Dobruja highlands ( Podișul Dobrogei in Romanian ) as far as Murighiol . The arm flows through the southernmost and most scenic part of the Danube Delta. Traces of human intervention are the least visible in its surroundings. This area is sparsely populated; however, the flora and fauna are rich.

The area between the Chilia and Sulina arms is called Letea ; between the Sulina and the Sfântu-Gheorghe arm lies the Caraorman area ; between the Sfântu-Gheorghe arm and the Razim and Dranov lakes is the Dranov area .

The network of numerous side arms, some smaller rivers, canals and side canals runs through the plain and determines the movement of water through and around the delta. These waterways often expand to form lakes and form, among other things, the Razim-Sinoie lagoon complex

Lakes

On the banks of the Jalpuhsee (2008)

Most of the lakes in the reserve are river limanes , marine limes , or brackish water lagoons . The elongated and deep Jalpuch and Kotlabuch lakes are limanes on the Ukrainian side of the delta.

The Razim Lake and the Sinoie Lake south of the actual delta are brackish water lagoons. To the west and south the lakes border on the Dobruja plateau and in the north on the swamp area of ​​the Sfântu-Gheorghe arm. The eastern side is bordered by a series of low sandbars. Lake Razim extends over an area of ​​around 870 km² and, together with the other lakes, forms a coherent complex of 1,145 km². The lake, which is up to three meters deep in some places, was originally connected to the Black Sea at Portița (German: Türchen ), but is now separated from it by a dike. The dykes are occasionally hit by violent storms. The Razim Sinoie lagoon complex is constantly under water with 75 to 80 percent of its area. The Sfântu-Gheorghe arm feeds Lake Razim through the Dranov and Dunavăț channels . In the south of the border Golovita Lake and Salcioara Lake on; This is followed by the Smeika and Sinoie lakes, in the west is the Babadag lake , in the north the Calica lake and in the east the Dranov lake .

From 1980 in communist Romania, many of the lakes in the area around Pardina and Sireasa were drained for intensive agricultural use. This reduced the lake area from 313 km² (9.28 percent of the area of ​​the delta) to 258 km² (7.28 percent of the delta area). The larger lakes there include the Dranov Lake (21.7 km²), the Gorgova Lake (13.8 km²), the Roșu Lake (14.5 km²) and the Lumina Lake (13.7 km²). Before 1980 there were 668 lakes in the Romanian part of the reserve, after which drainage projects reduced their number to 479.

Swamps

87 percent of the delta consists of marshland; the rest is alluvial soil . The delta forms the largest wetland in Europe. The swamps lie between −0.5 and 1 m above the water level and surround the lakes in the delta depressions. In early summer, the amount of water flowing into the Danube swells due to meltwater from the mountains and floods the swamps. The wide estuary area between the estuary arms has a high population of reeds. Driven by the current, floating reed islands move through the swampy space, which is subject to constant change. The waters are bordered by natural dams. The drainage projects of the 1980s also drained many of the delta's swamps and bogs.

Emergence

Paleographic evolution of the Danube Delta

Expansion of the mouth of the Danube on a map from 1867

The dikes draining the Danube Delta in socialist Romania

The Danube Delta was formed from a bay more than 10,000 years ago. At that time, the sea ​​level at this point was between 50 and 60 meters below its current height. In this stage, the emergence of an "initial belt" was indicated, which corresponds to today's Letea Forest , Caraorman Forest and Crasnicol and ultimately led to the damming of the bay. Today's delta was formed by further deposits of billions of tons of floating debris . At medium high tide, the Danube flows at over 6000 cubic meters of water per second at Ceatalul Chiliei , where the river divides into two arms, and carries around 80 million tons of alluvial material with it every year. In connection with currents and waves, a labyrinth of canals, lakes and reeds formed.

It was not until the end of the Little Ice Age that sand began to collect in the mouth of the Danube into the Black Sea. Since then, debris and fine mud have washed into the Danube from the mountain slopes of the Alps and Carpathians . The coarse rubble already settled in the high-current upper areas of the river. The fine mud was transported to the lower Danube and finally to the Black Sea. The ocean currents did not distribute the mud evenly in the ocean, but instead piled it up in the bay. On the surface of these accumulations of sand and mud, a network of watercourses developed , some of which were repeatedly blocked by sand or reed islands and silted up , others were created by floods, which constantly changed the nature of the delta. Only the three large estuary arms of the Danube have remained almost unchanged since they were canalised and straightened . From the late 19th century the delta was calmed; Dykes protect large areas from flooding, and the reinforcement of the banks prevents the meanders from migrating . The increase in shipping initiated the expansion of ports.

The Sfântu-Gheorghe arm is the oldest arm of the Danube and was the first arm to form its own delta. Parallel to the shoreline of Sfântu-Gheorghe arm lined up especially in the field more in seasons arranged dunes on that show older coastlines. With around 80 million tons of suspended matter per year, its delta is currently growing further into the sea.

The Sulina arm developed in the deposits of the Sfântu-Gheorghe arm and took over an increasing influx of sediments, forming its own delta. It is the shortest of the three river arms and is currently no longer growing. By erecting concrete walls protruding far into the sea to secure the traffic routes, the suspended solids are now carried out of the delta and no longer serve the coastal structure. Numerous still waters in the delta are cut off from the sediment supply and are gradually silting up.

The port of Chilia Veche on the Chilia arm was five kilometers from the sea in the 15th century, today it is about 30 kilometers. On this heavily sedimenting arm, the coastline is currently advancing four to five meters per year, especially east of Wylkowe . Sediments that reach the sea through the Chilia arm are carried by the ocean current and are deposited further north around the Jibrieni formation .

The Pleistocene Rias of the Jalpuch and Kotlabuch Lakes were separated from the open sea in the Holocene by the deposits of the Danube. These river limans emerged from the old confluences Gârlița , Oltina , Dunăreni , Baciu , and the marine limanes Corbu , Siutghiol , Tașaul through former river mouths. Lake Razim and the neighboring Sinoie lagoon are spits that were formed in the former sea bays by deposits.

climate

The Danube Delta has a continental climate with maritime moderation. Low precipitation and long hours of sunshine are characteristic. The average amount of rain is 457.2 millimeters per year and the average annual temperature is 11 ° C, but extreme fluctuations are not uncommon. The dry climate favors desertification and prevents the formation of forests.

The temperature extremes measured so far were -23.6 ° C on February 9, 1929 and +37.5 ° C on August 20, 1946. In Tulcea the thermometer rises above +30 ° C for about 100 days a year. In Sulina there are an average of 80 warm days a year. Between May and October the mean temperature is +19.0 ° C and the sun shines for around 300 hours a month.

Rain often comes down as downpours that are short-lived. Most precipitation falls in June and least in February and March. In the drought year of 1942, the annual rainfall in Sulina was only 134.4 millimeters.

The wind blows almost constantly; the number of windless days over the course of a year is between 25 and 30. The prevailing wind direction is northeast. Strong and cold northeast winds called Crivăț can reach high speeds due to the low breaking through mountains and forests.

Average temperature (monthly average / annual average)
month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	yearly
Tulcea	−1.8 °	−0.2 °	4.2 °	10.3 °	16.2 °	19.9 °	22.2 °	21.1 °	17.4 °	12.6 °	6.2 °	1.8 °	10.8 °
Sulina	−0.7 °	−0.2 °	4.1 °	9.6 °	15.8 °	20.1 °	22.5 °	21.8 °	17.9 °	12.7 °	6.8 °	2.1 °	11.1 °
Precipitation amount (monthly average / annual average in mm)
month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	yearly
Tulcea	35.5	26.4	30.8	35.7	39.4	50.2	46.9	44.5	37.7	32.0	29.4	35.0	443.0
Sulina	24.2	21.0	21.1	21.6	34.2	45.5	34.5	40.8	26.4	33.6	27.2	28.9	359.0

Human geography

Settlement and borders

• History atlas
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  Ancient settlements in Scythia Minor

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  The lower Danube countries in Roman times, map from 1886

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  Areas populated by Thracians, 5th – 3rd centuries. Century BC Chr.

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  Roman ramparts in today's Romania

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  Slavic settlement area in the Balkans, around 650

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  Ethnographic map of Dobruja from 1918

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  Area west of Tulcea, 1898

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  Area east of Tulcea, 1901

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  Romanian-Russian dispute over the Danube Islands on the Chilia arm, situation 1940 and 1948

Archaeological excavations at Baia-Hamangia found traces of the Hamangia culture from the Neolithic period .

The area was originally inhabited by Thracians , first by the Getes , then by the Dacians . From the 7th century BC Several Greek colonies were established along the Black Sea coast. The region was later targeted by Celtic and Scythian invasions. For a time it was part of the Kingdom of Dacia .

In ancient times, Scythia Minor referred to the region whose borders roughly correspond to the historical Dobruja landscape , which is now partly in Romania and Bulgaria. The earliest description of the region can be found in Herodotus , who lived between 454–447 BC. BC traveled the area and saw the beginning of Scythia north of the Danube Delta.

Other ancient scholars and travelers wrote about the estuary of the Danube, among them Polybius (201–120 BC), who noticed "large amounts of mud that the river drags into the sea" and reported a sandbank that was dangerous for navigation. In his detailed descriptions he feared “the Black Sea would be filled in” with mud. Also Pliny the Elder and Arrian mentioned the Danube Delta. In a Roman decree from Histria , the area was declared in the 2nd century BC. . AD as Scythia called. The first use of the name "Scythia Minor" ( Mikrá Skythia ) can be found in the geography of the Greek geographer Strabo (63 BC – 23 AD) and the geographer and mathematician Claudius Ptolemy (around 100–180) from Alexandria left records of the delta, as well as the fish trade in the port of Histria was mentioned in historical documents.

In 29 BC BC Marcus Licinius Crassus Moesia conquered . The delta then became part of the Roman province of Moesia Inferior . The fortresses of Halmyris near Murighiol, Salsovia and Aragmum along the Sfântu-Gheorghe arm formed the focus of trade during the Roman era . The Trajan's Wall ended at the northern tip of the Danube Delta.

In the course of the reforms of Diocletian during his tenure (284-305) as Roman emperor, the region was separated from the province of Moesia as a separate province of Scythia . The delta then became part of the Dioecesis Thraciae . With the division of the empire in 395 , the province came under Byzantine control. The region kept the name Scythia Minor until the Slavs conquered the Balkans in the 7th century. Then the classic name was replaced by the Slavic Dobruja . Until the 13th century, the region was alternately under Byzantine and Bulgarian rule.

Sulina, impression from 1861

Tulcea has been an important port city since ancient times. The first places recorded on sea maps are Sulina around the year 950, Chilia Veche as a trading center with its own administration and its own coins in the 13th century, and Sfântu Gheorghe in the 14th century. In other phases of settlement, which lasted until the beginning of the 20th century, Slavs and Romanians from Bessarabia and Transylvania immigrated to the interior areas of the delta such as Caraorman and Letea .

In the 15th century the Danube Delta was part of the Ottoman Empire as Sanjak Tulça . Turkic peoples such as Turkmen , Oguz and Kipchaks , but also Nogay (Alttataren) were established in the 13th century in the region.

At the beginning of the 16th century, Armenians immigrated to the area via the trade route from Lviv to Constantinople . Around this time there were also Roma who had converted to Islam under the influence of the Ottoman Empire. Greeks and Jews lived mainly in the urban environment of the region from the 17th century.

Group of Lipovan Men, 1895

Commemorative plaque La Commission Européenne from 1856 on the wall of the lighthouse in Sulina

In rejecting the church reform of the Russian Patriarch Nikon , the old Orthodox Lipovans , fleeing religious persecution by the Russian Orthodox Church, withdrew from the Moscow area to the inaccessible areas of the delta in the 17th century . Ukrainian Chacholes , the successors of mercenaries Cossacks who originally settled along the Don River , sought refuge in the Danube Delta after their military disempowerment in the middle of the 18th century.

After the Russo-Turkish War (1806–1812), the Ottoman Empire and the Russian Empire agreed on a border along the Chilia arm, and from 1829 along the Sfântu-Gheorghe arm. At the beginning of the 19th century, permanent settlements such as CA Rosetti (Satu Nou) were established in the area around Letea and Chilia to operate transhumance - seasonal changes in pasture areas in remote pasturing over long distances, resulting in high mobility. Immigration from the Bessarabian region of Budschak and the Ukrainian settlements of Wylkowe and Kilija contributed significantly to the population growth in the villages around Letea in the 19th century.

The first German "colonists" in Dobruja consisted mainly of peasant families originally from southern Germany, who settled in several waves between 1841 and 1856 from the neighboring Russian governorate of Bessarabia and Cherson, also in the Danube Delta, where they included the places Malkotsch and Atmajah founded. Over the course of its hundred-year history, they formed the ethnic group of the Dobrudschadeutschen , which in 1940 de facto dissolved during the Nazi era in the course of their resettlement " Heim ins Reich ".

The Third Peace of Paris of 1856 ended the Crimean War , as a result of which the Danube Delta fell to the Ottomans. In the peace the European powers guaranteed free navigation on the Danube . The European Danube Commission and the Commission of the Danube Bank States were founded to solve day -to-day business problems . In 1870 Sulina received the status of an international free port . Within the Tatars of the Danube Delta, the Crimean Tatars who immigrated here after the Crimean War are still the largest group.

After the Turkish defeat in the Russo-Ottoman War in 1878, the border between Russia and Romania ran along the Chilia arm. In the course of the incorporation of the Dobrudscha into Romania after the Berlin Congress , the delta was populated with Romanians as planned , with "colonies" such as Carmen Sylva and Floriile being founded along the arms of the Danube . The place Crişan later developed from them .

The nationality of some of the Danube islands on the Chilia arm - Tatarul Mic, Tatarul Mare, Daleru Mic, Daleru Mare, Maican, Cernofica and Limba - was controversial after the Second World War . From 1948 they belonged to the Soviet Union, today they are part of the Ukraine. The nearby Snake Island was handed over to the Soviet Union in a secret protocol dated May 23, 1948, which the Romanian public did not know about for decades.

The Socialist Republic of Romania moved between 1960 and 1980 targeted at specialists in fish farming, cane cultivation and agriculture in the Danube Delta. Military units were also stationed in the border area. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Chilia arm and later its side arm Stambulul Vechi (German Old Stambul ) have formed the border between Romania and Ukraine.

population

Lipovan House, 2010

Lipovan Church in Tulcea, 2010

Due to its location on the river and the sea, it has always been a place of settlement, passage and refuge for the most diverse cultures. Today, besides the Romanians, the Ukrainians ( Chacholes ) and Lipovans shape the ethnic landscape in the Danube Delta. In the remote villages of the Danube Delta of Sfântu Gheorghe, Caraorman, Letea and Chilia Veche, mainly Ukrainians live. As a result of their linguistic assimilation - Ukrainian language skills are only available in the older population - most of the Chacholes identify with the Romanians. A predominantly Romanian population can only be found in CA Rosetti and Sulina .

In 1960 the population in the Romanian part of the region reached its highest level to date of around 21,000. Parts of the population emigrated from the area in the 1990s. In 2002 about 14,000 people lived in the Danube Delta, mostly on smaller islands made up of river and sea sand banks , of which 68.5 percent were in villages and 31.5 percent in the city of Sulina. The population density is around 3.5 inhabitants per square kilometer.

According to the 2002 census, the population of the Danube Delta was made up as follows:

• Romanians: 12,666 people (87%)
• Russians , Lipovans: 1438 people (10%)
• Ukrainians (Chacholes): 299 people (2%)
• Other ethnic groups (1%): Roma (69 people), Greeks (63), Turks (17), Hungarians (12), Bulgarians (3), Germans (2), Armenians (2), others (12).

15.3% of the population live from fishing, 29% are employed in forestry and agriculture, 15.7% work in industry, construction, trade and the service sector. 15.4% live from tourism, transport and telecommunications, 1.9% work in the health sector, 5.7% are active in education and culture, a further 13.5% in public administration and 3.6% in other areas. The three branches of the Danube, Chilia, Sulina and Sfântul Gheorghe, separate the residential areas and are their main sources of drinking water.

The population development in the reserve is declining, with the towns of Sulina and Tulcea recording an increase of 60% since the political change in 1989. 88.5% of the localities in the Danube Delta are considered to be small villages, of which Chilia Veche with 2946 inhabitants, Sfântu Gheorghe with 1068 inhabitants and Pardina with 791 inhabitants are the most populous villages in the rural area. The remaining settlements each have fewer than 500 inhabitants. The unemployment rate is between 30 and 40%.

In 1989 there were 17,000 people in the Ukrainian city of Wylkowe, and in 2013 there were around 10,000 inhabitants.

Traditional architecture

• Clay brick production, 2003
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• Village impressions
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  Entrance to the village of Letea, 2010

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  Letea, 2009

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  Wylkowe, Belgorod Canal, 2010

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  Impression from Wylkowe, 2007

The traditional architecture and the shape of the settlements are adapted to the main occupation of the residents and the surrounding natural space. The elongated fishermen's houses in the street villages of the Lipovan population differ significantly in shape and design from the farmsteads of the farmers and the solid stone houses of the merchants.

The locals of the Danube Delta have always used natural resources such as clay, stones and reeds to build their simple traditional houses. The clay is formed into bricks that are used to build walls. The roofs are with thatch covered. The natural building materials, which do not require any elaborate preparation for processing, are in abundance in the Delta. For the production of clay bricks ( Ceamur ) the loess- containing soil is mixed with straw and chaff and tamped down . Oak wood is often worked into the corners of the houses made of loess earth to prevent wall breakage due to thermal expansion. Mud walls in front protect many mud houses from strong winds and regular flooding. The mud bricks are also used in rural areas to build shepherds' huts and storage sheds. Concrete construction predominates in the urban space of the delta.

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  Logo of the Romanian reservation administration

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  Administration of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve in Tulcea, 2010

Development of the protected area

The Letea Forest was designated as a nature reserve as early as 1938. On August 27, 1990 Romania declared the Danube Delta a biosphere reserve by decree, after which the administration of the Biosphere Reserve of the Danube Delta ( Romanian Administrația Rezervației Biosferei Delta Dunării , ARBDD) was brought into being. The aim of the ARBDD is to prevent the exploitation of natural resources, which can disturb the natural balance. The ARBDD sets the closed seasons for the animal population in the delta. The list of wetlands of international importance in the Ramsar Convention was expanded to include the delta in 1991. On February 15, 1993, UNESCO added the area to the World Heritage List. In the same year Romania designated the reserve as a nature reserve of national and international importance with Law 82/1993 . Since 1998 the Ukrainian part of the Danube Delta has also been a recognized biosphere reserve, for which there is a separate reserve administration ( Ukrainian Дунайський біосферний заповідник ).

Marking of the protected area in the Ukrainian part of the reserve, 2012

In the Danube Delta, 2004

Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine committed themselves on June 5, 2000 to the protection and renaturation of the wetlands along the 1000 km long lower Danube. With this 6,000 km² green corridor initiated by the WWF , the largest cross-border protected area and renaturation project in Europe was created. The biosphere reserve is home to the world's largest contiguous reed area and an important bird sanctuary with the largest pelican colony in Europe. The WWF recognized the commitment of the participating countries as a "gift to the earth".

In 2007 the “Danubeparks” project was created to protect and renaturate the ecosystem along the Danube. It is part of the coherent network of protected areas Natura 2000 , which was established within the European Union according to the Fauna-Flora-Habitat Directive . Since then, an area of ​​4178 km² has been protected . The Danube bordering states Germany, Austria, Croatia, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Romania participated in the project, which includes 15 nature reserves, including the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve in Romania, the Danube Auen National Park in Austria, the Drawa National Park in Hungary, the Lonjsko Polje nature park in Croatia, the Đerdap national park in Serbia, the Persina nature park in Bulgaria and the Donauauwald nature park in Neuburg – Ingolstadt in Germany.

Since 1989 the Friends of Nature International (NFI) has recognized ecologically valuable, cross-border regions in Europe as Landscape of the Year with the aim of contributing to sustainable development. On June 3, 2007, the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve was declared the Landscape of the Year 2007-2009 in Tulcea by NFI President Herbert Brückner in the presence of the President of the International Danube Protection Commission (ICPDR) Lucia Varga , regional politicians and a Ukrainian delegation. Since then, a pelican at the port has been commemorating the landscape of 2007-2009 in Romanian, Ukrainian, English and German as a sign of cross-border understanding.

In addition to the WWF, the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube (IKSD) is committed to preserving the delta . In 2006, under her patronage, a conference on the protection of the Danube Delta took place in Odessa, Ukraine, which was attended by numerous conservationists and delegations from the delta neighbors Romania, Ukraine and Moldova.

Zoning

The Romanian part of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve has been divided into four protection zones by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN):

Core zone

The core zone of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve is divided into 18 strictly protected zones. In order to preserve biodiversity, these are designated as a strict nature reserve / wilderness area and cover 8.7 percent of the reserve with around 506 km². These zones have been classified by the World Commission on Protected Areas (German: World Commission for Protected Areas ) as "Category IV: Biotope / species protection area with management protection area, for the management of which targeted interventions are made".

The 18 strictly protected zones of the IUCN Category IV biotope / species protection area of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve are:

Serial No.	Strict nature reserve	Area in km²	Locality, district	Type of biotope, species protection area	Meaning according to the management plan of the reserve administration ARBDD	image
1.	Roşca-Buhaiova	96.25	Chilia Veche , Tulcea County	Biotope complex	It is home to the largest pelican colony in Europe and is a nesting place for ducks
2.	Letea Forest	28.25	CA Rosetti , Tulcea County	Forest reserve	Forest with a subtropical character: Mediterranean, Balkan, subtropical and steppe vegetation
3.	Lake Răducu	25th00	CA Rosetti, Tulcea County	Biotope complex	Preservation of the fish population of lakes Răducu and Răduculeț Preservation of the vegetation of the wetlands
4th	Lake Nebunu	1.15	Pardina , Tulcea County	Bird sanctuary	Nesting and feeding place for Limikolen and duck birds. Preservation of the fish population in lakes with shallow depths
5.	Vătafu-Lunghuleț	16.25	Sulina , Tulcea County	Bird sanctuary	Preservation of the diverse ecosystems: steep banks, small lakes, wetlands, floating and fixed reed islands, dunes
6th	Caraorman Forest	22.50	Crișan , Tulcea County	Forest and bird sanctuary	Oak forest with centuries-old trees, nesting place for sea eagles
7th	Brackish lake Murighiol	0.87	Murighiol , Tulcea County	Biotope complex	206 species of birds: Limikolen, ducks and geese
8th.	Erlenwald Erenciuc	0.50	Sfântu Gheorghe , Tulcea County	Forest and bird sanctuary	Preservation of the reserve's only alder population, a nesting site for sea eagles
9.	Popina Island	0.98	Valea Nucarilor , Tulcea County	Bird sanctuary	Passage place for migratory birds, nesting place for shelduck Preservation of steppe and water vegetation
10.	Sakhalin-Zătoane	214.10	Sfântu Gheorghe, Tulcea County	Bird sanctuary	229 species of birds: largest colony of Dalmatian pelican and sandwich tern
11.	Periteaşca-Leahova	41.25	Jurilovca and Murighiol, Tulcea County	Bird sanctuary	249 bird species: migration, feeding, nesting and wintering place for Limikolen, geese and ducks
12.	Capul Doloșman	1.25	Jurilovca, Tulcea County	Bird sanctuary archeology	Nesting place for swifts and wheatear archeology: Orgame -Argamum
13.	Grindul Lupilor	20.75	Mihai Viteazu , Constanța County	Bird sanctuary	Passage, feeding place for geese and duckbirds Vegetation specifically for sandy soils
14th	Istria sinoie	4th00	Istria , Constanța County	Archeology biotope complex	Protection of the Moorish tortoise, arrow snake, dice snake 288 bird species: migration and feeding place for ducks and geese birds, Limikolen Archeology: ruins of the fortress Histria
15th	Grindul Chituc	2300	Corbu , Constanța County	Bird sanctuary	289 bird species: migration and wintering place for migratory birds Preservation of the only habitat of the jackal in the reserve
16.	Rotundu Lake	2.28	Isaccea , Tulcea County	Water and bird sanctuary	Preservation of the only uncontrolled Danube Auen Lake Preservation of the fish population
17th	Potcoava Lake	6.25	Crișan, Tulcea County	Water and bird sanctuary	Feeding and nesting place for waterfowl Preservation of the fish population: crucian carp, tench
18th	Belciug lake	1.10	Sfântu Gheorghe, Tulcea County	Water and bird sanctuary	Preservation of the fish population: crucian carp, tench, nerfling feeding and nesting place for water birds

Unauthorized visitors face fines of up to 6000 lei (around € 1400). Between 2010 and 2013, 305 people were suspected in the Romanian part of the reserve, of whom 207 were fined a total of 80,365 lei (around € 18,500).

Buffer zones

Around the Strict Nature Reserve / Wilderness Area , 13 buffer zones were set up on an area of ​​over 2233 km² (38.5 percent) surrounding the strictly protected areas in order to achieve better protection for the core zone: Agriculture and fishing are restricted here allowed. For example, it is not allowed to fish in the spring so as not to disturb the brood of birds.

Windmill at Letea, 2008

Serial No.	Buffer zone	Area in km²
1.	Matita-Merhei-Letea	225.60
2.	Sontea	125, 00
3.	Caraorman	138.30
4th	Lumina - Vătafu	134.60
5.	Dranov	217.60
6th	Sărături-Murighiol	0.05
7th	Rotundu Lake	12.40
8th.	Popina Island	2.60
9.	Capul Dolosman	0.28
10.	Zmeica sinoie	315.10
11.	Potcoava Lake	29.37
12.	Periteasca Leahova	2.10
13.	Maritime buffer zone	1,030, 00

Economic zones

In the biosphere reserve, 2012

See also : Economy section

About half of the reserve is designated as an economic zone. The economic zones with a total area of ​​3061 km² (52.8 percent) are used for agriculture, fishing, forestry and residential areas.

Renaturation zones

After the Romanian Revolution , the country's new government decided on measures to renaturalize the delta, which were first implemented in 1994. By opening dams, drained areas were used again as flood plains, and after about ten years the first successes in restoring the ecological balance became apparent. The biosphere reserve is the largest ecological renaturation zone in Europe, in which around a tenth of the drained areas have been renatured since 1991.

In 2013 around 150 km² were renatured. With the help of the WWF, drained areas are reconnected to the freshwater flow. Alluvial areas that were once converted into fields, pasture land, fish farms and poplar cultures are now to be renatured. The environment ministers of Romania, Moldova and Ukraine agreed in 2000 to expand the biosphere reserve to the mouth of the Prut River and to jointly manage the project.

On a small island covered with shells at the mouth of the Black Sea, 2012

Reed area, 2011

Riverside area, 2005

Ecosystems

The mouth of the Danube encompasses a network of closely interconnected habitats and ecosystems of reed beds, floating islands, oxbow lakes and lakes, alluvial forests and extremely dry biotopes in the dunes. The reserve is divided into four categories that include around 30 ecosystems. These include the three natural, i.e. aquatic , swampy and terrestrial habitats. In addition, there are the anthropogenic habitats with fish farming, agricultural and forestry facilities or human settlements. A distinction is also made between eleven aquatic, four swampy, five terrestrial and 16 dike ecosystems that intersect with one another. Some of the plants and animals that live here are considered rare or threatened with extinction. The reserve is home to the world's largest contiguous reed area with an area of ​​around 1800 km².

The meandering rivers in the shallow lower reaches of the Danube are divided into the free water body , the hyporheal (area of ​​flowing water under the surface water) and the benthal (area at the bottom of the water), which form their own ecosystems. The living beings in the transition area between water and solid surface had to adapt to this habitat. Some species developed suction cups or byssus threads in order not to be carried away by the water, such as the leech ( Hirudinea ) or mussels ( Bivalvia ). The food chain of the ecosystems of the river area ranges from zoo or phytoplankton to insects and predatory fish , which in turn are hunted by piscivorous birds. Coarse fish feed on plankton, plants, insect larvae and snails. Omnivorous fish of the river area are the smooth fat, the Russian sturgeon, the starfish and the catfish. Representatives of the predatory fish are the asp , the giant house or the pikeperch .

The river banks and dams of the reserve are often reinforced with rocks or concrete for stabilization. These formations provide shelter for reptiles , amphibians and crabs . The vegetation on the natural river banks depends on the flow speed of the water. Heavy vegetation has a slowing effect, which can lead to the formation of an ecosystem that resembles stagnant water . Most of the time there is little vegetation on the river banks. There are sandpipers here , and kingfishers on steeper river banks . The standing waters include the lakes, the slowly flowing tributaries and the canals leading into dead ends. Amphibians and species of fish such as carp, tench, bream, perch, pike, pikeperch or catfish reside between the water lilies. There is also a large number of birds such as ducks, geese, herons and pelicans. The largest pelican colony in Europe lives here. Around 20 rare plant species in the reserve depend on wild horses to survive in their ecosystems.

Marshland or swamp vegetation cover 1,435 km² or 43 percent of the delta. The areas are mainly characterized by reeds and reed islands. This ecosystem is constantly changing, as the reed islands, some of which are mobile, are permanently changing the landscape, which requires constant adaptation from the species that occur here. Fish prefer marshland for laying their eggs, as the juvenile fish find protection from predatory fish between the aquatic plants. Many bird species also use the marshland to raise their offspring, as the nests in the dense vegetation are better protected from predators. Reptiles such as turtles and snakes, and mammals such as wild boar and raccoon dogs also live here.

Poplars, willows and bushes thrive in river dyke landscapes. Most of the ecosystems were able to develop on the sea dikes. Their flora is more complex than that of river dikes, which are influenced by human activity. Between the numerous sand dunes, forests have formed in some places, which also accommodate various subtropical liana species. A large number of trees and bushes can also be found on the sea dikes . The open dune ridges close to the sea are often desert-like in character and in some places are covered by extensive, fan-shaped sand dunes up to 250 meters long and ten meters wide and accommodate species adapted to the extreme drought. Lizard species live here, such as the desert racer, which also occurs in the Asian steppes, or insect species such as the ant lion . Riparian forests occupy six percent of the delta area. The willows, ash trees, alders, poplars and oaks that grow on high bank areas reach a height of up to 50 meters in places and are flooded at regular intervals. The rich flora of these forests also includes numerous climbing plants .

Inventory of plant species in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, status 1999

flora

In Dobruja, 50 percent of the approximately 3800 plant species cataloged in Romania grow; the delta and the lagoon complex host from 1839. The flora of the reserve is cataloged in 2383 taxa . The 955 species of vascular plants represent a mixture of Asian and European floral elements and include rare species such as Ephedra distachya , Carex colchica , Nymphaea candida or Convulvulus persica .

Swampy landscape

Pastures in the Danube Delta, 2010

The swamp vegetation of reeds ( Phragmites australis ), cattails ( Typha angustifolia ) and rushes makes up about 70 percent of the delta vegetation and takes up 78 percent of the area of ​​the delta suitable for vegetation. With about 1800 km² it is the largest contiguous reed area on earth. The reeds can reach a height of over six meters and have been growing here for around 8,000 years.

The swamps and the coastal lagoons are home to extensive fields of sea and pond rose, as well as a multitude of rare and protected plants such as the water nut ( Trapa natans ), European sea can ( Nymphoides peltata ), crayfish claws ( Stratiotes aloides ), swan flower ( Butomus umbellatus ) and water sword lily ( Iris pseudacorus) ). Other plants are: Bulrush ( Typha latifolia ), narrow-leaved cattail ( Typha angustifolia ), dioecious sedge ( Carex dioica ), stiff sedge ( Carex stricta ), rooted ledges ( Scirpus radicans ), Lakeshore Bulrush ( Scripus lacustris ), marsh iris ( Iris pseudocorus ), Water mint ( Mentha aquatica ), ash willow ( Salix cinerea ).

Floating islands

The reeds and rushes of the reserve form a thicket of roots ( rhizomes ), some as thick as trunk, above and below the surface of the water , which intertwine in the mud to form a dense tissue. Occasionally, parts of the dense root carpet detach themselves from their anchorage on the ground due to floods or due to gas escaping from rotten plant parts and form floating reed islands that can reach considerable size. The islands are called "Plaur", derived from the Slavic word "plavaty", German to swim . Reed islands can overgrow parts of lakes and lagoons and change their shape in the process.

In addition, there are islands firmly anchored to the ground, which are flooded during floods. The rich humus layer on the surface of the islands is a breeding ground for herbaceous plants , pit-worm ferns , mint , dwarf willows , climbing plants and wild hemp . This milieu offers good development opportunities for colonies of pelicans. Sedge , water hemlock , knotweed and the climbing plants Calystegia sepium and Solanum dulcamara also grow here .

River islands

Prorva Canal at the mouth of the Black Sea, 2010

The alluvial land is spread over three large river islands (Romanian: Grinduri ) :, the Letea Island , between the Chilia and Sulina arms, the Sfântu Gheorghe Island , between the Sulina and Sfântu Gheorghe arms and the Dranov Island , between the Sfântu-Gheorghe arm and the Razelm-Sinoie lagoon complex.

The islands consist of older loess layers on which sand is stored meters high, which gives the eastern part of these areas in particular a dune character. They are only originally forested in a few places, such as Letea and Caraorman. Willows are the most common tree species in alluvial forests . Due to the temporarily high water level, many secondary roots develop on their trunks. Willow trunks become hollow and are exposed to a process of putrefaction inside , which is accelerated by the action of fungi such as the sulfur pore. The infected trunks take on a yellow phosphorescent color and glow in the dark. Birds often find shelter in the human-sized hollows inside the willows.

Dike landscape

In river dike landscapes poplars grow as the forestry major bastard black poplar ( Populus x canadensis ) and the white poplars ( Populus alba ), and the gray poplar ( Populus canescens ) and aspen ( Populus tremula ). There are also willows such as the white willow ( Salix alba ), broken willow ( Salix fragilis ), purple willow ( Salix purpurea ), laurel willow ( Salix petandra ), almond willow ( Salix triandra ), blend willow ( Salix rubra ) and ash willow ( Salix cinerea ).

The common oak ( Quercus robur ), the narrow-leaved ash ( Fraxinus angustifolia ), the hairy ash ( Fraxinus pallisiae ) and the field elm ( Ulmus foliacea ) grow on the sea dykes . Representatives of the shrubs include the blackthorn ( Prunus spinosa ), the grooved hawthorn ( Crataegus monogyna ), the dog's rose ( Rosa canina ), the barberry ( Berberis vulgaris ), the common privet ( Ligustrum vulgare ), the heather Tamarisk ( Tamarix ramosissima ) and sea ​​buckthorn ( Hippophae rhamnoides ). The climbing plants are represented by the wild grapevine ( Vitis sylvestris ), the ivy ( Hedera helix ), the real hops ( Humulus lupulus ) and the Greek tree snare ( Periploca graeca ).

Poplars near Letea, 2009

Dune landscape

The Letea and Caraorman forests are covered in some places by sand dunes. Hardwood alluvial forests exist here , in which the gray oak, the English oak and the Balkan oak predominate. Next come swamp ash , alder, quivering poplar and elm .

The Letea Forest is the oldest nature reserve in Dobruja and is characterized by large oaks such as the gray oak . Other tree species are the silver poplar and the black poplar, the elm, the white willow, the alder and the ash . The Letea forest shows its tropical aspect with its large occurrences of lianas, in addition to which there are also other hanging plants such as wild grapevines , hops , ivy and bindweed , but also the Persian winds , sea ​​ravages , the colch sedge and various types of lichen .

The sandy soil of the Caraorman forest is covered by an oak forest, the Turkish name of which means "Caraorman" means black forest . The largest oak tree in the reserve is located here. It is 400 years old and twelve meters in circumference. It is nicknamed "Kneeling Oak" because its branches reach to the ground. Their location is called Fântâna Vânătorilor (German: Jägerbrunnen ).

Other plants

Other plant species found in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve are:

• Maple plants : Field maple ( Acer campestre ), Norway Maple ( Acer platanoides )
• Muskrat Family : Muskrat ( Adoxa moschatellina )
• Borage family : rock seeds ( Buglossoides arvensis ), brown monkweed ( Nonea erecta )
• Figworts : Toothwort ( Lathraea squamaria ), Ivy-speedwell ( Veronica hederifolia ), prostrate speedwell ( Veronica prostrata ), multipartite speedwell ( Veronica multifida )
• Beech family : Downy oak ( Quercus pubescens )
• Thick-leaf family : stonecrop ( Sedum )
• Umbelliferae : field litter ( Eryngium campestre ), Venus comb ( Scandix pecten-veneris )
• Smoke plants : Bulbous lark spur ( Corydalis cava ), firm bulbous lark spur ( Corydalis solida )
• Fever Clover Family : Common Gentian ( Nymphoides peltata )
• Goosefoot plants : prostrated cochlea ( Kochia prostrata ), steppe runner ( Salsola sp. )
• Honeysuckle family : Attich ( Sambucus ebulus ), Black elder ( Sambucus nigra )
• Buttercup family : Yellow anemone ( Anemone ranunculoides ), mussel flowers ( Isopyrum thalictroides ), celandine ( Ranunculus ficaria ), Illyrian buttercup (Ranunculus illyricus ), water crowfoot ( Ranunculus trichophyllus )
• Hazel family : Oriental hornbeam ( Carpinus orientalis )
• Dogwood family : Red hornbeam ( Cornus sanguinea )
• Dog poison plants : herbaceous periwinkle ( Vinca herbacea )
• Sunflower : wormwood ( Artemisia absinthium ), soft salsify ( Scorzonera mollis )
• Madder family : Common ragwort ( Cruciata laevipes ), Piedmontese ragwort ( Cruciata pedemontana )
• Herbaceous plants : sand winds ( Convolvulus persicus ), the sprouting timeless ( Merendera sobolifera ), orchid species such as the pyramidal dogwort ( Anacamptis pyramidalis ), the brown-red stendellum ( Epipactis atrorubens ) and the two-leaved forest hyacinth ( Platanthera bifolia )
• Cruciferous : steppe alyssum ( Alyssum desertorum ), Alyssum ( Aurinia saxatilis ) nodule-bearing tooth root ( Cardamine bulbifera ), Blue Mustard ( Chorispora tenella ), Sophie herb ( Descurainia sophia ), reveal mixed cress ( Lepidium perfoliatum ), stems Comprehensive Hellerkraut ( Thlaspi perfoliatum )
• Buckthorn family : piercing ( Paliurus spina-christi )
• Flax Family : Enduring flax ( Linum perenne )
• Lily family : Grape bisamhyacinth ( Muscari racemosum ), Milky Star ( Ornithogalum oreoides )
• Mint : deadnettle ( Lamium amplexicaule ), field deadnettle ( Lamium purpureum ), horehound ( Marrubium vulgare ), noble germander ( Teucrium chamaedrys )
• Poppy plants : Greater celandine ( Chelidonium majus ), gossip poppy ( Papaver rhoeas )
• Carnation family : Spurre ( Holosteum umbellatum )
• Oil willow family : Narrow-leaved oil willow ( Elaeagnus angustifolius )
• Orchids : monkey orchid ( Orchis simia )
• Rose family : Hawthorn ( Crataegus sp. ), Blackthorn ( Prunus spinosa )
• Primroses : extended man's shield ( Androsace elongata ), field man's shield ( Androsace maxima )
• Butterflies : Gleditschia , False Christ Thorn ( Gleditsia triacanthos ), Robinia ( Robinia pseudoacacia )
• Gooseberry family : golden currant ( Ribes aureum )
• Saxifrages : Dreifingeriger saxifrage ( Saxifraga tridactylites )
• Cranesbill family : common heron beak ( Erodium cicutarium ), soft cranesbill ( Geranium molle )
• Elm Family : field elm ( Ulmus minor )
• Violet family : steppe pansy ( Viola kitaibeliana )
• Walnut family : walnut tree ( Juglans regia )
• Duckweed family : triple furrowed duckweed ( Lemna trisulca )
• Water hose plants : water hose ( Utricularia sp. )
• Spurge family : Euphorbia myrsinithes ssp. Litardieriei

Panoramic view of vegetation in the Danube Delta, 2013

fauna

Inventory of animal species in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, status 1999

In the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve there are 4029 animal species , of which 3477 are invertebrates and 552 are vertebrates . Overall, around 98 percent of Europe's aquatic fauna live here.

Invertebrate representatives are:

• 2244 insect species
• 0168 species of arachnids
• 0115 species of crustaceans
• 0091 species of molluscs
• 0073 species of worms and rotifers

insects

Some of the orthopteric species found on the island of Caraorman (48) and on the island of Letea (33) are bound to a biotope. In damp places especially have been conocephalus discolor ( Conocephalus fuscus ), the Leek Grasshopper ( Parapleurus alliaceus ) and Chorthippus Loratus proven. The blue-winged wasteland insect ( Oedipoda caerulescens ), Costa's beautiful insect ( Calliptamus barbarus ), Omocestus minutus and the common nasal insect ( Acrida ungarica ) could be detected in dry places , while the green beach insect ( Aiolopus thalassinus ) could be observed in salt places .

The most famous mosquito is the malaria mosquito Anopheles maculipennis . Originally, the alluvial areas of the Danube, especially the delta area, were a notorious breeding ground for malaria . The disease was eradicated in this area as part of the Global Eradication of Malaria Program . The fight went in two directions: the comprehensive fight against the vectors and the comprehensive treatment of those suffering from malaria with effective drugs. The control of adult malaria mosquitoes was accomplished through the use of DDT . The goblin female from America , which became native to the vicinity of Mangalia and Bucharest , was introduced to eat the larvae and pupae bound to the water . The Anopheles mosquitoes , which still occur occasionally in the delta today, no longer carry any malaria pathogens and are therefore harmless. They can be recognized by their posture and their spotted wings. Under the flies, especially under the horseflies , individual specimens can reach a size of 15-20 millimeters.

In their larval state, the mite ticks ( Ixodida ) parasitize on reptiles, birds and small mammals. The adult ticks also attack larger mammals, including humans. The best-known species of tick is the common wood tick ( Ixodes ricinus ), which, when full, resembles a castor core in size and shape, according to its Latin name .

The European black widow ( Latrodectus tredecimguttatus ) is a venomous spider whose bite is painful and in exceptional cases can be fatal. The males of this spider are relatively small with a body length of five millimeters. The bodies of the females reach a length of 15 millimeters. They are velvety black and have red spots on their abdomen. The giant runner ( Scolopendra cingulata ), a centipede that can grow to over ten centimeters, can be found on the island of Popina.

fishes

More than 110 fish species live in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, including 75 freshwater species .

River catfish (Silurus glanis) in the Danube Delta, 2008

A unique family among the fish of the Danube Delta are the saltwater sturgeon : the Sternhausen , the Hausen , the Danube sturgeon, from whose roe the black caviar is obtained, as well as the freshwater sturgeon : the sterlet and the smooth sturgeon . The most important representative of the sturgeon is the European Hausen ( Huso huso , also Riesenhausen ). During the spawning season it leaves its usual habitat in the Black Sea and penetrates to the spawning sites up to the Iron Gate . In past centuries sturgeons have been sighted upstream to Budapest , Bratislava and Vienna . Due to their poor adaptability, sturgeons are sensitive to physiological and ecological fluctuations. As a result of intensive fishing and pollution, the sturgeon population is falling. Ecological interventions in nature such as hydropower plants or dams are insurmountable obstacles for many sturgeon on the way to their spawning sites in the upper reaches of the river , despite fish migration aids such as fish ladders . Some sturgeon species have relocated their spawning areas to the coastal waters of the Black Sea and the lower reaches of the Danube. After spawning, the fish return to the sea. A year or two later, the brood follows them into the sea.

The Danube herring is the most important migratory fish in the region. A fully grown Danube herring weighs between 300 and 800 grams. The Danube catfish is considered to be the largest freshwater fish in Romania.

Chinese sleeper goby from the Ukrainian part of the reserve near Wylkowe, 2012

In stagnant water species of fish such as carp ( Cyprinus carpio ), Tench ( Tinca tinca ), bream ( Abramis brama ), perch ( Perca fluviatilis ) Pike ( Esox lucius ), Zander ( Lucioperca lucioperca ), Rudd ( Scardinius erytrophthalmus ) Silberkarausche , Brill ( Scophthalmus rhombus ), ( Carassius auratus gibelio ) and catfish . During spawning time, catfish leave their nooks and crannies hidden under roots and bank hollows and penetrate the delta lakes with the spring floods. A female lays between 50,000 and 200,000 eggs. When the water level falls, the catfish are the first to leave the lakes and return to the river system.

The Chinese sleeper gobies ( Perccottus glenii ), which normally live in the fresh waters of northern Vietnam , the People's Republic of China , Korea , Japan and the far east of Siberia , are also at home in the brackish waters of the Ukrainian estuaries, where individual specimens were first sighted in June 2011. They feed on carnivore and are substrate spawners . The clutch is guarded by the male. The fish were released as ornamental fish into the Eastern European river system at the end of the 19th century and have since spread further. In the Slovak part of the Danube and in Poland fell specimen as carriers of parasites ( Nippotaenia mogurndae on). Yuriy Kvach from the Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine sees the spread of fish as a risk of these parasites being passed on to other fish in the delta.

Although there was an increase in stocks of species such as crucian carp, carp and bream ( Abramis brama ), overfishing in the reserve led to a sharp decline in stocks of sturgeon, pike, tench, catfish and pikeperch.

Amphibians

Sea frog in the Danube Delta, 2008

Danube crested newt biotope in Wylkowe, 2007

The amphibians are represented in the Danube Delta by the following species:

• European tree frog ( Hyla arborea )
• Little water frog ( Rana lessonae )
• Moor frog ( Rana arvalis )
• Sea frog ( Rana ridibunda )
• Agile frog ( Rana dalmatina )
• Pond frog ( Rana kl. Esculenta )
• Common toad ( Bufo bufo )
• Common spadefoot toad ( Pelobates fuscus )
• Syrian common toad ( Pelobates syriacus balcanicus )
• Green toad ( Bufo viridis )
• Danube crested newt ( Triturus dobrogicus )
• Pond newt ( Triturus vulgaris )
• European fire- bellied toad ( Bombina bombina )

Reptiles

Reptiles such as lizards (Lacertidae), snakes (Serpentes) and turtles (Testudinata) inhabit the forest areas and sand dunes. The most common representative of the water snake in the reserve is the dice snake . The smooth snake is native to the island of Letea in the actual delta , and the Aesculapian snake and the four-lined snake also live here. The only European giant snake, the western sand boa, lives in the south of the Dobruja, which no longer belongs to the actual delta . Venomous snakes such as sand otters and steppe otters can be found all over the delta. The Moorish tortoise ( Testuda graeca ) was recognized as a natural monument in 1938 .

Also live in the reserve:

• European pond turtles ( Emys orbicularis )
• Eastern green lizards ( Lacerta viridis )
• Giant emerald lizards ( Lacerta trilineata )
• Sand lizards ( Lacerta agilis )
• Taurian lizards ( Podarcis taurica )
• St. John's Lizard ( Ablepharus kitaibelii )
• Caspian angry snakes ( Coluber caspius ) and grass snakes ( Natrix natrix )
• Wall lizards ( Podarcis muralis )
• Slow worms ( Anguis fragilis )
• Arrow snakes ( Coluber caspius )
• Smooth snakes ( Coronella austriaca )
• Meadow viper ( Vipera ursinii ) and sand vipers ( Vipera ammodytes )

The meadow viper is a nationally and Europe-wide endangered species. The few surviving specimens could only be found in some protected areas of the reserve. The steppe runner ( Eremias arguta ) lived on the land arms of the Danube Delta, but has not been observed there since the 1990s.

Birds

Great White Pelicans in the Danube Delta, 2007

Gray heron in the Danube Delta, Romanian postage stamp from 2004

Night heron in the Danube Delta, 2007

The Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve offers around 325 species of birds in large numbers breeding and feeding places. 218 species nest in the Danube Delta, the remaining 109 species are only in transit in the Delta (autumn, winter and spring). The reserve lies at the intersection of six bird migration routes and is the largest resting area for migratory birds. Ornithologists regularly catalog new bird species here. In the delta there are three larger bird reserves (here especially the Roşca-Buhaiova-Hrecisca reserve ) and several small protection zones with the largest pelican colony in Europe. More than 7000 great white pelicans ( Pelecanus onocrotalus ) and 700 Dalmatian pelicans ( Pelecanus crispus ) live in the delta. The Dalmatian pelican (160–180 cm) and the great white pelican (140–175 cm) are the largest birds in the delta, weighing over 13 kilograms. The pelicans are the symbol of the reserve in Romania.

The protected areas Perisor-Zatoane and Periteasca-Leahova in the summer breeding areas for mute swans , geese and ducks , as from beyond the northern polar circle originating tailed duck ( clangula hyemalis ). Also cranes (Gruidae) and various species of herons (Ardeidae) breed here. The island Popina is a hotbed of shelduck ( Tadorna tadorna ). Numerous Nordic migratory birds overwinter in these areas. At Murighiol there are smaller protected areas for stilts and avocets . In Marhelova mixed heron colonies are native. Uzlina is home to pelicans (Pelecanidae, Pelecanus ), Istria water fowl .

In the standing water a plurality lives of birds: Tufted ( Aythya fuligula ), Moorente ( Aythya nyroca ), Kolbenente ( Netta rufina ), Mallard ( Anas plathyrhynchos ), gray goose ( Anser anser ), silver Heron ( Egretta alba ), Seidenreiher ( Egretta garzetta ), Gray heron ( Ardea cinerea ), night heron ( Ardea nycticorax ), great white pelican, Dalmatian pelican, mute swan ( Cygnus olor ) and the brown ibis ( Plegadis falcinellus ).

The red-necked grebe ( Gavia stellata ), the black-necked grebe ( Gavia arctica ), the little grebe ( Tachybaptus ruficollis ), the great crested grebe ( Podiceps cristatus ), the red-necked grebe ( Podiceps grisegena ) and the black-necked grebe ( Podiceps nigricollis ) are represented in the reserve.

Of the three species of cormorant found in Romania, only the cormorant ( Phalacrocorax carbo ) and the pygmy shag ( Phalacrocorax pygmeus ) can be found in the reserve . The herons are represented by the white heron, of which there are two types, the great egret and the little egret. Among the types of colorful Heron is heron ( Ardea cinerea ) to be found, as is the Purpurreiher ( Ardea purpurea ), the night Heron Rallenreiher ( ardeola ralloides ) and the dwarf Heron ( Ixobrychus minutus ). From the heron family, the bittern ( Botaurus stellaris ) and the little bittern ( Ixobrychus minutus ) can also be seen in the reserve. The spoonbills ( Platalea leucorodia ) also belong to the heron family, but differ from other types of heron in how they fly. The black stork ( Ciconia nigra ), which is almost as big as the white stork ( Ciconia ciconia ), is a rarity.

Swans are the largest geese in the reserve. The mute swan ( Cygnus olor ) and the dwarf swan ( Cygnus bewickii ) are most common, and whooper swans ( Cygnus cygnus ) also retreat from their northern nesting areas to the delta in winter .

About 95 percent of the world's red-necked geese ( Branta ruficollis ) population visit the delta in autumn . Further representatives of the geese are the common gray goose ( Anser anser ) and the white- fronted goose ( Anser albifrons ). Occasionally pygmy geese ( Anser erythropus ) and bean geese ( Anser fabalis ) also appear. In winter there are red-necked and white-fronted geese at Baia , Agighiol and Sarinasuf . The rust ( Tadorna ferruginea ) and shelduck ( Tadorna tadorna ) belong to a group that forms the transition between geese and ducks and combines characteristics of both species. Of these two species, the shelduck is more common. The rarer rust goose can be found in the vicinity of Istria.

The mallard ( Anas platyrhynchos ), the ancestor of the common domestic duck ( Anas platyrhynchos ), is common almost everywhere. In summer the teal ( Anas querquedula ) and the teal ( Anas crecca ) appear in the reserve. The shoveler ( Anas clypeata ), which belongs to the swimming ducks , can only be seen in autumn and spring during their migration. The body of the diving duck is broader, its beak and neck are shorter than those of the swimming ducks . During the summer they are represented by the bog duck ( Aythya nyroca ), the pochard ( Aythya ferina ) and the pochard ( Netta rufina ). In the cold season, tufted ducks ( Aythya fuligula ) and pygmy mergans ( Mergellus albellus ) also visit the mouth of the Danube. The wigeon ( Anas penelope ) and the gadfly ( Anas strepera ) as well as the pintail ( Anas acuta ), the mountain duck ( Aythya marila ), the eider ( Somateria mollissima ), the long-tailed duck ( Clangula hyemalis ), the velvet duck ( Melanitta fusca ) and the Schellente ( Bucephala clangula ) sighted.

A main route of the birds of prey migration in south-eastern Europe runs west of the Black Sea. Of the 37 species of birds of prey identified in Romania, 29 regularly visit the Danube Delta and the Razim-Sinoie lagoon area:

• Eagle Buzzard ( Buteo rufinus )
• Tree falcon ( Falco subbuteo )
• Osprey ( Pandion haliaetus )
• Goshawk ( Accipiter gentilis )
• Imperial eagle ( Aquila heliaca )
• Hen harrier ( Circus cyaneus )
• Kurzfangsperber ( Accipiter brevipes )
• Common buzzard ( Buteo buteo )
• Merlin ( Falco columbarius )
• Buzzard ( Buteo lagopus )
• Marsh harrier ( Circus aeruginosus )
• Red-footed falcon ( Falco vespertinus )
• Red kite ( Milvus milvus )
• Red hawk ( Falco naumanni )
• Greater spotted eagle ( Aquila clanga )
• Schlangenadler ( Circaetus gallicus )
• Egyptian vulture ( Neophron percnopterus )
• Lesser Spotted Eagle ( Aquila pomarina )
• Black kite ( Milvus migrans )
• White-tailed eagle ( Haliaeetus albicilla )
• Sparrowhawk ( Accipiter nisus )
• Golden eagle ( Aquila chrysaetos )
• Steppe harrier ( Circus macrourus )
• Kestrel ( Falco tinnunculus )
• Peregrine falcon ( Falco peregrinus )
• Honey buzzard ( Pernis apivorus )
• Montagu's Harrier ( Circus pygargus )
• Sucker falcon ( Falco cherrug )
• Booted eagle ( Hieraaetus pennatus )

White-tailed eagles in the Danube Delta, 2008

The reserve is an important resting and reproduction area for migrating and breeding birds of prey. The Caraorman and Letea forest areas, along with the Măcin Mountains and the Babadag and Niculițel forest areas, provide a habitat for the region's often rare or endangered birds of prey. Many species are widespread here and sometimes in large numbers. Due to its high concentration of waterbirds, waders and small mammals , the Razim-Sinoie lagoon complex is particularly attractive to them. However, the population of birds of prey in the reserve declined sharply in the course of the 20th century; Goose and black vultures as steppe eagle died out here. Despite some stable breeding populations, which in the case of the eagle buzzard, are increasing, the populations of most species are steadily declining. Intensive agriculture and the associated use of pesticides destroyed the habitat for parts of the food chain of birds of prey. 22 of the bird of prey species found here are subject to European animal and nature conservation . The conditions for the survival of 19 species are unfavorable. 14 of them are considered 'Species of European Conservation Concern'. Greater spotted eagle, imperial eagle and red hawk are among the world's endangered bird species ; White-tailed eagles and steppe harriers are endangered species .

The most common chicken birds are the pheasants ( Phasianus colchicus ), which have been established several times since 1969 in the area around Letea, Caraorman, Sfântu Gheorghe, Maliuc and Rusca. Most of the pheasants live on the island of Letea, where they have developed into the characteristic birds of the sandy undergrowth there. The smallest chicken-like birds are the quail ( Coturnix coturnix ), which can be seen in large numbers on the coast, especially in spring.

Of the crane birds , the water rail ( Rallus aquaticus ) and the common crane ( Grus grus ) live in the reserve. Another, smaller species, the maiden crane ( Anthropoides virgo ), is a rare visitor here. Only a few pairs breed in the vicinity of the Sfântu Gheorghe arm. Other species are the coot ( Fulica atra ), the moorhen ( Gallinula chloropus ), the spotted moorhen ( Porzana porzana ), the small moorhen ( Porzana parva ) and the pygmy moorhen ( Porzana pusilla ). The corncrake ( Crex crex ) lives in the damp meadows.

Birds in the Danube Delta, Romanian stamp pad from 2004, depicts a gray heron, a mallard, a great white pelican and a great crested grebe

Among the Schnepf birds of are avocet ( Recurvirostra avosetta ) and the stilt ( Himantopus himantopus ) represented in the reserve. They inhabit salt floor areas near Murighiol , the salt marshes of Plopu , the islands of Sakhalin and Letea . Other representatives of the snipe birds are the oystercatcher ( Haematopus ostralegus ), the Kentish plover ( Charadrius alexandrinus ), the lapwing plover ( Pluvialis squatarola ), the golden plover ( Pluvialis apricaria ). The most suitable place to observe snipe birds when they are migrating in North Dobruja is the meadow between Mihai Viteazul and Sinoie . Because of the woodcock ( Scolopax rusticola ), the Letea forest was once a royal hunting ground . The following are to be found:

• the lapwing ( Vanellus )
• the double snipe ( Gallinago media )
• the miniature snipe ( Lymnocryptes minimus )
• the godwit ( Limosa limosa )
• the curlew ( Numenius arquata )
• the Whimbrel ( Numenius phaeopus )
• the sandpiper ( Calidris ferruginea )
• the dunlin ( Calidris alpina )
• the ruff ( Philomachus pugnax )
• the Bekassine ( Gallinago gallinago )
• the common godwit ( Limosa lapponica )

The snipe birds prefer swampy, boggy areas. Also Rotschenkel ( Tringa totanus ), green leg ( Tringa nebularia ) and Philo pugnax may be encountered. In the vicinity of Murighiol-Plopu and the meadows of Istria one can occasionally see the red-winged curlew ( Glareola pratincola ). The Triel ( Burhinus oedicnemus ) prefers dry, sandy areas such as Letea, Caraorman, the Sakhalin Island, or the hills near Murighiol. The Marsh Sandpiper ( Limicola falcinellus ) can be seen in spring and autumn. The Dunlin ( Calidris alpina ), the Sickle Sandpiper ( Calidris ferruginea ), the Rusty Sandpiper ( Calidris canutus ) and the Odin's Grouse ( Phalaropus lobatus ) can also be found. The pygmy sandpiper ( Calidris minuta ) and the Temminck sandpiper ( Calidris temminckii ) were observed . Other species of snipe that have been sighted are:

• Dark water strider ( Tringa erythropus )
• Wood sandpiper ( Tringa glareola )
• Terek sandpiper ( Xenus cinereus )
• Pond sandpiper ( Tringa stagnatilis )
• Wood sandpiper ( Tringa ochropus )
• Wood sandpiper ( Tringa glareola )
• Sandpiper ( Actitis hypoleucos ), and turnstone ( Arenaria interpres )

The most common bird of the delta and the seashore is the black-headed gull . Other seagull species found in the reserve are:

• Arctic Skua ( Stercorarius parasiticus )
• Hawk sku ( Stercorarius longicaudus )
• Fish gull ( Larus ichthyaetus )
• Lesser black-backed gull ( Larus fuscus )
• Thin-billed gull ( Larus genei )
• Black- headed Gull ( Larus melanocephalus )
• Steppe gull ( Larus cachinnans )
• Mediterranean seagull ( Larus michahellis )
• Black-headed gull ( Larus marinus )
• Common Gull ( Larus canus )

The herring gull ( Larus argentatus ) and the little gull ( Larus minutus ) were also observed.

The Black Sea region is of great importance as a breeding, resting and wintering area for many water bird species. The wetlands also offer the waders a resting place on the Mediterranean Flyway during the migration between their breeding areas and their African winter quarters. The Razim-Sinoie lagoon system takes up more than 50,000 at the same time resting waders during the spring migration and more than 25,000 dabbling ducks a central position. 24 water and wading bird species regularly breed in the lagoon area, for many others it represents an important part of the annual habitat as a resting or wintering area. With a total of 33 species, the Danube delta and lagoon area accommodate more than 50 percent of the national breeding population. Including the wintering water birds and resting birds in autumn, the lagoon area is of international importance for numerous water and wading bird species.

The reserve formed an important habitat for the endangered curlew ( Numenius tenuirostris ) during its migration. It was last observed in the lagoon area in 1989, in the Ukrainian part of the Danube Delta in 1994 and 1996. The area is important for six other globally endangered aquatic and wader species: the white-headed oar duck, the little goose, the red-necked goose, the corncrake, the Dalmatian pelican and the bog duck. The dwarf shark was also listed as critically endangered by BirdLife International in 2000 . Almost all of the water and wading bird species that regularly occur in the Razim-Sinoie lagoon system are subject to the Bern Convention , 81 of them fall under the Bonn Convention , and a total of 98 species are in the Agreement for the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Water Birds (AEWA) under the Bonn Convention Convention taken into account.

Tern in the Danube Delta, 2007

The largest tern area is Sakhalin Island, where all species of the region can be found:

• Salmon tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica )
• Predatory tern ( Sterna caspia )
• Sandwich tern ( Sterna sandvicensis )
• Common tern ( Sterna hirundo )
• Arctic tern ( Sterna paradisaea )
• Little tern ( Sterna albifrons )
• Whitebeard Tern ( Chlidonias hybridus )
• Black Tern ( Chlidonias niger )
• White-winged tern ( Chlidonias leucopterus )

The pigeons that occur here in large numbers are mostly stock doves ( Columba oenas ) and wood pigeons ( Columba palumbus ).

Of the owls, the little owl ( Athene noctua ) is the most common. Other owl species that breed in the area are long-eared owls ( Asio otus ) and eagle owls ( Bubo bubo ), while short-eared owls ( Asio flammeus ) can only be seen in the reserve during the migration period.

The rocket birds (Coraciiformes) are represented by the bee-eater ( Merops apiaster ), the blue roller ( Coracias garrulus ), the hoopoe ( Upupa epops ) and the kingfisher ( Alcedo atthis ). Black woodpeckers ( Dryocopus martius ) and the common gray woodpeckers ( Picus canus ) live in the forests of Caraorman and Letea .

The songbird migration is concentrated on the western Black Sea coast, where migrants in the Danube Delta and in the Razim-Sinoie lagoon area find suitable resting habitats. The reserve is also of outstanding importance as a breeding ground for many species, especially for reed breeders and residents of open and semi-open habitats. However, many of the habitats are not adequately protected and are exposed to numerous hazards due to diverse usage requirements.

The member of the songbird family is the largest species of lark in Europe, the calender lark ( Melanocorypha calandra ), which is found mainly in the hilly region of Istria. Next come here bag chickadees ( Remiz pendulinus ), Rose Stare ( Sturnus roseus ) and the nistetenden the stork's nest of twigs willow sparrows ( Passer hispaniolensis ) ago.

In 2000, more than 25,000 songbirds were ringed, with which extensive data material on the phenology and biometry of species such as the reed warbler ( Acrocephalus ) was compiled, or interesting faunistic evidence could be provided with several catches of the reed warbler ( Acrocephalus dumetorum ). In systematic Beringungen in 1996 and delivered in 1997 four new records for Romania in the lagoon area Razim Sinoie and in the Danube Delta: desert warbler ( Sylvia nana ), Greenish Warbler ( Phylloscopus trochiloides ), Firecrest-warbler ( Phylloscopus proregulus ) and Isabelline Shrike ( Lanius isabellinus ).

In the years 1990–1996 the employees of the biological station Rieselfelder Münster, in cooperation with the ornithologists of the “Societatea Ornitologică Română” (SOR) and the “Danube Delta Research and Design Institute”, observed and documented a total of seven spring migrations. The aim of the activity was the systematic recording of the passing and resting Limikolen and water birds as well as the breeding birds of these species groups. The following songbird species were found to be regular guests in the Danube Delta and in the lagoon complex of the Romanian Dobruja:

• Short-toed Lark ( Calandrella brachydactyla )
• Woodlark ( Lullula arborea )
• Rock tern ( Ptyonoprogne rupestris )
• Red Swallow ( Hirundo daurica )
• Common pipit ( Anthus campestris )
• Tree pipit ( Anthus trivialis )
• European red-throated pipit ( Anthus cervinus )
• Pipit ( Anthus spinoletta )
• Yellow wagtail ( Motacilla flava )
• Lemon wagtail ( Motacilla citreola )
• Gray wagtail ( Motacilla cinerea )
• White wagtail ( Motacilla alba )
• Sprout ( Luscinia luscinia )
• Bluethroat ( Luscinia svecica )
• Common redstart ( Phoenicurus phoenicurus )
• Whinchat ( Saxicola rubetra )
• Stonechat ( Saxicola rubicola )
• Wheatear ( Oenanthe oenanthe )
• Red chalk ( Monticola saxatilis )
• Ring Thrush ( Turdus torquatus )
• Schlagschwirl ( Locustella fluviatilis )
• Mariskensinger ( Acrocephalus melanopogon )
• Pale Mockers ( Hippolais pallida )
• Whitebeard Warbler ( Sylvia cantillans )
• Sparrowhawk Warbler ( Sylvia nisoria )
• Goldfinch ( Regulus ignicapillus )
• Miniature Flycatcher ( Ficedula parva )
• Collared Flycatcher ( Ficedula albicollis )
• Red- backed shrike ( Lanius collurio )
• Black- fronted Shrike ( Lanius minor )
• Northern gray shrike ( Lanius excubitor )
• Red headed shrike ( Lanius senator )
• Rose star ( Sturnus roseus )
• Willow Sparrow ( Passer hispaniolensis )
• Hawfinch ( Coccothraustes coccothraustes )
• Bullfinch ( Pyrrhula pyrrhula )
• Ortolan ( Emberiza hortulana )
• Dwarf bunting ( Emberiza pusilla )
• Cap bunting ( Emberiza melanocephala )

Populations of wetland-bound breeding bird species such as pygmy shots, ibis, rust geese, salmon tern and black-winged curlew are steadily declining. Virgin cranes, thin-billed gulls and predatory terns have not been breeding in the reserve for several decades. The breeding birds black vulture ( Aegypius monachus ), Pallid Harrier ( Circus macrourus ), steppe eagle ( Aquila nipalensis ), dwarf - ( Tetrax tetrax ) and Great Bustard ( Otis tarda ) are extinct in the Romanian Dobrogea. The reasons for the decline in these species are partly due to their intensive use and the increasing conversion of steppe-like habitats into arable land. Breeding populations are increasing in other species such as the stilt, the Kentish plover and the black-headed gull. In the recent past there have also been breeding records for other species such as the white-headed oar duck ( Oxyura leucocephala ) and the pond sandpiper. The pink and Dalmatian pelican populations are stable or increasing. In 2000, white-tailed lapwing ( Chettusia leucura ) settled in several places in the Razim-Sinoie lagoon area and the Danube Delta. Cattle egrets ( Bubulcus ibis ) have been breeding in the reserve since 1997. More regular sightings of eider ducks, velvet ducks, terek sandpipers, and arctic skuas around the year 2000 were attributed to higher observation activity.

Natural monuments Romania recognized the following bird species in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve as natural monuments as early as 1933 and 1955: Shelduck ( Tadorna tadorna ) Great Egret ( Egretta alba ) Little Egret ( Egretta garzetta ) Great Bustard ( Otis tarda ) Spoonbill ( Platalea leucorodia ) Great White Pelican ( Pelecanus onocrotalus ) Dalmatian pelican ( Pelecanus crispus ) Rusty Goose ( Tadorna ferruginea ) Common raven ( Corvus corax ) Egyptian vulture ( Neophron percnopterus ) Stilt ( himantopus himantopus ) Little bustard ( Tetrax tetrax )

Bird species of "international importance" in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve	Share of total stock by region in percent
	Europe	Palearctic	Worldwide
Dwarf shark ( Phalacrocorax pygmeus )			61
Great White Pelican ( Pelecanus onocrotalus )		52	33
Dalmatian pelican ( Pelecanus crispus )			05
Night heron ( Nycticorax nycticorax )	17th
Black heron ( Ardeola ralloides )		26th
Little Egret ( Egretta garzetta )	11
Great Egret ( Egretta alba )	71
Purple Heron ( Ardea purpurea )	11
Red necked goose ( Branta ruficollis )			90
Brown ibis ( Plegadis falcinellus )	30th
Spoonbill ( Platalea leucorodia )	01
White-tailed eagle ( Haliaeetus albicilla )			01
Marsh harrier ( Circus aeruginosus )	04th

In 2005, thousands of birds in the reserve died from avian flu. The H5N1 type, which is dangerous to humans , was also diagnosed. Large parts of the reserve were temporarily quarantined. Eight fishing villages were sealed off from the outside world and the population was vaccinated. Keeping poultry free was prohibited. A complete ban on hunting was in place by the end of the year. Migratory birds from Russia and Kazakhstan are said to have brought the virus into the reserve.

Mammals

Mammals are represented by 54 species in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, including: monk seals ( Monachus Monachus ), otter ( Lutra lutra ), European mink ( Mustela lutreola ), muskrat ( Ondatra zibethicus ), brown hare ( Lepus europaeus ), wild boar ( Sus scrofa ) , Red fox ( Vulpes ), wolf ( Canis lupus ), European polecat ( Mustela putorius ), ermine ( Mustela erminea ), raccoon dog ( Nyctereutes procyonoides ), wildcat ( Felis silvestris ).

Other representatives of the mammals in the reserve are:

• the Ostigel ( Erinaceus concolor ),
• the European ground squirrel ( Spermophilus citellus )
• and the roe deer ( Capreolus capreolus ).

The reserve is one of the few places in Europe where the European mink can still be found in the wild. The Mink ( Neovison vison ) is slowly contesting its place in the Danube Delta, however, as it is less demanding and more adaptable. The two species do not cross. The American mink was initially bred to use mink fur . The Enokhund ( Nyctereutes procyonoides ) is a new resident of the reserve. It originally lives in the Russian steppes and builds its cave in the thicket on the bank, which is why it is also called water or pond fox. It feeds on eggs and young birds, but also eats frogs, fish and small rodents.

In the event of flooding, the floating islands provide a habitat for wild boars, lynxes , raccoon dogs, foxes and muskrats, among others .

Around 2009, around 10,000 feral horses ( Equus ferus caballus ) lived near Letea and Sfântu Gheorghe . The stock of Ponyrasse Huzule in 2010 was about 1500. The horses of the Hutsul are descendants of abandoned animals continue pulling in the 13th century Mongol army . Around the 17th century, other animals moved with the Tatars to the north of the reserve and made their home there. With the end of the agricultural production cooperatives after the revolution of 1989 , the number of horses was often released into freedom.

Goals and sponsorship

Village museum in Jurilovca, 2009

The project plan drawn up by the Danube Delta Institute in Tulcea for the sustainable development of the Danube Delta from 2007 to 2015 is funded by the Romanian Ministry for the Environment and the European Union and supported by WWF. In addition to the establishment of protected areas and the renaturation of destroyed river sections, the goals of the projects are also the associated changes in land use towards nature-friendly agriculture that benefits the local population without depriving them of their natural basis. Nature conservation and land use planning can thus create new perspectives for the local population, which support both the protection and preservation of nature, but also a sustainable use of natural resources. This also includes the promotion of tourism according to ecologically compatible models, which is an important perspective, especially for rural areas. The project promotes in detail the expansion of the infrastructure for traffic, the flow of goods, telecommunications and satellite-based reserve monitoring with the aim of better networking and integration of the delta inhabitants in the sustainable use of their ecological space, and thus to improve the living standards of the regional population. Further funding is aimed at traditional fishing methods to secure fish stocks, the use of natural resources and sustainable management, the generation of alternative energies through windmills and solar systems or their use in boats with electric motors, as well as the dismantling of interventions that have taken place and the return to natural processes .

The biosphere reserve administration developed together with the department for environmental education and environmental education initiatives to create environmental awareness , which are brought to schools in the form of projects. Environmental activists drive from village to village to inform residents of the delta in personal talks about the threat to the environment. There are centers for information and ecological education in Tulcea and Crisan .

Fishermen in the reed area of ​​the Danube Delta, 2008

Environmental programs (selection)

• Sustainable use of reeds

In its 2009 directive, the European Union decreed the sustainable use of reeds as a material for roofing new houses in the region. This initiative is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Architects, reed-processing entrepreneurs and exporters met in 2009 with scientists from the biosphere reserve and the Neusiedlersee National Park in seminars in Austria and Romania and discussed concepts for the sustainable economic use of reeds.

• "Nature Guide" courses

The Nature Guide project focuses on training the local population. In 2008, in cooperation with the eco-tourism association AER in Tulcea, ten nature guides were trained for the first time for the Danube Delta . Her training focused on the flora and fauna of the region and the English language for communication with international guests.

• Tour d´Horizon

In the Tour d´Horizon project , the Friends of Nature International developed a cross-border model tour for gentle tourism. In collaboration with Romanian and Ukrainian tour guides, they designed a travel program that, in addition to the protected nature of the biosphere reserve, also includes elements of the history and culture of the Danube Delta.

• Sfântu Gheorghe renaturation project

By partially dismantling the existing dams, large areas of the river landscape on the Sfântu-Gheorghe-Arm could be renatured. The opening of these areas to natural flooding reduced the flow velocity and thus the sediment erosion in this part of the delta. The Danube Delta Institute, the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Administration, the Tulcea District, the Ministry of Environment and Water Management and the WWF participated in the project.

economy

The wealth of natural resources and the favorable location made it possible to use the Danube Delta economically even in ancient times. The former fortress Histria, not far from the town of Istria, is the oldest urban settlement on the territory of today's Romania. The port of Histria had been open since the end of the 7th century BC. A sales market for products from the arid arid land in the hinterland. Under Roman administration, fish stocks in particular were used and traded intensively. After the settlement of Slavic and Romanian population groups in the 18th century, besides trade and fishing, there was a stronger turn to subsistence farming , i.e. production for one's own needs.

Fishing and hunting

Fishermen in the Danube Delta, 2004

Sardines from the Danube Delta, 2011

There are many edible fish among the 75 fish species in the Delta . Harpoons attached to ropes with curved, sharp cutting hooks or striking nets are often used for fishing. Half of Romania's inland fisheries harvest comes from the delta. The production of freshwater fish reaches 8150 tons annually. There are also 600 tons of Danube herring and 32 tons of sturgeon, as well as 560 tons of other marine fish. Even frogs and crabs are processed. Among other things, sturgeons are bred in fish farms and released into the rivers. The most important sturgeon products are their salted or smoked meat ( batog ) and their roe. Both products are in demand for export. The bluish-black, large-grained black caviar is processed exclusively in the fish collection point of Sfântu Gheorghe by specialists. Its processing and sale are licensed and controlled. The fish canning factories in Sulina and Tulcea are an important industry in the region.

Primarily in winter, hunting provides the delta inhabitants with income and food. 14 species of mammals are hunted for their fur or for food procurement. Trapping , which requires a permit, is the most common type of hunting in the Delta. The otter hunt takes place on the waters that are frozen in winter. Air chambers form under the ice, which the otters use to breathe. Trained dogs follow the otters swimming under the surface of the ice and guide them to holes in the ice where the hunters receive the otters. Dogs are also used to hunt wild boar on the ice. 54 species of birds, mainly ducks and geese, are hunted with guns. Hunting water fowl on ice skates has become less common and is only practiced in the southern lagoon complex. In autumn, water fowl are also hunted from boats.

Agriculture and ranching

In the economic zones designated for agriculture and livestock - mainly on the poor lands in the western part of the delta - maize , wheat , vegetables and forage crops are grown. Intensive agriculture is practiced in drained areas.

The reeds in the delta are harvested commercially and privately; the annual production in 1997 was around 300,000 tons. It is exported to Western Europe, among others, where it is sold as reed mat or as a material for thatched roofs or fences. Baskets, hats, mats and wall hangings are made locally from the reeds. Reeds are considered to be the most important heating material in the delta. The industrial use of reed lies in its rich cellulose content , the raw material for making paper. Chemical products such as ethers and alcohols are produced through appropriate processing . In some areas, the reeds are dying and other plants are growing back, mainly rushes.

The keeping of livestock is extensive . Domestic pigs are released into nature from spring to late autumn, where the sows give birth in the reed beds. In the wild, the pigs feed mainly on alluvial fish, mussels, snails, snakes, frogs or young birds, as well as on rush roots and water nuts. The owners build reed shelters to protect the pigs and mark their pigs with cuts in their ears. Before slaughtering, the pigs are fed corn and potatoes for a few weeks in order to prevent the otherwise unpleasant fishy taste of the pork. In addition to buffalo , wild herdless herds of cattle with gray or reddish-brown fur roam the delta. The animals are not suitable for dairy farming and are partially shot after their natural fattening. Domestic geese and ducks often interbreed with wild ducks and wild geese. Beekeeping and silkworm farming are other branches of agriculture in the Danube Delta.

Industry and Commerce

A bird's eye view of Tulcea, 2011

The city of Tulcea , located in the transition zone between the dry land and the delta, is the economic center of the region. The cityscape of Tulcea includes several industrial plants, a clay distillery, a steelworks, repair yards and cold stores. The light industry in Tulcea is dedicated to mechanical engineering, bauxite processing and iron alloys , as well as the production of superphosphate and sulfuric acid .

The food industry in Tulcea and Sulina processes meat and fish. In the vicinity of these places there are other smaller fish processing plants ("Cherhana").

In 1988 there were 290 "trading units" in Tulcea, including 87 grocery stores, 16 snack bars, 13 restaurants, eleven pastry shops and bakeries. The city had three modern hotels, namely Delta , Egreta and Dunărea .

traffic

Sulina lighthouse, 2006

15 kilometers from Tulcea and 25 kilometers from Constanța is the Mihail Kogălniceanu International Airport , built between 1952 and 1962 .

The reserve can be reached via European roads 60 and  67 . The journey from Bucharest on the E 60 is first through Urziceni and Slobozia to Hârșova , then on the national road DN22A towards Tulcea. There is a daily train connection between Bucharest and Constanța .

Ships and boats are the dominant means of transport in the delta in the absence of connecting roads and in view of the large expanses of water. Local water traffic takes place with smaller ships and boats on the branches of the Danube and the canals. Only the Sulinaarm has been developed for the traffic of ocean freighters, on which mainly iron ore , coke , bauxite and aluminum are transported. The city of Tulcea has been an important port city since ancient times. There is a bus and train station not far from the ferry terminal for passenger transport. Romania's deep-sea fishing fleet is nearby.

From Tulcea, visitors can reach the Danube Delta by private boats or liners:

• along the Sulinaarm through Maliuc , Mila 23 and Crișan to Sulina
• along the Sfântu-Gheorghe arm through Băltenii de Jos and Uzlina to Sfântu Gheorghe
• along the arm of the Chilia to Periprava

In 2013, the Romanian parliament had a legislative project that provided for speed limits and night driving bans and should regulate the access of larger boats in certain zones.

Economic divisions of the ports of the reserve

port	country	Industries	image
Tulcea transport hub of the region	Romania	Clothing, shipbuilding, building material production, metal base of the Romanian River Navy
Sulina about 70 km east of Tulcea as the crow flies	Romania	Free port with increased heavy goods traffic
Ismajil about 20 km as the crow flies north of Tulcea	Ukraine	Food processing, largest Ukrainian port on the Danube Delta. Base of the Ukrainian Navy
There are ports around the reserve
Constanța about 50 km as the crow flies south of Lake Razim	Romania	Food, textiles, metal, energy, wood processing, furniture Mihail International Airport
Odessa about 150 km north of Wylkowe as the crow flies	Ukraine	Annual capacity of around 40 million tons of bulk goods and 25 million tons of bulk liquids, base of the Ukrainian Navy

tourism

Tourist numbers in the Danube Delta (1980–2012)

The Danube Delta is a popular destination for cruises or individual tourists. Ecotourism and cultural tourism are important industries for the delta. In 2011, the delta recorded the largest increase in foreign tourists among the Romanian holiday regions.

In 2012, around 41,500 Romanians visited the delta, two percent fewer than in 2011. Of the estimated 40,000 foreigners who visited the delta this year, however, many were only there for a few hours. Of the Romanian tourists, 35,000 came to the delta on their own, only about 6500 had pre-booked through travel agencies.

In 2013, over 3,000 tourists spent the Easter holidays in the Danube Delta, the occupancy of the residential units was 25% higher than in the same period in the previous year.

The villages on the Sulinaarm and its branches near Crişan, the mouths of the Danube near Sulina and Sfântu Gheorghe, and the lagoon complex Razim-Sinoie are the most popular tourist destinations; the villages along the arm of the Chilia and in the interior of the delta near Letea, on the other hand, attract less attention from tourists. There is still considerable development potential here.

Excursion boat in the Danube Delta, 2009

For a long time, Romania focused on the intensive exploitation of the natural resources of the delta, for which infrastructure was created between 1955 and 1965. It was not until the early 1970s that the Romanian state sponsored the establishment of tourist centers. Despite the existing transport network between Tulcea and the tourist attractions in the delta, there were hardly any overnight accommodations for tourists. By 1970, two modest hotels with 88 beds were operated in Tulcea. A hotel with 54 beds was built in Sulina at the beginning of the 20th century. A hotel with 52 seats was built in Maliuc. Between 1971 and 1981, the bed capacity increased, which meant that the delta could be better developed for tourism.

In the mid-1980s, the Romanian authorities declared the villages near the border to be official "border villages", and entry of these had to be reported to the military authorities at short notice. These restrictions made interaction more difficult and led to a reduction in tourism.

Until the beginning of the 1990s, mainly bird watchers from abroad visited the delta on expeditions. However, the residents hardly benefited from this type of tourism, as the visitors stayed in larger hotels, which were mainly supplied from the cities. After 1990 there were only a few new hotels. In Uzlina, the former holiday villa Nicolae Ceaușescus was made accessible to researchers as a guest house. The villa is now part of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve. In 2005, around 2000 beds were available in the hotels in the Delta. Another 2,000 people can find accommodation in bungalows and guest houses as well as on farms and campsites that have been converted into guesthouses.

In 2010, the European Commission decided in its “Strategy of the European Union for the Danube Region”, among other things, a sustainable concept for the upgrading and promotion of history and tradition, culture and art, as well as the “exceptionally beautiful natural heritage” of the Danube region to become a European and global one known "brand". One of their goals by 2013 was to complete and adopt the management plan for the Danube Delta, which also recommends sustainable tourism.

The Danube Competence Center (DCC) should develop quality standards for sustainable tourism in the Danube Delta by 2015. In addition to sustainable tourism, the Friends of Nature International (NFI) also advocates environmental education and biodiversity as well as sustainable reed use. Together with the County Council Tulcea leads the management of the reserve projects to improve the tourist infrastructure, marketing and visitor management by including training courses for "Nature Guides" (German naturalist guide ).

See also: Sections Funded Projects and Effectiveness of Environmental Protection

Ruins of the Enisala fortress on Lake Razim, 2012

Ruins of the Greco-Roman city of Orgame-Argamum, 2012

Tourist destinations

The narrow canals can be used by rowing boats, for which a permit issued by the reserve management is required. Besides Tulcea, the places Maliuc, Mila 23, Sulina and Sfântu Gheorghe are of touristic importance. For interested visitors, numerous activities such as eco and village tourism , bird watching, fishing and hunting are offered, as well as an abundance of motorized and non-motorized water sports. A rowing center has existed in Crișan since 2012. Trips with traditional wooden boats follow ecologically compatible routes to avoid disturbing fauna and flora. Anglers need a valid fishing license for lowland waters. The Tulcea County Hunting and Sport Angling Association publishes a list of the areas approved for fishing. Ornithologists offer bird watching camps to interested visitors , where participants can assist local researchers in cataloging bird species. Other tourist activities include visits to Greek and Roman ruins.

Several libraries and the Delta Museum in Tulcea are devoted to scientific, historical, art-historical and ethnographic topics. Periodical publications of the museum deepen these topics. The trade journal Peuce was named after a defunct island in the south of the delta.

The Razim Sinoie lagoon complex also offers tourist attractions. The second oldest mosque in the country is located in Babadag . It was built in 1609 and is still visited by over 1000 Turks in the village. The Gazi Ali Pascha mosque , the oldest mosque in Romania from the 14th century, the Kalaigi fountain from the 16th century, the Museum of Oriental Art (Romanian: Muzeul de Artă Orientală ) and the Baba Sari mausoleum remind us of the Turkish past Saltik .

The main attraction of Enisala is the medieval fortress from the 14th century. The Safari Village tourist complex was created here, one of the first initiatives for the sustainable development of tourism in the region. In the fishing village Jurilovca , which is predominantly inhabited by Lipovans , the ruins of the Greco-Roman city of Orgame-Argamum can be visited. The city was from the 7th century BC. Populated until the 7th century AD. A Greek necropolis with small tumuli tombs was uncovered near the fortress in the 1980s . The Old Russian Orthodox Church dates from 1871.

There are three sports stadiums and two sports halls in the area for sports events. The beach "Ciuperca" in Tulcea has a campsite. In addition to sailing and rowing, fishing and hunting are popular sports.

Effects and risks to the environment

Artificial land reclamation and canalization

Danube floods in Wylkowe, 1962

A restructuring program of the Socialist Republic of Romania for the production of arable land in the early 1960s separated the Danube Delta from the direct inflow of the Danube with the construction of dams. The diked area extended over 974 km² in 1989, of which around 400 km² were used for intensive agriculture. From 1980 onwards, some of the lakes in the Pardina and Sireasa area were drained, reducing the lake area by about 18 percent. Before these drainage projects, there were 668 lakes in the Romanian part of the reserve, after which their number decreased to 479.

Extensive, flat floodplains rich in vegetation , such as the cyprinidae (carp fish) need for spawning, were drained over a large area, which led to a drastic decline in the fish population and thus had an impact on the traditional fishing system of the delta. Under the conditions of the continental climate, the water evaporated and salinized the affected soils, making them unusable for agricultural use. Around a fifth of the delta, especially on the northern arm of the Chilia, was destroyed in this way by 1986.

The construction of fairways and canals within the reserve and the associated maintenance through dredging, together with the blockade of many side canals, have a significant impact on the movement of water within the delta, which has gradually deteriorated the water quality of the reserve since around 1960. Even during the early days of the communist regime in Romania, large areas were converted into dry inland dykes and the land was used for agriculture, fish farming and forestry. The Pardina polder alone is around 270 km². The natural hydrological cycles were severely disrupted by these interventions.

Example Polder Babina

Elena Ceaușescu , the wife of the former president, wanted Romania to be independent of rice imports. For this purpose, two areas were diked, including the 21 km² Polder Babina, which between 1985 and 1987 was demarcated from the Danube by a more than 20 km long dam and largely leveled with bulldozers for rice cultivation. However, this area was not suitable for growing rice, there was no experience with it and there were no suitable machines. Cut off from the natural water supply, the soil became too salty and the harvests deteriorated. The polders, which were created for the controlled rearing of fish, could not hold the water, as a result, the costs for maintenance rose sharply.

The Romanian Danube Delta Institute, in cooperation with the WWF Auen Institute and the University of Rastatt, has now reconnected two polders in the northeast of the delta to the natural river of the Danube. For this purpose, the dyke was opened at four strategic points on the Babina polder in 1994 and 1995. The point openings were an experiment in that it was not possible to grind the entire dam. The openings were based on hydraulic calculations, according to which up to 35 million cubic meters flowed over the previously diked area. The area renatured within three years, with the result that fish spawn here again and the reed growth returned. Shortly after the dam was opened, the area again fulfilled its function as a natural flood reservoir.

Example of the Bystre Canal

Canals between the Danube and the Black Sea

Ukraine saw the shipping traffic in the delta, which was mainly handled via Romania, as an economic disadvantage for its country. In order to increase the frequency of shipping traffic on the northernmost of the three main arms of the Danube - the border-forming Chilia arm - the country decided in 2004 to make its Bystre branch of the Danube navigable again. According to Ukrainian estimates, the work should not have a serious impact on the ecosystem of the Danube Delta.

The Romanian government, the European Union, the United States of America and numerous environmental protection organizations protested against the construction of the canal, which, according to estimates by environmental organizations, had moved more than 1.5 million cubic meters of sand. The European Parliament put the loss of delta area through the construction of the Bystre Canal at 15 km². Biologists feared a lowering of the water level and irreparable damage to the flora and fauna of the reserve. The EU commissioner for the environment, Margot Wallström, criticized the “unchecked expansion” of the partially natural waterway. According to Emil Dister from the University of Karlsruhe, there was a threat of "the repetition of all our environmental sins on the Rhine from the post-war period".

The WWF feared that endangered species such as the sturgeon or the dwarf cormorant would no longer find a habitat. For an alternative route of the canal, eight routes through environmentally less sensitive areas were proposed, including one each by the Ramsar Convention and the Espoo Convention of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe , which had toured the region with international delegations. The Ukrainian Ministry of Transport assessed the alternative routes as having little economic benefit and did not consider them financially or technically feasible. Despite the protests, construction work on the Bystre Canal (also called Bystroje Canal ) began in May 2004; At the end of August it was opened for shipping.

Director Borejko from the Ecology-Cultural Center in Kiev stated in 2006 that the canal had indeed caused major environmental damage. The current in the mouth of the Schwydka arm has changed, which means that breeding grounds for birds and the habitat for fish have been lost. In addition, the concentration of pollutants in the Danube has increased. The head of the legal department of the Ecology-Law-Man organization, Olha Melen, announced that the construction project violated several laws of Ukraine and seven international conventions. The dredging work was temporarily suspended after several interventions by the European Union. After the work stopped, the canal quickly filled with sediment again.

Nutrients in the Delta Arms
Nitrogen (in 1000 tons per year)

area	entry	Delivery into the sea	Cleaning performance
Chilia arm	302	297.1	4.9 = 1.6 percent
Sf. Gheorghe arm	90.4	61.8	28.6 = 31.6 percent
Sulinaarm	58.6	27.1	31.5 = 53.8 percent

Phosphorus (in 1000 tons per year)

area	entry	Delivery into the sea	Cleaning performance
Chilia arm	26.5	26.2	0.3 = 1.10 percent
Sf. Gheorghe arm	8.0	5.9	2.1 = 26.25 percent
Sulinaarm	5.2	4.3	0.9 = 17.30 percent

Impairment of the "natural sewage treatment plant"

The establishment of a network of new canals in the delta resulted in the flood draining out of the reserve more quickly and thus standing and seeping away in the delta for a shorter time. In large areas, long dam lines prevent the river from soaking the surrounding area with its flood, with consequences for the natural purification of the river water.

The Danube is polluted with residues of fertilizers such as phosphorus and nitrogen, which are carried to the river via the ground and surface water after excessive fertilization of the fields. The reeds in the reserve can bind some of the phosphates and nitrates. Due to the oversaturation of nutrients in the water, algae quickly form, which reduce the amount of oxygen available in the water. Natural predators to combat, however, could not form in the necessary hurry, and if they did, then these too would soon prevail and disturb the natural balance.

However, due to the “taming of the Danube” in its delta, the purification function is disturbed. The little meandering arm of the Chilia lost a large part of its cleaning capacity due to the drainage of many of its side arms. The other two delta arms, Sfântu-Gheorghe and Sulina, have also been straightened, but their meanders are still connected to the straightened stretch.

Oil and chemical accidents

In October 2006, in an accident in an oil refinery near Prahovo in eastern Serbia, large quantities of heating and crude oil escaped into the Danube. As a failure of those responsible, no cross-border emergency operation to combat the oil spill was triggered. The oil could not be collected in time and also reached the reserve. Up to this point in time, since the “Danube Alarm Plan” was set up, 35 accidents had already been registered, including oil spills.

Oil spill in the Black Sea, 2007

The freighter “Nikolay Bauman” sailing under the Moldovan flag had an accident in mid-March 2013 two kilometers off the Ukrainian coast. In addition to his cargo of 2,700 tons of gypsum, he also lost three and a half tons of diesel and half a ton of oil, which spread to an oil slick over five square kilometers in the Romanian part of the Danube estuary. The nearby Ukrainian ports of Ust-Dunajsk and Ismajil announced that they would lack the technical prerequisites such as special boats and skilled personnel to ward off the ecological catastrophe. In addition, the rough seas prevented a control of the oil. The Ukrainian public prosecutor initiated criminal proceedings against the shipping company. The 40-year-old freighter had already been decommissioned in Russia and was on its way from Turkey to Ukraine. Its eleven crew members were able to get to safety in time.

In the cross-border project of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe on "Risk and Crisis Management in the Danube Delta", the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety underlined the increased risk potential for the Danube Delta from the oil terminals of the port in Giurgiulești (Moldova), in Galați (Romania) and Reni or Ismajil (Ukraine). Spilled oil forms a thin monomolecular film on the surface of the water. One drop of an oil-based derivative can contaminate a million drops of clean water. Even a thin layer of oil prevents the water from absorbing oxygen and can choke fish and other aquatic organisms.

In the south of Crișan, on the edge of the Caraorman nature reserve, the remains of "a gigantic dilapidated gold washing facility" from the communist era can still be seen today, which was never put into operation. The aluminum smelters in Galați and Tulcea are right on the banks of the Danube. Toxic red mud is stored on an area of ​​20 hectares at the Tulcea aluminum plant . The WWF determined that toxic clouds of dust and many leaks in the area had already caused fish and bird deaths. An accident there would threaten the ecosystems of the Danube Delta. The leaks in the basins could "get toxins into the environment through wind and rain". There are also numerous emissions risks for the reserve further upstream.

At the beginning of 2000, 100 tons of highly toxic cyanide wastewater with hydrocyanic acid salts and heavy metals leaked from a gold mine in Romania after the Baia Mare dam breach and after four weeks and a total of 2000 kilometers of flow it reached Tulcea in the reserve. The causes of the accident were a mixture of design flaws, a lack of control, insufficient risk management and extreme weather conditions.

During the floods in Hungary in 2013 , the location of the Hungarian red mud landfill Almásfüzitő - around 80 kilometers from Budapest - was critical, as twelve million tons of red mud were stored here only a few meters from the Danube. The red mud dump in Tschiprovzi , Bulgaria; the planned gold processing plant in Roșia Montană , Romania; and the Serbian refinery Novi Sad pose similar risks to the reserve.

Poachers

In 1996, poachers shot dead masses of sleeping wild geese near the fortress Histria at night, causing lasting damage to one of the larger geese breeding sites. Since then, the number of wild geese breeding here has fallen sharply.

In large-scale illegal fishing , mafia-like structures use methods such as electrofishing to cause environmental damage that can lead to the extermination of entire species . The direct current introduced into the water kills all life around the electrodes.

In 2009, Noah's Ark uncovered the illegal transport of wild horses from the Danube Delta. The chairman of the Romanian Veterinary Association, whose incumbent this year came from Tulcea, had said that 70 percent of the feral horses were infested with contagious anemia and had to be killed and burned under supervision. The Romanian newspaper Evenimentul Zilei reported that an "independent" veterinarian - as he came from another part of the country ( Hunedoara ) - could not determine any disease in the animals he examined after his own tests. Over 1000 wild horses were shipped from the reserve under "strange circumstances" to foreign slaughterhouses. Local residents would catch horses and tag them with a chip so they could be identified as their own and sold. After the diagnosis of "alleged diseases" by corrupt veterinarians, selling such a horse to mostly Italian buyers could achieve around 200 lei (50 euros). The buyers would often mutilate the animals before they were transported away, since "sick and lame horses [...] can be exported from the country duty-free".

In the course of the horse meat scandal in Europe in 2013 , horses from the reserve are said to have been illegally caught by criminal gangs and brought to meat factories. The horses are said to have been mistreated during transport.

Impact on ecosystems

Canal at Shevchenkove, Ukraine, 2012

Examples of reeds, rubbish, dams

Fishermen often burn reeds in an uncontrolled manner so that fish can circulate more freely. The environmental researcher Alexandru Dorosencu wanted a controlled framework for this natural process. A limited burn-up makes sense every five years in rotating zones, but there is currently neither regulation nor control. In individual cases, uncontrolled fires have already spread to protected areas. Dorosencu recommended a permit for controlled burning and an associated monitoring by the reserve administration.

In some cases, tourism has already reached the limits of its natural compatibility, especially due to the lack of sewage treatment plants. The inadequate garbage disposal is another environmental problem. The dams take the fish away from the shallow flooded meadows where they can spawn. Water birds find no food on the drained arable land. The fish stocks are falling.

Forestry endangers bird breeding areas for birds of prey in forest areas. Herons cannot nest in the poplar plantations. Turtles lack sand dunes for laying eggs. Large flocks of sheep trample breeding nests and populations of salt plants on wet meadows. With the extension of the Danube Canal by a few kilometers into the open sea, the incoming Danube mud is now transported further south by the ocean current than before. The delta coast lacks a supply of mud and is carried away by the sea by several meters every year. Bow waves from motor boats wash away the roots of the alluvial forests. The forests gradually sink into the river.

Harvested reeds offer no cover for returning birds in spring. However, areas with poor quality reeds are no longer harvested. The subsequent nutrient enrichment and gradual silting up changes the ecological character of the reserve to a large extent. For many large bird species, overhead power lines pose a risk of collision.

Example wild horses

As the horse population increased, so did the need for grazing land in the reserve. In addition, horse owners let their animals graze here illegally. As a result, some horses immigrated to the strictly protected forest area of ​​the biosphere reserve, where they used tree bark and other rare or protected flora as a source of food. The animal welfare organization Four Paws was able to implement an action plan for birth control of the horses and after negotiations with the parties involved culling prevent the animals.

In 2006 the Romanian animal welfare organization Arca lui Noe (German Noah's Ark ) wanted to counteract the threat to the ecological balance in the reserve from the growing herds and suggested a partial relocation of 3000 wild horses. The responsible Romanian ministry ultimately did not, however, approve the initially “well-received” proposal. Many animal rights activists saw the future of the wild horses endangered and warned of an "ecological catastrophe" if the horses "disappear completely" from the mouth of the Danube. Research has suggested that the horses may have formed a new breed.

reception

The Romanian journalist and environmentalist Liviu Mihaiu from the organization Save The Delta complained that only about ten percent of the reserve was subject to strict protection . Although it has long been considered a priority zone for ecological restoration and is part of the management plan for the conservation of biodiversity, by 2013 only 150 km² had been renaturalized. In 2004, Environment Minister Speranța Ianculescu had promised to restore 800 km² to its original state, but so far only inadequate measures had been taken, as economic interests and the pressure to expand agricultural areas were still high. Mihaiu criticized the lack of long-term concepts.

Governor Edward Bratfanof, who was in office in 2013, regretted that he would not have enough staff to monitor and maintain the biosphere area. In addition to the staff shortage, environmentalists criticized the pressure exerted by various interest groups on the reserve administration and the relatively short term of three years of a reserve governor.

literature

German

• Klaus-Jürgen Hofer: In the Danube Delta. Brockhaus Verlag, Leipzig 1989, ISBN 3-325-00159-9 , p. 176.
• Botond J. Kiss: The Danube Delta. People, animals, landscapes. Kriterion-Verlag, Bucharest 1988, OCLC 165166325 , p. 249.
• Thomas Kühnis: Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve (Romania): Views of the local population. Institute of Geography at the University of Zurich, 2008, p. 117.
• Max Pfannenstiel : The Quaternary History of the Danube Delta. Volume 6, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, 1950, p. 85.
• Josef Sallanz: The Dobrudscha: Ethnic Minorities - Cultural Landscape - Transformation: Results of a field course of the Institute for Geography at the University of Potsdam in the south-east of Romania. Universitäts-Verlag, Potsdam 2005, ISBN 3-937786-76-7 , p. 155.

Romanian

• Octavia Bogdan: Regionarea climatică și topoclimatică a Rezervației Delta Dunării organic farm. Rev. Geografică, II – III, series nouă, Bucharest 1996.
• C. Bondar: Hidrologia în studiu de caz al Deltei Dunării. Analele Șt. Institute Delta Dunării, Tulcea 1993.
• C. Bondar: Referitor la alimentarea și tranzitul apelor Dunării prin interiorul deltei. Analele Șt. Institute Delta Dunării, Tulcea 1994.
• C. Brătescu: Delta Dunării: geneză și evoluția sa morfologică. Bul. Soc. Regale Române de Geografie, XLI, 1922.
• Nicoleta Damian, Bianca Dumitrescu: Potențialul demografic din Delta Dunării și posibilități de revitalizare. Analele Universității Spiru Haret, Seria Geography, no. 7, 2006.
• Cristina David, C. Despina: Nutrienți in Rezervaervia Biosferei Delta Dunării 1991–1995. Analele IDD, Tulcea, 1996.
• B. Driga: Delta Dunării. Sistemul circulației apei. Casa Cărții de Știință, Cluj-Napoca, 2004, p. 256.
• Petre Gâștescu, B. Driga: Bilanțul hidric și modele ale circulației apei în câteva complexe lacustre din RBDD. Analele ICPDD, VI / 2., 1998.
• Petre Gâștescu, Romulus Știucă: Delta Dunării - Rezervație a biosferei. Edition CD Press, Bucharest, 2008, ISBN 978-973-1760-98-9 , p. 398.
• D. Munteanu: Atlasul păsărilor clocitoare din România. Publ. Soc. Ornitol. Rome., 16, Cluj, 2000.
• V. Oțel: Atlasul peştilor din Rezervația Organic Farm Delta Dunării. Institutul Național de Cercetare-Dezvoltare Delta, Dunării, Tulcea, 2007.

English

• Petre Gâștescu: The Danube Delta: Geographical characteristics and Ecological Recovery. GeoJournal, 29, A International Journal, Kluwer Academic Publishers-Dordrecht, Boston / London, 1993
• Petre Gâștescu: Razim-Sinoie lake complex, Romania. in Encyclopedia of Hydrology and Water Resources, Edited by RW Hersch and Rh.W. Fairbridge, Kluwer Academic Publisher, Dordrecht / Boston / London, 1998.
• I. Munteanu, Gh. Curelaru, Maria Munteanu, M. Tote: Some problems concerning the genesis, classification and use of soils in the Danube Delta, RRGGG - Géographie. 1989.
• N. Panin: Black Sea coast line changes in the last 10,000 years. A new attempt at identifying the Danube mouths as described by ancients. Dacia, Rev. d'archéol. et d'hist.anc., nouv. série, XXVII, 1-2, Bucharest, 1983.
• N. Panin: Danube Delta. Genesis, evolution and sedimentology. Rev. Roum. Géol., Géophys., Géogr., Sér. Geography, 1989.
• Gheorge Romanescu: Morpho-hydrographical evolution of the Danube Delta. Edition PIM, Iași, 2003.
• M. Staraș, I. Năvodaru: Changing fish communities as a result of biotop features changes. Analele Șt. Institute Delta Dunării, Tulcea, 1995.
• R. Suciu: Cites and Danubian sturgeons: international protection versus sustainable use of a shared fishery resource. Anal. Șt. INCDDD, Edit. Tehnică, Bucharest, 2003.
• Liliana Torok: Data on the influence of algae on submerged macrophytes. Analele INCDDD, Edit. Tehnică, Bucharest, 2002.
• A. Vădineanu: The Danube Delta. A natural monument. Naturopa, 66, Council of Europe, Strasbourg, 1991.
• E. Vespremeanu: Geomorphological evolution of the Sfântu Gheorghe arm mouth (Danube Delta) in the last 200 years. RRGGG - Geography, 1983.

French

• G. Vâlsan: Nouvelle hypothèse sur le Delta du Danube. Comptes-rendus du Congrès International de Géographie, Varsovie, 1934.

Fiction

• Oscar Walter Cisek : The stream without end. Suhrkamp-Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 1981, ISBN 3-518-37224-6 , p. 478.
• Michal Hvorecký : Death on the Danube. Klett-Cotta-Verlag, Stuttgart 2012, ISBN 978-3-608-50115-5 , p. 272.
• Walter Roth: Song of the fishermen. As a doctor in the Danube Delta. Hora-Verlag, Hermannstadt 2004, ISBN 973-8226-32-5 , p. 309.

Web links

Fishing village 1976

Wiktionary: Danube Delta  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Commons : Image collection from the Danube Delta  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Website of the Romanian Administration of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve: Administrația Rezervației Biosferei Delta Dunării (ARBDD) , in Romanian
• Romanian Administration of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve: Map of the protected areas in the Romanian part of the reserve , in Romanian
• Website of the Ukrainian Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve: Дунайський біосферний заповідник , in Ukrainian
• Naturfreunde Internationale, Stefanie Röder: Danube Delta. Landscape of the year 2007–2009. Final report ( Memento from December 12, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) , December 2009 (PDF; 3.1 MB)
• Günter Sobota: The Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve in Pictures , Avifauna and Amphibians, 2008–2011

Video material

• Asociatia Salvati Dunarea si Delta: Delta Dunarii- paradisul aproape pierdut (German The Danube Delta - an almost lost paradise ), documentary (→ trailer ), 2013, in Romanian
• Phoenix , Klaus Prömpers: The Danube Delta - a natural paradise in danger , documentary, 14:53 min
• Südwestrundfunk : Treasures of the World - Heritage of Humanity: Danube Delta, Romania. Episode 380 , 2010, documentary, 14:50 min
• Vier Pfoten , Mihai Vasile: Wild horses in the Danube Delta, saved by 'Vier Pfoten' (German wild horses in the Danube Delta, saved by ' Vier Pfoten' ), documentary presentation, 2011, 6:16 min (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} Romanian Tourist Office: The Danube Delta. Landscape of the year 2008–2009 ( Memento from January 2, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
2. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an} Botond J. Kiss: Das Donaudelta. People, animals, landscapes (PDF; 10.6 MB), Kriterion Verlag, Bucharest 1988.
3. ↑ ^{a b c d e f} HerpAG House of Nature: Danube Delta 2004 (PDF; 265 kB) Herpetology script, 2004.
4. ↑ ^{a b} Judith Brandner: The Danube Delta - A Fragile Natural Area . In: Österreichischer Rundfunk . March 5, 2007.
5. ^ ^{A b c d e} Françoise Hauser: Danube Delta in Romania: Bullerbü on Hartz IV . In: Der Spiegel . August 29, 2008.
6. ↑ ^{a b} Keno Verseck : The turning point in the reeds. The Danube Delta in Romania. In: Deutschlandradio . December 8, 2007.
7. ↑ ^{a b c d e f} Frieder Monzer, Timo Ulrichs: Moldova - Moldau: With Chisinau, Bessarabia and Transdnestria . , Trescher Verlag, 2013, ISBN 978-3-89794-245-5 , p. 234.
8. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h} Johann-Bernhard Haversath : Danube Delta, Diercke worksheets
9. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r} Romanian Academy , Petre Gâștescu: The Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve. Geography, Biodiversity, Protection, Management. (PDF; 5.3 MB) In: Romanian Journal of Geography. September 14, 2009
10. ^ ^{A b} European Union : Outline Strategy for the integrated management of the Romanian Coastal Zone. ( Memento of July 21, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 1.2 MB), November / December 2004 (English), p. 13. In: Geographical Institute of the University of Kiel , Tina Geisler, Johannes Tiffert: Coasts in Transition: Romania . , 2007.
11. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r} Thede Kahl, Michael Metzeltin , Mihai Răzvan Ungureanu : Romania. Volume 2. Historical Regions, LIT-Verlag, Vienna 2008, ISBN 978-3-8258-0069-7 .
12. ↑ ^{a b c} Upper Austrian State Museums , G. Köhler: Notes on the Orthopter Fauna of the Danube Delta (SR Romania) , April 1988 (PDF; 1.4 MB)
13. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p} Lucien Dobraca: The Danube Delta: spatial structures and development options . In: Josef Sallanz (Ed.): The Dobrudscha: Ethnic Minorities - Cultural Landscape - Transformation: Results of a field course by the Institute for Geography at the University of Potsdam in southeast Romania. Volume 35 of Praxis Kultur- und Sozialgeographie, Verlag Universitätsverlag Potsdam, 2005 ISSN  0934-716X , ISBN 3-937786-76-7 , pp. 17-24.
14. ↑ ^{a b} Stefan Lehretter: Pictures from the Danube Delta
15. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Uwe Gradwohl: Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve ( Memento from July 3, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
16. ^ ^{A b c} Administration of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve: The Origin of the Danube Delta
17. ↑ ^{a b} Thomas Magosch, photos Olaf Meinhardt, Tom Schulze: Danube: From the source to the mouth . (= DuMont-Bildatlas / DuMont-Bildatlas. Volume 123). DuMont Reiseverlag, 2011, ISBN 978-3-7701-9286-1 , pp. 105-107.
18. ↑ ^{a b c} Konrad Kretschmer : Scythia minor. In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume II A, 1, Stuttgart 1921, Col. 946.
19. ↑ Hermann Schreiber : Gastliche Erde: The history of the earth and life , Stiasny, 1965, p. 72.
20. ↑ Johannes Hoops , Herbert Jankuhn (Ed.): Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde: Jadwingen clothing , Volume 16 of Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde, Walter de Gruyter, 1968, ISBN 3-11-016782-4 , p. 317.
21. ^ Institute for German Language , Hans Schulz , Otto Basler , Gerhard Strauss: Da capo - Dynastie: 4 , Volume 4 of German Foreign Dictionary, Walter de Gruyter, 1999, ISBN 3-11-016235-0 , p. 228.
22. ↑ Josef Sallanz (Ed.): The Dobrudscha. Ethnic minorities, cultural landscape, transformation; Results of a field course by the Institute for Geography at the University of Potsdam in south-eastern Romania , Volume 35 of Praxis Kultur- und Sozialgeographie, Universitätsverlag Potsdam, Potsdam 2005, ISBN 3-937786-76-7 , p. 81 ff. (PDF; 20.1 MB )
23. ↑ Harald Roth: Brief history of Transylvania. 2nd, revised edition. Böhlau, Cologne et al. 2003, ISBN 3-412-13502-X , p. 22.
24. ^ Evenimentul Zilei, Andrei Crăciun, Vlad Odobescu: Dilema lui Ceaușescu: cum ajuns insula la sovietici? , September 4, 2008, in Romanian
25. ↑ International Court of Justice : Delimitation in the Black Sea (Romania v. Ukraine) ( Memento of December 12, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) , February 2009.
26. ↑ Costică Brandus, Cătălin Canciu: On the geomorphologic evolution of the Chilia secondary delta. (PDF; 1.18 MB) 2011 (English)
27. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g} Naturfreunde Internationale, Stefanie Röder: Danube Delta. Landscape of the year 2007–2009. Final report ( Memento from December 12, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) , December 2009 (PDF; 3.1 MB)
28. ^ ^{A b} European Center for Research on Federalism Tübingen, Beate Neuss, Peter Jurczek, Wolfram Hilz (eds.): Transformation processes in southern Central Europe - Hungary and Romania. ( Memento of December 2, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 1.1 MB) Contributions to a political and regional science symposium at the Technical University of Chemnitz. 1999, ISBN 3-9805358-8-6 , pp. 53, 73
29. ^ ^{A b} Administration of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve: Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve. Population , in Romanian
30. ^ Konrad Schuller : Life on the Edge of Europe. Waiting for Beluga. In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung . June 29, 2013.
31. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} Meinhard Breiling, Angela Muth: Excursion Danube Delta. Reader on selected topics (PDF; 5.3 MB). P. 55 f.
32. ^ Administration of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve: Administrația Rezervației Biosferei Delta Dunării , in Romanian
33. ↑ Website of the Ukrainian reservation administration: Дунайський біосферний заповідник , in Ukrainian
34. ↑ ^{a b c d} World Wide Fund For Nature : The Danube. Europe's lifeline ( Memento from November 29, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
35. ^ National Park Donau-Auen GmbH: Cooperation for conservation. Danubeparks - Network Of Protected Areas (English)
36. ^ Administration of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve: Rețeaua ecologică Natura 2000 , in Romanian
37. ↑ ^{a b} Christiane Gorse: Danube Delta . In: Planet Wissen , November 17, 2012.
38. ↑ Discover protected areas: Protected areas in Romania ( Memento of March 8, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) , July 29, 2013.
39. ^ Administration of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve: Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve. Dedicated zones , in Romanian
40. ↑ Nature reserves in Romania , law number 5 of March 6, 2000.
41. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s} DDBRA: Plan de management , management plan for the administration of the Danube Delta biosphere reserve
42. ↑ Ziare: Amenzi de pana la 6000 de lei pentru turistii care patrund in zonele protejate din Delta , May 20, 2013.
43. ^ ^{A b c d} Carolin Gründner: Project Danube Delta. Vegetation. ( Memento of December 14, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) 2003.
44. ^ Susanne Weber: Commitment to the Danube Delta . In: Transylvanian newspaper. March 31, 2005.
45. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i} Nina May: "If we lose the Danube Delta, Romania will only be really poor". Conservationists are sounding the alarm - only ten percent of the biosphere reserve is actually strictly protected . In: General German newspaper for Romania . February 12, 2013.
46. ^ Administration of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve: Zone strict protejate in Delta Dunarii . In: info-delta.ro (Romanian).
47. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o} Danube Delta Expedition. ( Memento from September 10, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Ecosystems
48. ↑ ^{a b c} Die Presse : Romania: From the Delta to the slaughterhouse , December 2, 2009.
49. ↑ ^{a b c} Sea pebbles and desert runners. The Danube Auen expert Erika Schneider in an Aurora interview . In: Aurora magazine. January 1, 2007.
50. ^ Administration of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve: Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve. Flora , in Romanian
51. ↑ Nina May, George Dumitriu: Wild horses and floating islands . In: General German newspaper for Romania . June 17, 2011.
52. ↑ ^{a b} Deltaexplorer: Flora in the Danube Delta ( Memento from July 27, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
53. ↑ Sabine Stöckmann: Caraorman, Crișan municipality , September 16, 2004. In: Josef Sallanz: Die Dobrudscha: Ethnic minorities - cultural landscape - transformation: results of a field course by the Institute for Geography at the University of Potsdam in southeast Romania. Universitäts-Verlag Potsdam, Potsdam, 2005, ISBN 3-937786-64-3 , p. 49.
54. ↑ Muriel Bendel: List of species of plants Danube Delta naturus 9.-17. April 2007 (PDF; 21 kB)
55. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g} Administration of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve: Fauna Rezervației Biosferei Delta Dunării , in Romanian
56. ↑ G. Köhler: Notes on the orthoptera fauna of the Danube Delta (PDF; 1.4 MB), Entomologische Nachrichten undberichte, 32, Jena 1988/4
57. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Green Village: Wildlife in the Danube Delta ( Memento from October 5, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
58. ↑ Yuriy Kvach: First record of the Chinese sleeper Perccottus glenii Dybowski, 1877 in the Ukrainian part of the Danube delta (PDF; 621 kB) , 2011 (English)
59. ↑ ^{a b c} Adrian Borgula: Danube Delta Romania (PDF; 25 kB), May 28, 2007.
60. ↑ Romanian legal basis: JCM 142/1938, where and "JCM" stands for Jurnalul Consiliului de Miniștri (German: Journal of the Council of Ministers ).
61. ^ Dieter Wulf: Dispute about the Danube Delta . In: SWR2 Wissen broadcast date April 8, 2008 (→ manuscript for the broadcast ; RTF ; 111 kB)
62. ^ ^{A b c} Stuttgarter Nachrichten , Diana Schanzenbach: Danube Delta - the water labyrinth , July 9, 2012.
63. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k} Michael Schmitz, Harald Legge, Christoph Sudfeldt: Spring migration and breeding occurrence of water birds and waders in the lagoon area Razim-Sinoie on the eastern Romanian Black Sea coast. In: Annual report 2000 of the biological station "Rieselfelder Münster". 2001, Münster
64. ↑ Werner Kremm: Romania's nature reserves ( Memento from December 14, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) , Neuer Weg, Bucharest, Komm Mit 71, pp. 124-134.
65. ↑ ^{a b c d} Harald Legge, Michael Schmitz: Observations on the spring migration and the brood distribution of birds of prey in the Romanian Dobrudscha and the lagoon area Razim-Sinoie. Biological station "Rieselfelder Münster", 2002.
66. ↑ ^{a b c} Harald Legge, Michael Schmitz: Spring migration and brood distribution of selected songbird species in the Razim-Sinoie lagoon area and in the Romanian Dobrudscha. In: Limicola. Journal of Field Ornithology. Biological station Rieselfelder Münster, 2003.
67. ↑ Romanian legal basis: HCM 1625/1955, JCM 600/1933, JCM 600/1933, JCM 734/1933, JCM 600/1933, HCM 1625/1955, JCM 600/1933, HCM 1625/1955, JCM 600/1933, JCM 600/1933, HCM 1625/1955, JCM 600/1933, where "HCM" stands for Hotărârea Consiliului de Miniștri (German: Decision of the Council of Ministers ) and "JCM" stands for Jurnalul Consiliului de Miniștri (German: Journal of the Council of Ministers ).
68. ↑ Suspected bird flu: Romania quarantines the Danube Delta . In: Spiegel online. October 8, 2005.
69. ↑ Again bird flu in the Romanian Danube Delta. ( Memento of February 23, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) In: Epoch Times . November 14, 2005.
70. ↑ Danube Delta under quarantine . In: Tagesspiegel . October 8, 2005.
71. ↑ Danube Delta under quarantine . In: Mercury . October 13, 2005.
72. ↑ Danube Delta under quarantine . In: Neue Zürcher Zeitung . October 8, 2005.
73. ↑ Deadly virus reaches Europe. Further investigations in Romania. In: Handelsblatt . October 13, 2005.
74. ↑ UNESCO : MAB Program - Biosphere Reserve Information Romania / Ukraine, Danube Delta , 2007 (English)
75. ↑ Tim Cope : On the Trail of Ghengis Khan. Expedition Ukraine (May 2006 - August 2007 )
76. ↑ World Wildlife Fund: WWF Lower Danube Project (PDF; 565 kB)
77. ↑ ^{a b c} Euronews : Danube Delta in danger . October 24, 2012.
78. ^ Administration of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve: Centers for Information and Ecological Education
79. ^ ^{A b c d e} Carolin Gründner: Project Danube Delta. Economy. ( Memento of December 14, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) , 2003.
80. ↑ ^{a b c d} Uwe Gradwohl: Raw materials and tourism ( Memento from May 5, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
81. ↑ ^{a b} Klaus Zintz: On the beautiful green Danube . In: image of science . November 1, 1997.
82. ↑ Christina Ebba, Miliu Hagenberg: Romania Black Sea Coast , DuMont Reiseverlag, 2004, p. 42.
83. ↑ ^{a b c} HPC Ukraina: HPC Ukraina, operator of container terminals "Odessa Port"
84. ↑ Port of Ismajil: Ismajil Merchant Sea port. ( Memento from November 21, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) (English)
85. ^ Port of Odessa " Port of Odessa , in Ukrainian
86. ↑ Ministerul Dezvoltării Regionale și administrației publice: Raport INCDT: Delta Dunarii, cea mai mare crestere a turistilor straini anul trecut, Bucurestiul, cea mai mare crestere a turistilor Romani ( Memento of April 27, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) , March 11, 2012, in Romanian language
87. ↑ Gandul, Liviu Iancu: Peste 40,000 de români au ajuns anul trecut în Deltă și au cheltuit 10 milioane de euro , July 8, 2013, in Romanian
88. ↑ Agenția națională de presă: Tulcea: Crește numărul turiștilor în Delta Dunării ( Memento of December 14, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) , May 3, 2013, in Romanian
89. ↑ European Commission : Strategy of the European Union for the Danube Region . (PDF; 72 kB), December 8, 2010.
90. ^ Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development : Sustainable Danube Tourism - from the Black Forest to the Black Sea
91. ^ Birgitta Gabriela Hannover: Romania. Art treasures and natural beauties. Trescher-Verlag, Berlin 2007, ISBN 978-3-89794-104-5 , p. 420.
92. ↑ ^{a b} Dieter Nürnberger: A diplomatic tightrope act - The dispute over the canal construction in the Danube Delta . In: Deutschlandradio. August 20, 2004.
93. ↑ ^{a b} European Parliament : Written declaration to end the destruction of the ecosystem in the Danube Delta . June 6, 2007.
94. ^ ^{A b} World Wide Fund For Nature: The Bystroye Canal in the Ukrainian Danube Delta - Questions and Answers . (PDF; 302 KB), June 24, 2004 (English).
95. ↑ Sebastian Knauer: Concreted and channeled: Danube without protection? In: Spiegel online. July 28, 2004.
96. ↑ Kyryl Savin, Fabian Staben: The Danube Delta: sensitive ecosystem and diplomatic bone of contention . Heinrich Böll Foundation , October 11, 2009.
97. ^ Troubled Peace in the Danube Delta - Protests against a controversial canal project in Kiev . In: Neue Zürcher Zeitung . August 28, 2004.
98. ↑ Oleksandr Sawyzkyj: Ukraine: Danube-Black Sea Canal continues to be controversial . In: Deutsche Welle . October 5, 2006.
99. ^ Sebastian Knauer : The Shipping News: Construction Threatens Danube's Natural Paradise . In: Spiegel online. October 4, 2007 (English).
100. ↑ ^{a b} Michaela Seiser: High Risks on the Danube . In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung . Vienna, October 10, 2010.
101. ↑ Oil risk for the Danube Delta . World Wide Fund For Nature, October 6, 2006.
102. ↑ Huge oil slick threatens Danube Delta conservation area. ( Memento from August 3, 2013 in the web archive archive.today ) Greenpeace , March 14, 2013.
103. ^ Huge oil spill threatens the Danube Delta ( memento from November 1, 2013 in the Internet Archive ). In: Saxon newspaper . 15 March 2013.
104. ↑ Ship accident: oil spill threatens nature reserve in the Danube Delta. In: Spiegel online. March 14, 2013.
105. ↑ Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety  : Hazard and Crisis Management in the Danube Delta . 2011 (PDF; 1.75 MB, English)
106. ↑ Small Oil Leak Points Up Big Danube River Issues . Environment News Service, November 27, 2012
107. ↑ Poisonous flood flows back to Romania. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung. February 16, 2000.
108. ^ Karl Wachter: Three years after Baia Mare. A retrospective view of the largest water pollution in Europe. ( Memento of May 13, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF file; 305 kB), 2003.
109. ^ Floods in Hungary: Newsticker . In: Pester Lloyd . Developments through Friday June 7th
110. ^ David Krutzler: Toxic waste dump near the Danube endangered . In: The Standard . 5th June 2013.
111. ↑ Mud, Oil, and Gold Mining . In: Wiener Zeitung . October 8, 2010.
112. ↑ Meat scandal: poverty leads to horse slaughter . In: The press . 19th February 2013.
113. ↑ Nabbed, stabbed and beaten. Wild horses to go in our beef. In: The Sun . February 10, 2013
114. ↑ Helge Bendl: Miracles of Nature - Aurora wears a subtle rouge . In: Der Tagesspiegel. April 21, 2013.
115. ↑ Four paws : wild horses in the Danube Delta . ( Memento from November 30, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
116. ↑ Wild horses in the Danube Delta. In: Geo . April 2010.
117. ↑ New life in the Danube Delta . In: Hamburger Abendblatt . November 5, 2004.
118. ↑ The Danube Delta - a natural paradise in danger. ( Memento from December 27, 2013 in the web archive archive.today ) on: Phoenix . Broadcast date May 14, 2013, 4.15 a.m.
119. ↑ 3sat : broadcast on July 17, 2013, 9:40 p.m.