To stop further soil erosion on clear-cuts through the restoration of the forest floor on tractor skidding tracks and plantation of saplings on the restored top soil to achieve a natural forest composition. Emphasis has been given to the involvement of local people into this project.

TOP-SOIL RESTORATION

The project started with an erosion study of tractor skidding tracks on clear-cuts, which appeared between 2005 and 2010, which have recently been purchased by Foundation Conservation Carpathia to restore these cuttings. Once a restoration plan exists, based on this evaluation, ditches on tractor tracks will be filled with leftover timber material from the cuttings by 4 restoration workers from the nearby villages. A small excavator then covers the wood with topsoil from the ditches’ edges, until the former forest floor is re-established. To avoid that snow-melt and rain water carves new erosion, small dams crafted from woven branches and regular disruptions to redirect water runoff will be built.

PLANTATION OF SAPLINGS ON RESTORED FOREST FLOOR

During autumn 2015 and spring 2016, we plant thousands of saplings (beech, fir, sycamore, rowan) on the newly established top soil. Eventually, we intend to cover erosion in 9.5 km of tractor skidding tracks. For this activity, we intend to invite 60 volunteers from nearby cities.

PROJECT PUBLICITY

This activity aims to promote project progress and results. It will consist in press releases, developing of a webpage, editing and publishing of 500 guides of erosion reduction for sharing the experience with administrators of other affected areas. We intend to demonstrate the huge both, human and financial resources used for the reconstruction of destroyed forest habitats.

Results of this project will be to stop erosion on tractor skidding tracks on 9.5 km length on an area of 100 ha of clear-cuts and have these tracks replanted with 14,000 ha of beech, fir, sycamore, and rowan saplings to re-establish the original forest composition.