Hierarchical analysis of the threats for Species of Community Interest in the Iron Gates Natural Park, Romania/Ierarhizarea amenintarilor la adresa speciilor de interes comunitar în cadrul Parcului Natural Portile de Fier, România

Abstract

Threats to biodiversity are diverse and the management of these threats is a major research direction in the conservation of biological diversity. Determining the status of a species is essential in identifying those in danger of becoming extinct and also to establish conservation priorities. For the management of all types of threats that manifest themselves for certain species of community interest in the Iron Gates Natural Park, the authors must first understand their causes and effects. Conservationists are increasingly interested in determining threats to biological communities, this being an important part of territorial and environmental planning strategies. The analysis undertaken for some geographical areas showed that the most important threats are the socioeconomic and demographic variables, the fragmentation, destruction and degradation of habitats through various practices, the introduction of non-native species, illegal hunting or overfishing. The method requires an inventory of the main threats in the Iron Gates Natural Park, the threats for certain Species of Community Interest. They have also applied a method used by WWF to achieve a hierarchy of the main threats and to establish logical and efficient actions that can be locally applicable.