Danube Delta: A lost paradise

The flora of the Danube Delta.
Recent researches have identified 955 species of spontaneous cormophites, representing euro-asiatic elements (28%), eastern elements (24%), European elements (14%), and mixed and adventitious elements. Ecologically, only a quarter of the species (26%) are related to aquatic medium (hydrophilic, hygrophilic and hygromesophilic), the rest are mesophilic, xerophilic, euriphilic, halophilic, psamophilic. Reed, club rush, willows, floating plants (water lies, water nuts), are predominant. A series of rare species may be found in the delta such as Ephedra distachya, Carex colchica, Nypmhaea candida, and Colvovulus persicus.
Vegetation. In the Danube Delta the reed plot swamp vegetation is predominant and it covers about 78% of the total area. The main species are reed, club rush, sedge, mixed with the pygmy willow and many other species. The salting vegetation covers 6% of the total area, developing on salinizated soils and on marine saline salt soils the presence of the following species make the Delta distinguishable: Salicornia patula, Juncus marinus, Juncus littoralis, Plantago cornuti. There are four types of riverside coppices: the riverside coppices that grow on the low fluviatile banks; they are flooded constantly and are formed especially by Salix alba, Salix fragilis; on the higher banks there are riverside coppices made up of Salix alba, Populus alba, Populus canescens; on the highest fluviatile banks there are riverside coppices which are very seldom flooded, they are made up of poplars (Populus canescens and Populus alba) and the planted species: hybrid black poplar, American maple, Pennsylvania ash; are a rare type of riverside coppice is the alder grove (Alnus glutinosa is predominant) that occurs on the fluviatile banks from marine delta. The vegetation of the sandy steppe meadows stretches for 3% of the total delta, developing especially on the marine fields Letea, Caraorman and Saraturile. The Festuca bekeri, Secale sylvestris, Carex colcica, Ephedera distachya species are characteristic. The vegetation of the mesophilic bank meadows stretches for about 3% of the total area of the delta, especially on the fluvial banks subject to constant flooding. Glyceria maxima, Eritrigia repens are predominant. The aquatic vegetation in lakes, pools and backwaters cover 2% of the total delta. The following species are typical of the submersed vegetation: Ceratophyllum submersum, myriophylium verticillatum, Potamogeton sp., Helodea canadensis. The floating vegetation diversified. The predominant species are Lemna minor, Salvignia natans, Spirodela polyrrhiza, Nypmhoides peltata, Nymphaea alba, Nuphar luteum, Trapa natans. The emerged vegetation is represented by reed (Phragmites australis), club rush (Typha latifolia and Typha angustifolia), Dutch rush (Schoenlectus lacustris). The vegetation of bushes, developed on the sandy marine fields or on the sandy marine active coasts, stretches for only 1% of the total delta area and it is mainly represented by Tamarix ramosissima, Elaeagnus angustifolia, and Hippophae rhamnoides. The forests on the marine fields Letea and Caraorman are steppe mixed foliage forests, locally called " hasmac", with light gray oak (Quercus pedunculiflora), pedunculate oak (Q. robur), ash (Fraxinus angustifolia), aspen tree (Populus tremura), elm (Ulmus foliacea) and with climbing plants, Periploca graeca, Vitis silvestris, Hedra helix. It represents only 0.8% of the total area of the Danube Delta.
The floating reed islet(plaur). It is typical of massive reed swamps. The floating reed islet is a thick layer of 1-1.6 m, made up of a combination of reed rhizome and roots of other aquatic plants mixed up with organic remains and soil. Initially fixed, the floating reed islet detaches from the marshes and pools ground, turning in to floating islands with distinct sizes, which pushed by wind, moves on the surface of the water. The floating reed islet vegetation differs from the rest of the thickets. Reed (Phragmites australis) grows here under the best conditions, being higher and thicker. Besides reed, you can find here sedge mint, water fern (Nephrodium thelypteris), water hemlock, knotgrass, pygmy willow and the climbing plants, Calystegia sepium and Solanum dulcamara to. On the floating reed islet common and curly pelican colonies are formed. The wild boar the raccoon dog, the muskrat, the otter, the fox, the mink can also be found here.