The administration office of the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve is located in Rakhiv at the address: 90800 Zakarpattia region, Rakhiv, 77 Krasne Pleso street. Tel./fax: (00380) 3132 2-21-93, e-mail: [email protected]/, http://cbr.nature.org.ua.
Status
Environmental research institution of international significance. Subordinated to the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources in Ukraine
Territory
The Carpathian Biosphere Reserve is one of the largest nature conservation sites in Ukraine. It occupies an area of 58,035.8 hectares. The highest peak of Ukraine (Mount Hoverla, 2,061 m), the legendary Blyznytsi, alpine lakes, the geographical centre of Europe, the Narcissus Valley, the world-famous primeval beech forests, Druzhba (the largest karst cave in the Ukrainian Carpathians) – all these cover only a part of its territory. It is represented by all the landscape and biological diversity of the Ukrainian Carpathians – from the foothills to the subalpine and alpine meadows (180 – 2,061 m above sea level).
The reserve is located within Rakhiv, Tiachiv, Khust and Berehovo districts of Zakarpattia region and consists of 8 territorially isolated massifs: the Svydovets, the Chornohora, the Kuzii-Trybushany, the Marmarosy, the Uholka-Shyrokyi Luh massifs, the Narcissus Valley, as well as two botanical nature preserves of the national significance – Chorna Hora and Yuliivska Hora. The territory is divided into four functional zones: protected, buffer, zone of anthropogenic landscapes and regulated reserve status.
Brief history
1968 – the Carpathian State Reserve was established on an area of 12,672 hectares by the Resolution of the Ukrainian SSR Government
1993 – the institution was included in the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves by the decision of the MAB Programme Secretariat
1993 – the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve was established on the basis of the Carpathian Nature Reserve by the Decree of the President of Ukraine
1990, 1997, 2002, 2007, 2010 – the territory of the reserve was expanded to 58,035.8 hectares by the Resolution of the Government of Ukraine and the Decrees of the President of Ukraine
1997, 2002, 2007, 2012 – the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve was awarded the European Diploma for Protected Areas by the Council of Europe
2007 – primeval beech forests of the reserves with an area of 20,980.5 hectares were included in the UNESCO World Natural Heritage List
2017 – the sustainable development territory (transit zone) with an area of 136.9 thousand hectares was formed on the lands adjacent to the reserve
2017 – some areas were included in the Wilderness network
2019 – the Ozirnyi-Brebeneskul Tract, the Narcissus Valley area and Druzhba karst cave received the status of wetlands of international importance under the auspices of the Ramsar Convention
Objectives
Protection of natural complexes and conservation of biodiversity of the Carpathians
Monitoring the state of nature
Studying natural resources
Promoting sustainable development of the region
Environmental education
Ecotourism and recreation development
Natural and cultural values
The largest areas of primeval beech forests in Europe, which are a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe”
Unique alpine ecosystems with glacial lakes
The highest peaks of the Ukrainian Carpathians: Mounts Hoverla, Brebeneskul, Petros, Blyznytsi, Pip Ivan Marmaroskyi and others
Karst caves
The Narcissus Valley
Rich biodiversity – 320 species of vertebrates and about 5 thousand species of invertebrates, more than 5 thousand species of plants and fungi, about 500 species of which are rare and endemic
Geographical centre of Europe
Early human site
Hutsul culture, in particular the traditional montane meadow farming and monuments of wooden architecture
For guests
Museum of Mountain Ecology and History of Nature Management in the Ukrainian Carpathians (Rakhiv town)
Ecological and educational centres “Museum of Narcissus” (Khust town) and “The Centre of Europe” (Dilove village)
Information and tourist centres: “Uplands of the Carpathians” (foothills of Mount Hoverla), “Carpathian trout” (Kostylivka village), “Keveliv” (Kvasy village), “Primeval beech forests – the UNESCO World Heritage Site” (Mala Uholka village)
Network of information points
20 equipped ecotourism routes
4 ecological trails
Stationary places for short-term recreation and rest areas
Mini-hotels and rooms for visitors
Informational printed and video materials
Cooperation with local communities
There are 20 settlements with more than 100 thousand residents near the territory of the biosphere reserve. The administration of the reserve gives an opportunity for the local population to graze cattle, harvest firewood, hay, collect wild fruits, berries and mushrooms in the specially designated areas. A lot of efforts are being made to preserve traditional methods of farming, preparation and implementation of sustainable development projects, etc.
International cooperation
The Biosphere Reserve maintains business contacts with many environmental and research institutions around the world. The most famous of them are the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (Germany), the European Wildlife Society (EWS), the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the University of Vermont (USA), as well as a number of protected areas, including the Maramureş Mountains Nature Park (Romania), the Danube-Ipoly National Park (Hungary) and the Rhön Biosphere Reserve (Germany). International scientific conferences, seminars and round table meetings are regularly hosted by the reserve.