The Danube Delta lies on the coast of the Black Sea in the eastern part of Romania, in Tulcea County, and encompasses the area between the Branch Rivers Chilia, Sulina and Sfintu Gheorghe, the former creating the boundary between Romania and the Ukraine. The site also includes the Razelm-Sinoie complex of lakes Razelm, Sinoie, Zmeica and Golovita to the immediate south of the delta.

 

Area: 1,678,000 acres including 254,517 acres marine. The entire delta region comprises 1,974,000 acres of which 1,678,000 acres are in Romania and 301,468 acres in the Ukraine. The Razelm-Sinoie lagoon complex adds a further 218,000 acres.

 

Altitude: Sea-level to 49 feet

 

Physical Features: The Delta has been classiefied into 12 habitat types as follows:

- Aquatic habitats - lakes (2.60 feet - 8.2 feet depth) covered with flooded reedbeds,

- 'Plaur' - flooded islets,

- Flooded reeds and willows,

- Riverine forest of willows and poplars,

- Cane-fields,

- Sandy and muddy beaches,

- Wet meadows,

- Dry meadows (arid),

- Human settlements,

- Sandy and rocky areas,

- Steep banks,

- Forests on high ground.

 

CLIMATE The prevailing continental climate, with only 18 inches of annual rainfall, is temporarily influenced by proximity to the sea and the humidity rising from countless inland lakes and small waterways.

 

VEGETATION

This is the largest continuous marshland in Europe which includes the greatest stretch of reedbeds probably in the world. The marsh vegetation is dominated by reeds Phragmites australis which form floating or fixed islands of decaying vegetation ('plaur') with some Typha angustifolia and Scirpus sp. Reeds cover some 420,000 acres and 'plaur' 247,000 whilst the total area not included is only 36,570 acres. There are also water lilies Nymphaea Alba and Nuphar luteus and Stratiodes alloides. The higher ground supports stands of Salix, Populus, Alnus and Quercus. Sandy areas are covered with feather grass Stipa sp. and other steppe species. Forest elements are best observed in Letea Forest, occurring in a series of bands along dunes up to 820 feet long and 33 feet wide, where trees reach 115 feet in height. The species present are Quercus robur, Q. pedunculiflora, Populus Alba, P.nigra, Fraxinus ornus, F. angustifolia, F. palisae, Pyrus pyraster, Tilia tomentosa, Ulmus sp., and the occasional Alnus glutinosa. Among the shrubs are Crataegus monogyna, Euonimus europea, Cornus mas, C. sanguinea, Rhamnus frangula, R. catharctica, Viburnum opulus, Berberis vulgaris, Hippophae rhamnoides, Tamarix spp. and occasional Corylus avellana. The distinctive feature of the forest is the abundance of climbing plants including Periploca graeca, Clematis vitalba, Vitis sylvestris and Humulus lupulus. In spring, the ground is carpeted with Convallaria majalis. Particularly rare and threatened plants include Convolvulus persica, Ephedra distachya, Merendera sobolifera, Plantago coronopus and Petunia parviflora.

 

FAUNA

Over 300 species of bird have been recorded, of which over 176 species breed, the most important being: cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis (3,000 pairs), pygmy cormorant P. pygmeus (K) (2,500 pairs comprising 61% of the world's population), white pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus (2,500 pairs comprising 50% of the Palaearctic breeding population), Dalmatian pelican P. crispus (E) (estimated at 150 pairs, perhaps now only 25-40 pairs, on the floating islands on lake Hrecisca, which represents 5% of the world population), night heron Nycticorax nycticorax (2,100 pairs), squacco heron Ardeola ralloides (2,150 pairs), great white heron Egretta alba (700 pairs), little egret E. garzetta (1,400 pairs), purple heron Ardea purpurea (1,250 pairs), glossy ibis Plegadis falcinellus (1,500 pairs), white stork Ciconia ciconia (many), mute swan Cygnus olor (500 pairs), white-tailed eagle Haliaeetus albicilla (V) (8 pairs), marsh harrier Circus aeruginous (300+ pairs), osprey Pandion haliaetus (3 pairs), Saker falcon Falco cherrug (1-2 pairs), red-footed falcon F. vespertinus (150 pairs), Sandwich tern Sterna sandvicensis (1,700 pairs), common tern S. hirundo (20,000+ pairs), whiskered tern Chlidonias hybridus (20,000+), and black tern C. niger (10,000-20,000 pairs). White-headed duck Oxyura leucocephala possibly still breeds. Slender-billed curlew Numenius tenuirostris (K) has occurred on passage (28 in 1971 and one or two in 1989). The Delta holds huge numbers of Anatidae in the winter with counts of 500,000 white-fronted goose Anser albifrons (but only 64,000-77,500 in 1982), up to 500 lesser white-fronted goose A. erythropus, 45,000 red-breasted goose Branta ruficollis (a globally threatened species with almost 95% of the world wintering population present here), 150,000 teal Anas crecca, 200,000 mallard A. platyrhynchos, 14,000 pintail A. acuta, 40,000 shovelor A. clypeata, 32,400 red-crested pochard Netta rufina, 970,000 pochard A. ferina, 13,000 ferruginous duck A. nyroca, and 1,500 red-breasted merganser Mergus albellus. In winter there is a concentration of some 30-40 Haliaeetus albicilla.

 

The Delta is very important for fish with 45 fresh water species present including threatened representatives of the Acipensenidae.

 

Otter Lutra lutra, stoat Mustela erminea, and European mink Mustela lutreola, as well as wild cat Felis sylvestris are to be found on the floating islands. The mink population, although its size is unknown, is apparently significant in European terms.

 

The forest areas contain several rare reptiles, including Vipera ursini, Elaphe longissiuma, and Eremias arguta deserti.

 

 

CULTURAL HERITAGE

The very long history of trading along the Danube is evident from remains of Greek and Roman settlements (including a lighthouse). Villages surrounding the Delta show a Turkish influence.

 

LOCAL HUMAN POPULATION

Estimated at between 12,000 and 16,000, depending on the definition of the area covered and residence status. The population is distributed along the three main waterways, Chilia, Sulina and Sfintu Gheorghe, the main source of drinking water. The local population has been involved in small-scale, low-intensity use of natural resources supplemented by outside interests, such as fishing (10,000 boats are registered), cattle grazing and beekeeping, thought on the whole to be integrated to preservation of natural heritage.

 

The centre of commercial activity in the Delta is the Freeport of Sulina. In the late 1980s the town underwent rapid expansion with 500 new dwellings being built, a hotel and a shipping centre to handle 3,500 ships annually. Other urban developments have taken place at Chilia Veche, Sfintu Gheorghe, 1 Mai, Unirea and Independenta.

 

VISITORS AND VISITOR FACILITIES

Permission is needed to visit the nature reserves which are closed during the bird breeding season. Away from the three main channels the areas are rarely frequented with very few visitors.

 

CONSERVATION VALUE

The Delta is the meeting point of Palaearctic and Mediterranean biogeographic zones and represents a unique dynamic wetland ecosystem containing a rich biodiversity of wetland habitats. The site is internationally significant for birds, both breeding and migratory, including a number of globally-threatened species. It is also a vitally important buffer system between the hydrographical basin of the River Danube and the Black Sea.