The necessity to widen the Cheile Bicazului-Hăşmaş National Park. Scientific substantiation

Abstract

Abstract. The Bicaz Gorges - Hăşmaş National Park refers only to the mounts of Malm-Urgonian dolomites and limestones belonging to Hăşmaş Transylvanian Nappe. Many scientific objectives, namely geologic, geographic-geomorphologic, flora, and fauna support a widening of the National Park in order to include also the area located between Munticelu-Surduc and Muntele Fagului Saddle, the so-called “Creasta” Dămucului, or at least, to develop a buffer zone surrounding the National Park. This paper presents in detail the reasons which support our proposal. Detailed evidence of the particular features of the most important scientific objectives suggested to be included in the national park involve the outliers of Hăşmaş Nappe preserved in Munticelu-Surduc limestone mounts with Şugăului Gorges and Munticelu Cave, the outliers of Sub-Bucovinian Nappe from the Dămuc-Bicaz confluence, the fossil-bearing Klippen from Criminiş and Piatra Luciului and the outcrops of Aptychus Formation between Muntele Fagului Saddle and Piciorului Creek