CONSERVATION STATUS OF PLANTS AND HABITATS UNDER TEN YEARS OPERATION PHASE OF A WIND FARM. CASE STUDY: SFANTA ELENA KARST PLATEAU, IRON GATES NATURAL PARK, ROMANIA

Located in the Iron Gates Natural Park, Romania, at the foot of the Locvei Mountains, the Sfanta Elena Karst Plateau is a very picturesque territory, characterized by a karst relief, covered by High Nature Value grasslands. In the last decade this territory has been subjected to increasing anthropogenic pressures, and specific concerns on biodiversity have been raised after the construction of a wind farm in 2011. Starting from a concern expressed by a scientist, our study aims to provide current data on plant species with conservation value and to assess the conservation status of orchid-rich grasslands around wind turbines after ten years of wind farm operation. During the operation period we identified 19 plant taxa with conservation value, eight of which which are orchid species. Four of them are new reports for this territory: Gymnadenia conopsea, Neotinea ustulata, Neottia nidus-avis and Orchis simia, as well other rare taxa such as Cirsium grecescui, Lathyrus sphaericus, Linum hologynum and Rumex thyrsiflorus, are mentioned for the first time. The orchid-rich grasslands in the wind farm area correspond to the Natura 2000 habitat 6210* whose structure and floristic composition are within the acceptable limits of Favourable conservation status. The conservation status of plant species is directly dependent on the quality of their habitat, as well as the variety of pressure and threat factors in the area.