9. Vegetation and Fauna

The chapter concerning the vegetation and fauna of the Red Lake (except for the wetlands) is based upon data taken from the scientific literature. From this perspective, the ecologic succession of the lacustrine system may be divided into three phases: open water with an oligotrophic lake regime; invasion of the lake with aquatic macrophytes, with an oligotrophic-mesotrophic lake regime; and, in the end, mesotrophic; senescence, with a mesotrophic-eutrophic lake regime (Ghenciu Trăsături hidrofizice, hidrochimice şi hidrobiologice ale Lacului Roşu, 1972). The vegetation within the hydrographic basin is dominated by pine forests: spruce (Picea excelsa); silver fir (Abies alba); white pine (Pinus silvestri); larch (Larix decidua), etc. On the mountain pastures and on the alpine empty crests, graminaceous plants are predominant: red fescue (Festuca rubra); matgrass (Nardus stricta); rosy vanilla orchid (Nigritella rubra) etc., while hydrophyte and helophyte vegetation is present through the following associations: Carocetum inflatovesicariae; Caricetum appropinquatae; Equisetum limosi etc. The fauna of the hydrographic basin comprises a great variety of species, many of them rare and protected. Among the mammals the following should be mentioned: the brown bear (Ursus arctos); the common wild boar (Sus scrofa); the red Carpathian deer (Cervus elaphus carpaticus); the roe deer (Capreolus capreolus); the wolf (Canis lupus); the lynx (Felis lynx); the wildcat (Felis silvestris); the chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra), etc. The fish fauna is specific to the upper salmon area. As it contains dry residue, organic substance, nitrates, phenols, etc., the water provides satisfying conditions for the fish culture.