Created at the beginning of 1992, Natura 2000 network represents a structure aimed at protecting nature. At the same time, it is "the foundation of community politics of environment protection", being in a permanent process of monitoring and expansion to new areas that present ecological importance [11]. Up to 2011, in Romania 381 locations were declared Sites of Community Importance (273 SAC - Special Areas of Conservation and 108 SPA - Special Protection Areas). They were declared by Order no. 1964/2007 regarding the establishment of the protected area regime for the Sites of Community Interest, as integral part of European ecological network Natura 2000 in Romania and by Government Decision 1284/2007 regarding the declaration of areas of special bird and fauna protection as integral part of the European ecological network 2000 in Romania [1,2,3]. It is common knowledge that the year 2010 was "the international year of biodiversity", because of the decline of ecosystems . People are concerned about the negative impact of man on natural ecosystems becoming ever stronger in the past years [1,3]. The year 2011 is important from the point of view of biodiversity, especially through the measures taken by authorities and by the civil society towards protecting our natural heritage. More concrete, these measures refer to declaring, by law, new areas of community importance or expansions of the already-existing ones. This contributes to the expansion and coherence of Natura 2000 European ecological network in Romania and Europe. Timiş County covers 8697 km 2 , thus being the largest county in the country. Plains are the main landforms in Timiş County, covering 85% of its surface. From the point of view of biodiversity, the habitats in Timiş County are characterized by a specific composition of the flora and fauna, components of biocenoses, influenced by various climatic or edaphic factors [1,3]. The present paper aims to analyze the designation of new protected areas of community interest in Timiş County and the representativity of natural habitats of grasslands and hay meadows among these.

expansion of Natura 2000 European ecological network, habitats of grasslands and hay meadows

Presentation: oral