Abstract: The diversity and distribution of wild orchids within the Nera Gorges-Beuşniţa National Park (Caraş-Severin, Romania) was studied between 2009 and 2015. The last documented orchid inventory in the Nera Gorges region was published more than forty years ago. The presence of twenty six out of thirty-three orchid taxa known for this region was confirmed during our investigations. These represent almost half of the orchid species that occur in Romania, many of them being listed in the Annexes of Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora and in various national and European Red Lists. We discuss here the distribution of orchid taxa in relation to the Natura 2000 habitats identified within the borders of the protected area with remarks on the evolution of chorology of several species.

Key words: Orchidaceae, distribution, habitats, Nera Gorges-Beuşniţa National Park

Presentation: oral