Non-wood forest products (NWFPs) represent an important nutritional resource for the rural population. The most common worldwide NWFPs are represented by forest fruits, edible mushrooms, seeds, game, medicinal plants and much more. These NWFPs are used for their positive health properties. Due to the fact that Romania has at its disposal a large variety of relief forms, numerous NWFPs are present on its territory, with a preponderance of forest fruits. These are rich in vitamins and have antioxidant properties, being used in alimentation, medicinal or cosmetic industry. The present article presents the most representative forest fruits from Timiș County. As such, the forest fruits characteristic for this County are the following: cornel cherries (Cornus mas L.), wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca L. ), brier (Rosa canina L.), sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.), blackberry (Rubus hirtus W. et K.), forest pears (Pyrus pyraster L.), alderberry (Sambucus nigra L.) and cherries (Prunus avium L.). Their classification was realized after an analytical hierarchical process (AHP) based on 19 well established criteria whose analysis was realized by renowned specialists. Based on this process, the most popular and sought after forest fruits from Timiș County are sea buckthorn, cherries and blackberries. The most perishable forest fruits are wild strawberries and brier, while the quantity of forest pears, cherries and elderberry harvested in 8 hours is much higher than the one of wild strawberries, sea buckthorn and brier. The sea buckthorn fruits can be used for treating different cardiovascular diseases, cancer, asthma and pulmonary diseases, while cherries and wild strawberries represent a rich source of proteins, minerals, vitamins and different substances with antioxidant purpose. The portfolio of derived forest fruits products is very diverse. As such, it is usually represented by the following products: tea, syrup, liqueur, jam, cosmetic products and a diverse range of products used in the medicinal industry.

Timis, sea buckthorn, blackberries

environmental engineering

Presentation: oral