Location: The Podul de Hârtie Swamp is a peat bog located south of HR-031 - Mlaștina Luc, Ruc - Fântâna Brazilor, in Harghita County north of the village of Fântâna Brazilor. This bog is located at an altitude of 945 m, with GPS coordinates of latitude (N) 46˚30’00.8 ”, respectively longitude (E) 25˚15’41.5” and an area of 8.63 ha. On the territory of the peat bog are the buildings with cadastral number 58967, public road owned by Corund commune, respectively the buildings owned by the Cerbul Carpatin Corund Compossesorate with cadastral number 58281, 58366, 58371, and with cadastral number 56934 and 57071 owned by Tófalvi Lajos and Tófalvi Ferenc, respectively. The Podul de Hârtie swamp is located south of the protected natural area with the code ROSCI0244, not being part of a NATURA 2000 site.
Conservation status: The main habitat type is 7140 - Transitional peat bogs, and other important habitats are: 91E0 * Alnus glutinosa and Fraxinus excelsior alluvial forests and R5310 - Daco-Danubian communities with Carex elata, Carex rostrata, Carex riparia and Carex acutiformis. Habitat conservation status 7140 is considered unfavorable with minor degradation, and secondary 91E0 unfavorable with minor degradation and R5310 unfavorable with major degradation.
Identified pressures and threats: During the field inspections, the current pressures were identified, but also those that will threaten the habitats in the future. In addition to those identified in the restoration schemes in the PeatRO program, we also identified other disruptive factors, pressures and threats:
- intensification of the grazing effect on the northern part of the land, as a result of which it needs to be eliminated by the intervention of building an electric fence in the affected part (sub-activity A.2.1 and A.2.2);
- invasion of woody vegetation, species of Salix cinerea, Salix caprea, Betula pubescens and Populus tremula. These species due to the dry years of the past began to invade as much as possible, occupying an area of 1.75 ha of peatland. Habitat 7140 is affected. Requires sub activity 4.1;
- invasion of grassy vegetation, species of, Veratrum album, Festuca rubra, Juncus conglomeratus, Nardus stricta. At the edges of habitat 7140 due to droughts and the accumulation of biomass quantities, the invasion of uncharacteristic species has started, which requires interventions on an area of 1 ha (sub-activity 4.2);
- the accumulation of the amount of biomass by the decomposition of the grassy vegetation, which contributes to the increase of the degree of mineralization and eutrophication of the peat bog. Requires interventions and mowing on an area of 4.6 ha (sub-activity A.6.1).
