Szőcs Péter Levente (szerk.): Călătorii peste granită de la Szabolcs la Carei (Satu Mare, 2011)
Natural values of the Carei Region
NATURAL VALUES OF THE CĂREI REGION The Plain of Carei lies in the vicinity the town, and appears as a poor area in water courses, being higher than the surrounding plains. It is a sandy area with a lot of fixed dunes, with an altitude of 150-160 m. The region hosts a large number of species of plants and animals, which reflects not only the high level of biodiversity, but also the fragility or rarity of some of them, especially the endemic ones. Near the town, among vast agricultural land we find some remarkable area, which still preserves the natural heritage. These were formed on large deposits of sand which was left behind by the rivers Tisa, Someş and Crasna at the end of Pleistocene period. In time, the relief was shaped by wind creating the landscape today. The continental dunes near Foieni locality join together an impressive number of environmental elements: southern, Mediterranean, Atlantic and of the Black Sea. The floating sands are fixed by an extraordinarily rich vegetation, and other rare species of flora: Alyssum saxatile, wild chamomile, Chrysopogon gryllus, fescue, Helichrysum arenarium, steppe iris, knot grass, sand, pasqueflower, lamps, etc. Characteristic animals include lizards, gophers and moles, the latter an endangered species worldwide. The gopher, endemic in Europe, is easily recognizable by its habit of getting up on hind legs and hiss at the sight of a predator, like a prey bird, stork or a bigger carnivorous. It is a characteristic species of grasslands and steppes, feeding mainly on seeds, flowers, insects and roots. Soft soils, clay and sandy layers are ideal for building burrows. Gopher population has declined significantly in recent decades due to the transformation of steppe grasslands into arable land, to thev emerging mechanized cultivation and the abandonment of grazing land which prevented the overgrowth of tall weeds. However, Carei Plain has a significant fauna population today, which was acknowledged and set up as a protected area of European importance. Near Sanislău village lies the Vermes Marsh, a eutrophic marsh intertwined in the area of the 57
