Journal of Danubian Studies and Research, Vol 8, No 1 (2018)

Abstract

Forests are a component of the natural capital which has provided, ever since forgotten times,the humankind with various services, acting as a shelter, fuel provider, construction material provider,food provider. Practically, the development of humankind cannot be either imagined than stronglyconnected to the forest. Less than acknowledged are though the ecologic services provided by the forestecosystems, which take various shapes. One of the causes is the “subtlety” of these services, as they areharder to identify. Paradoxical, at first sight, the value of these services is mostly emphasized whenthey disappear, their lack being the consequence of human intervention on these complex ecosystems.Dysfunctions regarding their functioning, not to say about their total destruction lead to long termeconomic consequences, most of the times being devastating or hard to correct. Their usage value (theeconomic value) is easy to identify, as it can be immediately transformed into money through irrationalexploitation of forest ecosystems, the temptation of the immediate advantage being high. But, on longterm, the ecologic value, the “future option” value, despite the fact that they can be separatelyconsidered, they have a strong connection to the long ter economic values, as not to speak about theintrinsic, moral nature value. Practically, they validate the economic value, they amplify it, as it is thereason for which a knowledge on and a quantification of these service is needed, especially of theecologic ones. In Romania, human pressure on forest ecosystems threatens the medium and long termeconomic development of the country, through irrational exploitation or through the decreasing of theforest fund, actions that are mostly abusive and illegal.