Geographical Areas

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GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS

NAME OF THE LOCAL AREA
Copou Park

COUNTRY
Romania

CITY
Iasi

THEMATIC AREA
Biology

DESCRIPTION OF THE LOCAL AREA
The foundation of Copou park began in 1833, at the time when Iași was the capital of Moldova. Copou park has been integrated into the city since its beginnings and it is the first Romanian public park.
Copou park is famous for its oldest monument in Romania, which stands in the middle of the park, the Obelisk of the lions (1834), and Eminescu’s lime tree. The tree is a 500 year old silver lime (Tilia tomentosa Moench). Mihai Eminescu is the greatest Romanian poet who wrote some of his best poems under this lime tree, which became one of the most significant landmarks in Iasi.
Iași County has 387 centuries-old trees, 224 of which were declared monument trees. Most of them are oak or lime trees. The oldest tree in the county is the 675-year-old hybrid lime tree located in the courtyard of Barnova Monastery, in the vicinity of Iași.
The phytocoenoses composition, variable in different parts of ecosystems, creates a framework for raising and breeding of over 107 bird species (Anas platyrhynchos, Ixobrychus minutus, Nycticorax nycticorax, Ciconia ciconia, Pernis apivorus, Falco columbarius, Larus minutus, Picus canus, Lanius collurio, Bombycilla garrulus, Erithacus rubecula, Emberiza hortulana etc.), reptiles (Lacerta viridis, sand lizard, Emys orbicularis, Natrix Natrix), amphibians (Bombina bombina, Hyla arborea, Triturus cristatus, Triturus vulgaris and complex Rana sp.) mammals (Erinaceus europaeus, Talpa europaea, Lepus europaeus, Sciurus vulgaris, Apodemus agrarius etc.).

PICTURES


	Tilia tomentosa Moench	Tilia tomentosa, known as silver lime, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae, native to southeastern Europe and southwestern Asia, from Hungary and the Balkans east to western Turkey, occurring at moderate altitudes. Tilia tomentosa is a deciduous tree growing to 20–35 m (66–115 ft) tall, with a trunk up to 2 m (7 ft) in diameter. The leaves are alternately arranged, rounded to triangular-ovate, 4–13 cm long and broad with a 2.5–4 cm petiole, green and mostly hairless above, densely white tomentose with white hairs below, and with a coarsely toothed margin. The flowers are pale yellow, hermaphrodite, produced in cymes of three to ten in mid to late summer with a pale green subtending leafy bract; they have a strong scent and are pollinated by honeybees. The nectar however contains sugars which cannot be digested by other bees, to whom the tree is somewhat toxic. The fruit is a dry nut-like drupe 8–10 mm long, downy, and slightly ribbed. The protected tree located in the Copou Park is a 500 year old.
	The Wood Nuthatch (Sitta europaea)	The Eurasian nuthatch or wood nuthatch (Sitta europaea) is a small passerine bird found throughout temperate Asia and in Europe, where its name is the nuthatch. Like other nuthatches, it is a short-tailed bird with a long bill, blue-grey upperparts and a black eye-stripe. It is a vocal bird with a repeated loud dwip call. The Wood Nuthatch (Sitta europaea) is a sedentary species, usually found in deciduous forests (with trees that have falling leaves), parks and gardens. It makes its nest in tree hollows and reduces the circumference of the entrance in the nest by plastering it with mud. It eats insects.
	The sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus)	The Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus), also known as the northern sparrowhawk or simply the sparrowhawk, is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Adult male Eurasian sparrowhawks have bluish grey upperparts and orange-barred underparts; females and juveniles are brown above with brown barring below. The female is up to 25% larger than the male – one of the largest differences between the sexes in any bird species. Though it is a predator which specialises in catching woodland birds, the Eurasian sparrowhawk can be found in any habitat and often hunts garden birds in towns and cities. Males tend to take smaller birds, including tits, finches, and sparrows; females catch primarily thrushes and starlings, but are capable of killing birds weighing 500 g (18 oz) or more.
	The Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)	The European goldfinch or goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis), is a small passerine bird in the finch family that is native to Europe, North Africa and western Asia. It has been introduced to other areas including Australia, New Zealand and Uruguay. The goldfinch has a red face and a black-and-white head. The back and flanks are buff or chestnut brown. The black wings have a broad yellow bar. The tail is black and the rump is white. The female is very similar to the male but has a slightly smaller red area on the face. It is a sedentary species, but in some areas, but in some areas he is a winter guest. Common bird found in open areas, with trees in parks and gardens. It feeds mostly on small seeds, but also insects.
	The grey woodpecker (Picus canus)	A sedentary species, usually living in forests, sometimes, also in parks. It seeks food at soil levels. The male has a red spot or crown on the forehead. It is 25–28 cm long and weighs 130-180 grams. Its plumage closely resembles its near relative the European green woodpecker. It has green upperparts, pale grey underparts and a yellow rump. It has a grey head with black moustache, and the male has a red crown. It has a shorter neck, slimmer bill and slightly rounder head than the green woodpecker.

DRAWINGS


	Owls	Owls are birds from the order Strigiformes, which includes about two hundred species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers adapted for silent flight. Exceptions include the diurnal northern hawk-owl and the gregarious burrowing owl. Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds although a few species specialize in hunting fish.
	Owl Anatomy	Owls possess large forward-facing eyes and ear-holes; a hawk-like beak; a flat face; and usually a conspicuous circle of feathers, a facial disc, around each eye. The feathers making up this disc can be adjusted in order to sharply focus sounds from varying distances onto the owls\' asymmetrically placed ear cavities. Most birds of prey have eyes on the sides of their heads, but the stereoscopic nature of the owl\'s forward-facing eyes permits the greater sense of depth perception necessary for low-light hunting. Although owls have binocular vision, their large eyes are fixed in their sockets—as are those of most other birds—so they must turn their entire head to change views.

VIDEO


The song thrush (Turdus philomelos) The video shows Common Blackbird (Turdus merula). The song thrush (Turdus philomelos) is a thrush that breeds across much of Eurasia. It has brown upperparts and black-spotted cream or buff underparts and has three recognised subspecies. Its distinctive song, which has repeated musical phrases, has frequently been referred to in poetry. The song thrush breeds in forests, gardens and parks, and is partially migratory with many birds wintering in southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East; it has also been introduced into New Zealand and Australia. Although it is not threatened globally, there have been serious population declines in parts of Europe, possibly due to changes in farming practices.

The song thrush (Turdus philomelos)

The video shows Common Blackbird (Turdus merula). The song thrush (Turdus philomelos) is a thrush that breeds across much of Eurasia. It has brown upperparts and black-spotted cream or buff underparts and has three recognised subspecies. Its distinctive song, which has repeated musical phrases, has frequently been referred to in poetry. The song thrush breeds in forests, gardens and parks, and is partially migratory with many birds wintering in southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East; it has also been introduced into New Zealand and Australia. Although it is not threatened globally, there have been serious population declines in parts of Europe, possibly due to changes in farming practices.