THE GEOLOGICAL AND PALEONTOLOGICAL NATURAL MONUMENTS ? HABITATS FOR BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION

The study is focused on evaluating the flora and fauna diversity potential of ten Geological and Paleontological Natural Monuments, located in the North of the Republic of Moldova, and highlighting the rare species with national, regional and international protected status. On the basis of the obtained results it was established that there is found a rich diversity of flora and fauna in the studied objects. The investigated ecosystems serve as new habitats, unknown previously, for some rare species. The research results serve as a scientific argument to protect landscapes as a whole, including the geological and paleontological elements as well as the flora and fauna ones, a requirement set down by the Rio Convention, 1992.