Conservation challenges

Due to the low level of research done in Romania in this regard and the rapid pace of environmental
changes that the country went through in the last decades, there is no definitive list of endangered
species in Romania. According to a 2013 paper on biodiversity,

The incomplete and biased species inventory in Romania may have several causes: difficult access
due to low road density, complex landscape (with 15% of the territory above 800 m), limited funds
available for large-scale inventory and monitoring projects, and lack of institutional support. For
instance, no species distribution databases are publicly available at the Romanian Ministry of the
Environment[9]

Some species, such as the chamois, the Eurasian lynx, the European bison, the wood grouse and the
Danube salmon have been the subject of some high-profile conservation efforts and are protected by
national laws.[58]

One species that only lives in Romania and might soon become extinct is the Romanian darter, a
species of perch that was once common in the waters of the Argeș river and its tributaries, Râul
Doamnei and Vâlsan, but is now only extant in a 1 km stretch of the Vâlsan.[59]

Alien species

A 2017 study identified 390 alien species of terrestrial animals with (of which 90% are
invertebrates) and 102 species of aquatic organisms (44 freshwater and 58 marine) in Romania.
Most of these originate in North America and Southeast Asia and have been introduced accidentally.
Despite being a signatory of the Berne Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and
Natural Habitats, Romania is behind many other countries when it comes to protecting its
ecosystems from invasive alien species. There is currently no official list of alien species or invasive
species provided by the Romanian Ministry of Environment.[60]

Some of the invasive alien species, such as the veined rapa whelk, the sea walnut or the soft-shell
clam have been well documented,[61][62] but the impact of most invasive species on the Romanian
ecosystems has not been properly researched, with serious academic research into the topic only
beginning in the last decade.[60][63]