Ines Grigorescu

Fostering Community Outreach Activities for Environmental Sustainability Through a Cross-Border Academic Research Partnership

The focal aim of this study is to provide a general framework of the role of an academic research partnership in fostering community outreach activities to improve environmental sustainability through developing tailored science-society interfaces. The paper seeks to present an overview of the EU Romania—Bulgaria Cross Border Cooperation Programme project entitled “Romanian—Bulgarian cross-border joint natural and technological hazards assessment in the Danube floodplain. The Calafat-Vidin—Turnu Măgurele-Nikopole sector (ROBUHAZ-DUN)” and, particularly, the research collaboration, scientific outcomes and dissemination activities carried out during the 18 month project. The aim of the paper is to offer an example of how to promote environmental sustainability to community members in a rural transboundary area in order to respond to their needs in terms of hazard assessment and mitigation, but also to increase knowledge and awareness of disaster risk reduction, climate change and environment sustainability. A special attention was paid to the main scientific and informative products (promotional materials, maps, posters, guidebooks, university course, reports) which were used as support materials for the dissemination activities undertaken throughout the project in terms of raising awareness and informative campaigns in schools, meetings with local authorities, joint round tables, media events, summer school etc. These activities were aimed at bridging the gap between the academic research and local communities in an area prone to natural and human-induced hazards in order to support environmental sustainability through disaster risk reduction education.

Urban Growth in the Bucharest Metropolitan Area: Spatial and Temporal Assessment Using Logistic Regression

AbstractThe Bucharest Metropolitan Area (BMA) is witnessing rapid urban growth under the form of urban sprawl, which leads to a continuous expansion of the city over wider territories beyond its ou...

Key pluvial parameters in assessing rainfall erosivity in the south-west development region, Romania

Located in the south-western part of Romania, the south-west development region overlaps the main relief forms: the Carpathians mountains, the Getic Subcarpathians, the Getic piedmont, the Romanian plain and the Danube valley. The study aims at providing an overview on the main pluvial parameters and their role in assessing rainfall erosivity in the study area. The authors assessed the occurrence, frequency and magnitude of some of the most significant pluvial parameters and their impact on the climatic aggressiveness in the study area. Thus, the monthly and annual mean and extreme climatic values for different rainfall related parameters (e.g., maximum amounts of precipitation/24 hr, heavy rainfall), as well as relevant indices and indicators for pluvial aggressiveness (Fournier, Fournier Modified, Angot) were calculated. The rainfall erosivity was assessed in order to provide both the spatial distribution of the triggering extreme weather phenomena and the resulted intensity classes for the analysed indices and indicators. The authors used long-term precipitation records (1961–2010) for the selected relevant meteorological stations distributed throughout all analysed relief units.

Predicting the Potential Distribution of Ailanthus altissima, an Invasive Terrestrial Plant Species in Măcin Mountains National Park (Romania)

Under current global change conditions, invasive species show an increasing tendency to spread over larger areas in close relationship with their triggering environmental driving forces. Current research is seeking to assess the potential distribution of the invasive terrestrial plant species (ITPS) Ailanthus altissima in a natural protected area, the Măcin Mountains National Park (II IUCN category). The protected area is located in the southeastern part of Romania, sheltering a combination of Pontic, steppe, and well-preserved sub-Mediterranean and Balkan forest ecosystems. The authors propose a geographic GIS-based quantitative statistical analysis (potential distribution model, ITPS-PODISMOD) of A. altissima using bivariate analysis that takes into consideration the relationship between variables, such as A. altissima as the dependent variable and its driving factors as independent variables. Concurrently, each driving factor was ranked depending on the relationships between the analysed species and its ecological conditions. Thus, an ITPS-PODISMOD map displaying areas with different potential distribution of A. altissima in relationship to the key environmental driving factors has resulted.

Environmental Changes in the Maramureş Mountains Natural Park

Maramures Mountains Natural Park (MMNP) is the biggest protected area in the Romanian Carpathians, located in the north of the Eastern Carpathians along Romania’s border with Ukraine. The Park displays a complex of richly forested mountain summits, a great diversity of ecosystems, and unique landscapes, which have led to its declaration as a protected area, under the Category V IUCN – Protected Landscape-Natural Park, in 2004. This chapter provides an update of the environmental changes related to the main human-induced pressures characteristic for this natural protected area. Although MMNP was declared later than other similar protected areas in the Romanian Carpathians (e.g. Apuseni Natural Park and Bucegi Natural Park, declared in 1990), its rich biodiversity, outstanding landscapes, and cultural heritage are no less significant and valuable. Therefore, the authors are seeking to identify and assess the historical and current human-induced driving forces encountered in MMNP (e.g. settlements expansion, deforestation, overgrazing, mining activities, touristic activities) that have driven the most significant environmental changes in the area (e.g. habitat, fragmentation, biodiversity loss, land use/land cover changes) to prevent their intensification and reduce their negative impact.

Human Pressure on the Environment in the “Munţii Maramureşului” Natural Park

In order to protect the natural environment in the Romanian Carpathians, 22 major protected areas totalling approximately 1 million hectares, as well as some 600 reserves and natural monuments totalling 50,000 ha, were declared. The chapter is aiming to point out the main human-related pressures characteristic for the mountain natural landscapes, by selecting as case study “Munţii Maramuresului” Natural Park (MMNP). This protected area can be considered as a landmark in the Romanian Carpathians protected areas assessment, taking into account both its environmental stressors and its landscape qualities for acceding to UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status. Although MMNP was declared in 2004, later than other similar protected areas in Romanian Carpathians (Apuseni Natural Park and Bucegi Natural Park in 1990 etc.), its landscape and biodiversity features are no less significant and valuable. The authors are aiming to identify and assess the main present-day human impact categories encountered in MMNP: deforestation and over-grazing, mining activities, poaching, waste deposits, etc. in order to prevent their expansion and diminish their negative impact upon the environment.