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Volume XIV |
Hydrology

Flood exposure and settlement vulnerability in the Moldavian Plateau, Eastern Romania

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Abstract: This paper quantifies settlement-level exposure to centennial flood across the Moldavian Plateau (NE Romania) using a reproducible GIS workflow. Official flood-hazard bands were intersected with built-up limits and building footprints; rural housing was completed by manual digitization, while urban fabric relied on OpenStreetMap layer. Exposed population was estimated from household counts using the national average of 2.6 persons/household, with additional rules for apartment blocks. Results are reported at multiple scales—by river basins (Siret, Jijia including Buhai–Miletin–Bahlui–Bahlueț, Bârlad and Prut/Chineja) and urban case studies (Iași, Bacău, Vaslui). The Siret basin concentrates the highest systemic exposure, Prut highlights transport-corridor vulnerability (DN/DJ roads and railway segments), while Bârlad exhibits dense, localized hot-spots. City-level estimates indicate approximately 68,750 exposed inhabitants in Iași, 36,756 in Bacău, and 2,550 in Vaslui under centennial flood scenario, together with clusters of socio-economic assets and critical infrastructure near the hazard band. Key limitations include potential under or over counts in recent developments, block-stairwell granularity, and reliance on census-based household averages. The findings support differentiated risk-reduction priorities: structural measures across Siret sub-basins, transport protection and redundancy along Prut, and targeted local actions in Bârlad. Periodic updates of hazard mapping using LiDAR and hydraulic modeling are recommended to refine exposure estimates and planning decisions.

Keywords: , , , ,
Full article 10.5775/fg.2025.3746.dDates:
Received: 12-09-2025 Accepted: 30-11-2025 Printed: 30-12-2025 Online: 30-12-2025
Affiliations:
  • 1 Ștefan cel Mare University of Suceava, Faculty of History, Geography and Social Sciences, Geography Department, Universității Street, no. 13, Suceava, 720229, Romania
Corresponding author:
  • domenic.becica2@student.usv.ro
Author contributions: Conceptualization, D.R.B. and M.M.; methodology, D.R.B. and M.M.; formal analysis, D.R.B. and M.M.; investigation, D.R.B. and M.B.; writing—original draft preparation, D.R.B.; writing—review and editing, D.R.B. and M.B.. All authors have read and agreed to the published.Declaration of interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Citation:
APA 6 | Harvard 2008 | Turabian 6 | MLA 7
RIS | BibTeX
Funding: This research received no external funding.Acknowledgements: The authors sincerely thank the anonymous reviewers for their detailed evaluations and highly constructive feedback, which substantially improved the quality and clarity of this paper. The authors are also deeply grateful to the editors of Forum Geografic for their continuous support, professionalism, and valuable coordination during the peer-review process.
Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Forum geografic.
Provided under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License.
Open Access article.
Volume XIV |
Geomorphology, Tourism

Geomorphosites and ongoing anthropogenic changes: concepts and implications regarding the heritage value of geotourism sites in the Bran–Rucăr–Dragoslavele Corridor (Romania)

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Abstract: This study contributes to the inventory and understanding of the heritage value of four geomorphosites (two caves, a pit and a partially karstified plateau with anthropic relief of a military tactical device) located in the central part of the Bran – Dragoslavele Corridor, an important tourist axis in the Romanian Carpathians. The main purpose of the research is to propose to the Scientific Council of the Piatra Craiului National Park and the National Agency for Protected Natural Areas the declaration of the four geomorphosites as nature reserves, as they are at risk of being affected by negative anthropogenic actions. The inclusion of these geomorphosites in the PNPC/ROSCI 0194 Piatra Craiului Management Plan could lead to their subsequent declaration as protected natural areas. At the same time, the underground cavities could be declared habitats of national/community interest in the category “Caves closed to public access”. A secondary objective of this study is to promote the concept of geotourism within the geographical area subject to geomorphological analysis. For this reason, it could also be useful to local legal and administrative authorities in the villages of Rucăr, Podu Dâmboviței, Dâmbovicioara and Fundata. Their decisions, in conjunction with those at national level, could lead to the implementation of the concept and the development of geotourism in the region, through the creation of geotourism circuits promoted appropriately, precisely because of the high potential offered by the numerous geological and geomorphological tourist resources existing in the administrative territories of the aforementioned localities. The geomorphosite files inventoried in the central area of this transcarpathian corridor could serve as a basis for information for the promotion and establishment of a large protected natural area that would include (conserve, protect and/or sustainably exploit) the geotourism objectives in the region (other than those included in the “The Gorges of Dâmbovița – Dâmbovicioara – Brusturet Karst Area” Geological and Geomorphological Reserve) and which would bear the proposed name: “Moieciu – Fundata – Dâmbovicioara – Rucăr Geological and Geomorphological Complex” Nature Reserve.

Keywords: , , , , ,
Full article 10.5775/fg.2025.3738.dDates:
Received: 17-11-2025 Accepted: 30-12-2025 Printed: 30-12-2025 Online: 30-12-2025
Affiliations:
  • 1 Faculty of Geography, "Babeș Bolyai" University, 5-7 Clinicilor Street, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania and "Nicolae Titulescu" College, 125 "13 Decembrie" Street, 500164 Brașov, Romania
  • 2 "Silex" Brașov Speleology Club, Romania
  • 3 Faculty of History and Geography, Department of Geography, University of Suceava, Universităţii 13, 720229 Suceava, Romania and Geoconcept Association of Applied Geography, Suceava, Romania
Corresponding author:
  • septimius.trif@ubbcluj.ro
Author contributions: Conceptualization, S.T. and M.M.; methodology, S.T. and A.P.; formal analysis, M.M. and A.P.; investigation, S.T. and A.P.; writing—original draft preparation, S.T.; writing—review and editing, S.T., M.M. and A.P. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.Declaration of interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Citation:
APA 6 | Harvard 2008 | Turabian 6 | MLA 7
RIS | BibTeX
Funding: This research received no external funding.Acknowledgements: Exploration and topgraphy of Pleașa Cave and Pereți Pit was carried out with the support of members of the "Silex" Brașov Speleology Club: Dumitru I. (topographer), Olteanu D. and Pologea A. (topographer). The exploration of Posada Cave was carried out with the support of explorers: Cioban D., Cheran R., and Tănase P.E. (geologist).
Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Forum geografic.
Provided under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License.
Open Access article.
Volume XXII |
Environment

Fire signal in lakes and peatlands in Romania during the Holocene: A review of methods, groundwork and achievements

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Abstract: In this article, we provide a review of research that explores the extensive history of wildfires across Europe, focusing specifically on Romania’s territory. Lakes and peatlands serve as ideal sources for reconstructing charcoal fluxes resulting from vegetation burning. These natural resources are extremely sensitive to local environmental changes, and the deposition of allochthonous material is exclusively atmospheric. The analysis of macro-charcoal is the primary method for reconstructing local and regional wildfires. This article aims to emphasize the significant studies on paleofires, and the processing and identification methods of macroscopic charcoal particles, which include charcoal number, morphology, and CharAnalysis. The review of scientific achievements in Europe and Romania provides valuable insights into these methods. We aim to investigate the potential of modern international paleofire databases, such as the Global Charcoal Database and Reading Palaeofire Database, which provide updated information on local and regional paleofire occurrences during the Holocene period. We will also make use of software tools that generate maps based on network data, such as VOSviewer Bibliometric Analysis, to visualize and study the wildfire in Romania. Furthermore, we will analyze the publications related to this topic that are available in the Web of Science database. We analyzed the results of paleofire studies in Europe and Romania to determine the primary research directions linked to fire reconstruction. Our review revealed that most of the study sites in Romania are in the Carpathians, particularly at higher elevations, followed by mid-elevation areas. However, lowlands have been less investigated up to this date.

Keywords: , , ,
Full article 10.5775/fg.2023.086.iDates:
Received: 12-01-2023 Accepted: 20-06-2023 Printed: 30-06-2023 Online: 26-09-2023
Affiliations:
  • 1 Department of Geography, Ștefan cel Mare University, 720229 Suceava, Romania
  • 2 Department of Geography, Ștefan cel Mare University, 720229 Suceava, Romania / Geoconcept Association of Applied Geography, 727110 Cârlibaba, Romania
Corresponding author:
  • mindrescu@atlas.usv.ro
Author contributions: Conceptualization, A.P., and M.M.; methodology, A.P.; formal analysis, D.I.; investigation, A.F.; writing—original draft preparation, A.P.; writing—review and editing, A.P., D.I., A.F., M.M. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.Declaration of interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Citation:
APA 6 | Harvard 2008 | Turabian 6 | MLA 7
RIS | BibTeX
Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Forum geografic.
Provided under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License.
Open Access article.
Volume XX |
Geomorphology

Combining geomorphological approach and thermal monitoring for permafrost research in Rodna Mountains, Northern Romanian Carpathians

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Abstract: This paper aim to investigate the possibility of permafrost occurrence in the alpine area of Rodna Mountains by describing the rock glaciers distribution and characteristics and by monitoring the ground surface temperature and spring water temperature during late summer. Rock glaciers have a rather scarce distribution between 1670 and 1960 m a.s.l., their morphology is completely relict even at the highest altitudes which indicate they are inherited landforms. Thermal regime indicates improbable permafrost at Bila talus slope (1844 m a.s.l.) and an ambiguous outcome at Curmătura Buhăescului talus slope (1980 m a.s.l.) where average temperature during the BTS period was warmer than the -2°C threshold only in one year of the two monitored. Alpine spring water temperatures are above 3°C indicating absence of permafrost and they are moderately correlated with altitude. Iezeru Pietrosu cirque headwall is affected only by seasonal frost at 2100 m a.s.l. for almost 9 months. It seems that in Rodna Mountains the past and present climate conditions were and are milder in comparison to Southern Carpathians as the latitude increase does not compensate the lower altitudes.

Keywords: , , , , ,
Full article 10.5775/fg.2021.071.dDates:
Received: 19-09-2021 Accepted: 06-11-2021 Printed: 30-12-2021 Online: 14-02-2022
Affiliations:
  • 1 University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geography, Bucharest, Romania and University of Bucharest Research Institute, Bucharest
  • 2 Department of Geography, Ștefan cel Mare University, Suceava
  • 3 Emil Racoviță Institute of Speleology, Romanian Academy, Bucharest
  • 4 University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geography, Bucharest, Romania
Corresponding author:
  • razvan.popescu@geo.unibuc.ro
Citation:
APA 6 | Harvard 2008 | Turabian 6 | MLA 7
RIS | BibTeX
Acknowledgements: We acknowledge and appreciate the support of GEODAR research group from the University of Bucharest Research Institute led by Dr. Alfred Vespremeanu-Stroe that supplied us with the research instruments.
Copyright: © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Forum geografic.
Provided under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License.
Open Access article.

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