Abstract: The Romanian Subcarpathian space has been the subject of continuous transformation during the last 2 centuries under the double impact of human activities and disruptive natural factors. Time and spatial dynamics of land use and coverage determined a major impact on the structure and functionality of the Subcarpathian landscape. In the Subcarpathians between the Râmnicu Sărat and the Buzău, the main tendencies in land use changes are highlighted by the decrease of forestry areas and increase of agricultural terrains, especially pastures and orchards, a consequence of the deforestation undertaken to answer local human needs. The fragmentation and the pronounced decrease of forestry ecosystems has been quantified by calculating and analysing landscape metrics, using land use and coverage maps derived from the Corine Land Cover 1990 and 2006 database. In the Subcarpathians between the Râmnicu Sărat and the Buzău, there has been registered a deforestation rate of 10.09% in the analysed period, but also an increase in landscape fragmentation. Thus, the number of forest patches increased by 10.96% and their average size decreased by 13.73%, while the shape remained unchanged. Landscape patches became more isolated, as the value of the average proximity index decreased by 42.07%. The study underlines the necessity of elaborating a strategy of protection and preservation for these ecosystems, aimed at increasing the reforestation rate and decreasing the fragmentation degree. A sustainable planning system of land use must be enforced in order to increase forest productivity and the uniformity degree of the Subcarpathian landscape.

Abstract: By means of the Water Framework Directive methodology, the present study identifies the valid indicators used for evaluating the ecological status of two natural water bodies (the first located on the Jiu river between Bratovoieşti and the Danube confluence, and the second on the Motru river between the Jirov and the Jiu confluence): hydromorphological indicators, physico-chemical indicators and biological indicators. The quality parameters deviated from the norm are: Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index – 2.87 for the Motru WB and Functional groups index – 0.68 for the Jiu WB (biological Indicators); modified water-cross section coefficient (depth) (1.22) – the Motru WB, impoundment coefficient (0.91) – the Motru WB and Coefficient of major streambed reduction (1.24) – the Jiu WB (hydromorphological indicators). The quality parameters (physico-chemical indicators) of the water drainage systems deviated from the norm are: Biochemical Oxygen demand BOD5 (40.78 mg/l) and Ammonium Nitrogen N-NH4 + (6.96 mg N/l) for Strehaia settlement; Biochemical Oxygen demand BOD5 (33.70 mg/l), Ammonium Nitrogen N-NH4 + (19.66 mg N/l) and Total Phosphorus PT (8.96 mg/l) for Craiova settlement. The target is to validate the ecological status for the two water bodies, respectively „moderate status” for the lower Jiu and „good status” for the lower Motru, related to the Class II and Class III of the European process of intercalibration, ensuring thus the compatibility at European level. The relevance of the paper consists in the assessment of the ecological status of two natural water bodies located downstream with respect to a major punctiform polluting source (two major settlements, Craiova on the Jiu, respectively Strehaia on the Motru), impacting heavily the achievement of environmental objectives set by the Water Frame Directive.

Abstract: The drinking water of German Sânmihaiu, located at about 15 km South-Western from Timişoara city, is polluted. There are some small farms in the settlement, which pollute the underground water with sulphates, nitrites and ammonia. Waste thermal waters resulted as open discharges from the local swimming pool are added. 22 water samples constituted the basis of this study, accompanied by questionnaires. The chemical analysis of the test was performed in the laboratory. The study also uses digital cartography methods, which outlined the spatial disparities regarding the pollution of each underground water table. The concentration of ammonia and nitrites has considerably decreased as compared to the last two decades, when intensive agriculture at CAP level was based on chemical fertilizers. Yet, the pollution from unmonitored sources continues to represent a problem.