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Environment

Volume XII |

Landfills – territorial issues of cities from North-East Region, Romania

Abstract: Landfilling prevails in waste management options in Romania like others new EU members, being contrary to the concept of waste hierarchy promoted in recent years by EC. Waste disposal is done usually in non-compliant landfills and Government established a program to close these sites. This paper aims to analyse the transition from traditional waste management systems to an integrated system at national, regional and local scale. Assessment of landfills location based on buffer analysis (using GIS techniques) is made according to the proximity of five critical factors (CF) such as: residential area, industry & commercial units, agricultural lands, rivers & lakes, forest and protected areas, all these factors being sensitive to pollution. Thus, most of these old sites are badly or improperly located related to surroundings and only few have an acceptable location in the study area! Therefore, the proposed method can be a necessary tool in EIA studies of these environmental threats at regional scale.

Volume XII |

Hierarchical analysis of the threats for Species of Community Interest in the Iron Gates Natural Park, Romania

Abstract: Threats to biodiversity are diverse and the management of these threats is a major research direction in the conservation of biological diversity. Determining the status of a species is essential in identifying those in danger of becoming extinct and also to establish conservation priorities. For the management of all types of threats that manifest themselves for certain species of community interest in the Iron Gates Natural Park, we must first understand their causes and effects. Conservationists are increasingly interested in determining threats to biological communities, this being an important part of territorial and environmental planning strategies. The analysis undertaken for some geographical areas showed that the most important threats are the socio-economic and demographic variables, the fragmentation, destruction and degradation of habitats through various practices, the introduction of non-native species, illegal hunting or overfishing. In this context, for elaborating sustainable patterns of habitat management we must analyze and prioritize the threats that we are dealing with. The method requires an inventory of the main threats in the Iron Gates Natural Park, the threats for certain Species of Community Interest (Tulipa hungarica, Colchicum arenarium, Pulsatilla grandis). We have also applied a method used by WWF in order to achieve a hierarchy of the main threats and to establish logical and efficient actions that can be locally applicable.

Volume XII |

Spatial analysis of dumpsites volumes from rural territory. Case study: Neamţ County, Romania

Abstract: Open dumps was the main option of the local communities in household waste management, this practice being banned after July 16, 2009. The paper examines the correlation between dumpsites volumes, population density and local geographical conditions in the context that in most rural administrative-territorial units of the county there were no facilities for waste collection. The geographical distribution of dumpsites volumes reflects the disparities between different areas of the county and on the other hand, it highlights the spaces exposed to pollution. Also, the comparative analysis between 2004 (pre-accession) and 2009 (post-accession) reflects a rudimentary waste management system in this period which favored the waste dumping. This paper analyses the issues of rural waste management and its environmental implications at local scale. Such approaches are necessary for a proper analysis of EU environmental policies implementation   at regional and local level.

Volume XI |

Pollution of Soils by Heavy Metals from Irrigation near Mining Region of Georgia

Abstract: The main goal of our research was to study the composition, migration and accumulation of heavy metals in irrigated soils, plants and partially natural waters in Bolnisi district, Georgia (southwards of Tbilisi capital city), and to establish the possible sources of pollution and their impact on the environmental situation of the region. The contents of toxic elements in the irrigated soils adjacent to ore mining and processing enterprise were studied. All samples from soils and water were inspected with Perkin Elmer device with the use of atomic-adsorptive method.There were identified different concentrations of heavy metals. Our research has shown that more than half of the territory is seriously polluted by copper and zinc. Some part of the area can be considered catastrophically polluted. Due to the technological process and practices, irrigations play a major role in polluting the soil, since the area is irrigated using the water from rivers where wastewaters from the enterprise are discharged.Our study shows that pollutant heavy metals, first of all copper, zinc and manganese have active negative effect on the properties of soil, its composition and soil-forming processes. It is especially well represented in the deterioration of hydro-physical potential of the soil. Balanced correlation among solid, liquid and gas phases is disrupted. In the highly polluted soils, cementing processes take place and sharply increase bulk density of the soil. Thus, the porosity of the soil deteriorates and water permeability is critically low.

Volume XI |

Formal and legal aspects of the forest landscape design in Poland

Abstract: In the article possibilities of forest designing established on the basis of results of analyses of legal documents (acts and regulations) being in effect in Poland concerning spatial planning, nature conservation and forestry were presented. Achieved results allow to state, that issues concerning landscape approach are becoming more and more important in the realization of principles of the forest management led in Poland. In forests, amongst action associated with the necessity of the landscape protection, management and planning a need of reconstruction of tree stands, keeping all open areas in a natural or near-natural extent, limiting the area of total fellings, increasing the species diversity of ecotones are named. And so the possibilities of landscape design concern mainly culture and management aspects. Simultaneously a lack of many significant references to the scope of applied solutions in the area of forestry engineering was observed.