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Environment

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Volume XI |
Environment

Land use changes in the Bâsca Chiojdului river basin and the assessment of their environmental impact

1, 2,

Abstract: The paper aims at analyzing the environmental quality of the Bâsca Chiojdului river basin by calculating a variety of environmental indices: human pressure index through population dynamics, human pressure index through agricultural land use, the naturality index, artificialization index and environmental change index. Choosing a 1 km grid for calculating and comparing these indices at the level of the river basin allows a more concise analysis on the environmental quality. Subsequently, the temporal dynamics of the environmental indices values is highlighted by the 40 years interval used especially in the human factor analysis, and by choosing the year 2005 as reference year. The results, embodied in the values obtained by applying formulas to calculate the environmental indices (human pressure index through agricultural land use – 44.19% agricultural land, the naturality index of the landscape – 50.82%; the artificialization index of the landscape – 2.32%; the environmental change index: Maruszczak version – 33.92; the improved version – 1.09, the completed version – 10.83) present the state of the environment. The proposed measures to stabilize and maintain a good environmental quality in the Bâsca Chiojdului river basin regard mainly the forest ecosystem, because it is the most important factor of maintaining the balance by its protective functionality on the environment.

Keywords: , , , ,
Full article 10.5775/fg.2067-4635.2012.023.iDates:
Received: 30-10-2011 Accepted: 01-03-2012 Printed: 01-06-2012 Online: 29-07-2012
Affiliations:
  • 1 “Romanian Waters” National Administration, Buzău – Ialomiţa Water Branch
  • 2 University of Craiova, Geography Department
Corresponding author:
  • oana_ionus@yahoo.com
Citation:
APA 6 | Harvard 2008 | Turabian 6 | MLA 7
RIS | BibTeX
Acknowledgements: The research was achieved within the framework of a grant offered by the Simion Mehedinţi Doctoral School (Faculty of Geography, University of Bucharest), project co-financed through the Sectoral Operational Programme for Human Resources Development 2007-2013, POSDRU/6/1.5/S/24/7546 Contract.
Copyright: © 2012 The Author(s). Published by Forum geografic.
Provided under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License.
Open Access article.
Volume X |
Environment

Distribution of Urban Green Spaces – an Indicator of Topophobia – Topophilia of Urban Residential Neighborhoods. Case Study of 5th District of Bucharest, Romania

1,, 1, 1

Abstract: Given the lack of usable data in the correct assessment of housing quality in an urban ecosystem, it is necessary to establish a system of environmental indices that can be used to evaluate and compare the attractiveness of urban neighborhoods. Oxygen generating surfaces fulfill multiple functions and give a certain quality to urban environment and housing, especially through the green spaces. Green spaces have an unequal distribution in the area of Bucharest. The structure, functions, adding availability and/or attractiveness of green areas define the neighborhoods in which they are located, and whether they are topophile or topophobe ones. In the present study, based on field observations, processing of cartographic materials and using the green spaces as most relevant index, topophile and topophobe neighborhoods have been identified in Bucharest. The tendency of residential areas development was also evaluated and it was found that it depends on the attractiveness of existing urban parks or neighborhood gardens.

Keywords: , , , , , , , , ,
Full article 10.5775/fg.2067-4635.2011.012.dDates:
Received: 30-12-2010 Accepted: 29-05-2011 Printed: 01-12-2011 Online: 25-08-2011
Affiliations:
  • 1 Centre for Environmental Research and Impact Studies, University of Bucharest, 1 Blvd. Nicolae Bălcescu, sector 1, Bucharest, 010041, Romania
Corresponding author:
  • adina_zimn@yahoo.com
Citation:
APA 6 | Harvard 2008 | Turabian 6 | MLA 7
RIS | BibTeX
Acknowledgements: Observations were conducted by the Center for Environmental Research and Impact Studies (CCMESI), University of Bucharest, in the framework of PN II Parteneriate 92104/2008 ECOLOC - Environmental management in urban residential areas in the context of current climate change. We would also like to thank the two anonymous reviewers whom suggestions helped us to improve this paper.
Copyright: © 2011 The Author(s). Published by Forum geografic.
Provided under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License.
Open Access article.
Volume X |
Environment, Geomorphology

Human-Induced Environmental Changes and Floodplain Restoration Necessity along the Danube, on the Drobeta-Turnu Severin – Bechet Sector

1,

Abstract: The present paper aims at analysing the human-induced transformations that took place in the Drobeta-Turnu Severin – Bechet sector of the Danube Floodplain during the last two centuries. The research started from the need to obtain a real and comprehensive database concerning the extension, the nature and the characteristics of the topographic-hydrographical, edaphic and biologic structures appeared or modified under human influence, their relation with the changes occurred at the level of the land use and their present functionality. Special attention was paid to the latter transformations occurred after 1989. The primary types of topographical and hydrographical changes resulted from the geomorphic human activity in the Danube Floodplain are analysed in relation with the land use within this unit. The analysis of the environmental transformations in the floodplain sector started from cartographic and statistical materials that are relevant for the 19th-21st centuries. For the post-communist period, the valorisation of the Corine Land Cover database allowed for a more detailed analysis of the land use dynamics. The data thus obtained was checked and updated with field observations and measurements, which are mandatory given the fact that the cartographic database shows deficiencies and it is partially outdated.

Keywords: , , ,
Full article 10.5775/fg.2067-4635.2011.027.dDates:
Received: 12-12-2010 Accepted: 30-06-2011 Printed: 01-12-2011 Online: 24-08-2011
Affiliations:
  • 1 Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Geography, University of Craiova, 13 Al. I. Cuza Street, Postal Code 200 585, Craiova, Romania
Corresponding author:
  • mihaela_licurici@yahoo.com
Citation:
APA 6 | Harvard 2008 | Turabian 6 | MLA 7
RIS | BibTeX
Acknowledgements: The author would like to kindly acknowledge all persons that supported this research by means of their knowledge, equipment or simply by their presence in this wide case study area. Special gratitude goes towards the researcher Lucian Badea, from the Geography Institute of the Romanian Academy, for his previous substantial works on the Danube Valley and for his first papers on the morphological changes within the Danube riverbed and floodplain. Further gratitude is to be given to the researchers from the Oltenia Museum, for their ambitious researches conducted in the area during the last ten years and for their advices. The information provided in the field of biology and history helped significantly the geographical research. I would also like to thank the reviewers for the constructive criticism and useful suggestions.
Copyright: © 2011 The Author(s). Published by Forum geografic.
Provided under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License.
Open Access article.
Volume X |
Environment, Geomorphology

The Dynamics of Forest Areas in the Vâlsan Basin

1,

Abstract: This case study refers to forest area dynamics within the Vâlsan Basin, situated between his affluents: Mierlei Valley and Bunești Valley in 1904-2004 period. The dynamics was shown by maps on a temporal scale especially in reference years as 1904, 1973, 1981, 1994, 2004. Forest cover from our study area has been decreased substantially because of the impact of human activities. We can conclude at the end of our paper that forest ecosystems had lost the natural equllibrium, and barely can realize the protective and hydrological function, in the context of declaring our study a natural reserve.

Keywords: , , ,
Full article 10.5775/fg.2067-4635.2011.031.dDates:
Received: 20-11-2010 Accepted: 19-07-2011 Printed: 01-12-2011 Online: 24-08-2011
Affiliations:
  • 1 Doctoral School of Geography Simion Mehedinti, University of Bucharest, Nicolae Bălcescu Blvd, No.1, Sector 1, 010041, Bucharest, Romania
Corresponding author:
  • badea2003roxana@yahoo.com
Citation:
APA 6 | Harvard 2008 | Turabian 6 | MLA 7
RIS | BibTeX
Acknowledgements: I would like to thank to professor Vespremeanu Emil, lecturer Ionuț Săvulescu for helping me to realize the maps. On this way I would like also to thank to researches from Forest Management Insitute Research and especially to engineer Ștefan Neagu which help me for obtaining some useful data for my paper. The research was supported by a POSDRU grant, financed by the Social European Fund (SEF).
Copyright: © 2011 The Author(s). Published by Forum geografic.
Provided under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License.
Open Access article.
Volume IX |
Environment

Particulate Matter and Nitrogen Dioxide in the Brussels Ambient Air. To What Extent Local Emission Reductions Need to Be Drastic to Enable Compliance with the EU Limit Values

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Abstract: Over the past 40 years ambient air quality in Brussels improved significantly. This was especially true for sulfur dioxide, lead, nitrogen monoxide, carbon monoxide, benzene and Benzo a pyrene. With respect to the air quality objectives imposed by the most recent European directive on air quality, 2008/50/EC, two major problems remain: nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulates (PM10 and PM2.5). Although the air quality objectives are met at several measuring sites in Brussels, a thorough analysis of data shows that it will be impossible to become fully compliant, in due time, in all of the different urban environments. A comparison of the average concentration levels in the Brussels Capital Region with those in the surrounding regions, the interpretation of the average daily and weekly concentration profiles and some special observations (e.g. car free Sundays) make clear that drastic emission reductions will be needed if compliance is to be assured solely by measures on the local scale.

Keywords: , ,
Full article Dates:
Printed: 01-11-2010 Online: 21-11-2010
Affiliations:
  • 1 Laboratory for Environmental Research, Brussels Institute for Environmental Management, Belgium
Corresponding author:
  • pvd@ibgebim.be
  • brasseur@irceline.be
  • ach@ibgebim.be
  • msq@ibgebim.be
Citation:
APA 6 | Harvard 2008 | Turabian 6 | MLA 7
RIS | BibTeX
Copyright: © 2010 The Author(s). Published by Forum geografic.
Provided under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License.
Open Access article.
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