New faunistic data on the family Capniidae (Plecoptera) from the Carpathians (Romania and Ukraine)

Zwicknia acuta is reported for the first time from the South-Eastern Carpathians (Romania and Ukraine). Additionally, another stonefly species, Zwicknia kovacsi, previously described from Romania, is added to the Plecoptera fauna of Ukraine. New faunistic data are presented for two other winter-active species, Capnia vidua rilensis and Zwicknia bifrons. Based on a combination of personal and literature data we present a checklist of Capniidae from Romania and provide a key for them.

Zapach wojny i gór. Huculi i Huculszczyzna w międzywojennej literaturze polskiej o tematyce współczesnej (część II)

The article is the second part of a comprehensive study on representations of Hutsuls and the Hutsul region in the interwar Polish literature, which showed them during the First World War and the wars for the borders of the Second Polish Republic, as well as in the 1920s and 1930s. The article discuses, first and foremost, literary visions of Hutsuls and their native land in the third and fourth decade of the 20th century. The interwar Polish literature, which showed the Hutsul region “of today”, paid special attention to peacetime partnership of Poles and Hutsuls, which was to follow their wartime joint actions against Russians in the Eastern Carpathians in 1914–1915. It implied that this partnership was a result of a perfect match between the Polish national component and the Hutsul ethnic element. The article argues that Polish literature showed the compatibility of Poles and Hutsuls in the macro and micro dimensions. On the macro level, it was to be manifested, on the one hand, in the effective help of the Polish state institutions for Hutsuls, on the other hand, in the gratitude of Hutsuls for Poles. On the micro level, the Polish-Hutsul compatibility was to be manifested in friendly or intimate relations of representatives of both groups; relations which were invariably successful in spite of the fact that the Polish side dominated them and felt entitled to lead a civilization mission among Hutsuls. Such literary visions presented the Hutsul region as an integral part of the Second Polish Republic and its indigenous inhabitants as loyal citizens of the entire country. They also made it clear that Hutsuls affirmed Polishness and that Poles were welcomed and needed in the Hutsuls’s land.

Zapach wojny i gór. Huculi i Huculszczyzna w międzywojennej literaturze polskiej o tematyce współczesnej (część I)

The article is the first part of a comprehensive study on representations of Hutsuls and the Hutsul region in the interwar Polish literature, which showed them during the First World War and the wars for the borders of the Second Polish Republic, as well as in the 1920s and 1930s. The article discuses, first and foremost, literary visions of Hutsuls and their native land in the wartime. It argues that these visions were deeply affected by war events that took place in the Eastern Carpathians in 1914–1915, when Polish soldiers from the 2nd and 3rd Legions Infantry Regiments fought with Russians and occasionally cooperated with some military volunteers recruited from the Hutsul community. The interwar Polish literature showed the Eastern Carpathians as a space where Polish soldiers’ bravery and dedication to the national cause were distinctly manifested. It also described and, as a matter of fact, exaggerated acts of fraternization between Polish legionnaires and the Hutsuls. This way the Polish literature imposed an important, patriotic significance to the Hutsul region and strengthened its position in the Polish national memory. Simultaneously, it showed the whole Hutsul community as allies of Poles in the fight for independence. This literary approach suggested that Hutsuls had their own history and cultural reality that differed from the Ukrainian one but fit in well with the history and contemporary times of Poles.

Comparative analysis of genetic diversity in Norway spruce (Picea abies) clonal seed orchards and seed stands

Norway spruce, Picea abies (L.) Karst. is the most important conifer species in Romania and the most planted tree species in the Carpathian Mountains. Here we compare the genetic diversity of four Norway spruce clonal seed orchards and two seed stands located in the Eastern Carpathians. A set of highly polymorphic nuclear microsatellite markers was used. The analysis of genotypic identity of ramets for each Norway spruce clone in all seed orchards indicated that nearly all sampled ramets (97%) were genetically identical. The genetic diversity in seed orchards (He=0.700) was slightly smaller compared to the seed stands (He=0.718). Allelic richness was higher in seed stands (10.874), compared to clonal seed orchards (8.941). The Bayesian analysis indicated a genetic structure with two clusters, one corresponding to the clonal seed orchards and a second one consisting of the two seed stands. Our results provide valuable information for the management of Norway spruce seed orchards in Romania.

Present-day stress field pattern in the Vrancea seismic zone (Romania) deduced from earthquake focal mechanism inversion

Vrancea seismogenic zone in the South-Eastern Carpathians is characterized by localized intermediate-depth seismicity. Due to its complex geodynamics and large strain release, Vrancea represents a key element in the Carpatho-Pannonian system. Data from a recently compiled catalogue of fault plane solutions (REFMC) are inverted to evaluate stress regime in Vrancea on depth. A single predominant downdip extensive regime is obtained in all considered clusters, including the crustal layers located above the Vrancea slab. The prevalent stress regime confirms previous investigations and requires some mantle-crust coupling. The S3 principal stress is close to vertical, while S1 and S2 are horizontal, oriented perpendicularly and respectively tangentially to the Carpathians Arc bend. This configuration is present at any depth level. According to seismicity patterns, there are two main active segments in the Vrancea intermediate-depth domain, at 55 – 105 km and 105 – 180 km, both able to generate major events. The configuration of the tectonic stresses as resulted from inversion is similar in both segments. Also, high fault instability (I > 0.95) is characterizing the segments. The only notable difference is given by the friction and stress ratio parameters which drop down in the bottom segment from μ = 0.95 to μ = 0.55 and from R = 0.51 to R = 0.29. This variation is attributed to possible weakening processes activated below 100 km depth and can explain the intensification of seismicity production as earthquake rate and average energy release in the lower segment versus the upper segment.

Natural and anthropogenic impacts reflected by paleoclimate proxy parameters in a lake-forest system in Bukovina, Romania

The research area is located in the Eastern Carpathians, Romania. This region is rich in various formations and indicates significant potential for paleo-environmental reconstruction. The present research was carried out on sediment cores collected at lake Bolătău-Feredeu, Feredeului Mountains (Eastern Carpathians, Romania). Preliminary examination of the sediment confirmed the possibility for data analysis with high temporal resolution. The aim of the research was to clarify and supplement the findings of previous research at this site, to explore the relationships between proxy parameters and to elucidate the cause for the changes. Core dating was carried out using 210Pb and radiocarbon isotopes and indicated that sediment cores span the past 500 years. The research uses a wide range of methodologies, including organic geochemistry with calculated n alkane indices (Phw and Pwax). Based on these proxies, the changes of woody and herbaceous coverage in the catchment can be estimated. Moreover, element concentration, weathering indices and particle size distribution assist to detect climate changes in the catchment area. The data and conclusions yielded by the analysis were compared with the regional modelled temperature profile, based on which five periods were separated. In addition to natural and anthropogenic events, the main factor among the natural processes is the change in annual temperature. Based on the obtained data, several parameters were found to be suitable for monitoring past temperature changes.

Climate and Management Factors Underlying Changes in Beech Forest Herbaceous Layer Plant Communities in the Polish Eastern Carpathians

The herbaceous vegetation and forest stand characteristics in European beech forests growing in the Polish part of the Eastern Carpathians have changed over the last 40 years. This has been influenced by many factors, including land-use change, forest management and climate change. This study investigates changes in forest cover and structure and the associated changes in herbaceous layer plant communities and seeks to elucidate whether and how beech forest herbaceous layer communities have been affected by climate change. The study used information from archival and current land cover maps, semi-permanent sampling plots, forest management plans for the Forest Districts of Brzozów, Lesko and Ustrzyki Dolne and meteorological weather station data compiled for three study periods of herbaceous vegetation (1970s, 2000s, 2010s). In the study area, the regular shelterwood system was changed to an irregular shelterwood system that produces stands with a complex overstorey structure. The results revealed the important role of light availability in shaping the species composition of the herbaceous layer in semi-natural Carpathian beech forests, which was strongly related to the course of management activities. An overall decrease in the number of species during the 2010s is linked to the ageing of beech forests, increased intensity of management activities in ageing stands, competition from understorey vegetation and lower soil moisture that can be linked to climate change. Our study partially supports the existing findings that more manipulative forest management systems can play an important role in countering the current and expected effects of climate change on the forest ecosystem because of the low degree of spatial differentiation of the stand’s structure (developmental stages). Therefore, foresters managing the structure of stands should strive to create a forest structure with high variability of developmental stages on a regional scale.

Rheological model of the lithosphere along profile VII in the Eastern Carpathians

We used 2D integrated geophysical modelling approach to calculate the temperature distribution in the lithosphere along profile VII passing through the Eastern Carpathians. With assigned rheological parameters of rocks and obtained temperature field, we derived the rheological model of the lithosphere along the studied profile. We have calculated the strength distribution in the lithosphere, based on the brittle and ductile deformation, for compressional and extensional regimes and the vertically integrated strength along the profile. To illustrate the strength distribution in different tectonic units, we have calculated the yield strength envelopes for chosen lithospheric columns. Ours results show that the dominant regime is compressional and the largest strength occurs on the boundary between the upper and lower crust. Along the studied profile, the strength decreases from its high values in the European platform towards its minimum in the Trans-European Suture Zone (TESZ). In the Eastern Carpathians, the strength increases, reaches two maxima, the first in the Outer Eastern Carpathians, and the second in the Inner Eastern Carpathians, where the highest values of strength can be observed. Another local maximum along the profile can be observed in the Apuseni Mountains, while the minimal strength is observed in the Transylvanian Basin. The diverse rheological behaviour of studied tectonic units seems to be in accordance with their lithospheric structure and tectonics.

Spatial ecology of conflicts: unravelling patterns of wildlife damage at multiple scales

Human encroachment into natural habitats is typically followed by conflicts derived from wildlife damage to agriculture and livestock. Spatial risk modelling is a useful tool to gain the understanding of wildlife damage and mitigate conflicts. Although resource selection is a hierarchical process operating at multiple scales, risk models usually fail to address more than one scale, which can result in the misidentification of the underlying processes. Here, we addressed the multi-scale nature of wildlife damage occurrence by considering ecological and management correlates interacting from household to landscape scales. We studied brown bear ( Ursus arctos ) damage to apiaries in the North-eastern Carpathians as our model system. Using generalized additive models, we found that brown bear tendency to avoid humans and the habitat preferences of bears and beekeepers determine the risk of bear damage at multiple scales. Damage risk at fine scales increased when the broad landscape context also favoured damage. Furthermore, integrated-scale risk maps resulted in more accurate predictions than single-scale models. Our results suggest that principles of resource selection by animals can be used to understand the occurrence of damage and help mitigate conflicts in a proactive and preventive manner.