Scholarly record

THE ANTHROPIC IMPACT ON THE FOREST ECOSYSTEMS IN TARGOVISTE PLAIN (ROMANIA)

M. Sencovici, R. Alexe, D. Tanislav

Abstract

The anthropic intervention is strongly felt in T\^argovişte Plain. Here, man has turned most of the forest into land for agriculture, constructions, ways of communication, etc. In the past, in T\^argovişte Plain, oak forests thrived because of the favorable conditions provided by the water-bearing structures situated near the surface and by the plain relief. Today, the forests of T\^argovişte Plain represent nothing else but the remains of the old forest, where the wood vegetation finds however good recovery conditions, reoccupying any fallow land. The modification of the natural vegetal layer through different anthropic activities certainly triggered consequences on the environmental components. In large areas, modifications of the topoclimate occurred, the specific forest aspects disappearing (higher atmospheric humidity, wind calm, moderate daily thermic amplitude), which triggered as well a gradual modification of the soil’s hydro-thermic regime and of the activity of the microorganisms in its horizons. On the other hand, the shrinking of the forest area meant the shrinking of the area used by the fauna elements biologically connected to this environment. In the forests of T\^argovişte Plain, the anthropic activity has produced noticeable modifications in the lower tiers as well: coppice, herbaceous layer and forest litter. Sometimes, the coppice has been further reduced in size, especially following the actual management of the forest, at other times it has developed very abundantly. Usually, a dwindling herbaceous layer can be noticed. Forest plants, which are more sensitive to grazing and to the trampling of the soil, caused by grazing and by different forest exploitation works, decline as species and as individuals. In exchange, in the forest with a low consistency have begun to thrive certain lawn plants, such as Festuca valesiaca, Agropyron repens, Bellis perennis and ruderal plants that normally would not exist in the forest; this triggers a thickening of the soil. The data processed in this analysis are taken over from the county statistical reports concerning the structure of the forest fund. After the data were processed, a set of maps and graphs was accomplished, which show the dwindling of the forest, in T\^argovişte Plain, following the anthropic intervention.

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