Bauxite development in the North Apuseni mountains, western Romania

The stratigraphic and palaeogeomorphologic conditions of bauxite formation in the North Apuseni mountains are related to the geotectonic evolution of western Romania during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous. Bauxitization, accumulation and preservation of the bauxites were directly associated with karst development in the area under study. The petrographic and mineralogic nature of the bauxite deposits reveal superimposed aliagenetic, catagenic and, locally, metamorphic features. A comparative analysis of the principal chemical components of the different bauxite-bearing zones of the North Apuseni mountains are used to show similar development.     

Response of phenological events to climate warming in the southern and south-eastern regions of Romania

The analysis of phenological changes in vegetation is essential for the assessment of the response and adaptation of ecosystems/agro-ecosystems to climate change. This study analyses spatial and temporal changes in phenological events (phenophases) and in the climatic growing season in southern and south-eastern Romania, based on mean monthly temperature values recorded between 1961 and 2010 at 24 weather stations, spread out uniformly in the study area. By using the histophenogram method for extracting the mean phenophases length (eight in total, i.e. growing season onset, budding–leafing, flowering, fruiting, maturing, dissemination, start of leaf loss and end of leaf loss) and that of the overall growing season, this paper aims to analyse current phenological changes (in three periods, 1991–2000, 2001–2010 and 1991–2010) in relation to 1961–1990, which is the reference interval in various global climatic studies. Following the analysis of the theoretical phenology length, based on the temperature thresholds (between 5 and 25 °C) that differentiate biological cycles of vegetation, results showed an overall increase in phenological activity (especially in the past decade, 2001–2010), except for two phenophases (fruiting and dissemination), for which largely dominant length decreases were identified. Quantitatively, increases (and null changes, in a few cases) in phenological length generally range between 0–5 days/0–10% (e.g. in the budding–leafing phenophase) and 11–15 days/10.1–20% (maturing), considering the absolute changes or percentages in the three periods, compared to the reference interval 1961–1990. For the most part, the current decrease in the fruiting and dissemination phenophases falls in the interval ?1 to ?5 days/?10.1 to ?20%, compared to the reference period. At the same time, it was noticed that the entire growing season has been expanding, especially in the past decade, when numerous increase instances of up to 15 days were recorded, corresponding to a dominant interval of 0–10% from the period 1961–1990. The results can be particularly useful for adapting the different types of crops to future climate changes, considering that the study area has a high agro-ecological importance.     

Spatio-temporal trends of mean air temperature during 1961–2009 and impacts on crop (maize) yields in the most important agricultural region of Romania

Climate change analysis is essential, considering the numerous economic and ecological implications of this critical global environmental issue. This paper analyzes the spatial and temporal trends of mean air temperature in Romania’s most important agricultural area, the south and south-eastern region, between 1961 and 2009. In this respect, multiannual (the entire period) and multidecadal (1961–1990, 1971–2000, 1981–2009) trends were analyzed using the Mann–Kendall test and Sen’s slope method at 23 weather stations, annually, seasonally and for the growing season of the region’s main agricultural crops (maize and wheat). Multiannually, the results showed statistically significant temperature increases, on all temporal scales (maximum rate of 0.06 °C/year recorded in summer, equivalent to a net temperature rise of 2.82 °C), except for the autumn season (cooling without statistical significance). Multidecadally, the 1961–1990 period is marked by a general cooling, especially in autumn (maximum values of ?0.07 °C/year or over 2 °C net cooling). In the 1971–2000 and 1981–2009 periods, a general warming was observed (maximum in summer for both multidecades, when positive rates peaked at 0.09 °C/year, or 2.5–3 °C net warming), but the warming of the last three decades is the most prominent in terms of spatial average magnitude and trend significance. Upon analysis of the impact of climate warming on agricultural yields (maize) through linear regression, in the 1991–2000 decade, considered as case study, it was found that in 32 % of the total analyzed area there are evident relationships between the two variables (p value <0.05). In this case, a dependency of 33–50 % (40 %, on average) of maize to climate was found, and a sensitivity (loss) ranging between 0.9 and 1.5 t/ha/year (1.2 t/ha/year, on average) for a 1 °C temperature rise. At the same time, significant losses (of up to 1.7 t/ha/year) of maize for a 1 °C temperature rise were identified in 51 % of the area, but with little p value significance (between 0.05 and 0.1). It is however necessary to analyse the agro-climatic results cautiously, considering that only one decade of climate-agriculture relationship was studied. The results can be useful first and foremost for mitigating the climate change impact on agricultural systems, by prioritizing future adaptation strategies enforced by policy makers.