Hydro Energy Is Really a "Clean" Energy? Ecological Problems Generated by Hydropower Plants

Hydraulic energy is the ability of a physical system (running water, generally speaking river) to perform a mechanical work when flowing from a higher position to a lower position. Thanks to the water circuit in nature, maintained by the Sun's energy, hydraulic energy is a type of renewable energy. This form of energy is utilized through hydropower plants. Some of the hydroelectric plants are very large, such as the Roman-Serbian border Porţile de Fier I (Iron Gates I, in english) (the largest on the Danube) and the Portţile de Fier II (Iron Gates II). Other hydroelectric plants are medium but also very small, such as those installed on the small rivers in the Făgăraş Mountains, such as the rivers Capra, Buda, Topolog etc., some even in the Natura 2000 protected areas; more than 500 micro-hydropower plants after National Geographic. But there is a contradiction: the ecological quality of the rivers must increase, but we also need to increase the percentage of renewable energy. With their negative environmental impact, hydropower plants of any size, does not generate a so "green" energy just as it desires. Solving the discrepancy between the economically and ecologically interests, is the key to sustainable development in the Danube area

Consequences of the Flow Regime Changes of Some Tributary Waters of the Danube and the Sustainable Administration of the Water Resource

Natural ecosystems represented by the surface waters, which have developed during a long period prior to the human intervention, are replaced, modified and fragmented in a short period of time through dams, some linkage systems between the rivers through the old riverbeds and newly built channels and through the arrangement of the banks. In the water catchment area of the Danube, the effects of the major human intervention over the geographical area, especially over the large tributary rivers of this large stream, such as Argeș river, and also on most of the smaller running waters are harder and harder to monitor, to anticipate and to correct. The natural flowing regime of some tributary waters of the Danube has been considerably changed; thus, significant changes happen to the hydrological, physical-chemical and biological features of the waters through the emergence of some lake ecosystems, with a fragile balance. Important changes emerge at the level of some physical-chemical and biological qualitative indicators, such as: the turbidity, the dissolved oxygen content, the oxidation and mineralization of the organic material, malfunctions of some the self-cleaning processes, the accumulation of biogenic substances, eutrophication, the accumulation of mineral substances in the bed areas, the replacement of the river biocoenosis with a lake biocoenosis, the development of plankton, especially of the productive forms, the malfunction of the structure and dynamics of the fish fauna etc. The impact of human activity has a bad influence, in most of the cases, on the quality of the water in the dam lakes. The sustainable management of the water resources of these lakes, through the nearby urban and rural communities requires a knowledge of the environmental problems that are generated by the human impact and their removal or minimization

Effects of Some Human Activities in the Water Catchment Area of Argeş, Tributary River of the Danube

The highly populated geographical area, even since ancient times, the water catchment area of Argeș River has been the subject of some dramatic changes in time, especially during the last 50-60 years, due to demographical pressure. These changes regarding the natural ecosystems have been, in most cases, contradictory to what can be understood through the concept of sustainable development of the natural capital. The pressures made on the environment, through various human activities, such as the animal husbandry, the intensive over-exporting and, sometimes, the illegal exporting of wood, industrial development, the building of communication systems have led to the development of environmental problems, of some negative effects whose costs had been either underestimated or not considered and which had been much higher reported to the benefits of human intervention. Even some activities that were considered clean, from the perspective of their impact on the natural ecosystems, such as tourism, have proven to have mid and long term negative effects. The analysis of the environmental problems generated by the economic activities in the water catchment areas of some tributary waters of Argeș river leads to the conclusion that the negative effects on the environment can be diminished and that the finding of a sustainable development way of the socio-economic system, represented by the local communities, is the only viable long-term alternative

The Conservation of Romania’s Biodiversity, a Fundamental Condition for the Sustainable Development

The concept of “natural capital” of a certain geographical space, of an administrative entityrepresents the network of natural, manmade or even anthropic ecosystems, with the functioning of theanthropic ones being directly or indirectly connected to the first two categories of ecosystems. Thehierarchical components of natural capital are the genetic diversity, the specific diversity and theecosystem diversity. According to the UN, biodiversity is defined as “the variability of the livingorganisms from all sources, including, amongst others, the terrestrial, the marine ecosystems as well asother aquatic ecosystems and of the ecologic complexes they are part of; it includes the diversity withinspecies, “between the species and the ecosystems”. The services provided by ecosystems are essentialto the Human Socio-Economic System. Merely starting with the 90’s, a large interest is gaining shapeat the European and also global level, regarding the biodiversity and the sustainable development.Though, in Romania, there has been a socio-economic interest for the conservation of different issuesof the biologic diversity, things have been neglected in the years of socialism, when the short termeconomic interest used to play the main role. Especially starting with 2007, as Romania reentered theEuropean path, the conservation and the protection of biodiversity has been carried out through thebuilding, at national level, of an area of protected areas including various categories, which has beenintegrated within the one at the level of the EU. The legal framework has been modified to this extend,being in accordance to the one of the EU. Though it is known, at a declarative and legal level, that theareas in a natural or semi-natural regime represent the basis of the socio-economic development of eachadministrative entity, there are also various threats to the biodiversity in many areas of Romania.Considering the fact that Romania enjoys the existence of a unique biodiversity within Europe, both atthe ecosystems’ and species’ level and at the genetic one too, it is clearer that the conservation ofbiodiversity is not only a national, but also a continental interest. Sustainable economic developmentcannot be reached excepting this desire

The Necessity to Expand the Surface of Protected Areas in Romania

The protected natural areas are those areas where we find the most representative and valuable elements of the natural heritage (heritage). On the Globe there are a multitude of categories, of ranks of protected areas, from nature monuments, to National Parks and Biosphere Reservations, from areas under one hectare to hundreds of thousands of square kilometers. The EU has in the field of nature protection the European Ecological Network Natura 2000; this network consists of more than 26 000 protected sites covering aprox. 20% of the EU's land area. This is the largest, more complex network of environment protection in the world. It provides protection for endangered European species and habitats and, indirectly, contributes to the prosperity of the countries on whose territory it is implemented, through the ecological services provided. In Romania, at the level of 2018, the total protected areas represent about 23.65% of the total area; compared to other European countries, the area of these protected areas should be increased. But beyond the comparison with other countries, the need to increase the area of protected areas lies in the fact that, in the context of climate change on Earth, the only way in the future to safely address their effects is to protect the environment and to reduce as much as possible the anthropic “footprint”

The Economic Quantification of the Ecologic Services of Forest Ecosystems

Forests are a component of the natural capital which has provided, ever since forgotten times,the humankind with various services, acting as a shelter, fuel provider, construction material provider,food provider. Practically, the development of humankind cannot be either imagined than stronglyconnected to the forest. Less than acknowledged are though the ecologic services provided by the forestecosystems, which take various shapes. One of the causes is the “subtlety” of these services, as they areharder to identify. Paradoxical, at first sight, the value of these services is mostly emphasized whenthey disappear, their lack being the consequence of human intervention on these complex ecosystems.Dysfunctions regarding their functioning, not to say about their total destruction lead to long termeconomic consequences, most of the times being devastating or hard to correct. Their usage value (theeconomic value) is easy to identify, as it can be immediately transformed into money through irrationalexploitation of forest ecosystems, the temptation of the immediate advantage being high. But, on longterm, the ecologic value, the “future option” value, despite the fact that they can be separatelyconsidered, they have a strong connection to the long ter economic values, as not to speak about theintrinsic, moral nature value. Practically, they validate the economic value, they amplify it, as it is thereason for which a knowledge on and a quantification of these service is needed, especially of theecologic ones. In Romania, human pressure on forest ecosystems threatens the medium and long termeconomic development of the country, through irrational exploitation or through the decreasing of theforest fund, actions that are mostly abusive and illegal

Use of Plant Species as Pioneers of Colonization in Degraded or Polluted Lands in Romania

The use of certain plant species as pioneers in the colonization of degraded or polluted lands in Romania has great potential. These resilient species play a crucial role in restoring ecological balance and promoting sustainable development. Salix alba has proven effective in stabilizing the soil, preventing the erosion of the soil and the banks of flowing waters and improving water quality. Its extensive root system helps absorb excess nutrients and contaminants from the soil, thus reducing pollution levels. Another valuable pioneer plant is Robinia pseudoacacia, which has a high tolerance to harsh environmental conditions and can thrive in polluted areas. Its nitrogen-fixing properties contribute to enriching the soil, making it suitable for the growth of other plant species, it has economic value as a melliferous species and provides habitat for various invertebrate or vertebrate species, thus supporting biodiversity. In the case of heavily degraded areas, it can be advantageous to use pioneer herbaceous plants such as Festuca arundinacea, Agropyron repens or leguminous plants. These herbaceous species have deep root systems that help stabilize the soil, prevent erosion, and increase soil fertility. Moreover, they can tolerate unfavorable soil conditions, i.e., polluted, compacted soil, soil with little humus, and harsher, drier microclimates. The concept of using pioneer plant species for land rehabilitation and restoration can be a cheaper method for ecological reconstruction. By selecting and implementing the use of these plant species, we can gradually recover degraded lands, restore biodiversity, and create sustainable ecosystems. However, the success of such initiatives depends on long-term interdisciplinary planning, monitoring, and management to ensure the desired results, sometimes taking decades to reach stable, self-sustaining ecosystems. Through their resilience and ecological benefits, these plants contribute to the revitalization of ecosystems and to the promotion of environmental sustainability, to the economic recovery of lands that would otherwise be useless and would continue to be a source of pollution

Extending the Use of Coal Beyond 2030, a Compromise Solution in the Case of Romania, to Ensure Energy Security

In the current geopolitical context, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the energy consequences are severe for almost all European countries, whether they are EU members or not. A blind energy policy pursued over the last 20–30 years by most EU countries has led to an over-reliance on a single source for gas and/or oil: Russia. Moreover, the hasty implementation of measures to shut down fossil fuel-fired power plants without finding viable alternatives in place has exacerbated this poisonous dependence on Russian gas sources. As a result, following the new geopolitical framework, Europe is forced to revert to an old source of energy, coal, at least for a certain period, revise its energy and environmental policy. Many countries such as Italy, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, etc. have already passed or intend to move to the reopening of coal mines and thermal power plants that use this source. Poland, which obtains about 75% of its energy from coal, initially set itself the goal of giving up this resource in 2049, but now this deadline will be “much more” postponed. Germany has kept its 2030 target for this goal, if all goes well. Considering all this and because Romania is not independent of the energy viewpoint, we consider that also in this case it is beneficial from the economic and energy security perspective to keep in operation the coal mines and the thermal power plants that use this raw material, beyond the horizon of 2050. This can be done by refurbishing mines and thermal power plants and by implementing efficient management, totally different from what has happened over the years so far. Only when the so-called clean, “renewable” or other energy sources with a soft environmental impact can cover the energy deficit can the use of fossil fuels and, especially, coal be safely abandoned

Some Aspects of the Impact of Invasive Plants in Romania

In a larger or smaller geographical area, before human activity intervened, the distribution of plant and animal species is the result of hundreds of millions of years of evolution. Through various anthropogenic activities, this distribution has been greatly disrupted, introducing intentionally or unintentionally a number of plant or animal species in geographical areas where they would not have existed without human intervention. So this ecological balance achieved by nature in millions of years, in geological times, is threatened and destroyed by man in a very short time, years or at most decades. There is no single, unanimously accepted definition of invasive species. Most agree that the invasive species is introduced into a geographical area other than the one from which the species originated and, as a result, this species finds the conditions to spread at high speed, to the detriment of some native species, generating ecosystem problems, sometimes very large. Other specialists make a clear difference in terms of non-native species, calling exotic species, those that are present in new ecosystems, do not cause disturbances and invasive species, ie species that reach other ecosystems, cause their dysfunctions. As for invasive plants, they obviously do not have their own mobility and their invasive appearance is less obvious than in the case of invasive animal species. However, the effects of these invasive plants are often severe, and are not limited to ecological aspects but, directly or indirectly, the effects can be even serious at the economic level or in terms of human health. The Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO) and the Center for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) have compiled an inventory (DAISIE - Delivering Alien Invasive Species Inventories for Europe) which currently contains 12104 allogeneic taxa for Europe. This was made possible by an international effort involving more than 300 researchers and funded by European funds. The database is constantly updated, with over 1650 experts constantly working on this issue. The severity of this phenomenon is illustrated by the difficult to estimate costs of invasive species, in Europe the accounting of these costs being earlier, but they are tens of billions of euros annually. By comparison, combating invasive species costs the United States more than 80 billion euros a year. Romania is no exception, the problem of invasive plants being a very important aspect with negative implications for the economy and the quality of human life

Algae as Biological Indicators of Water Pollution

Water pollution is a major environmental problem that has existed for decades, perhaps even longer, and is becoming more and more serious, necessitating the need for efficient, accurate and if possible inexpensive methods of monitoring and evaluating its impact on aquatic ecosystems. Algae, as photosynthetic organisms, have gained considerable attention as reliable biological indicators of water pollution due to their high sensitivity to environmental changes and their wide distribution in all categories of aquatic habitats. The unique characteristics of algae, a wide variety of species and their ubiquity in different types of water make them suitable candidates for such indicators. Algae respond rapidly to changes in water chemistry, temperature and nutrient levels, making them sensitive to various types of pollution including heavy metal pollution, organic pollutants and excess nutrients, various methods and techniques can be used to measure and assess algae responses to water. Pollution, determining both quantitatively and qualitatively the level of pollution. These techniques range from traditional microscopy-based identification and enumeration to more advanced molecular methods such as DNA barcoding and high-throughput sequencing. In addition, the use of bioindicators derived from algal communities, such as algal and biotic indices, is discussed as a valuable tool in water quality assessment. The potential of algae to detect and monitor pollution events, assess the ecological health of water bodies, and evaluate the effectiveness of pollution control measures is high and incompletely exploited in Romania and beyond. Factors such as natural variability, species-specific responses, and the need for standardized protocols, emphasizing the importance of considering these factors when interpreting algal data, are crucial issues and still need to be well established. Continuing research in this field is crucial for perfecting the use of algae as indicators and developing standardized protocols at the international level (EU and not only) for their application in water quality assessment