A 1500 year aeolian history as recorded in a peat bog from northern Romania: dust fluxes and deposition control in comparison with Western Europe

Dust consists of small particles that reached the atmosphere from various sources (arid or semi-arid regions) via aeolian processes. Dust plays an important role in climate systems due to the changes it can induce in the radiative properties of the atmosphere;  reflecting or absorbing solar radiation, or, indirectly, by affecting  cloud formation and precipitation patterns. Dust transport and deposition can vary over time and space, and it is controlled mainly by climatic characteristics (e.g., precipitation, wind speed, the movement of air masses

Environmental protection between social responsibility, green investments and cultural values

In a well functional and competitive economy all the entrepreneurs are aware of the importance of protecting the environment, development of local communities and the good relations with stakeholders. The necessity imposed by a sustainable development has many influences on the company’s activities because in order to equilibrate their profit`s motivation with their social and environment implications. This article is focused on the way of different investors integrated in their strategies the environment preoccupations. The actions of companies are shaped by different stakeholders like consumers, public authorities, shareholders, international organizations and other entities

Environmental protection between social responsibility, green investments and cultural values

In a well functional and competitive economy all the entrepreneurs are aware of the importance of protecting the environment, development of local communities and the good relations with stakeholders. The necessity imposed by a sustainable development has many influences on the company’s activities because in order to equilibrate their profit`s motivation with their social and environment implications. This article is focused on the way of different investors integrated in their strategies the environment preoccupations. The actions of companies are shaped by different stakeholders like consumers, public authorities, shareholders, international organizations and other entities

Transformations of European agricultural sector, market and model under the influence of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)

The European agricultural sector is, for the last decades, a subject to a quite extensive and important transformations imposed by the new paradigm`s changing of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), especially the influences of complex phenomena such as integration and globalization of markets under pressure impose by changes in the global economy. From this perspective, the agriculture is not only a traditional economic sector designed to ensure the food safety and food security, but also a complex one; the agriculture becoming multifunctional in rural communities and diversification of the pluriactivities. In this article are analyzed some of the major transformations of this sector, form the perspective of the European agricultural market and European agricultural model under the CAP`s influence

Transformations of European agricultural sector, market and model under the influence of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)

The European agricultural sector is, for the last decades, a subject to a quite extensive and important transformations imposed by the new paradigm`s changing of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), especially the influences of complex phenomena such as integration and globalization of markets under pressure impose by changes in the global economy. From this perspective, the agriculture is not only a traditional economic sector designed to ensure the food safety and food security, but also a complex one; the agriculture becoming multifunctional in rural communities and diversification of the pluriactivities. In this article are analyzed some of the major transformations of this sector, form the perspective of the European agricultural market and European agricultural model under the CAP`s influence

Analysis on the impact of investments, energy use and domestic material consumption in changing the Romanian economic paradigm

The main aim of the paper is to assess the impact of fix capital, energy use and domestic material consumption in changing the inland Romanian economic paradigm, from an economic perspective, using the intensive form of the Cobb-Douglas function. In order to identify various connections of economic growth, sustainable development, energy usage has determined the application of the vector error correction (VEC) model and the implied error correction term (ECT). This method was chosen based on the premise that it has a high degree of applicability and it can be used in order to revile significant aspects terms of indicator significance and displays. The results obtained during the research confirm that both in Romania and at EU-28 level there are determinant and significant elements shaping a proactive economic policy

Efficacy of a topical formulation containing esafoxolaner, eprinomectin and praziquantel (NexGard Combo®) against natural infestations with the cat louse, Felicola subrostratus under field conditions

Felicola subrostratus is the only species of louse affecting domestic cats. Although it is considered a rare ectoparasite of pet cats, it occurs mainly in stray or shelter animals and is sometimes associated with intense pruritus and secondary bacterial infections. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of a single dose of the topical formulation of esafoxolaner, eprinomectin and praziquantel (NexGard Combo®, Boehringer Ingelheim) in cats for the treatment of naturally acquired chewing lice infestation in a multi-site, positive-control, blinded clinical field study. Thirty-one domestic cats presenting natural F. subrostratus infestation were included in the study. The animals had not been treated with any ectoparasiticide within the previous 60 days. After inclusion, each cat was randomly assigned to one of the two groups: group 1, 14 cats treated with NexGard Combo® or group 2, 17 cats treated with Frontline Combo®. A clinical evaluation was performed at days 0 (inclusion), 14 and 30 and consisted in scoring the skin lesions and symptoms and scoring the presence of lice. On day 30, all cats from both groups scored 0 for the presence of live lice and no dead lice were found, demonstrating 100% efficacy. The clinical scores significantly improved from day 0 to day 30 in both groups. During the 30 days of surveillance, no reinfestations due to the hatching of eggs were observed and none of the cats had any adverse reactions. Esafoxolaner demonstrated high efficacy for the treatment of F. subrostratus infestation

How warm? How wet? Hydroclimate reconstruction of the past 7500 years in northern Carpathians, Romania

As natural and anthropogenic ecosystems are dependent on the local water availability, understanding past changes in hydroclimate represents a priority in research concerning past climate variability. Here, we used testate amoebae (TA) and chironomid analysis on a radiocarbon dated complex of small pond and peat bog sediment profiles from an ombrotrophic bog (Taut Muced, northern Carpathians, Romania) to quantitatively determine major hydrological changes and July air temperature over the last 7500 years.Wet mire surface conditions with a pH between 23 and 4.5 were inferred for the periods 4500-2700 and 1300400 cal yr BP by the occurrence of Archerella flavum, Amphitrema wrightianum and Hyalosphenia papilio. Dry phases in mire surface conditions and a pH between 2.5 and 5 were inferred for 7550-4500, 2750-1300 and 0 cal yr BP-present by the dominance of Nebela militaris, Difflugia pulex and Phryganella acropodia. The quantitative reconstruction of mean July temperature based on the chironomid communities suggests low summer temperatures for the periods 6550-5600, 4500-3150 and 1550-600 cal yr BP, while periods of slightly higher summer temperatures were observed for 5600-4500,3150-1550 and 100 cal yr BP-present. There is a generally good agreement between drier phases of the peat surface conditions with higher July temperature, suggesting that temperature may have been a controlling factor for water table fluctuation.Our quantitative reconstructions, among the first for central eastern Europe, show a relatively good agreement with other palaeohydrological studies from central eastern Europe, but contrast with others estimates from north-west Europe. Another important aspect of our study is that it provides valuable information on changes in local hydrology and the potential effect of the mean summer temperature over these changes. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Fire hazard modulation by long-term dynamics in land cover and dominant forest type in eastern and central Europe

Wildfire occurrence is influenced by climate, vegetation and human activities. A key challenge for understanding the risk of fires is quantifying the mediating effect of vegetation on fire regimes. Here, we explore the relative importance of Holocene land cover, land use, dominant functional forest type, and climate dynamics on biomass burning in temperate and boreo-nemoral regions of central and eastern Europe over the past 12 kyr. We used an extensive data set of Holocene pollen and sedimentary charcoal records, in combination with climate simulations and statistical modelling. Biomass burning was highest during the early Holocene and lowest during the mid-Holocene in all three ecoregions (Atlantic, continental and boreo-nemoral) but was more spatially variable over the past 3–4 kyr. Although climate explained a significant variance in biomass burning during the early Holocene, tree cover was consistently the highest predictor of past biomass burning over the past 8 kyr. In temperate forests, biomass burning was high at ~ 45% tree cover and decreased to a minimum at between 60% and 70% tree cover. In needleleaf-dominated forests, biomass burning was highest at ~60 %–65%tree cover and steeply declined at > 65% tree cover. Biomass burning also increased when arable lands and grasslands reached ~15 %–20 %, although this relationship was variable depending on land use practice via ignition sources, fuel type and quantities. Higher tree cover reduced the amount of solar radiation reaching the forest floor and could provide moister, more wind-protected microclimates underneath canopies, thereby decreasing fuel flammability. Tree cover at which biomass burning increased appears to be driven by warmer and drier summer conditions during the early Holocene and by increasing human influence on land cover during the late Holocene. We suggest that longterm fire hazard may be effectively reduced through land cover management, given that land cover has controlled fire regimes under the dynamic climates of the Holocene

Late Holocene palaeohydrological changes in a \u3ci\u3eSphagnum\u3c/i\u3e peat bog from NW Romania based on testate amoebae

This paper investigates the possibility of reconstructing the palaeohydrological changes in an active Sphagnum peat bog from north-western Romania using testate amoebae fauna and organic matter content determined by loss on ignition (LOI). In total 28 taxa of testate amoebae were identified of which 11 were frequent enough to present a remarkable ecological significance. Based on the relative abundance of these taxa nine zones were identified, crossing from very wet to dry climate conditions. The wet periods identified are characterized by taxa like Centropyxis cassis, Amphitrema flavum and Hyalosphenia papilio, while in the dry periods Difflugia pulex and Nebela militaris thrive. We showed that combining qualitative information regarding hydrological preferences with the quantitative percentage data from the fossil record it is possible to obtain information regarding major surface moisture changes from the peat bog surface. Furthermore we identified a link between distribution of testate amoebae assemblages, organic matter variation and minerogenic material