Spatio-temporal changes of forest and vineyard surfaces in areas with sandy soils from southern Oltenia

The present study examines the spatial and temporal dynamics of forest and vineyard areas in the last three decades in areas occupied by sandy soils in southern Oltenia. Areas with sandy soils in this zone are considered vulnerable elements of the environment as a result of deflation phenomenon that occurs after the disappearance of vegetation. It is therefore necessary to analyze the current state of sandy soils covered by forest vegetation and vineyards, these two categories of vegetation playing a vital role in their stabilization. The results obtained show that in the last three decades forest areas decreased by approx. 2700 ha (11.6%) being replaced by sandy soils, while vineyards areas have diminished with 22% (1638 ha), with negative consequences of ecological, climatic and social natur

A unifying modelling of multiple land degradation pathways in Europe

Land degradation is a complex socio-environmental threat, which generally occurs as multiple concurrent pathways that remain largely unexplored in Europe. Here we present an unprecedented analysis of land multi-degradation in 40 continental countries, using twelve dataset-based processes that were modelled as land degradation convergence and combination pathways in Europe’s agricultural (and arable) environments. Using a Land Multi-degradation Index, we find that up to 27%, 35% and 22% of continental agricultural (~2 million km2) and arable (~1.1 million km2) lands are currently threatened by one, two, and three drivers of degradation, while 10–11% of pan-European agricultural/arable landscapes are cumulatively affected by four and at least five concurrent processes. We also explore the complex pattern of spatially interacting processes, emphasizing the major combinations of land degradation pathways across continental and national boundaries. Our results will enable policymakers to develop knowledge-based strategies for land degradation mitigation and other critical European sustainable development goals

Cuantification Of Land Degradation Sensitivity Areas In Romania Using European DISMED Data

Land degradation is presently an important environmental issue in many regions of the Globe, including Central South-Eastern Europe, where Romania is located. This study aims to quantify areas with significant sensitivity to degradation at national level, based on data provided by the European Environment Agency, obtained relatively recently through the DISMED project (Desertification Information System for the Mediterranean) in the Mediterranean and Central South-Eastern regions of Europe. The analysis is based on extracting SDI index (Desertification Sensitivity Index) information for the country’s entire territory, as well as for certain major regional, natural (landforms) and anthropogenic (counties) units. Thus, the areas corresponding to the most representative classes for land degradation potential in Romania were extracted, i.e. the ones with moderate and high sensitivity. The study also attempts to differentiate the degradation / desertification processes spatially, by delimiting drylands, for which the land degradation process is considered to be equivalent to desertification. The results showed that, at national level, there are ~ 72 000 km2 of lands with moderate and high degradation potential (30% of the country’s total surface), of which 80% (~ 57 000 km2) can be classified as sensitive to desertification. It was noticed that most degradation-prone areas are concentrated in the Romanian Plain (~ 30000 km2 moderate sensitivity) and the Dobrogea Plateau (~ 4150 km2 high sensitivity), in terms of the natural criterion, and in Braila (~ 4200 km2 moderate sensitivity) and Constanta (~ 3200 km2 high sensitivity) counties, in terms of the anthropogenic one. It was also found that land degradation in these areas corresponds to desertification, considering the existence of dry sub-humid and semi-arid climates, which are components of dryland systems

Assessment of Socioeconomic Vulnerability to Floods in the Bâsca Chiojdului Catchment Area

Hydrological risk phenomena such as floods are among the most costly natural disasters worldwide, effects consisting of socioeconomic damages and deaths. The Bâsca Chiojdului catchment area, by its morphometric and hydrographic peculiarities, is prone to generate these hydrological risk phenomena, so there is a high vulnerability in the socioeconomic elements. This paper is focused on the identification of the main socioeconomic elements vulnerable to hydrological risk phenomena such as floods, based on the assessment of their manifestation potential. Thus, following the delimitation of areas with the highest flood occurrence potential (susceptibility to floods), major socioeconomic factors existing in the basin, considering human settlements (constructions), transport infrastructure, and agricultural areas (the most important category), were superimposed. Results showed a high vulnerability for all three exposed socioeconomic elements especially in valley sectors, of which household structures were the most vulnerable, given both their importance and the high number of areas highly exposed to floods (approximately 2,500 houses and outbuildings, out of a total of about 10,250, intersect the most susceptible area to floods in the study area)