In the context of global warming, alpine-subalpine plant species are some of the most threatened. The distribution of these species in the Romanian Carpathians is centralized and analyzed for the first time. A network with 472 grid cells of 12.5 9 11.5 km (6 0 latitude 9 10 0 longitude) has been used to register the distribution of 550 selected high mountain taxa. The analysis starts with a brief description of the most important determinants of alpinesubalpine species richness, continues with a comparison between the different sub groups of the Romanian Carpathians and a discussion of their particularities. The purpose of the paper is to identify areas in need of protection as well as rare and vulnerable species outside the network of protected areas. A description of the current network of protected areas from the Romanian Carpathians is provided, with ideas for improvement.

No abstract

The percentage compositions of soil herbivorous, bacterivorous and fungivorous nematodes in forests, grasslands and scrubs in Romania was analysed. Percentages of nematode abundance, biomass and metabolic footprint methods were used to evaluate the patterns and relative size of herbivory, bacterial- and fungal-mediated channels in organic and mineral soil horizons. Patterns and magnitudes of herbivore, bacterivore and fungivore energy pathways differed for a given ecosystem type and soil depth according to the method used. The relevance of herbivore energy channel increased with soil depth due to higher contribution of root-feeders. Ectoparasites, sedentary parasites and epidermal cell and root hair feeders were the most important contributors to the total biomass and metabolic footprints of herbivores. Metabolic footprint method revealed the general dominance of bacterial-based energy channel in all five types of ecosystems. The influence of altitude and climatic factors on percentages of abundance, biomass and metabolic footprints of herbivores, bacterivores and fungivores decreased with soil depth, whereas the influence of humus content, cation-exchange capacity and base saturation increased. Vegetation, altitude, climate and soil physico-chemical characteristics are important factors that influenced the abundance, biomass and metabolic footprints of herbivores, bacterivores and fungivores.

The Cypress Jewel Beetle (Lamprodila (Palmar) festiva subsp. festiva (Linnaeus 1767)), is a formerly rare and protected species, present in the red lists of most Western European countries. In Romania, before 2015 it was present only in the South-Western region and less than 10 specimens were collected. The species recently changed its host plants from wild Cupressaceae (Juniperus sp., Cupressus sp.) to cultivated Cupressaceae, the most affected one being Thuja occidentalis. In 2013 the first big invasion was recorded in Budapest, Hungary. In 2015, the species was found in two horticultural seedling stations in Bucharest. More recently, in 2017, it was recorded in Cluj-Napoca, and in 2018, in Timișoara, Oradea, Suceava. The article provides a short description of the adults, larva and the signs of the attacks on the host plants. The potential distribution of the species is discussed based on climate niche modelling. The daily behaviour of the adults and their preferences, based on observations, is also discussed. Equally, the bioethics related to this attack is analysed.

No abstract