No abstract

Low-intensive agricultural areas of Romania sustain high species diversity. Together with natural habitats, these areas are very important for European biodiversity. The ecosystem´s health is reflected in the predator status because of their position at the top of the trophic networks. The Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) is the most common bird of prey species in Europe. During the first survey census conducted in Eastern Romania (2011–2012 breeding seasons), 8.55–10.35 breeding pairs/100 square km have been counted. The Common Buzzard density varies between breeding seasons and with differences in habitat structure. Their density is positively influenced by the density of forest edge and Simpson diversity index of habitats but is negatively influenced by the total habitat fragmentation and mean daily temperature. According to this analysis, the selection of breeding territories by common buzzards is positively influenced by a heterogeneous landscape in an area with low-intensive agriculture and with large areas of open habitats made up of natural or semi-natural vegetation.

Scops Owl (Otus scops) is a small sized owl that is a summer visitor and a breeding species in Romania. It underwent a moderate decline in Europe in the last decades, probably due to habitat loss. In Romania, it is a poorly studied species of birds. Breeding data were uncertain for Iași County. During 2010 and 2012, we identified a number of 26 Scops Owl territories. In each territory, we mapped the habitats on an area that followed a radius of 200 m from the observed bird. Thus, we identified a number of 15 habitats. From all 15 habitats mapped, the open pastures with isolated clumps of trees and bushes were best represented (15.53%) of the total habitat types of the study area. Also, in Iași County we observed a sinantropism of Scops Owl, due to the fact that 10 out of 26 territories (38.5%) are situated in anthropic habitat.

No abstract