BUILDING CAPACITY FOR BLACK SEA CATCHMENT OBS E RVATION AND ASSESSMENT SYSTEM

1. INSTITUTE OF GEOGRAPHY, ROMANIAN ACADEMY THE MAIN ENVIRONMENTAL DRIVING FORCES OF THE INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES IN THE ROMANIAN PROTECTED AREAS BUILDING CAPACITY FOR BLACK SEA CATCHMENT OBSERVATION AND ASSESSMENT SYSTEM SUPPORTING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT - EnviroGRIDS Project Number: 226740 Call identifier: FP7-ENV-2008-1 Monica Dumitrascu, Ines Grigorescu, Mihaela Nastase, Carmen Dragota, Gheorghe Kucsicsa www.envirogrids.net

2. The invasive species are largely recognized as major cross-cutting issues in terms of threatening native biodiversity, ecosystem structure and functions especially within protected areas. The invasive flora of Romania currently includes more than 400 species (13.87% of the Romanian flora)belonging to 82 families. According to the third National Report of Biological Diversity Convention, six of invasive plant species are tree species(Acer negundo, Ailanthus altisima, Amopha fruticosa, Cytisus scoparius, Fraxinus americana, and Fraxinus pennsylvanica). Within the protected areas, some of the most representative invasive plant species (IPS) are: Amorpha fruticosa in Balta Mică a Brăilei National Park Ailanthus altissima in Munţii Măcinului National Park Acer negundo, Amorpha fruticosa and Ailanthus altissima in Lunca Mureşului Natural Park etc.

3. Invasive plant species in the European Union countries processed and adapted after FP6 - Delivering Alien Invasive Species Inventories for Europe - DAISIE and Lambdon et al., 2008

4. INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES IN ROMANIAGeneral overview At the beginning of 18th the first invasive plants species (IPS) have been signaled in Romania - displayed in several works having a systematic and floristic character. Afterwards, more invasive species were identified and cited in different scientific works or floristic lists which were synthesized in “Flora României”, vol. 1-13, 1957-1972 and more recently in “Flora Ilustrată a României”, 2000 (Anastasiu, Negrean, 2005). The most taxa belong to families known to invade habitually zones of temperate climate: Asteraceceae (61 taxa), Brassicaceae (38 taxa), Poaceae (30 taxa). Numerous families, like Orchidaceae do not have alien representative in our flora, while others, like Amaranthaceae have almost exclusively alien representatives. Riparian zones appear to be more susceptible ecosystems to invasion because periodic hydrological disturbances destroy or damage riparian vegetation creating openings that provide favorable conditions for the establishment of the invasive propagules - rivers act like natural drivers and dispersal agents facilitating the spread of the species(Fenesi, Ruprecht, Vincze, 2009).

5. THE MAIN ENVIRONMENTAL DRIVING FORCESRESPONSIBLE FOR THE INTRODUCTION AND SPREAD OFIPS IN THE ROMANIAN PROTECTED AREAS Thevariables taken into consideration for the spread of IPS are (Lambdon et al., 2008): climatic factors (mean annual precipitation, mean annual temperature, temperature amplitude between July and January) geographical factors (latitude, longitude and area) economic factors (population density, Gross Domestic Product and roads density). All these variables were taken into consideration as explanatory variables At a smaller scale, the main environmental drivers responsible for the introduction and spread of the invasive alien species in Romania are natural and human-induced.

8. Pathways of introduction for naturalized alien flora in Europe The environmental stressors are mainly responsible for developing introduction pathways which are considered as “any means that allows the entry or spread of a pest” (FAO-International Plant Protection Council), whose dimension and dynamics are directly related to the restrictive measures imposed by each IUCN category in discussion. Source: Processed after Lambdon et al., 2008

9. INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES IN THE ROMANIAN PROTECTED AREAS Protected natural areas in Romania cover 1,798,782 hectares, that is, 7.55% of the national territory. Law No. 5/2000 and the Government Decision 2,151/2004 provide for 958 protected areas: 13 national parks (316,047.3 h) 14 natural parks (827,799.6 ha) out of which 2 geoparks (206.978,3 ha) 3 biosphere reserves 54 scientific reserves (100,224 ha) 240 monuments of nature (2,213.3 ha) 626 nature reserves (161,838.3 ha) Additionally, after the EU accession (2007), Romania had to reach a 17% protected surface of the national territory (from 7% as it had previously been) by means of other important conservative tools, such as “Natura 2000” European Network (273 Sites of Community Interest - 3,291,854.6 ha and 108 Special Protected Ares - 2,988,713.6 ha)

11. BALTA MICĂ A BRĂILEI NATIONAL PARK • wetland of international interest (RAMSAR site) • lies under the plain climatic region with excessive-continental influences • average annual temperatures of 10-11 0C • moderated quantities of precipitation (400-500 mm/year) • winds with north-south dominant direction • vegetation mainly of intra-zonal nature depending on the local hydro-climatic conditions - floodplain forests with Salix, Populus, Fraxinus etc. • fauna - 623 different species, out of which 99 are protected through national legislation and European Directives. • over 40 bird species on the Birds Directive and 34 species on the Berna Convention List (e.g. Pelecanus sp., Phalacrocorax pygmeus, Ciconia nigra, Egretta alba etc.)

12. Amorpha fruticosa • originated from the south-east of Nord America • introduced in the first half of the last century for decorative purposes and together with other species (Salix) for the protection of inclined and degraded land; later spread in the natural Populus and Salix forests and also in the artificial forests along the Danube River. • since 1975 it becomes invasive specie and after 1985 it invades broader areas proving a high capacity of widening its habitat. • presently - 13,877 hectares of forests, 54 hectares of pastures and 17 hectares of agriculture land. • it occurs on poor, degraded, dry and sandy soils and can survive to extreme climatic conditions; over the last years, adapted to humid soils. • very productive specie, struggling the native species with whom it shares the area (Salix triandra, Salix purpurea). • slowly Amorpha has eliminating some important priority European habitats.

13. Since 2000, in and around the “Balta Mică a Brăilei” Natural Park, the forest county branch has eliminated this specie on 1214 hectares in the framework of Prototyp Carbon project. Amorpha was mechanic eliminated initially and after that 2 to 3 times/year for 5 years and species of Populus and Salix were planted instead, leading to a significant decrease of the specie. Nowadays the area under study is in progress of eliminating the invasive specie on 212 hectares in the framework of the ongoing Life Natura Project(LIFE 06 NAT/RO/000172). So far, 133 hectares were cleaned and more than 100 hectares was planted with natural species of poplars. Removing the Amorpha bushes is extremely difficultand involves high costs, mainly because of the specie’s high productivity. The methods used are of mechanic nature, with less negative impact upon the environment and on other species.

14. LUNCA MURESULUI NATURAL PARK • established in 2004 and occupies the embanked enclosure of the Mureş River between the city of Arad and the state border with Hungary. • specific wetland habitats covers a surface of about 17,166 ha and hosts plant and animal species of great scientific value, protected before the Park was created, within four nature reserves: Prundu Mare–Pecica, Igriş Isles, Insula Mare Cenad and Cenad Forest. • The Mureş Floodplain Natural Park is a typical wetland ecosystem with running and still waters, alluvial forests as well as an important place for nesting and passage for about 200 bird species, many of them of international importance.

15. Overlaps the plain climatic region with oceanic and submediterranean influences mean annual temperatures outrunning 10 0C precipitations of about 500-600 mm/an the wind has a south-east and north dominant direction Sylvo-steppe vegetation (on the Mureş River terraces) and intra-zonal vegetation in the floodplain area. The species frequently found are Quercus robur and ash Fraxinus anguistifolia together with Populus nigra, Populus alba and Salix alba. there are also three species which are strictly protected according to the Bern Convention: European waterclover (Marsilea quadrifolia), floating watermoss (Salvinia natans) and water caltrop (Trapa natans). The fauna in the park encompasses a multitude of species, from large mammals to species living on the river bottom. Nearly all the birds living in the LMNP are included in the annexes of the Bern Convention and the EU’s Habitats Directive as since 1988 was designated as an “Important Bird Area”. Nearly half of the entire population of sand martins (Riparia riparia), 6 reptile species and 9 amphibians species are mentioned in the annexes of the Bern Convention and the EU’s Habitats Directive due to the regress of these species, which are considered barometers for the state of an ecosystem’s health (eg. Emys orbicularis, Natrix tessellata, Triturus cristatus etc.).

16. Acer negundo • native to North America - the first records in Romania date back to the late 19th century. • presently is not widely distributed as it occurs mainly in towns (as an ornamental tree) and spontaneous in abandoned agricultural fields, near railways and roads and in riparian habitats. • Acer negundo put at risk the preservation status of the most important natural forest habitats: mixed floodplain forests with Quercus robur, Ulmus minor, Ulmus laevis, Fraxinus sp. situated along the river banks as well as the and gallery-forests with Salix alba and Populusalba. • extremely fast growing specie with a high invasive character whose regeneration capacity is superior to the one of the native species - important competitor for Salix, Populus, Fraxinus Ailanthus altissima • could develop into a stronger invasive specie if one takes into consideration its behaviour in some cities (e.g. Arad) where it develops and regenerates in some of the most isolated places. Amorpha fruticosa • introduced at first as decorative specie and as nourishment for pheasants and later becoming an important competitor for the native species. Presently it covers the lowlands situated in close proximity to the dykes and alongside the Mureş River.

17. MUNTII MĂCINULUI NATIONAL PARK • Relief - granites and crystalline schists, tower-like erosion outliers, scarps no higher than 467 m • Climate with influences of aridity in the east and pontic in the west. • - temperature annual means of 8-9 0C • - low amount of precipitation (300-500 mm/an) • - dominant wind (N and N-E direction) with speeds of ~4-6 m/s • The hydrographic network mainly supplied with water coming from precipitations and from small rivers belonging to Danube and Black Seadrainage basins (big variations, seasonal character) • The vegetation is attributed to the deciduous forests, mainly Quercus sp. • vulnerable, rare and subendemic species, of which 4 are nominated on the “Red European List”. • important centre of speciation, due to the intraspecific diversity and to the 11 local taxons identified so far in Romania. • genetic centre of Euphorbia macinensis, Corydalis dobrogensis and Herniaria glabra var. dobrogensis • the northern limit of the sub-Mediterranean zone in the Balkan Peninsula. • The fauna - great diversity due to some rare species protected through international regulations: Birds Directive and the Bern Convention - MMNPincluded in the “List of the European zones important for birds”.

18. MUNTII MĂCINULUI NATIONAL PARK Ailanthus altissima • Ailanthus altissima- the most aggressive and dangerous invasive tree specie in Europe because it penetrates into natural vegetation and irreversibly changes its composition. It tolerates dry, very cold and polluted environments. • Ailanthus is native to China and was introduced into Europe in the late 18th century. • In Romania was introduced as ornamental tree, and for protection on degraded and inclined terrains; very productive specie generating a huge number of fruits to be disseminated. • In the MMNP it mainly affects the steppe and sylvo-steppe dry grasslands, forest skirts, riparian habitats etc. by competing and removing the native local species. • The control of this specie is quite difficult because the mechanical eradication methods (cutting, hand pulling etc.) are not always efficient, therefore they must be completed with other mechanical and even chemical methods.

19. CONCLUSIONS The invasion of alien species is considered as one of the most important ecological consequences of the global changes as well as one of the leading threats to biodiversity causing high costs on agriculture, forestry and human health. Even if Romania is hosting a large number of IPS, they are not causing important damages to biodiversity on a large scale, but when dealing with protected areas and their ecological significance, a relatively small number of alien species are causing small-scale ecosystem changes with long-term consequences. The importance of assessing IPS in protected areas is increasingly important in terms of establishing the best management measures at national and regional level to prevent or minimize their adverse impacts. In Western European countries, the problem of invasive species is stressed not only by the researchers but also by the governments adapting the European Community legislation to controlling the phenomenon. At international level, the Rio Convention of Biological Diversity (1992) recognized the threat of the spread of invasive species and called for action to limit it. Global Invasive Species Program, formed by the United Nations and other international organizations, are beginning to answer this call with a series of programs designed to deal with particular sorts of introduced species.

20. ACKNOLEDGEMENTS The authors are grateful to Administrations of the Balta Mica a Brăilei” National Park, ”Munţii Măcinului” National ParkandMureşului Floodplain Natural Parkforall the support in assessing the case studies. The entire study is developed in the framework of the FP7 – Building Capacity for Black Sea Catchment Obsrvation and Assessment System supporting Sustainable Development (EnviroGRIDS); Project. Coordinator: Université de Genève (UNIGE), Switzerland; http://www.envirogrids.net/.