Kanitzia 18. - NYME Természettudományi Kar - Nyugat ...

Orban”) is situated in the village area of Miheşu de Câmpie (Mezőméhes), former included
in the village Răzoare (Mezővelkér), neighboured of Şăulia (Mezősályi) and accesible from
there. The presence of K. ceratoides on the dry, sunny steep slopes and landsliding area of
the hill „Coasta lui Orban” have already been recorded by BĂDĂRĂU et al. (2002). The authors
demonstrated that the continuing landslides processes, the sunny places, dry slopes
developped on sand and marly outcrops ensured the main habitat conditions for the species,
which require mostly open places and cannot support well the closed dry grasslands and
the overgrazing effects. Presently it can be observed a trend of positive naturalness process
for the K. ceratoides population-stands, due to the succesful forest plantation program and
after the limited grazing pressure. The typical landslides, the sunny steep slopes are occured
by K. ceratoides population-stands, peculiar micro-areas where the main forest species
planted cannot resist, but their climatic effects are still favourable. In this area the early
plantations with woody species (1970-1973) was not a succesful intervention trial, the land
use remained as an extensive pasture (sheeps, horned cattles) area. The second experimental
plantation (2003-2004) has been realized with succes, because all degraded field territories
have been fenced and closed for pasturing. The various species used for plantations, today
occupy significative surfaces especially by the species of Pinus nigra and Robinia pseudoacacia,
followed by Amorpha fruticosa, Eleagnus angustifolia, Prunus serotina, Hippophaë
rhamnoides, Acer platanoides, A. pseudoplatanus, Fraxinus excelsior etc., totaly ensuring
suitable protection areas for the K. ceratoides populations. Nevetheless in some places,
under the protection of the planted species, other common taxa are spreading more and
more: Prunus spinosa, Crataegus monogyna, Calamagrostis epigeios, Phragmites australis
etc., which stands can limit in the future the survival and preservation of K. ceratoides populations.
3. The site near the locality Poiana Frăţii (Bethlentanya) (site name „Onisie”) is
situated just in the forest steppe area of the central-southern part of the Transylvanian Lowland.
From the main village Frata into the south-eastern direction, especially toward to
the localities Oaş (Avas), Poiana Frăţii (Bethlentanya) and Miheşu de Câmpie (Mezőméhes)
is a large landslide and eroded hilly region with dry and steppic grasslands, abandoned
lands, small groups of mixed oak forests, field crops and wood plantations. The large pasture
areas are intermitted sometimes by woody plantations and old landslides. At a distance
of cca 3 km east from the locality Poiana Frăţii, the pasture field broken by a woody plantation
(Pinus, Robinia) and deep land erosion, near a small brook forming narrow valley,
ravine, gorge-like or narrow little canyon landscape aspect on clay and marle, is found the
site with steep slopes favourable for establishing the K. ceratoides populations. Generally
the characteristic stands bordering the woody plantation and the small brook, where they
are relatively protected against the pasture animals, while the open field popu-lations are
regulary disturbed. The site is located at cca 15 km in north-west from the former site
(Groapa Rădăii), so the relative similarity of the climate conditions is very significant. The
development and the maintenance of the K. ceratoides stands here is influenced by the
strong grazing pressure, slope erosion, landslide processes, spreading woody and weed
species, trampled pathways, ploughed lands etc.
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