Drivers of Timberline Dynamics in Rodna Montains, Northern Carpathians, Romania, over the Last 131 Years

A bioclimatic evaluation of sustainable tourist activities in western Romania

The study analyzes with priority the bioclimatic conditions for tourist activities in two famous tourist areas in western Romania [(Băile Felix-Băile 1 Mai (BF_1 M) - Stâna de Vale - Vlădeasa and, respectively Băile Herculane (BH) - Semenic], from the perspective of the potential of health tourism and in the subsidiary of sports and camping tourism. Such researches are missing for western Romania. The main working tools in the evaluation of the tourist valences of the bioclimate include: the spatio-temporal analysis of the Physiologically Equivalent Temperature (PET) bioclimatic index, of the TCI climate-tourism index and of the climate-tourism schemes (CTIS). PET, TCI and CTIS were calculated and drawn up based on the daily data of the meteorological elements included in their calculation for the period 1961-2019. The bioclimate is analyzed as an element of potential that can increase (through a better evaluation and knowledge) the attractiveness and sustainability of the health tourism in the already established resorts (BF_1 M, BH) and can develop sports and camping tourism in the direction of the two proposed axes (Stâna de Vale - Vlădeasa și Semenic), with the decongestion of the resorts from the base the mountains. The proposed objectives consist inmulti-criteria evaluation, promotion and sustainable exploitation of the bioclimatic (and spa) resources of the six tourist destinations, but it also aims to increase the level of attention and information of all those interested, by promoting the bioclimatic and climate-tourism assets of complementary tourist destinations (Stâna de Vale, Vlădeasa, Semenic). The results obtained from the PET statistics show that between 25 and 39 % of the days of a year are comfortable, and the TCI statistics show that between 54 and 69 % of the days are favorable for the practice of tourism. PET and TCI highlight that from mid-April to mid-October the bioclimatic conditions for health tourism are good at BF_1 M and BH and that, only in the months of December-February the balneoclimatic procedures carried out outside the treatment bases are subject to climatic restrictions. Sports tourism has few temporal restrictions, and camping tourism restricts its duration, from April to October in lowland resorts, to May to September in mountain tourist destinations. CTIS shows that the resorts in western Romania have the most favorable bioclimatic and climate-tourism conditions in Romania.

Regeneration of Pinus sibirica Du Tour in the Mountain Tundra of the Northern Urals against the Background of Climate Warming

Climate is one of the key drivers of the plant community’s structure and trends. However, the regional vegetation-climate features in the ecotone have not yet been sufficiently studied. The aim of the research is to study features of Pinus sibirica Du Tour germination, survival, and growth in the mountain tundra of the Northern Urals against the background of a changing climate. The following research objectives were set: To determine the abundance and age structure of P. sibirica undergrowth on the mountain tundra plateau, identify the features of P. sibirica growth in the mountain tundra, and examine the correlation between the multi-year air temperature pattern, precipitation, and P. sibirica seedling emergence. A detailed study of the Pinus sibirica natural regeneration in the mountain stony shrub-moss-lichen tundra area at an altitude of 1010–1040 m above sea level on the Tri Bugra mountain massif plateau (59°30′ N, 59°15′ E) in the Northern Urals (Russia) has been conducted. The research involved the period between 1965 and 2017. Woody plant undergrowth was considered in 30 plots, 5 × 5 m in size. The first generations were recorded from 1967–1969. The regeneration has become regular since 1978 and its intensity has been increasing since then. Climate warming is driving these processes. Correlation analysis revealed significant relationships between the number of Pinus sibirica seedlings and the minimum temperature in August and September of the current year, the minimum temperatures in May, June, and November of the previous year, the maximum temperatures in May and August of the current year, and precipitation in March of both the current and previous years. However, the young tree growth rate remains low to date (the height at an age of 45–50 years is approximately 114 ± 8.8 cm). At the same time, its open crowns are rare single lateral shoots. The length of the side shoots exceeds its height by 4–5 times, and the length of the lateral roots exceeds its height by 1.2–1.5 times. This is an indicator of the extreme conditions for this tree species. With the current rates of climate warming and the Pinus sibirica tree growth trends, the revealed relationships allow for the prediction that in 20–25 years, the mountain tundra in the studied Northern Urals plateau could develop underground-closed forest communities with a certain forest relationship. The research results are of theoretical importance for clarifying the forest-tundra ecotone concept. From a practical point of view, the revealed relationship can be used to predict the trend in forest ecosystem formation in the mountain forest-tundra ecotone.