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Geographical Review of Japan Vol.80, No.5, 272-289, 2007 Degradation of Geoecological and Hydrological Conditions due to Grazing in South Carpathian Mountains under the Influence of Changing Social Structure in Romania URUSHIBARA-YOSHINO Kazuko* and MORI Kazuki** *DepartmentofGeography, Hosei University, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-8160, Japan **DepartmentofGeosystem Sciences, Nihon University, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-8550, Japan Abstract:This study tried to clarify theecological damage in the areas of sheep transhumance, afterthe regime change of 1989, in the South Carpathian Mts. of Romania. The number of sheep increasedby a factoroften per hectare inareas where transhumance waspracticed inthe South CarpathianMountains. This was because the sheep cheese produced in this area became more popularand increased inprice. Jina and Poiana Sibiului villages arelocated on thethird pene- plain(900-1000m a.s.l.) ofthe Southern Carpathian Mountains, which consists ofcrystalline schistofPrecambrian origin. Soil erosion of commonlands and water pollution caused by the transhumanceofsheep is a seriousproblem in these villages. Soilerosion speeds were measured by comparingprofiles on Sept. 20,2003, and Sept. 6,2004. Soil erosion inthese transhumance areasprogressed more during that one year. The bedrock is extremely hard and the recovery of soiland vegetation willprobably be difficultoverthe short term. In Patarlagele, wheresoils were composedof Miocene marl, soil erosion was very prevalent and easily progressed. However, the recoveryofsoils and vegetation wasfaster than in Jina and Poiana Sibiului, because of the softer andyounger mother rock. In Jina and Poiana Sibiului, theRoma andBayash people have been washingwool in the creeks. The water was seriously polluted asa result.Results ofa chemical analysisshowed high sodium, potassium and bicarbonate levels after wool washing. Itis recom- mendedthat in areas with soil erosion, sheep would not be allowedentry so as to protect na- ture.Wool washing should be donein plants, where polluted water can be treatedbefore being dischargedinto natural. Key words: Romania,transhumance ofsheep, soil erosion, water pollution, peneplain, land degradation morphology, hydrology and human geography Introduction and finally,to give adviceon the reductionof the presentecological damage and for the establish- In order to investigate the issues of land ment of more favorablemethods of land use, degradation, soil erosion, water pollution and water use, grazingand other human activities. other geoecological variables after the 1989 regime change in Romania, a cooperative study Study Regions was initiatedby a group of Japanese and Ro- Geographical conditionsand social manian geographers. economical conditions Peoples in the rural areas are now recovering from the mood of pessimism that followed 1989, The area of Romania is 237,500km2 and its but the geoecologicalconditions of the country- population is 22.5 millionin 1998 (Balteanu side in the mountain regions are not always in 2003). Nearly 80% of the working populationis good order. The present study will seek to clar- engaged in agricultureand forestry.Romania is ify the conditions from the standpoint of geo- generallydivided into three main regions(Bog- -272- Degradation of Geoecological and Hydrological Conditions 77 Figure 1. Geographical sketch of the topography of Romania and the study area. dan et al. 2004): (1) The Central Mountains; (2) the following geological differences. The Danube Plains of Wallachia and Moldavia; Geological map which is compiled from the and (3) Transylvania and Banat. The mountains map of Academia Republicii Socialiste Romania are divided into three ranges. Namely, these are (1979) is shown in Figure 2. This map shows the Eastern Carpathians, Southern Carpathians that some part of the South Carpathian Moun- and Western Carpathians (Apcen Mountains) tains is composed by the materials of Precam- (Balteanu 2006). brian crystalline schist exceptionally. The other The present study areas are in the South areas are mainly Mesozoic and Tertiary materials Carpathian Mountains. The location of the study as normal Alps Mountains. Therefore study areas areas is shown in Figure 1 as Regions A and B. were chosen from 2 places. Region A was cho- In Region A, our research fields are Jina and sen from typical Precambrian crystalline schist, Poiana Sibiului, located on the north facing and the other shown as B is from Tertiary sedi- slopes of the Cindrel Mountains, the central part mentary rock areas. A locates in Cindrel Moun- of the South Carpathian Mountains. The Cindrel tains where are composed of Precambrian crys- Mountains are thickly forested with beach and talline schist and peneplains landform. Region B oak trees at lower elevations and pines and other locates in the Tertiary sedimentary rock area and conifers at higher elevations. But the upper, landslides are very popular. ridge parts of the mountains are covered by After the revolution in 1989, the agricultural grassland, which are used for transhumance. As lands were given back to the past owners or their Region B, Patarlagele, the eastern part of the descendents, as far as this could be established South Carpathian Mountains, is chosen based on by the old documents of title, but not all the -273- 78 URUSHIBARA-YOSHINO K . and MORI K. Figure 2. Geological map of South Carpathian Mountains. owners actually farm the land at the present erosion and water pollution have been studied time. In such cases, they rent the fields to farm- taking an example in the Cindrel Mountains, ers and at the present time, the land is badly which forms one part of the Carpathian Moun- worked in some instances. This has resulted in tains bending westwards. land degradation, even though this region is lo- Study areas are shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3. cated in the fertile, broad Chernozem zone. Due The location of profile taken in Figure 4 are to the underdeveloped transport system, agri- shown also in Figure 1. The central part the South cultural products do not always reach national or Carpathian Mountains is formed mainly from the international markets. Also, the farmers are not Mesozoic limestone and sandstone, but Tertiary willing to establish an Agricultural COOP. conglomerate and sandstone are also found in In 2002, when one of the writer visited Jina the fringe areas. In the central part of the region and Poiana Sibiului, a base area for transhu- Precambrian crystalline schist has intruded as a mance, serious soil erosion had already started block. The study objects were chosen taking into on the marginal parts of the pasture land. Near consideration the vertical cross sections of the Poiana Sibiului, a Roma settlement had already peneplains with their geological conditions and expanded into the area of the village. During our vegetation zones shown in Figure 4. study in this area in 2003 and 2004, the Roma The Precambrian crystalline schist is dominant settlement expanded with great speed. They in the Cindrel Mountains (Buza and Fesci 1983). used common lands freely for washing and dry- There are three peneplains: Step ‡T, about 2000- ing wool. 2200 m (equivalent to the highest altitudes) (the Borascu Peneplain); Step ‡U, about 1800m (the Study areas regarding soil erosion and water Raul Ses Peneplain), and; Step ‡V, about 950- pollution 1100m (the Gornovita Peneplain). Settlements Cindrel Mountains The problems of soil like Jina and Poiana Sibiului are located on Step -274- Degradation of Geoecological and Hydrological Conditions 79 Figure 3. Detail map of A region in Figure 1. Figure 4. Peneplains and vegetation zones on a cross section of the Cindrel Mountains. , where our observations were made. These Yoshino 2006). Sheep grazing stays Banat Plain settlements are all based on transhumance. The during winter time. In spring, sheep shift up to farmers and their stock all shift in spring from higher places and shift back to lower places in Step ‡V to Step ‡U and stay on Step ‡T in summer. autumn. Namely, sheep stay from 1 May to 10 After coming back to the base settlements in au- May on the Peneplain of Gornovita, from 10 May tumn, sheep move further away to the lowlands to 15 June on the Raul Ses Peneplain, from 15 of the Banat Plain, where they stay in winter June to 1 Sept. on the top of South Carpathian (Uruhibara-Yoshino and Hada 2005; Urushibara- Mountains. Then sheep will shift back from 10 -275-- ‡V 80 URUSHIBARA-YOSHINO K. and MORI K. Sept. to 1 Oct on the Raul Ses Peneplain, and tographs taken by him shows serious soil ero- from 1 Oct, to 14 Oct, on Gornovita Peneplain. sion. In the present study, a southeast facing Sheep will be transferred to Banat Plain, where slope of the Virful Colane, near Muscel village, they stay during winter by truck, train or walk. was taken as an example of a common grassland, Taking into account the fact that 38% where transhumance was practiced. (1,075km) of the total length (2,857km) of the Danube River passes through Romania or forms Study Method and Results its border, this particular river has great impor- tance to the country not only for water resources Soil erosion but also from an environmental point of view Methods and materials 1) Type of soil ero- (Bogdan et al., 2004; Lennox 1996). The study sion in study areas. The types of soil erosion, area is located on the northern slope of the observed in the grasslands with transhumance on Southern Carpathians, and contains a tributary of the north facing slope of Cindrel Mountains (Re- the Olt River, which flows into the Danube at a gion A)and the south facing slope of Patarlagele point near the city of Turnu Magurele (Figure 1), (Region B), are classified into Types Ⅰ to Ⅳ, as after being regulated by approximately 30 reser- shown in Figure 5. The progressive degree is ex- voirs (Mandrut 2000; Whitehead and Noe 1995). pressed as(1)to(4). In Type Ⅰ, not only sheep, Observations were conducted in the compara- but also heavy animals like cattle or horses are tively small watershed, situated in the headwa- grazed together in the area.

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