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Between June 2020 and May 2021, we studied the fauna road mortality on a recently asphalted local road in a protected area in southwestern Romania (Iron Gates Natural Park–IGNP). Despite our expectation of reduced road mortality because of the very low traffic (3.97 cars/hour), numerous animals belonging to a high number of taxa were killed. Animals were killed throughout the entire year, even amphibians in the winter months, which normally should hibernate in that period. Road mortality differences between periods and sectors were obvious. Plant assemblages near the road influence the composition and intensity of road mortality. Diverse habitats near the road have diverse plant assemblages and richer fauna, which are more affected by the road. The highest road mortality intensity was registered in areas with diverse plant assemblages. The possibilities of diverse mitigation measures are also discussed, all implying the decrease of the traffic intensity in the touristic season, which overlaps the road mortality hot time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stone crayfish is a native European freshwater species with significant population declines caused by anthropogenic pressure onto its habitats, climate change and spreading of non-indigenous invasive crayfish and their pathogens (e.g., Aphanomyces astaci). We present the first record of an Austropotamobius torrentium population in a small stream from the southern lowlands of Romania, in an area without limestone or karst, known as a typical stone crayfish habitat in this country. No additional populations were found in the neighbouring streams. The mtDNA analysis based on sequencing a short fragment of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene revealed that specimens from this newly discovered population belongs to the most widespread phylogroup of A. torrentium (CSE) and share the same haplotype as the specimens found in Croatia. Unfortunately, this crayfish population has disappeared most likely because of the crayfish plague since pathogen A. astaci was isolated from moribund crayfish. Our study highlights the vulnerability of isolated relic populations in the face of outside stressors.

Macrozoobenthic invertebrate assemblages are a very important component of water ecosystems that reflect water quality. The evaluation of these assemblages in the Jiului Corridor Natura 2000 site can highlight the natural value of aquatic invertebrate biodiversity. Thus, our study aimed to analyze seven streams from the Jiu Corridor Natura 2000 site from the point of view of the macrozoobenthic invertebrate assemblages’ structure. The samples were collected in June 2020. Also, we measured the most important physicochemical parameters of the water. In the sample sites, we found a number of 31 taxa. There were differences between the sites depending on the riverbed type, hydrology, and human impact intensity. Totally, we have identified 15232 individuals of macrozoobenthic invertebrates. Even though the communities in the seven studied watercourses were different, these differences were not statistically significant. This fact, correlated with the high number of individuals and taxa, suggests the relict character of the macrozoobenthic invertebrate communities in the studied small watercourses. These aquatic habitats preserve the region`s biodiversity from before anthropic transformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transportation networks have a high negative impact on the fauna, impact considered more pronounced on roads than on railways. However, this fact is difficult to verify because most studies have focused on roads and just a few on railways, and comparative studies are exceptionally rare. Thereby, we set out to compare the fauna mortality on 2 km of road and railway parallel to each other to assess which is more deadly for the fauna. The two transportation networks were studied at the same time (in every month of 2021), in the same place (western Romania), and with the same method (pedestrian surveys). The number of corpses was much higher on the railway, yet the number of taxa and their diversity was higher on the road. On the railway, half of the victims were killed before the year of the study, and, by percentage abundance, over 90% of them belonged to a single taxon (Gastropoda with shells). On the contrary, none of the taxa exceeded 20% on the road. Thus, the answer to our question is complex because at least our data show that neither of the two transportation networks is necessarily more friendly to the environment, but each of them affects the fauna in a different way. The railway can be considered a trap (usually an indirect one) for snails, which cannot escape from it, but it kills other animals too. Although most animals seem to be able to avoid railway mortality, they are nevertheless killed on the adjacent road. The two transportation networks affect the fauna in a complementary way, probably having a cumulative negative effect. Nevertheless, the railway preserves the animal corpses for much longer than the road, which shows that the negative impact of roads is probably underestimated compared to railways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyzed the fecundity of a Viviparus acerosus population from southern Romania in the autumn period (October 2020). For this, we collected 52 specimens from a channel near Teasc Village, Dolj County. Of these, 13 females were gravid, with a total number of 210 embryos, most in stage III of evolution. The number of embryos was not correlated with the dimensions of the females; therefore, the fecundity of females was not determined exclusively by the dimensions of the females. The studied population reproduces till late autumn, maybe even continuously in the investigated habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cuticle is the interface between an animal and its environment; thus, it has a special importance. In Arthropods, the cuticle is not uniform, having numerous formations, which is also the case of epigeic terrestrial isopods. Our study presents data on cuticle surface morphology, obtained with a scanning electron microscope, of an endemic terrestrial isopod species, Trachelipus trilobatus. Here we present SEM images of some external morphological features of this species, which were previously described only at the light microscope. Although T. trilobatus was frequently encountered in caves, the aspect of its cuticle is characteristic for an epigeic isopod, presenting numerous micro-scales, spines, and tricorn sensilla, which are considered hygroreceptors. This fact proves that originally T. trilobatus is an epigeic species, which secondarily adapted to karst areas with caves. Nevertheless, it regularly leaves the caves and the limestone cracks and emerges on the soil surface. Therefore, T. trilobatus is able to receive information about environmental humidity, especially on the soil surface, which, when unfavorable, causes the species retreat into caves or cracks. Climatic fluctuations from the glacial periods could direct T. trilobatus to this environment and way of life, modifying its morphology, but not its cuticle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research evaluates the macrozoobenthic invertebrate assemblages from two rivers situated in the Jiu River basin. The invertebrates were collected from three sample sites on Sohodol River and five sample sites on Șușița River. The sample sites were situated along the two rivers which flow almost along their entire length through a forested area. In the case of Sohodol River we have encountered anthropic activities related to seasonal tourism, but no localities or industrial activities were observed in the area. The aim of the study was to establish besides the structure of the macrozoobenthic invertebrate assemblages, the water quality using BMWP score and also to evaluate the human impact on the macrozoobenthos in Sohodol River and the differences between the macrozoobenthic assemblages in the two rivers caused by natural or anthropic factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to highlight the dynamics of macrozoobenthic invertebrate communities from Brătcuței Valley, in three different areas impacted by anthropic factors in different ways. The changes occurred due to this impact were observed in spring, summer and autumn periods with the purpose to determine whether the different seasons of the year can amplify or diminish the effects of human activities upon the benthic communities. The modifications of the macrozoobenthos were correlated with the variations of certain physico-chemical parameters of water (temperature, conductivity, the dissolved oxygen content, total dissolved solids TDS). We have analysed the ecological parameters which reflect the modifications of the macrozoobenthic communities such as species richness, diversity (Shannon-Wiener index), the percent of Oligochaeta and Chironomids larvae (%OC) from the total macrozoobenthos, the percent of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera an Trichoptera larvae (%PT) from the total macrozoobenthos. We have observed changes in the structure of the macrozoobenthic communities in the areas of the valley affected by the effluents of a trout farm, which are very obvious especially in the warm season. Also the river stretch affected by domestic waste waters has a modified macrozoobenthic community, in a greatest degree from the all investigated sampling points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]