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Given the current situation regarding global warming, we intend to establish a forest plantation in the Cunești area of Călărași County, on a sandy land, prone to deflation, with accentuated climate deficit. According to the records of the Călărași Meteorological Station, four of the ten years analyzed have an average temperature of over 13 0C, higher by two degrees compared to the average of 1961-2000, of 11.20C. The physical and geographical conditions of the investigated area are characteristic for the Danube floodplain, where alluvial soils predominate, which in certain periods benefit from phreatic moistening. In order to determine the type and subtype of soil, its morphological and physico-chemical characterization, a soil profile and three pedological surveys were carried out, from which soil samples were collected on pedogenetic horizons up to the phreatic level (0-300 cm). Based on the local pedoclimatic conditions, the formula for afforestation with xerophyte species was established, with fast growth and low requirements in terms of soil trophicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shelterbelts proved to be important structures that provide water preservation and wind protection for humans, their activities, and crops but they also promote biodiversity, by providing a diversity of habitats for wildlife, contributing to a natural balance of harmful and useful species, and promoting biological control of pests. Shelterbelts were used since the 17th century, but their extensive use begin in the 19th century, following numerous scientific studies that proved their beneficial effects on soil and environment. As climatic and soil conditions are very specific for different regions, the impact of these factors on plants used to build the shelterbelts must be carefully analyzed prior to shelterbelts installation. The southern and southeastern plains of Romania are the regions most affected by climate change, especially drought. Because the area is outspread, with a very diverse soil cover, classified in different soil classes as cernisols (typical chernozem), luvisols (preluvosol), hydrisols (gleiosol), protisols (alluvial), etc., soil surveys are mandatory. In the present paper we try to highlight the importance of determining the soil suitability for the establishment of shelterbelts, especially for those agricultural lands prone to frequent droughts, as those in steppe areas of the Roman Plain. Soil profiles were opened, and surveys were performed, the soil being characterized morphologically and physico-chemically. For each type of soil, the soils were divided according to the main criteria for grouping the lands according to the forest suitability as: soil volume, soil thickness up to compact rock, skeleton content, texture, compaction, salinization / alkalization, humus content, slope category, surface and depth erosion, landslides, groundwater level, etc. The current study may be a model for the suitability of land in lowland areas frequently affected by drought, with similar physical and geographical conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Romanian Academy owns large areas of agricultural land located in the Bărăgan Plain, more precisely in the counties of Călărași and Ialomița, under the administration of the "Patrimoniu" Foundation (FP). In the context of current climate changes challenges, as global warming and its negative effects, the Romanian Academy acted both by organizing scientific debates, to raise awareness and establish a common action plan, but also by taking direct and effective measures, to be followed as good practice examples. One of these measures is the program for the establishment of a network of shelterbelts on the agricultural lands owned by the Academy. The program is running in the period 2014-2024 and starting with 2017, the planting action was carried out, managing to plant around 155 ha of shelterbelt until 2021, that were maintained accordingly to each location needs, with the appropriate plant protection measures. After five years of experience in carrying out the program of establishing the shelterbelts, viable solutions that can be applied in the future were defined: mechanization of works by using modern planting equipment, as it was the Forest seedlings planting equipment EPF 1, and the Hand Drilling Machine for seedlings replacement; the use of a high quality plant material, as oak seedlings grown in seedling trays for the replacement of the dead plants, achieving very good percentages of rooting), the application of pre-emergent herbicides, which delayed the weeds infestation in newly established plantations and which are reactivated at the first rain, eliminating in some cases the hoeing or mechanical weed control but also the use of foliar fertilizers based on macroelements, amino acids and microelements, which regulate the water stress during the summer period of the seedlings and grant significant annual growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]