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Road mortality is one of the most obvious forms of anthropic impact upon fauna. The Iron Gates Natural Park is an area of great biodiversity, crossed by a 154 km long road running parallel to the Danube River. To estimate the impact of this road upon the fauna, between March 2019 and February 2020 we monitored road mortality on a monthly basis. We recorded 13,230 road-killed animals, belonging to 71 taxa. The greatest proportion of taxa was killed in early summer and the number of individuals killed peaked in autumn. A spring mortality peak was not observed. Cold-blooded animals were killed year-round, even though they should not have been active in winter in Romania. This is a consequence of the warmer climate of the region compared to the rest of Romania, but also the mild winter of 2019 / 2020. Mitigation measures such as stopping the construction of new roads would prevent the problem of animal road deaths being replicated in other areas. In addition to the ecological, zoogeographical and conservation value of its findings, our study also warns of a cause-effect link between global warming and an increase in road mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dam construction is one of the major human pressures impacting fluvial processes, including topography and hydro-sedimentary flows, as a result of the change in flow regime from fluvial to fluvial-lacustrine. This paper investigates geomorphic changes at Iron Gates I, the largest reservoir on the Danube River, completed in 1972 for hydropower and navigation. The study focuses on a gulf area that emerged at the mouth of the Cerna River into the reservoir, highlighting spatial changes in topography and sediment distribution, based on a diachronic analysis of two datasets before and after the dam was built: one extracted from historical topographic maps and the other obtained from a bathymetric echo sounding survey, integrated within a GIS analysis. The results reveal the dominance of the sedimentation process, with an alluvium layer thickness up to 14 m. The current sediment pattern has changed the submerged morphology, leading to the formation of an alluvial fan at the mouth of the Cerna River and of a sedimentary bar between the Cerna Gulf and the Danube River's channel. The siltation process together with the current underwater morphology limits ship traffic and the storage capacity of the reservoir. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Archaeological Materials & Research / Materiale şi Cercetǎri Arheologice is the property of Institute of Archaeology "Vasile Parvan" and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper presents for the first time the results of a combination of petrographic, geochemical and organic residue analyses of early Neolithic ceramics from the Iron Gates region of the Danube basin. Eleven early Neolithic potsherds from Schela Cladovei (Romania) were analysed in detail. The results of the petrographic analysis show that the ceramics were made with the same recipe that was used by Starčevo-Körös-Criș potters elsewhere in southeastern Europe. The SEM-EDX analysis shows one of the earliest uses of Mn-rich black pigments to decorate Neolithic European ceramics. Organic residue analyses detected dairy, non-ruminant and ruminant adipose fats. No evidence of aquatic resources was detected. In summary, the early Neolithic potters at the Iron Gates, although able to make coarse and more sophisticated painted ceramics, did not make specific vessels for a specific use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic cooperation between Yugoslavia and Romania during the 1960s can be divided into three parts. The first lasted until 1964 and was characterized by relations at an extremely low level. The second period began with the Agreement on the Construction of Djerdap and lasted until 1969. The work of the Joint Committee for Economic Cooperation showed that the two countries had opportunities to significantly improve economic relations. The gap that existed between a high level of political relations and the concrete bilateral cooperation began to decrease only when cooperation intensified in 1969 and 1970. Turning to other forms of economic cooperation while at the same time increasing the trade between the two countries allowed the volume of economic exchanges to increase four times by the end of the decade (19 million dollars in 1960, 76 million dollars in 1970). The cooperation between the two countries in the economic sphere continued in the years that followed, but it never reached the previous level of political relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post‐socialist memories recalling the communist past in Central and Eastern Europe have risen to importance in recent decades, but there is still a scarcity of literature dealing with the post‐socialist "post‐memory." By adapting a social‐spatial narrative methodology to memory studies and by promoting the current theories on the spatial politics of (intergenerational) memory in general and more specifically on the post‐socialist memory formation, this paper aims to highlight the nature of memory, how intergenerational shaping of memory happens and the implications of these memories for understanding post‐socialist memory creation through an understanding of how people's personal connections (attachment) to place serve as the basis of intergenerational memory transmission. To set the scene, between 1966 and 1972, in alignment with the Stalinist principles of Soviet electrification, Romania and Yugoslavia completed the construction of one of the largest hydroelectric plants in Europe – the Iron Gates – on the Danube. Although the flooding of the settlements that were in the way of this project involved the destruction of property representing local cultural heritage, the dominant place‐based memories are those related to trauma and personal attachment to (materially gone) places. The shaping of memories for the post‐socialist generation is the foundation of people's difficulty in adapting to a market economy and the capitalist state. However, while the home becomes a locus for memory transmission between generations, post‐memories are "summarised" through certain key traumatic events. The implications of the creation of these memories are significant for understanding post‐socialist memory formation because post‐socialist remembrance of communism is bottom‐up, rooted in local events and grounded in place. Finally, in the context of claiming retroactive justice in contemporary Romanian politics, tensions between those manifesting counter‐memories (i.e., memories that challenge state‐led actions) and those with memories that reveal people's pride for the engineering achievements bring out the complex nature of these memories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Personal ornaments, especially those made from the shells of marine mollusks and animal teeth, have been recovered from many Mesolithic sites across Europe. This paper reviews the evidence of personal ornaments from the Mesolithic of the Iron Gates, where such finds were identified in five sites on the Romanian bank: the cave and rock shelter sites of Climente II and Cuina Turcului, and three open-air sites—Icoana, Ostrovul Banului, and Schela Cladovei. The ornaments from these sites were made from the shells of several gastropod taxa and at least one species of dentaliid scaphopod, as well as the pharyngeal teeth of cyprinids, the teeth of several species of terrestrial mammal, fish vertebrae, and pieces of antler and bone. Particular attention is given to taxonomic identification and questions of taphonomy, provenance, selection, manufacture, and use. Experiments were conducted in which several types of ornament were replicated. Archeological and experimental pieces (at various stages of production) were examined under a microscope, to establish the durability of the beads and estimate the length of time over which they were worn. Our results show that shells of Lithoglyphus and Theodoxus sp. were simply perforated and fixed in composed adornments, as were shells of Tritia neritea in the early part of the time range. In the later Mesolithic, T. neritea shells were processed in a different way and fixed to clothing in the manner of appliqués. No technological modification of the cyprinid teeth was observed; these were sewn individually onto clothing by means of a thread coated with an adhesive substance. The other categories of personal ornament were used mainly as pendants. Experimental use-wear analysis suggests that many ornaments were used over long periods, with broken or missing pieces replaced when necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starting from the new education paradigm, which relies on constructivist and contextual approach, this paper will specify the tourism potential of the Djerdap National Park, which should develop young people's skills for sustainable development. The main objective of this paper is to use the holistic approach, the analysis of tourism resources, their educational potential and types of educational tourism in the Djerdap National Park to emphasize the insufficiently utilized educational potential. This could help children and young people acquire knowledge, skills and develop their personality by promoting learning through experience, direct contact with the things they are learning about, research and project approach. The results of this study indicate the need to create educational programs for all ages, to improve accommodation capacities as well as educational materials, to better educate the guides on how to conduct ambient learning, project and research activities for all age groups. Emphasizing the importance of educational tourism, which could help education for sustainable development, the paper underlines the need for support from state level with promotion, activities, projects and sharing best practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Banatica is the property of Museum of Highland Banat and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper proposes a critical discussion of the political economy of hydropower construction in the communist space. We use political economy, economic history and political ecology literature in order to reveal the economic and political relations in which hydropower is embedded in socialist states. The case analysed is the Iron Gates, a joint Romanian-Yugoslav project which raises specific questions about the techno-political framework of the new 'hydraulic landscape' and its place in socialist economies and societies. The case reveals important transformations in the political and economic relations within the Soviet bloc and provides a description of the complex institutional setting used in the construction of the hydropower system. In parallel, the paper explores the contribution of political power in the construction of the Iron Gates and especially its use in connection with the ideological production of the new communist regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Banatica is the property of Museum of Highland Banat and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Climente II cave, Iron Gates, Romania was excavated in 1968–9. Human remains were recovered from contexts identified as ‘Clisurean’ (Final Epigravettian), along with ca 6000 chipped stone artifacts, bone tools including awls, arrowheads and a fragment of a harpoon, and shell and animal tooth ornaments. This article presents a re-evaluation of the archaeological finds from Climente II. Osteological analysis of the human remains confirms at least three individuals: a robust, young adult male aged between 18 and 28 years, a second (older) adult, and a neonate. Single-entity 14 C dating of human bone and humanly modified animal bones suggests the Clisurean occupation occurred during the Bølling–Allerød warm period. Carbon (δ 13 C) and nitrogen (δ 15 N) stable isotope analyses highlight the importance of fish in human diet at Climente II. Comparison of the Climente II archaeological inventory with that from later, fisher-hunter-gatherer settlements in the Iron Gates indicates continuity of mortuary ritual, lithic tradition and subsistence practices from the Lateglacial into the Early Holocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplotypes of brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) populations in the area of Djerdap National Park were analyzed in order to determine their phylogeographic statuses. Sequencing the control region of mtDNA in 66 specimens from 9 streams in the broader Iron Gate area revealed that 7 brown trout from those streams carried haplotypes of Atlantic lineage, while the remaining 59 fish were of Danubian lineage, either of Da23c or Da1 haplotypes. Four streams were inhabited by populations of the indigenous Da23c mtDNA haplotype, while the population in one stream had the Da1 haplotype. In the remaining 4 streams, brown trout of exclusively Atlantic lineage were present in 3, while those of the Da23c haplotype were additionally present in the fourth. The significant fixation index Fst in all populations, caused by a significantly large proportion of the among-population component of variance, revealed the fixation of particular haplotypes in the majority of populations. The size of a particular stream determines native brown trout abundance and limits their suitability for restorative purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with early efforts to facilitate steam navigation between Vienna and Constantinople along the Danube. In addition to analyzing the complex negotiation processes that enabled the first regulation project at the so-called Iron Gates, a narrow gorge situated at the Austrian-Ottoman border, it assesses ways in which the new shipping connection transformed the cultural and spatial perceptions of travelers. The article argues that even though the plan for making the Iron Gates navigable was set out on the drawing boards of engineers and in the cabinets in Pest and Vienna, local circumstances changed its practical implementation in a number of important ways. The success of this major engineering operation relied on close cooperation among hydrological experts, state representatives, and entrepreneurs, all of whom had different stakes in the project but still shared a common interest. Establishing a shipping connection to the Black Sea along the Danube was thus the result of an alignment of interests among Hungarian, Viennese, and local Ottoman authorities; a careful match between theoretical knowledge and practical engineering work; and, last but not least, the surmounting of a mental separation between "Orient" and "Occident". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron Gates Natural Park, situated in the south-western part of Romania is protected for its remarkable landscape, high biological diversity and unique habitats. The paper assesse the public perception on protected areas in Iron Gates Natural Park and explore perceptions of local residents and local authorities’ attitudes towards protected areas and conservation activities. Most respondents held a positive attitude towards protected areas and the analysis of their attitudes and perceptions revealed potential conflicts that might affect biodiversity conservation and protected area management. The main problems are the limited knowledge and a poor communication with authorities which implies a lack of local participation in conservation activities. Based on our studies, some recommendations are given for improvement of Iron Gates Natural Park management due to the importance of the local community involvement in conservation activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mapping landscape change at detailed scales is an interesting task when the focus is not only the land cover change. The paper proposes the integration of a diachronic imagery set in a GIS application in order to obtain precise maps of the key qualitative changes along a representative sector of the Danube River Defile where the Iron Gates emerged between 1965-1972 to the border between Romania and Serbia. A photogrammetric process approach was developed for the building of precise historical orthophoto coverage on the basis of a CORONA KH-4B/ DECLASS-1 dataset. This was focused on reconstructing the image geometry and building a precise orientation, together with an aerial triangulation operation. The results were a Digital Surface Model and an orthophoto (about 5 m average geometric accuracy). This data was integrated into a GIS project with vector data extracted from the latest orthophotos (0.5 m, by ANCPI Bucharest) for mapping of landscape changes as an effect of the complex hydrotechnical works. The Iron Gates reservoir level was of about +33 m higher at the beginning of the 1970s in comparison with the primary Danube River level, the road and the railroad moved upslope like Orşova town and other villages. The most dramatic change was related to the total flooding of Ada-Kaleh Island with a Turkish settlement and a Vauban system fortress, an interesting historical and cultural site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the excavations done in 1974 in a quarry near Salcia (Mehedinți County, south-western Romania), four complete mammoth molars, as well as a molar fragment were discovered. The molars were curate at the Iron Gates Region Museum from Drobeta Turnu Severin. They were firstly assigned to the steppe mammoth, Mammuthus trogontherii. Herein, these fossils have been reassessed to the woolly mammoth, Mammuthus primigenius. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The processing of geological information obtained from some 1055 wells drilled in the southwestern Romanian Plain over an area of about 5200 km² has led to a better understanding of the structure and stratigraphy of Quaternary formations. The bending of the Danube River southwestwards and then westwards, between the Iron Gate Gorge and Brza Palanka, as well as the unbraiding at Ostrovul Corbului (Batoti) and 20 km farther downstream, at Ostrovu Mare (Gogosu), are the result of major trans-extensional movements of compartments buried west of the Timok fault, broken mainly from south to north due to the compression of the Southwestern Carpathians at the contact with the Moesian Platform. The morphostratigraphy of the Lower Member of the Danube Formation alluvia (Lower Pleistocene) deposited by the Danube and its tributaries on the High Fields of the Romanian Plain (250–110 m altitude) and of the Upper Member of the Danube Formation alluvia, of Middle Pleistocene–Holocene age (170–20 m elevation, with 5–8 layers of terrace alluvia and a present-day floodplain) is partially elucidated. This is due to the existence of active earthquake-affected faults, involving unequal movements of alluvial layers. The 5–8 stepped fluvial terraces and floodplain relief is blanketed by the Aeolian Formation (up to 35 m thick in the High Plains and between 20 and 25 m-thick over the old terraces). Zoning the alluvial thickness of the Upper Member of the Danube Formation, omnipresent in the Lower Danube Valley, reveals the dominance (69.3%) of the 5–10 m and 10–15 m ranges. Terrace and floodplain alluvia are 15–20 m, 20–25 m and 25–30 m-thick on about 20.5% of the studied area: (i) near Miroć Tableland, on the subsiding sectors divided by faults (ii) stacked alluvial sequences) and (iii) at the confluence of the Blahnita and the Drincea rivers with the Danube Valley (3 stacked alluvial sequences). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaeological investigations in the Iron Gates reach of the Lower Danube Valley between 1964 and 1984 revealed an important concentration of Stone Age sites, which together provide the most detailed record of Mesolithic and Early Neolithic settlement from any area of southeastern Europe. Over 425 human burials were excavated from 15 sites. Of these, less than one-fifth have been directly dated. This article presents 37 new AMS dates on human bone from five sites in the Iron Gates, together with the corresponding δ13C and δ15N values. They include the first dates on human bone from two sites, Icoana and Velesnica. The results are important for the chronology of Stone Age mortuary practices in the Iron Gates and the timing of the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Djerdap I is a hydro-electric power plant built as a concrete dam across the transboundary waters of the Danube between Serbia and Romania. Aside from its purposes as a hydro-electric plant, the reservoir provides an outlet for outdoor recreation, tourism, fishing, irrigation, and serves as a water supply all while providing river transport for both trade and passenger vessels. As it is transboundary, the system is used by the two involved countries on an equal-share agreement with consistent collaboration between Serbia and Romania being required to maintain operations. However, with increasing interest in the potential for the Djerdap I to act as a venue for international transport and trade between EU countries and countries surrounding the Black Sea it is important to reinforce and facilitate future group decision-making efforts between the two countries to ensure optimal and timely consensus in operating the system. In regards to that, we propose to create a decision-making framework around a well-known multi-criteria decision-making method-the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)-and to encourage the interest groups from both sides to adopt the framework. Included are the descriptions of how the participation of different interest groups can be modeled in the search for the optimal water distribution between key consumptive and non-consumptive water uses. An integrative approach is proposed to preserve the active participation of interest groups at both national and bilateral (Serbia-Romania) levels. In order to expand the national group decision-making context towards a bilateral (pan-group) context where representatives of two national 'groups' participate in deriving a common solution for the involved countries, a method for aggregating individual decisions is given. The obtained results show that the proposed approach can bridge the gap between researchers and policy makers if scientific competence and the insights of practitioners about the problem are combined within the unixque decision-making paradigm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the impact of trip distance, the average income of visitors, and the spatial distribution of the national parks in Serbia and Montenegro, on the number of visitors to national park (NP) "Đerdap". Also assessment has been conducted for total and average cost of a trip to the NP "Đerdap". The assessment was done according to the concept of non-market valuation of ecosystem services, especially tourism and recreation services in the public forests. The aim of the study is to identify the total and average costs of visitors and to determine the influence of various factors on the number of visitors to the National Park "Đerdap" in 2011. The purpose of this research is to highlight the factors that influence the choice of the Đerdap as a tourist and recreational sites, and highlight the value of recreational services in public forest where visitors have no obligation to pay for it. Valuation of recreational services in NP "Đerdap" indicates that Đerdap can be compared with other destinations in the world used for tourism and recreation in forest ecosystems. Đerdap attract visitors with specific natural features. Trip distance to the NP does not affect the number of visitors, but the average income of employees in Serbia influence that visitors coming to the Đerdap mainly in groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present paper, we identified landscape typologies in the Iron Gates Natural Park from Romania and assessed their dynamic starting with 1990 to 2006. We evaluated the dynamic of landscapes based on land use and land covers changes as extracted from the Corine Land Cover databases. We found no major modifications in the distribution of landscapes, only 4.4% of the study area recording changes. Forestry landscapes have the highest ratio of change (on 1.5% from the total surface of the Park), with significant decreases also recorded in landscapes of shrub and rare vegetation, as well as mixed agricultural landscapes. Among the active transformation processes, forestation (on 45% of the modified surface) and agricultural activities (20%) recorded the highest distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important fisheries sector of the Danube, the "Iron Gates" area, was studied by famous naturalists along the history like Marsigli, Haeckel, Kner, Antipa and Bănărescu. After more than half a century after the last main publication in this area, the "Iron Gates" Danube sector suffered significant human impact, and an assessment of the fish fauna was needed. The paper sumarizes the trend of fish species along the XIX-XXIst centuries, and reveals the appearance of new species. The study includes data from about 65 fish species, belonging to: Acipenseridae, Polyodontidae, Clupeidae, Salmonidae, Esocidae, Cyprinidae, Cobitidae, Siluridae, Ictaluridae, Anguillidae, Lotidae, Gasterosteidae, Syngnathidae, Centrarchidae, Percidae, Gobiidae, Odontobutidae, Cottidae. The major hidrotechnical works along with pollution, overexploitation and pouchery, induced major changes in the ichtyofauna structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relative larger sizes of the Berzasca River, respectively the relatively constant environmental conditions, with relatively stenotopic ichtiocenosis, suffered small qualitative and qualitative fish fauna modifications in time, compared to the smaller rivers such as Sirinia, Liubcova/Oreviţa and Mraconia. The Danube Iron Gate I Lake influence the lower sectors of the studied rivers in term of fish species exchanges. The accidental droughts in the carstic zones of the studied lotic sectors have a negative influence on the local fish fauna spatial continuity, and the climate changes can increase these influence in the future. All the studied rivers play important role for the near Danube Iron Gate I Lake lotic fish species of smallmedium size, as reproduction and shelter habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our study aims at evaluating the ecological impact of landscape fragmentation, identifying, and classifying the threats affecting habitats of community interest in the Iron Gates Natural Park. We used landscape metrics for assessing the fragmentation process, results expressing decreases in the values of three metrics (MPS, ED, SDI) and increases for two metrics (NumP and IJI). We observed an insignificant increase in landscape fragmentation related to a reduced decrease of its landscape diversity for the 1990-2006 timeframe. We classified the main anthropic threats to habitats of community interest in three main categories: diversification and densification of buildings and transportation infrastructures, land use and industrial activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents an analysis of terrestrial mollusc fauna of the Iron Gates Nature Park. Various types of habitats (e.g. forests, rocks, riparian areas) and substrates (e.g. limestone, conglomerate, crystalline schist) were analyzed. A total of 45 species of terrestrial gastropods were identified in 17 sampling points, four of which are mentioned for the first time in the area. Six other species cited in the literature were not found. Limestone substrate allows the development of large populations of terrestrial gastropods, but the specific diversity is larger when it is associated with a forest habitat. The current legal and illegal exploitation of limestone threatens the molluscan communities associated with this type of habitat. The subsequent erosion process and the low mobility of these animals make their colonization of habitats difficult. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents an inventory and distribution of invasive alien species, in Iron Gates Natural Park, especially to highlight their origins, the most aggressive alien species, and their impact on conservation status of habitats, and indirectly their economic and sociological impact on the human communities. This study may have an important role in improving the efficiency of conservation measures, offering valuable information to authorities involved in protected areas administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, little information is available about the orchid flora in the Iron Gates Nature Park, especially due to the lack of the data regarding the detailed geographical distribution and the actual conservation status of species and populations. According to the data provided by the specialist literature for the south-west of Romania, 39 species of orchids are found in this area, of which 29 are in the Danube Gorge (known as Clisura Dunării - Iron Gates Nature Park). The field researches regarding the Orchidaceae L. family in the Iron Gates Nature Park area have been conducted over a period covering 15 years, from 1996 to 2011. During research conducted in the field I acknowledged the presence of 23 orchid species in the Danube Gorge area and ascertained the presence of new orchid species in the research area: two new species in the Danube Gorge area (Iron Gates Nature Park): Epipactis purpurata Sm. and Listera ovata (L.) R. Br. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron Gates Natural Park is located in the South-Western part of Romania and is recognized for its great diversity of ecosystems, wide variety of species and emblematic landscapes. Due to its Mediterranean climatic influences and vegetation structure, the area is a suitable habitat for the existence and development of Testudo hermanni boettgeri. Monitoring both, the evolution of the microclimatic features in the lower Eșelnița watershed and the species behaviour, represents a useful step in order to determine if the global climate change endangers the conservation management of the tortoise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Construction of the Danube Iron Gate Dam for hydroelectricity, 943km from the mouth of the Danube River, is changing sediment transport due to its retention in the Iron Gate Reservoir (IGR), potentially causing heavy metal enrichment, re-distribution within the solid phase, exchange or re-suspension on sediment–water interface. The concentrations of heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd) in water and sediment during a five-year period along the IGR were determined. The fluxes of heavy metals from river water to sediment due to sedimentation were determined, as well as their fluxes from the bottom sediment to the sediment–water interface due to sediment re-suspension at high flow rate, when fluvial erosion takes place and removes part of the previously deposited sediment from the river bed, in a yearly amount between 2 and 9%, depending on the hydraulic regime in the IGR. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copyright of Studia Universitatis Babes-Bolyai, Historia is the property of Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Among the specific embodiments of the military phenomena, weapons occupy a leading role, as they are the most obvious physical representations. The arrival of Roman power on the lower Danube during Ist century A.D. generated a series of skirmishes in the region, with both the Dacian kingdom, as well as with various tribal factions, more or less under the influence of the said kingdom, on both sides of the great river. In our view, a special interest zone for understanding said phenomena is the Danube Gorge, where, for over a century, the armies of Rome and those of the Dacian kings were in direct and permanent contact, separated only by the great European river. The usage of modern methods of investigation, to the extent that it can be done, combining them with field research and excavations in well-defined micro zones, can provide new insights into the analysis of issues such as the spatial distribution of sites in an area and thus, the issue of relations between these archaeological sites. In this picture, curved weapons discovered in the ruins of the Dacian fortress Divici, an important fort, throws an important light on the importance of this border point. It is likely that the garrison stationed here, obviously related to the power center from the ?ureanu Mountains, was composed of elite soldiers, as the weapons, the type of fortification and the geographical position converge together towards this hypothesis. Located at the meeting point of two distinct worlds, the Dacian warriors on the Danube Gorge built solid fortifications, integrated into a coherent system, which aimed at controlling access to key crossing points across the river. Consolidating their power through trade, but also through plunder, these warriors found themselves at the forefront of the advance of Roman armies towards the Danube, managing to resist until the era of the large Dacian-Roman confrontations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron Gates Natural Park is the third largest protected area in Romania and second in terms of number of protected species, including a wide variety of natural and semi-natural habitats and landscapes in various stages of human intervention. Threats to biodiversity are diverse and the management of these threats is a major research direction in the conservation of biological diversity. In our study, the biodiversity and spatial analysis databases were used to assess the current situation. Even though the issue of distribution data of the species is not solved yet, the spatial distribution of threats to species is even less understood. We mapped the distribution of 59 species of conservation concern (17 mammals and 42 birds) using the geographic ranges of species. The correlation of the obtained data with the internal zonation of the park led to the identification of the "hot spots" in the Iron Gates Natural Park, which require immediate actions. Our study reveals that there are still uncovered and unprotected species of mammals and birds and so we recommend expanding both strictly protected and buffer areas to achieve the maximum level of protection resulting from Hot Spot Analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Threats to biodiversity are diverse and the management of these threats is a major research direction in the conservation of biological diversity. Determining the status of a species is essential in identifying those in danger of becoming extinct and also to establish conservation priorities. For the management of all types of threats that manifest themselves for certain species of community interest in the Iron Gates Natural Park, we must first understand their causes and effects. Conservationists are increasingly interested in determining threats to biological communities, this being an important part of territorial and environmental planning strategies. The analysis undertaken for some geographical areas showed that the most important threats are the socio-economic and demographic variables, the fragmentation, destruction and degradation of habitats through various practices, the introduction of non-native species, illegal hunting or overfishing. In this context, for elaborating sustainable patterns of habitat management we must analyze and prioritize the threats that we are dealing with. The method requires an inventory of the main threats in the Iron Gates Natural Park, the threats for certain Species of Community Interest (Tulipa hungarica, Colchicum arenarium, Pulsati la grandis). We have also applied a method used by WWF in order to achieve a hierarchy of the main threats and to establish logical and efficient actions that can be locally applicable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper wants to highlight the importance of promoting the tourism area "Iron Gates". Analyzing the current situation of the tourism in the area we can say that the tourist area Iron Gates is a tourist area with a quite valuable potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper wants to highlight the importance of promoting the tourism area "Iron Gates", to prove the opportunity of research in this domain and the necessity of its intensification, being convinced that only in this way the tourist area "Iron Gates" may become a tourist haven, as it deserves and we all want. For noticeable changes the area requires government attention, substantial investment and clear strategies of promotion. Tourist area "Iron Gates" meets all the conditions to define personality together with other areas of the country. To achieve such an objective, no effort, no matter how high and sustained it is not unjustified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concentrations of heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd) and long-lived radionuclides (U, Th and Cs) along the Iron Gate reservoir of the River Danube in Serbia were determined. In the years 2005--2009, water and sediments were sampled at six sites along 200 km of the River Danube from Belgrade to the Djerdap (Iron Gate) hydroelectric power plant. The concentrations of heavy metals in the sediment were found to be in the ranges of 27.9--149.3 mg kg-1 for Cu, 55.2--228.4 mg kg-1 for Zn, 13.5--71.6 mg kg-1 for Pb, 0.3--25.2 mg kg-1 for Cd and 4.0--17.5 Bq L-1 for 137Cs. These values are in correlation with the concentrations in the river water when expressed by the equilibrium coefficients (Kd) between the solid and liquid phases. The behaviors of the heavy metals were evaluated by applications models for the prediction of the behavior of pollutants in rivers. The fluxes of heavy metals from water to sediment and vice versa were also determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron Gates II hydropower plant includes, for the protection of Ostrovul Corbului area, an embankment dam founded on highly permeable and easily trained alluvial soils. The initial protection dike project did not supply a cutoff wall and the solution adopted to maintain a certain water level within the enclosure area was to pump the excessive water over the dike and out in the lake. Groundwater movement between the retention arrangement and lower levels created by pumped water lead to damages brought to the soil structure. Such a phenomenon is reported near the pumping station, which is emphasized by changes in water levels after the drainage process. This study aims to identify the potential causes of the piping phenomena which have appeared at Ostrovul Corbului dike and the possible remedial solutions using the available data and mathematical modeling. To confirm the assumptions regarding the piping causes and to establish the appropriate solutions, a transient 2D model was realized using the finite elements method. Following the mathematical modeling some of the assumptions were confirmed and others were determined. To remedy the situation, two complementary solutions have been proposed: interventions on the pumps in order to be able to adjust the flow and to realize a cutoff wall which modifies the flow so that the current lines move away from the sensitive area near the pumping station. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The type and source of natural organic matter was investigated in Danube River sediments from the Hungarian Plain near Belgrade to the Carpathian–Balkan Mountains near the Iron Gate dam by means of pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). In addition, the input of anthropogenic organic matter to the river was traced using sewage markers (linear alkyl benzenes and alkyl phenolic compounds). The VGI ratio employs the most abundant lignin marker (4-vinylguaiacol) and the most abundant organonitrogen compound (indole) in the sediment pyrolysis products and is proposed as an index of the relative contributions of land plant vs. aquatic biomass to sediments. Sewage marker analysis revealed their enhanced accumulation in sediments close to metropolitan/industrial areas and at the mouth of the Velika Morava tributary, as well as their overall decrease in concentration downstream towards the Iron Gate dam. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The paper analyses the sediment sink processes at the end of a large river sea system as the Danube - Black Sea is. It tries to evaluate the amount of sediments accumulated within the high stand depocentre, represented by the present-day Danube Delta, and the low stand one - the Danube deep sea fan complex. The deep-sea fan complex mobilised over 40,000 km3 of sediments with an accumulation rate that ranges between 88×106 t/a and 302×106 t/a (Wong et al., 1997; Winguth et al., 1997, 2000), while the amount of sediments accumulated in the present-day Danube Delta, including all the morphologic and depositional units, as Fluvial and Marine Delta Plains, the Delta-front unit and the Prodelta, is only of some 1,200 km3. The last, Holocene, progradational littoral sandy sheet is formed of about 22 km3 of sediments. The Danube River average annual sediment discharge during the Holocene was estimated to about 80×106 m3/a that is consistent with the Danube sediment discharge before the Iron Gate barrage was completed (about 70 to 80×106 m3/a). These evaluations are of large approximation but even in such conditions they give an apercu on the sediment sink processes at the end of a large river sea system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses technological research of the prehistoric bone tools in the Iron Gates area through the use of Keyence's digital optical microscope VHX-600.

The pollution of aquatic ecosystems by heavy metals has assumed serious proportions due to their toxicity and accumulative behavior. River dams are especially at risk of contamination by different contaminants from anthropogenic sources including heavy metals since change of the sediment regime often occurs. The largest hydropower dam and reservoir system along the entire Danube, the Iron Gate, is located at the Djerdap Gorge (117 km long) in Serbia and Montenegro. In order to determine the degree of pollution of the Iron Gate by heavy metals, composite sediment samples were collected from seven reaches of the river from Smederevo (river-km 1112) upstream from the Iron Gate dam to Radujevac (river-km 851) downstream from the gorge. The concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Mn, Hg, Ni and Zn were determined in the sediments. The lowest heavy metal concentrations were measured around river-km 854, downstream from the gorge. The data from this study were compared with data obtained 20 years ago in the same area. It was found that the range of mean concentrations over the entire gorge of Fe, Mn, Ni, Zn, Cu, Cr and Cd increased by 46.6% (Zn at the site Tekija) to 156.2% (Ni at the site Veliko Gradiste). Decreases in concentrations were observed for Hg and Pb. Metal levels in the sediments did not exceed Dutch intervention values, but were higher than the target values for Ni, Zn, Cu, Cr and especially for Cd, indicating contamination not sufficiently high to require remediation/intervention, but not excluding risk to the ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to highlight the importance of promoting tourism of "Portile de Fier" Tourist Area, to prove whether research in this area and the need to intensify them, being convinced that only such "Portile de Fier" Tourist Area can become a tourist haven, as it deserves and we all want. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modern Danube River crosses the Carpathians along the Iron Gates gorges. Such an impressive geographic feature promotes ideas about a somewhat similar communication way between the Neogene Dacian and Pannonian basins. This attractive hypothesis is sometimes contradicted by detailed geological data, especially sedimentation palaeoenvironments and fossil bio-communities significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The population of Pelophylax lessonae from Vodiţa Valley (near the Iron Gate) displays a particular colouring, the individuals being coloured in greyish brown, even more toward grey. The occurrence of atypical colouring at this population of P. lessonae can be explained by the type of habitat occupied along Vodiţa Valley: a mountain brook with fast flowing and rocky substratum, which flows into the Danube, upstream of the Iron Gate Dam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the management and administration of one of the largest, beautiful and complex natural parks from Romania, the Iron Gates Natural Park. The management plan is a frame of integration of the biodiversity conservation problems and protection of the natural and cultural environment that also supports socio-economic development of Iron Gates Natural Park. It is also an instrument of dialog between the institutions which coordinate this area. The management plan is a document approved by H.G 1048/2013 and it resulted after consulting the interested factors of the area (city halls, local and central authorities, civil society). The administration of Iron Gates Natural Park has a new structure, founded in 2003 and is working as a subunit of Forest-National Administration (Romsilva), which assures the necessary personal and equipment for administrating the area. The area has the status of: Natural Park, Natura 2000 and Ramsar site. The forest represents 65% of the total area, 98% being a state property. Analysing Iron Gates Natural Park documents (Iron Gates Natural Park management plan, scientific council and park administration documents, visits and observations within park), we can conclude that the park has a good administration leaded by the scientific councils, who also achieved many successful European projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]