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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]

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]

Our study aimed to evaluate the effects of different concentrations of zinc on Zea mays L. cv. Turda 200 seedlings in the first phases of development. For this, in the spring we treated corn caryopsis, and placed it into germinators with different concentrations of Zn, in the form of zinc acetate, namely: 0.2%, 0.4%, and 0.8%, during the germination period. After 10 days after the beginning of the experiment, we concluded that the germination rate was not influenced by the presence of Zn in the soil, and Zn also acted as a trace element in the corn in the first ontogenetic phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the research was to identify an effective way of raising awareness and training ecoresponsible people, empathetic towards the beauties of nature, the valuable biodiversity existing within Tășad Natura 2000 Site and beyond. The study was carried out at two rural classes in the vicinity of the site and two urban classes (reference classes). In biology classes, all information were taught about ecology regarding the protected natural area of Tășad Natura 2000 Site and as an additional intervention, extracurricular projects were organized for rural classes, which included various activities took place in the Site Natura 2000 Tășad, as well as visiting it. Thus, we have adapted the scientific content from the biology lessons to the specifics of this natural area and to the needs of the target group. A questionnaire was given before and after the interventions. The following conclusions were drawn from the study: the extracurricular activities contributed to the improvements of the knowledge about ecology, environmental protection and protected natural area of Tășad, to cultivating the ecologic spirit and forming an eco-responsible behavior of students from rural and urban schools in the vicinity of the site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment aimed to study the antibiotics or antifungals effect to prevent the infection in Triticosecale wittmarck micropropagation, without affecting the inoculum. After identifying the pathogens, which are frequently affecting the in vitro culture media, respectively Clostridium sp. and Cladosporium sp., we made the antibiogram and antifungal susceptibility testing. Among antibiotics and antifungals, to which one of them were found to be sensitive, we chose to add the following to the culture media: V1-gentamicin (GEN) - 40 mg/L, V2-tetracycline (TET) - 10 mg/L, V3- ciprofloxacin (CIP) - 40 mg/L, 4- clotrimazole (CLO) - 50 mg/L, V5-fluconazole (FLU) - 50 mg/L, V6-terbinafine (TER) - 25 mg/L, having the culture medium, without anti-contaminants additions, as control lot. At the end of the experiment we concluded that anticontaminants, used in concentrations recommended by literature, have prevented infections, but reduced the capacity for germination rate of triticale. Just terbinafine can be added in triticale culture media, but it is necessary to study other lower concentration that does not affect the growing of inoculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]