Manu Minodora

Institute of Biology, Bucharest - Romania · Ecology, Taxonomy and Nature Conservation

Quantification of soil biological status, through investigation of edaphic communities’ composition, constitutes an important factor for the assessment of the grassland ecosystems, including their protection. The structure of soil invertebrate communities was investigated for five grasslands under different chemical and organic treatments, for the...

Glavacioc River crosses many rural areas in southern Romania. The soil and groundwater in the neighboring area of the Glavacioc River are mainly polluted by nitrates from agriculture (excessive fertilization with mineral nitrogen fertilizers), husbandry (mismanagement of manure) and/or human waste. Based on previous research regarding soil and wate...

The main objective of the study was to analyse, for the first time in Romania, the relationships between five experimental grasslands and Mesostigmata fauna, considering: (1) the structural differences between mite communities; (2) the variations in some important abiotic factors (vegetation cover, soil temperature, soil moisture content, pH, soil...

The research objective was to demonstrate the use of soil fauna groups as a tool for monitoring of the "Springs Complex of Corbii Ciungi" protected area (the IUCN category 4), Dâmboviţa County, Romania. Some ecological indicators were quantified: taxonomic diversity, numerical abundance, dominance, evenness, equitability, Acari/Collembola ratio; Or...

PC2 MODSPA-NUTRITOX se încadrează în programul de cercetare pe termen lung inițiat în 2007 de UB, ICPA, IBB și ISMMA Prin PC2 a avut loc extinderea programului către procese de interfață relevante pentru evapotranspirație Mobilizarea partenerilor s-a făcut prin formularea unor ținte mai ambițioase decât cele contractate Au fost realizate toate livr...

Dezvoltarea socio-economică şi culturală a comunităţilor umane a fost influențată și modelată de-a lungul timpului de utilizarea resurselor naturale la nivel local și/sau regional. Pajiştile, ca resurse naturale regenerabile, au influenţat şi modelat societatea umană, în decursul anilor, imprimându-i un anumit specific local şi/sau regional. Pajișt...

Noi, profesorii și studenții școlii de vară INTER-ASPA “Radu Lăcătușu”, afirmăm că valorile noastre științifice sunt căutarea adevărului, rigoarea metodologică, meritul științific, modestia epistemică și responsabilitatea morală. Noi credem într-o comunitate colegială, în care tinerii sunt ucenici ai celor mai în vârstă, în care seniorii se respect...

In the autumn 2017 we have launched “The structure of a transdisciplinary research consortium for bio-geo-interactions research and integrated river basin management” (Lăcătușu et al. 2017). We have targeted in partnerships since 2007 the trans-disciplinary topic of river basin management under the pressure of pollutants and climate changes at diff...

The aim of the present study was to establish the effect of management type and of environmental variables on the structure, abundance and species richness of soil mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) in twelve urban green areas in Bucharest-Romania. Three categories of ecosystem based upon management type were investigated: protected area, managed (metropo...

Despite the growing list of elements assessed and recognised as environmental and human health hazards, pollution monitoring and mitigation strategies are mandatory only for a limited number of metals, for which ambient air quality limits are defined by national and international policies. In order to overcome this deficiency, and promote cost-effe...

The Făgăraș Massif is situated in the central area of the Carpathian Mountains, aligned west to east and whose slopes mainly have north and south aspects. The habitat diversity is high, comprising grasslands from the foot of the mountains to their summits. These grasslands have been used for sheep grazing for centuries. Our study examined six priva...

Following their death, plants and animals decompose into organic substances that reach the soil in different proportion. The relationships between plants and animals are complex, soil invertebrates playing an important role in soil fertility, nutrient turnover and other processes at the soil level. The decomposing organic matter in the soil provide...

Vineyard inter-rows are important biodiversity hotspots within agricultural landscapes, especially when they are covered with vegetation. However, little is known on the effects to management intensity on a broad range of surface-dwelling invertebrates and their interaction with vegetation. We assessed the diversity and activity density of ants, be...

An anthropic ecosystem from Romania was investigated from acarological, vegetation and chemical point of view. The community structures of two groups of mites were studied (Acari: Mesostigmata, Oribatida) from a tailing pond, using transect method, in correlation with concentrations of heavy metals (As, Cu, Pb, Ni, Mn and Zn), with abiotic factors...

During 2014 and 2015, the species Morimus asper funereus Mulsant, 1862 was monitorised in the Măcin Mountains National Park, Romania using the visual transect method. The studied was focused on two topics: to determine the numerical abundance of Morimus asper funereus populations and to identify the environmental variables which influenced them. Te...

Institute of Biology Bucharest Researchers results

In 2007, Romania joined to the European Community. In the field of the nature protection, national legislation had to correlate with a European one (especially with Council Directive 92/43/EEC on 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora). In order to accomplish this task, the Romanian Government, approved the...

This study aimed to characterize the composition of soil mite populations (Acari: Mesostigmata) from 3 moss habitats (rock moss, bark moss, and soil moss). In total, 15 natural forest ecosystems were analyzed (3 deciduous forests, 5 beech forests, 1 fir forest, 5 spruce forests, and 1 mixed forest), from 8 counties in Romania. A total of 240 soil s...

This paper presents the effect of heavy metal soil pollutants (Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn) on soil mite communities in three urban parks within Bucharest, Romania: Cişmigiu, Unirea and Izvor. For each park, the investigations were based on three transects that were established in relation to the nearest source of air pollution i.e. heavy traffic from the main...

Biomonitoring, i.e. using plant species for measuring pollution levels, has been previously explored in several locations using various protocols and organisms in the search for effective strategies and practices for monitoring and reducing the levels of pollution. Here we present a tested and functional cost-effective method of using the foliar ac...

A monitoring programme was developed for Rosalia alpina (Linnaeus, 1758) in the Măcin Mountains National Park (MMNP), using visual methods. Three transects were monitored for two years (2014 and 2015). To make a correlation between numerical abundance and environmental variables, ten abiotic factors were analysed: altitude (A), exposition (Ex.), sl...

A total of 1421 specimens of Ips typographus L. were examined for the presence of phoretic mites that were collected from twelve natural and planted Norway spruce forests in SouthWestern Romania. Seven phoretic mites were identified: Pleuronectocelaeno austriaca, Proctolaelaps fiseri, Vulgarogamasus oudemansi, Dendrolaelaps quadrisetus, Trichouropo...

In 2014, an inventory of protected Natura 2000 saproxylic beetles from the Prigoria-Bengeşti protected area in Gorj County (Romania) was made. Four species were identified: Osmoderma eremita (Scopoli, 1763), Lucanus cervus (Linnaeus, 1758), Morimus funereus Mulsant, 1862 and Cerambyx cerdo Linnaeus, 1758. Using GIS mapping analysis, the distributio...

Genus Veigaia Oudemans, 1905 of the Veigaiidae family (Acari: Mesostigmata: Veigaiidae) is one of the most ubiquitous genera from Holarctic Region. In Romania 10 species were recorded as being distributed across the entire country. In the frame of this study we present the distribution data of all recorded Romanian Veigaia species: Veigaia cerva (K...

The heavy metal pollution level of soil from twelve grasslands and its impact on soil mite communities was assessed. The impact assessment was investigated, taking into account the distance from pollution source, the degree of pollution and the cumulative influence of heavy metals and other environmental variables. These variables were: temperature...

The complexity of today’s environmental problems has amplified to the point where we can no longer ignore the impact of human actions on the functioning of ecosystems. The process of Mapping and Assessing Ecosystems and their Services (MAES) promoted by the European Commission is considered a first step to achieve the good status of ecosystems and...

There are very few studies of the influence of heavy metal pollution on soil mite communities in European grasslands. The objectives of this study were to provide quantitative information about the diversity of the Acari in mountain grasslands and to establish the influence of heavy metal pollution on them. It was found that the species diversity a...

Eight invertebrate ‘groups’ were investigated having a total of 503 species, which can be divided into two major categories: above ground and below ground. The above-ground groups are the Coleoptera (beetles), Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies), Orthoptera (grasshoppers and crickets) and Thysanoptera (thrips)...

In the Transylvanian region, the Arie Valley stretches along the course of the Arie River, ending as tributary of Mure River. As well as these areas of great biodiversity value, the Arie Valley (drainage area of 2,540 km 2) also crosses the region where local people set their villages and towns and use the surrounding areas as grasslands for grazin...

In 2013–2014, the soil mite communities from six overgrazed grassland ecosystems located in the Trascău Mountains, Romania, were investigated. Forty-six species were identified, with 645 individuals. Some abiotic factors from soil were measured (soil temperature – T, soil water content – H, soil acidity – pH, carbon content – C, total nitrogen – Nt...

The plant species diversity of grasslands was studied from the former time due to the usage of the grasslands mainly as pastures for grazing and hay productions. In the Transylvanian region, Paul rivulet flows into the Ampoi River, a tributary of the Mureș River. Paul catchment area was affected over time due to atmospheric deposition from Zlatna e...

AbstrAct Background and Purpose: One of the most important characteristics of a natural ecosystem is its stability, due to the species' and communities' diversity. Natural forest composition model constitute the main task of the present-day management plans. Soil mites are one of the most abundant edaphic communities, with an important direct and i...

The paper presents a check list of the butterfly fauna (Rhopalocera: Lepidoptera) from Călimani National Park. The systematic list made after the actual key for identification, is accompanied by the frequency data from the investigated habitats and by the biogeographically characterization of species. The list compounds 50 species, included in 5 fa...

The paper presents the three years dynamics of the soil mite communities from an area adjacent to a cliff ecosystem from Brebu gorges-the Doftana Valley. 54 species were identified, with 347 individuals. In temporal dynamics, the population parameters varied every year of the study. In 2010, there were recorded the highest values of the numerical d...

The main task of the research was to investigate the diversity of predatory soil mites (Gama-sina) in 8 types of forest ecosystems: alder (Călugăreni, Clinceanca, Azuga Valley, Cumpătu), oak-horn-beam (Baloteşti, Băneasa), beech (Şotrile), and fir-beech (Lunca Mare) in Muntenia region. Taxonomical classification and statistical methods used in this...

The study aimed to characterize the distribution of soil mite populations (Acari: Gamasina) from several terrestrial ecosystems, some of them little studied in Romania as well as in Europe. We studied the Gamasina communities in seven ecosystem types from the Doftana Valley, Prahova County: Luzulo-Fagetum beech forest; Medio-European limestone beec...

Situated in the Romanian Plain, Bucharest city covers 238 km 2 and comprises green spaces with different ages and degree of structural diversity (vegetation cover and internal architecture). The three parks (Cişmigiu, Izvor and Unirii) from central Bucharest have been studied as pilot area. The central parks have been chosen in accord with their di...

The paper present the structural modifications of soil mite populations from four forest ecosystems, characterized by the two vegetal associations (Querco petraeae-Carpinetum SOÓ et POCS 1957 and Q. robori-Carpinetum BORZA 1937), taking into account the distribution of these invertebrates on soil layers (litter-fermentation, humus and soil). In tot...

Ecological research of gamasid mites was carried out in three natural forest ecosystems with Picea abies (1350 m a.s.l.), Abies alba (950–1000 m a.s.l.) and Fagus sylvatica (1200 m a.s.l.) situated in the Bucegi Massif, Southern Carpathians, Romania during 2001–2003. In the studied forest ecosystems, the taxonomic structure of gamasids was represen...

The influence of some environmental factors on the species diversity of the predator mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) from natural forest ecosystems of Bucegi Massif (Romania) The ecological research was made in 2001-2003, in Bucegi Massif, in three natural forest ecosystems with Picea abies, Abies alba and Fagus sylvatica . In order to show the influen...

The LIFE 02ENV/RO/000461 project is dedicated to the research of the flora and invertebrate fauna in downtown Bucharest, the city area most affected by intense car traffic and the consequent air pollution. The pilot zone is represented by three public parks (Izvor, Cismigiu and Unirea Parks). The zoological samples were collected from the herbaceou...

The intitled paper: ”Ecological researches of mites populations (Acari: Mesostigmata- Gamasina) from soils of some forestry ecosystems from Bucegi Massif. I. Structure and dynamics.” brings many new informations. These objectives were followed: the biological and ecological characterization of the mites populations; the charaterization of the studi...

The study of soil mites (Acari: Gamasida; Oribatida) was done in three parks in Bucharest city, Cişmigiu, Unirea and Izvor, achieved by transects situated in the lateral sides (near the roads, boulevards or street), or in the middle of these areas. From 72 identified species of mites, 54 were saprophages-detritophages (Oribatida) and 18 predators (...

. The researches of the edaphic predator mite's fauna (Acari-Mesostigmata), were made in three shrubs ecosystems: Nistoreşti and Cornu in Prahova Valley and Lunca Mare in Doftana Valley. 29 species were identified. Each studied area was characterized by a different number of species and numerical density. The relative soil humidity and the type of...

The paper presents the taxonomical and numerical structure of the gamasid populations from four spoilt areas from Retezat and Tarcu-Petreanu mountains. Eighteen species were identified, belonging to 14 genera and 9 families. Species Cheroseius borealis and Hypospis aculeifer were dominant and present in all studied surfaces. The mite populations ha...

Lucrarea prezintă diversitatea clasificărilor pădurilor de arin din România, statutul de ocrotire ca habitat european şi un studiu de caz privind structura biocenotică a unui ariniş (Stellario nemori-Alnetum glutinosae, R 4402) de pe Râuşor, pârâu aflat la limita Rezervaţiei Biosferei şi Parcului Naţional Retezat, înainte ca apa acestuia sa fie dim...

This paper presents an ecological study on the structure and dynamics of some populations of predatory mites from two forest sites from Doftana Valley (the first one situated in Lunca Mare and the second in Şotrile),Romania. 21 predatory mite species (Mesostigmata) were identified in the 80 collected samples. Among the 15 species identified in the...

In all cites of the planet, air pollution is the major environmental problem due to the industrial plants, power plants, domestic heating and especially motor traffic. Increased concentrations of air pollutants and the variety of pollutants have negative effects on the increasing population density in the relatively small area of a city. Air pollut...

Based on the shortage of distributional data for plants and animals available for Bucharest, the first step has been to determine the existence of potential bio-indicators. The methodology consists in site visits, comprising transects within the sites using both qualitative and quantitative sampling, the species composition methods, which character...

The paper presents the influence of some abiotical factors (relative humidity, temperature and pH of soil) on the structure of the adult mite populations (Acari: Mesostigmata) from an ecosystem with Myricaria germanica. Species composition of the gamasid mites from soil showed the presence of seven families (Parasitidae, Rhodacaridae, Pachylaelapti...