Reteaua de Cercetare Ecologica pe Termen Lung

As the ecological theory developed, the concepts and methods dealing with the "environment" (physical, chemical, biological, including human dominated and created environment) changed and improved. The identification and description of the natural, semi-natural and human-dominated and created systems have changed, from a former conceptual model which defined the environment as an assemblage of factors: air, water, soil, biota and human settlements, to the most recent one, which considers that the environment has a "hierarchical spatial and temporal organization" (Odum 1993, Pahl-Wostl 1995, Vadineanu 1998, 2001, Holling et al. 2002).

The LTSER network should be based on the recognition of the high complexity, hierarchical organization and non-linear character of the ecological systems (Vadineanu, 1998). The ecological systems’ capacity (including human –created and dominated ones) to provide goods and services has also to be considered.

In this context, the LTSER sites are: Long-Term Socio-Ecological Research areas (LTSER) identified as local or regional socio-ecological complexes, containing natural, man-controlled and man-created and dominated ecosystems which provides not only a multi-site research platform where inter and trans-disciplinary knowledge is produced, but also a space where the operational infrastructure, policies and adaptive management plans for sustainability can be designed, developed and tested (Vadineanu et all, 2005 AlterNet I3 Report).

Romania has a long history in biological and ecological research (Figure 3). Even from its beginnings different research stations were focused on ecology or related fields, like for e.g. the Botanical ecological research station from Stana de Vale/Apuseni Mountain (1920). Later on Romania was the first country which developed and implemented a national Institute for Speleology (Cluj, 1919).

Other research stations have been established focusing –especially- on individuals, cohorts, population/species and association (e.g. hydro-biological research station in Tulcea 1926; Zoological research station in Sinaia, 1922; Marine research station Agigea 1926; Constanta bio-geographical marine institute, 1932). Sectoral approach was used in all the studies carried on that time. The studies were aimed at biology, biogeography, and zoology and also on botanics in specific areas.

Complex ecological research programs have been implemented in Romania since 1970 but many times they have been designed at inappropriate time and space scales and usually using the same sectoral approach.

The complexity of the research and monitoring activities increased gradually during the next period (1975-1980) focusing especially on population/species and their interrelations with the environment, in particular on:

i) the composition and structure of dominant population and/or tropho-dynamic modules

ii) the role of different populations in the energy flow and in nutrient cycling

Starting with 1980 the activities were directed mainly on the ecosystem research and especially on:

i) identification and description of the eco-regions on the national territory (Vadineanu, 1993);

ii) research on the dynamics of structural configuration and functional regime of Lower Danube River wetland (LDRW) – (now a LTSER site);

iii) assessment of the functional role of biological diversity for different ecosystems including provision of goods and services;

iv) identification and assessment of the critical human drivers and pressures

v) climate and hydrological changes.

In 1999, during the ILTER Regional Workshop "Cooperation in Long Term Ecological Research in Central and Eastern Europe" held in Budapest, Romania, through University of Bucharest/ Department of Systems Ecology and Sustainability presented its first concept regarding a network of sites that were considered representative for the national ecosystem heterogeneity.

In the last phase (after 2000) the complexity of the research activities increased with new dimensions:

i) identification of the Socio-Ecological Complexes at different scales;

ii) selection, testing and use of tools for social and economic valuation of the ecosystems and landscapes services;

iii) adapting and development of a complex set of indices for monitoring and assessment of the structural and functional integrity and capacity of Natural Capital and sustainability of Socio-Ecological Complexes.

Romania is officially part of the International Long Term Ecological Research (ILTER) Network since 2001, and starting with 2004 it was actively involved (through University of Bucharest/ Department of Systems Ecology and Sustainability) in AlterNet project that had as main aim the development of an interdisciplinary, distributed consortium for the research of the complex relationship between ecological systems and socio-ecological systems.

Another important moment for the design of the national network of LTER/LTSER sites was the implementation of two national projects, one for institutional capacity building: “Scientific and operational bases for the management of socio-ecological complexes”, and the second one for the concrete development of infrastructure in two LTSER sites (Braila Islands and Neajlov Catchment). The projects were developed in 2003 and 2005 by University of Bucharest/ Department of Systems Ecology and Sustainability and the funding organism was the National Council for Higher Education and Research Funding, and had an important contribution to the development and creation of the LTSER network in Romania.

An analysis regarding the existing research and monitoring facilities for ecological research was carried out under the AlterNet framework under the report “State of the art for the LTER facilities in Europe” (Vadineanu et al, 2005). The analysis pointed out the following trends in the research and monitoring activities in Europe:

A) The current operational sites in major monitoring and research programs and networks are spread out in a wide range defined by space scale (size) and complexity:

i) from small sampling and experiment scale (micro-landscape) and up to large landscape scale(macro-landscapes);

ii) and from single landscape unit or habitat to very complex landscape, consisting in natural/semi-natural, human-controlled and human created units.

B) Almost all sites are designed and equipped to support specific or more complex monitoring activities (e.g. climate changes; changes in the land use; pollution impact on biodiversity and ecosystems) or some very particular research activities and around one third of the facilities are used for complex research on functioning of different biodiversity components (e.g. populations, groups of populations) or complex ecological process (mostly in ILTER type sites and BR’s).

C) Very recently, in some large sites, (in particular in some ILTER type, Biosphere reserves BR’s or even European network for long term forest ecosystem and landscape research) ENFORS sites) the approach has been enlarged to address research and monitoring as well as, social and economic aspects.

D) There are huge bulks of data and information mostly generated in different sites in the 3-4 decades and, in some of them, since more than one century. They are structured in different digital formats and managed usual by the national authorities, research institutes and universities or international agencies. The conditions for their availability and accessibility are not clear enough for the time being. However, very often is reported that the produced information was widely used for decision and policy making at local, national and international levels in order to comply with domestic and international regulations.

The European trend is oriented towards complex (socio-economic systems included) and large (macro-landscapes scale) sites, equivalent to local/regional socio-ecological complexes.