HUMAN IMPACT ON HABITATS OF THE MEADOW VIPER (VIPERA URSINII) IN EASTERN ROMANIA

Analele Științifice ale Universității Al. I. Cuza Iași, s. Biologie animală, Tom LVII, 2011 HUMAN IMPACT ON HABITATS OF THE MEADOW VIPER (VIPERA URSINII) IN EASTERN ROMANIA Ștefan R. ZAMFIRESCU, Alexandru STRUGARIU, Iulian GHERGHEL and Oana ZAMFIRESCU Al. I. Cuza Iasi University, Faculty of Biology, Carol I, 20A, 700505, Iasi, Romania. e-mail: s_zamfirescu@yahoo.com Abstract. Human activities cause habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation of reptile habitats and therefore one fifth of the European reptiles are threatened. Vipera ursinii is probably the most threatened snake in Europe. In Eastern Romania V. u. moldavica inhabits steppe and deltaic habitats in Moldavia and the Danube Delta, respectively. Although the habitats are under legal protection they are not free from human influences. Many local studies approached the human impact tangentially. Consequently, we aimed to inventory the human influences in the steppe and deltaic habitats of the meadow viper, and to discuss their potential harm to the viper populations. The identification of potential threats is particularly important because it sets the base on which conservation management may be developed. The human activities identified in the study areas are: grazing, mowing, fire, agriculture, roads, constructions, leisure activities, afforestation, cynegetic species management, persecution, illegal collection, and littering. Human impact is stronger in the Danube Delta then in Moldavia, but the deltaic population is larger and therefore probably more resistant to extinction. The steppe habitat from Valea lui David (Moldavia) is threatened by urban sprawl in the near future. The anthropic influences on the Vipera ursinii moldavica habitats and populations must be monitored in the future, in order to identify in time the changes that may lead to an imbalance, which would lead to extinction. Keywords: snakes, habitat alteration, steppe, Danube Delta. Rezumat. Impactul antropic asupra habitatelor speciei Vipera ursinii din estul României. Activitățile umane sunt provoacă pierderea, fragmentarea și degradarea habitatelor reptilelor, motiv pentru care o cincime dintre speciile europene de reptile sunt amenințate. Vipera ursinii este probabil specia de șarpe cea mai amenințată din Europa. În estul României, V. u. moldavica trăiește în habitatele stepice și deltaice din Moldova și respectiv Delta Dunării. Deși aceste habitate sunt protejate de lege, ele nu sunt scutite de influențele umane. Numeroase studii au abordat impactul antropic tangențial. Ca urmare, scopul acestui studiu constă în inventarierea influențelor umane asupra habitatelor stepice și deltaice ale viperei de stepă, și discutarea potențialului nociv al acestora. Identificarea amenințărilor potențiale este importantă deoarece oferă un punct de plecare în elaborarea planurilor de management. Activitățile umane identificate în zonele de studiu sunt: pășunatul, cositul, incendierea, agricultura, drumurile, construcțiile, activitățile recreative, împăduririle, managementul speciilor cinegetice, persecuția, colectarea ilegală și depozitarea gunoaielor. Impactul antropic este mai puternic în Delta Dunării față de Moldova, dar populația deltaică este mai mare și în consecință mai rezistentă la extincție. Habitatul stepic de la Valea lui David (Moldova) este amenințat de dezvoltarea urbană în viitorul apropiat. Influențele antropice asupra habitatelor și populațiilor subspeciei Vipera ursinii moldavica trebuie monitorizate pe viitor, pentru a identifica din timp modificările ce pot produce dezechilibre, ce pot provoca extincția. Cuvinte cheie: șerpi, alterarea habitatelor, stepă, Delta Dunării. Introduction Almost one fifth of the European reptiles are considered threatened and the major threats for the European reptiles, both threatened and non-threatened, are habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation (Cox & Temple, 2009). These threats are obviously the result of human activities in nature. Vipera ursinii is probably the most threatened snake in Europe (Edgar & Bird, 2006). In Eastern Romania, this species is represented by the subspecies moldavica, which forms populations in grassland habitats from Moldavia and the Danube Delta (see review Krecsák & Zamfirescu, 2008). - 43 -

Ștefan R. Zamfirescu et al. The Moldavian meadow viper is critically endangered according to IUCN (Baillie & Groombridge, 1996) and strictly protected of Community interest whose conservation requires the designation of special areas of conservation according to the Annex II of the Habitats Directive (European Comisson, 1992) and Romanian Government Ordinance 57/2007 (Guvernul Româmiei, 2007). Although the Moldavian meadow viper habitats are protected by law (Ministerul Mediului și Dezvoltării Durabile, 2007), they are not exempted from human impact. Human impact in Vipera ursinii habitats has been indirectly discussed through the threats to the European populations (Edgar & Bird, 2006). For the Romanian habitats of the species, human impact has been marginally documented in studies that focused on certain populations (Stugren, 1955; Vancea et al., 1980, 1985; Nilson & Andrén, 2001; Krecsák & Zamfirescu, 2001, 2002; Török, 2002, 2004; Krecsák et al., 2003; Zamfirescu et al., 2007, 2008, 2009a, 2009b, 2010; Strugariu et al., 2011). Thus, we aim to inventory the human influences in the steppe and deltaic habitats of the meadow viper, and to discuss their potential harm to the viper populations. The identification of potential threats is particularly important because it sets the base on which conservation management may be developed. Material and Methods Our investigations have been carried out in three Moldavian populations (Valea lui David nature reserve, Dealul lui Dumnezeu, and Ciritei) and one population from the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve (Sfântu Gheorghe) (Fig. 1). Figure 1. Location of Vipera ursinii populations where investigations were carried out. - 44 -

Analele Științifice ale Universității Al. I. Cuza Iași, s. Biologie animală, Tom LVII, 2011 The Moldavian sites are steppic habitats. Due to the close proximity to each other and the high similarity in terms of landscape, environmental conditions, vegetation and reptile fauna composition (Zamfirescu et al., 2007, 2009), the three habitats in Moldavia will be considered as Moldavian habitats, unless otherwise specified. The site from the Danube Delta is a mosaic of natural and anthropogenic habitats: permanent and temporary ponds and channels, flat areas, dykes and beach. The habitat which is optimal for the vipers is relatively elevated (above the water level during spring floods) with tussocks of Juncus maritimus. The herpetological study consisted of extensive transect surveys (Cogălniceanu, 1997; Sutherland, 2006) that have been carried out yearly from Mach to October, since 2006 till 2011. Besides various biological and ecological data collected during our surveys (which are the topics of other papers), we also recorded the anthropogenic activities that we came across. Habitat situation has been assessed through vegetation analysis. The vegetation study was done according to the Braun-Blanquet methodology (Braun-Blanquet, 1964, Cristea et al., 2004). Results and Discussion During our surveys we have recorded 12 human activities from the Eastern Romanian habitats of the Moldavian meadow viper (Table 1). Grazing. Domestic livestock has been observed during our study in both Moldavian (Fig. 2) and deltaic habitats: sheep and cows in Moldavia, cows, horses, pigs and gees in the Danube Delta. Although the number of animals in the deltaic habitat was higher than in the Moldavian ones, grazer density display an inverse distribution, as the latters have significantly smaller areas. Therefore, we consider that Moldavian habitats are exposed to a higher grazing pressure. Plant community alteration due to grazing represents a potential threat for both Moldavian and deltaic habitats. The reduction of tussocky vegetation in overgrazed habitats may be related to the extinction of viper populations as it was implied for several Moldavian sites (Zamfirescu et al., 2007, 2009b). This type of vegetation is particularly important for it offers optimal conditions (basking areas and shelter) to the females during pregnancy (Strugariu et al., 2011). Overgrazing has been reported to have an obvious impact on habitats of the Orisini s viper from France (Penloup et al., 1999), Italy (Filippi & Luiselli, 2003) and Hungary (Halpern & Péchy, 2002). In Moldavia, where the terrain is inclined, grazers are responsible for soil compaction, which is known to contribute to soil structure degradation (see Hamza & Anderson, 2005 for a review). Trampling may accelerate slope erosion and sliding, leading to the destruction of barrows, which are used by vipers as shelter. In the deltaic habitat, there is a direct effect of grazers, for pigs and gees are particularly dangerous because they can prey directly on vipers, especially on juveniles, as it was previously reported from the Danube Delta (Török, 2002) and Hungary (Corbett et al., 1985). Mowing. This activity was observed only in the Moldavian habitats (Fig. 3). The mowing is done mostly manually. Mechanised mowing was not observed and the chances that the locals to shift to it are feeble because the relatively steep slopes are almost inaccessible to machineries. The absence of mechanised mowing is beneficial because this activity can contribute to soil compaction (Hamza & Anderson, 2005), temporary destruction of tussocks (Corbett et al., 1985; Halpern & Péchy, 2002), and it may lead to the killing of the vipers because they cannot flee fast enough or because they take refuge in tussocks that provide no protection (Edgar & Bird, 2006). Conversely, manual mowing has lesser effect on habitats and vipers. - 45 -

Ștefan R. Zamfirescu et al. Table 1. Synopsis of human activities identified in Moldavian and deltaic habitats of Vipera ursinii moldavica, from Eastern Romania. Anthropic Habitat Remarks activity Grazing All Moldavian Mostly sheep; mild to moderate impact; localised trampling effect visible. Sfântu Gheorghe Cows, horses; mild impact, no trampling effect. Pigs, gees; potential predators of vipers. Mowing All Moldavian Manual mowing localised to relatively small patches, twice a year: June, and end of August. Fire Valea lui David Accidental; in spring; little impact. Dealul lui Dumnezeu Ciritei Large areas; in spring and autumn; generalised impact. Large areas; in spring; generalised impact. Agriculture Valea lui David Next to field at superior altitude; pesticides and fertilisers run-off hazard. Dealul lui Dumnezeu Ciritei Next to several fields at superior altitude; pesticides and fertilisers run-off hazard. Several ploughed and formerly tilled small separated patches inside the habitat. Next to field at superior altitude; pesticides and fertilisers run-off hazard. Several ploughed and formerly tilled small patches inside the habitat; almost an entire hill slope. Roads Valea lui David Concrete road; busy traffic; 1 killed viper. Dealul lui Dumnezeu & Ciritei Sfântu Gheorghe Dirt roads; low traffic; mostly carts; no road kills Dirt roads; low to moderate traffic except for holyday season when the road between village and beach gets crowded; 1 viper killed, 1 viper on road, several road kills (frogs, turtles, other snakes, hedgehogs). Constructions Sfântu Gheorghe 1 building risen in the habitat; sand harvest destroys sand terraces - optimal viper microhabitat. Valea lui David Urban sprawl, habitat included in future metropolitan area, potential hazard. Leisure activities Sfântu Gheorghe Touristic transportation by motor vehicle, light aircraft runway, quad bike rental; affect the part of habitat near the beach, which is mostly suboptimal; only in holiday season; moderate impact. Valea lui David Accidental off-road driving; no viper killed on track Afforestation Sfântu Gheorghe Old large poplar planation; splits the area; patches remains connected by large strip of habitat in the south. Valea lui David Plantation of pine and black locust; splits the area in two separated habitats. Cynegetic species All habitats Pheasant and wild boar; prey on meadow vipers. Persecution All Moldavian By locals (shepherds); 4 killed vipers recorded. Sfântu Gheorghe By locals and tourists; kills recorded: 1 viper, several other snakes; Illegal collection Sfântu Gheorghe No accounts; highly probable; well known, fairly accessible population. Valea lui David Few accounts; highly probable; well known, accessible population. Littering All Moldavian Few scattered plastic and organic residuals; impact negligible. Sfântu Gheorghe Village dump site in habitat; attracts potential avian opportunistic predators. - 46 -

Analele Științifice ale Universității Al. I. Cuza Iași, s. Biologie animală, Tom LVII, 2011 The most concerning aspect of the manual mowing is the reduction of the vegetation cover which leaves the vipers without hiding places. In Moldavia, manual mowing was observed to occur once to twice a year in June and at the end of August on small patches (Krecsák & Zamfirescu, 2002, 2003; personal observations). Although the August hay cutting coincides with the end of gestation and parturition in Moldavian meadow vipers (Strugariu et al., in preparation), no killed specimen was encountered during our surveys. Thus, mowing probably has little impact on the Moldavian populations. Furthermore, on few occasions, young viper individuals have been seen using the hay stacks as refuges. Fire. Controlled burnings are used to facilitate the growth of fresh vegetation for pastoral reasons (Edgar & Bird, 2006). It is also argued that fires maintain the biodiversity (Moreira & Russo, 2007). We observed occasional burnings only in the Moldavian habitats. In the Valea lui David nature reserve, people light the reed beds on the banks of the small stream that crosses the valley, at the beginning of spring. Occasionally, the fire spreads on the hill slope inhabited by the meadow viper population. At Ciritei and especially at Dealul lui Dumnezeu, the vegetation is burned more regularly (yearly), in spring and autumn (Fig. 4). Fire renders the habitats almost improper for the vipers, compounding the effects of overgrazing (Corbett, 1989; Penloup et al., 1999) and mowing. However, recent results showed that in a mountain population form France, fire itself led to a significant population reduction and may be responsible for the local extinction of Vipera ursinii populations (Lyet et al., 2009). If this scenario applies to the Moldavian populations, although fires are not so constant and intense in these grasslands, it is necessary to counterbalance the immediate effect of burnings by the conservation of the optimal habitat (Russell et al., 1999). Agriculture. The present distribution of lowland Vipera ursinii populations is the result of habitat destruction through agriculture, especially ploughing (Corbett, 1989; Korsós & Újvári, 1998; Krecsák & Zamfirescu, 2001; Halpern & Péchy, 2002). Agricultural activities that involve ploughing occur in the neighbouring lands of the Moldavian habitats. Some isolated small mildly-inclined areas are ploughed inside the sites from Dealul lui Dumnezeu (Fig. 3) and Ciritei, the former benefitting of legal protection since 2007 (Ministerul Mediului și Dezvoltării Durabile, 2007). Another agricultural threat for the steppe populations is the appliance of pesticides which change the habitat structure and diminishes the abundance of the viper s prey (Honegger, 1978; Lambert, 1987; Corbett, 1989). As the Moldavian habitats appear as islets in a sea of agricultural fields, we consider that this is a concerning threat. Additionally, there are no buffer zones around these areas that would impede the chemicals to get into the habitats. Buffer zone belts of at least 500m wide are required around Vipera ursinii sites (Edgar & Bird, 2006). There is also the danger of spraying chemicals from air, but, insofar, this practice has not been observed in the area. Roads. The construction of roads is recognised as a threat for alpine and lowland meadow viper populations (Edgar & Bird, 2006). All the habitats of the Eastern Romania include small unmodernised roads. Dirt roads are present in the habitats from Dealul lui Dumnezeu (Fig. 3), Ciritei, and Sfântu Gheorghe (Fig. 5), whereas Valea lui David contains a concrete road (Fig. 7). The roads from Dealul lui Dumnezu and Ciritei are used only by farmers, to collect hay or crops, and shepherds, to get to the sheepfold (in the case of Dealul lui Dumnezeu). Although the roads from Valea lui David and Sfântu Gheorghe connect localities, the traffic is far from heavy. A particular situation appears in the case of the road that connect the village of Sfântu Gheorghe and the beach which becomes very crowded during holiday season. - 47 -

Ștefan R. Zamfirescu et al. Figure 2. Sheep in Valea lui David. Figure 3. Mowed area, ploughed patches, dirt road, sheepfold at Dealul lui Dumnezeu. - 48 -

Analele Științifice ale Universității Al. I. Cuza Iași, s. Biologie animală, Tom LVII, 2011 Figure 4. Fire in Dealul lui Dumnezeu. Despite the potential threat posed by these roads, the number of recorded road kills is negligible: we have observed just two killed vipers on the roads from Valea lui David and Sfântu Gheorghe (the road to the beach). On the latter, we also observed live vipers and other killed animals (pond turtles, frogs, hedgehogs), which advocates the necessity for limitation or ban of motor vehicle traffic. Constructions. Local development and urban sprawl reclaimed grassland habitats and led to the extinction of meadow viper populations. For example, the type locality of Vipera ursinii rakosiensis, a meadow on the banks of the Rákos River (Rákospatak), was swallowed up by the extension of Budapest (Corbett et al., 1985). During our research, we observed a construction site within the habitat from Sfântu Gheorghe, which became a garbage recycling plant (Fig. 5) that resulted in the reduction of the village dump site. Although this project is beneficial from the perspective of general environmental protection, we opine that building should be avoided in meadow viper habitats. Another construction-related activity in the area is the harvest of sand as building material (Fig. 6). This activity results in the destruction of the elevated sandy terraces that represent key microhabitats for the survival of the vipers during flood periods (unpublished data). Urban sprawling is a potential threat for the population from Valea lui David. The city of Iași has developed over the last two decades inasmuch as it has reached at less than a kilometre form the nature reserve (Fig. 7). Moreover, the nature reserve is included in the future metropolitan area (Asociația Zona Metropolitană Iași, 2009) which assumes an increasing anthropogenic pressure in the near future. Leisure activities. Some of the recreational activities may inflict habitat damage and accidental killing of vipers. In Moldavian habitats, leisure activities are limited to occasional off-road driving on a small area of the nature reserve from Valea lui David (Fig. 7). There is one visible track, which is used both ways probably by fresh all-terrain cars owners to test their vehicles capabilities. Tracks inspection revealed no killed viper, but soil compaction and habitat damage, although limited, are obvious. At Sfântu Gheorghe, tourism is much more developed because the area is close to the seaside. During holiday season (especially in July and August), the road between the village and the beach is very busy; pedestrians usually pose no threat to the fauna but the vehicles that cover this route frequently are responsible for many road kills (see above). Other leisure activities that occur in the meadow viper habitat near the beach are small aircraft and quad - 49 -

Ștefan R. Zamfirescu et al. bike rides. The runway covers a relatively large low area between two long sand dykes covered in vegetation which represent optimal areas for vipers. The lowland gets flooded in spring and after heavy rain and therefore vipers appear in this area only by accident. The flat area is also preferred by the people that rent quad bikes. Thus the impact of these activities on vipers and habitats is not very strong. However, it is important that such activities to be kept in a well-defined area, as far as possible from the elevated places, covered with tussocks and bushes. Afforestation. Meadow viper habitats from Eastern Romania are represented by grasslands (Zamfirescu et al., 2008, 2010; Strugariu et al., 2011). The surveys of forested areas from Valea lui David (pine, black locust) and Sfântu Gheorghe (poplar) (Fig. 8) revealed the absence of vipers in such habitats. Therefore tree plantations render the habitat improper for the meadow vipers. This observation parallels results from France (Penloup et al., 1999) and Hungary (Halpern et al., 2007b). The effect of afforestation results in the habitat fragmentation. At Valea lui David, a new population has been discovered to the north of the nature reserve, beyond the tree plantation (Strugariu et al., 2008). At Sfântu Gheorghe, the original habitat was almost completely parted by the north-south orientated poplar plantation (Korsos et al., 1997; Halpern et al., 2007a; Zamfirescu et al., 2010; Strugariu et al., 2011). Habitat fragmentation is a serious threat for the small isolated viper populations, rendering them prone to extinction caused by demographic (Reed & Hobs, 2004), environmental (Young et al., 1996) and genetic factors (Keyghobadi, 2007). Cynegetic species management. Some of the cynegetic species like pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) and wild boar (Sus scrofa vittatus) (Fig. 9) are known to prey on meadow vipers. The pheasant, an exotic species, was observed constantly in all the habitats with meadow viper from the Eastern Romania. The wild boar was observed in the habitat of Dealul lui Dumnezeu and Sfântu Gheorghe. Tracks and rooting signs were observed in the other Moldavian habitats (Ciritei and Valea lui David). These animals may become a threat for the vipers if their densities increase. Wild boars preying on vipers have been observed at Sfântu Gheorghe (natives accounts and A. Doroșecu, personal communication) and pheasant increasing numbers are considered a significant concern in Moldavia and the Danube Delta (Fuhn, 1976; Török, 2002). Wild boar can also contribute to the damage of habitat, especially when in high numbers, as it was documented from Hungary (Péchy et al., 1996) and central Italy (Filippi & Luiselli, 2003). Persecution. People tend to persecute snakes, especially venomous ones, due to cultural preconceptions. Therefore, the unfortunate way of thinking towards these animals can be resumed by the saying a good snake is a dead snake. Although the meadow viper has a relatively weak venom and nonaggressive behaviour, people tend to fear and harm the animal. Due to the viper s inconspicuous behaviour, the encounters between humans and this snake are extremely rare (several discussions with local people in the field revealed their unawareness of the presence of the snake in the area). Yet, we observed few specimens deliberately killed by humans (shepherd) in the habitats from Valea lui David (Fig. 10), Dealul lui Dumnezeu, and Ciritei. We cannot say if a killed specimen found in the road between Sfântu Gheorghe village and the beach, was killed by accident or deliberately, but the encounter of other snake species deliberately killed leaves no doubt about the attitude of the people in the area towards these animals. Persecution by tourists and locals has been reported from the Danube Delta before (Török, 2002). This negative attitude has been reported from other parts of the species European range like France, Italy, and Hungary (see review in Edgar & Bird, 2006). Illegal collection. We have no concrete data regarding illegal collection from the Eastern Romania, but it seems there are many owners of Moldavian meadow viper as deduced from the internet discussions (Edgar & Bird, 2006). Although it may be argued - 50 -

Analele Științifice ale Universității Al. I. Cuza Iași, s. Biologie animală, Tom LVII, 2011 the collectors (at least the well-intended ones) have no impact on populations, the removal of apparently small numbers of snakes from relatively small population can increase considerably the rate of extinction in the future decades (Kovács et al., 2002). Collectors (illegal or not) are considered to have contributed to the extinction of a Vipera ursinii rakosiensis population near Cluj-Napoca and the last of the same species from Austria (Corbett et al., 1985). Other populations have been seriously disturbed by heavy collecting: V. u. ursinii in France (Penloup et al., 1999) and Italy (Edgar & Bird, 2006), V. u. rakosiensis in Hungary (Halpern & Péchy, 2002). Littering. The presence of garbage was observed in all the habitats from the Eastern Romania, but from a quantitative perspective, the area near the village of Sfântu Gheorghe (Fig. 5) is the most affected. Besides the inaesthetic aspect, scattered garbage may have an impact on the snakes and habitat. We found viper individual on and under different pieces of garbage (plastic, wood), so garbage contributes to the microhabitat diversity, serving as shade, shelter and support for basking. Organic garbage may have a different effect: it attracts other animals that may act as predators or prey for the meadow viper. In the dump site from Sfântu Gheorghe we observed many corvids (rook, hooded crow, magpie, raven) that can prey on vipers, especially juveniles (Cramp & Perrins, 1994). At the habitat level, large quantities of garbage damage the tussocks. Therefore, it would be recommendable that the dump site to be moved in an area without vipers (for instance, the western end of the village). Figure 5. Garbage, dirt road, and recycling plant at Sfântu Gheorghe. Figure 6. Aspects of sand harvest activity at Sfântu Gheorghe. - 51 -

Ștefan R. Zamfirescu et al. Figure 7. All terrain car, concrete road, and city limit at Valea lui David. Figure 8. Overview of Sfântu Gheorghe habitat; poplar plantation to the right. - 52 -

Analele Științifice ale Universității Al. I. Cuza Iași, s. Biologie animală, Tom LVII, 2011 Figure 9. Wild boars on a ploughed field near Dealul lui Dumnezeu. Figure 10. Specimen of Vipera ursinii moldavica from Valea lui David killed by a shepherd. - 53 -

Ștefan R. Zamfirescu et al. Conclusions All the habitats of the Moldavian meadow viper populations are affected by human activities. Yet, the level of the present anthropic pressure differs; the habitat from Sfântu Gheorghe receives the highest level, whereas the Moldavian habitats are less affected. This situation is related to the touristic potential of the zone which attracts more people in the vicinity of the area inhabited by vipers. The high anthropic pressure is counterbalanced by the superior size of the population and habitat from Sfântu Gheorghe which confers a higher resistance to extinction compared with the smaller Moldavian populations. In the Moldavian populations, most of the anthropic pressure results from traditional activities that have been carried out in the area for long time. Therefore, they do not represent threats as long as a balance is kept. Some of these activities, like moderate grazing and mowing, and controlled burning, may act as steppe habitat management techniques that would allow the persistence of optimal conditions for the meadow viper. Among the Moldavian populations, the one from Valea lui David is less affected in the present, but the perspective of urban sprawl in the near-future raise the concern related to the persistence of this population. The anthropic influences on the Vipera ursinii moldavica habitats and populations must be monitored in the future, in order to identify in time the changes that may lead to an imbalance, which would lead to extinction. Acknowledgements This work was supported by CNCSIS-UEFISCSU, project PNII-IDEI 2098, No. 1041/2009. We express our gratitude to CMN and ARBDD for issuing the research permits. We wish to thank Alessandro Garofoli, Mihail V. Huțuleac-Volosciuc, Andrei Mizeruș and Valentina Moraru, Anca Pavel, Tiberiu C. Sahlean and Cristina Strugariu for their valuable assistance during fieldwork and Dr. Alexandru Doroșencu from the Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development for shearing his field experience. References Asociația Zona Metropolitană Iași, 2009. Plan integrat de dezvoltare pentru polul de creștere Iași 2009-2015. Available at: http://www.zmi.ro/pidpci_iasi.html. Baillie, J., Groombridge, B., 1996. 1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. International Union for Conservation of Nature, Gland, Switzerland. Braun-Blanquet, J., 1964. Pflanzensoziologie, Grundzüge der Vegetationskunde. 2 nd edition, Springer Verlag, Wien-New York. Cogălniceanu, D., 1997. Practicum de ecologie a amfibienilor: Metode și tehnici în studiul ecologiei amfibienilor. Ed. Universității București. Corbett, K. (ed.), 1989. Conservation of European Reptiles and Amphibians. Christopher Helm, London. Corbett, K., Andrén, C., Grossenbacher, K., Podloucky, R., Stumpel, A., 1985. Biogenetic Reserve Assessment for Vipera (ursinii) rakosiensis The Meadow Viper. Unpublished report to the Council of Europe, Conservation Committee of the Societas Europaea Herpetologica. Cox, N.A., Temple, H.J., 2009. European Red List of Reptiles. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities. Cramp, S., Perrins, C., M., 1994. Handbook of the Birds of Europe the Middle East and North Africa. The Birds of the Western Palearctic (ed. C.M. Perrins). vol. 8, Oxford University Press, Oxford, New York, pp. 54-75. Cristea, V., Gafta, D., Pedrotti, F., 2004. Fitosociologie. Ed. Presa Universitară Clujeană, Cluj-Napoca. Edgar, P., Bird, D.R., 2006. Action plan for the Conservation of the Meadow Viper (Vipera ursinii) in Europe. Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats Standing Commitee, 26 th meeting, Strasbourg, 27-29 November, T-PVS/Inf (2006) 21. - 54 -

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