Brown bear in Europe and Romania

The European bear population, including western Russia, is relatively large (55,000 individuals) and occupies a large range. Overall, the population trend is believed to be stable. In the Carpathian area the population is small (<10,000 mature individuals) and all individuals are part of the same subpopulation. The population has been stable in the recent past, although there are concerns that it may be declining slightly at present as a result of infrastructure developments and other threats. The population here was classed as vulnerable by IUCN due to the socio-economic developments in Romania that have an influence on bear population on medium and long term. Another threat could be poaching and hunting, annually, in Romania up to 250 bears being hunted (about 3% of the estimated population). The Carpathian Mountains population is the second largest in Europe. Recent estimates of the Romanian population indicate that in Romania about 7.500-8.000 bears occur, the population trend being stable. The highest bear densities are found in the areas of Brasov, Harghita, Covasna, Mures, Bistrita, Arges, Vrancea and Sibiu counties (central part of the Romanian Carpathians). Several areas (corridor between Apuseni Mountains and the main ridge of Carpathians, Prahova Valley, southern part of Carpathians – close to Danube) have started to be affected by isolation processes, but there is still connectivity within the entire Romanian Carpathian population.

Download the distribution map from here.

More on wild bears from Romania can be found by clicking the following link:

https://liftingshadows.wordpress.com/2007/04/17/romania-doubles-eus-brown-bear-population/

Copyright ©2007 http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/conservation/species/ema/

Beautiful smile…

I was looking on eurosport`s home page and found this lovely spontaneous pic of Ana Ivanovici. The smile, the eyes…  🙂

She is currently ranked second in the WTA standing.

Photo: Eurosport

Campulung Muscel

Some pics form Câmpulung Muscel, Romania.

Panoramic view of a district in Campulung.

The Citty Hall.

Stone cross dated back as far as 1697.

Negru Vodă bust.

Monument for the heroes of IWW.

Item#7 Obsidian

Obsidianul este o sticlă naturală bogată în silice, asociată de obicei cu tinere curgeri de lave. Roca vulcanică este amorfă, sticloasă, fără a se putea distinge structura granulară mineralelor. Are spărtură concoidală şi vârfuri ascuţite. Obsidianul apare sub formă de crustă asociată lavelor, ca şi curgeri complete sau în apropierea domurilor vulcanice. Compoziţia este de obicei riolitică.

Primele oglinzi au fost confecţionate prin lustruirea obsidianului şi datează din anul [?]6.000 î.H. Au fost descoperite în Anatolia. A se remarca în cea de a doua fotografie obiectivul camerei refelctat de suprafaţa şlefuită a obsidianului. Se mai folosea pentru întocmirea vârfurilor de săgeţi şi a cuţitelor.

 

Obsidian is a silica-rich natural glass associated with young lava flows. It has a distinctive glassy nature, with conchoidal fracture and very sharp edges. Obsidian occurs as crust on lavas, as complete flows or as near-surface volcanic domes. It is usually of rhyolite composition.

The first mirrors were made out of this volcanic rock and they were dated as far back as [?]6,000 BC. The mirrors made from burnished obsidian were found in Anatolia – Turkey. Please notice the camera`s reflection on the surface of the rock in the second picture. It was also used in making of arrow heads and knives.

 

The photos can be used if source is acknowledged.

 

New hadrosaur species discovered!

A new hadrosaur species was discovered in Mexico City. The scientist named the new creature Velafrons coahuilensis. Its name means “forehead with sails” due to its obvious skull features (vela=sails, frons=forhead).

The sedimentary layers in which the remains of the animal were buried were thick and their characteristics indicate something of the enormous magnitude of watery catastrophe (flood geology).

Advertising in the EU

© LiftingShadows 2008

The process of liberalization in developing products and the increasing competition of goods from the EU faced by small producers raise crucial policy issues on advertising in Romania.

I took this picture in a bus station. I find it highly amusing to see the following words under the EU flag: “I SELL PIGS – conveniently“.

Seems that the EU market did not create satisfying opportunities for this producer. 😀 But I hope that this kind of advertising will help the producer to sell his pigs.

 

 

 

Primavara… deja?

Am fost surprins să văd ghiocei la începutul lui februarie!

Încă o dovadă a Încălzirii Globale :)))))))))

În cazul de faţă, omul este “vinovat”, deoarece el a plantat ghioceii. Cât despre cazul încălzirii globale… 🙂

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I was suprised to see snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) at the beginning of February. It is just another proof of global warming! LOL :))) Well, in this case the man should be held responsible because he planted the flowers. As for the global warming… he is not the one to blame. Think about it!

“U” Jolidon Cluj – Naisa NIS, 10 februarie 2008

În data de 10 februarie 2008, în Sala Sporturilor Horia Demian, a avut loc meciul dintre “U” Jolidon şi Naisa NIS, din cadrul Cupei Cupelor. Scorul final a fost 33-28 (17-15), după un joc echilibrat şi tensionat (şi datorită unor evidente greşeli de arbitraj, mai ales pe finalul meciului). Am remarcat următoarele jucătoare: Amelia Busuioceanu (6 goluri), Ani Senocico (8 goluri) şi Carmen Amariei (3 goluri). O prestaţie deosebită a avut şi portarul Cristina Dogaru. Sala a fost arhiplină, atmosfera superbă.

Vizualizaţi următoarele fotografii:

Acţiune de atac “U”

Gol Amariei

“U” în defensivă

De asemenea puteţi viziona unul dintre golurile Amariei,

precum şi o ratare a Ameliei Busuioceanu

Item#6 Garnet-mica-schist/ Micasisturi cu granat

Şisturile sunt roci metamorfice larg răspândite existând multe varietăţi în funcţie de compoziţia mineralogică. Micaşistul prezentat aici este un şist bogat în muscovit, biotit şi clorit. Pe suprafaţa eşantionului – precum şi alăturat – se pot observa cristale de granat (un mineral din grupa silicaţilor – almandin în cazul de faţă), rezultat în urma proceselor de dezagregare şi alterare la care a fost supus micaşistul. Almandinul este un silicat de fier şi aluminiu Fe₃Al₂(SiO₄)₃ de culoare brună, luciu sticlos, clivaj absent şi spărtură neregulată.

Eşantioanele au fost colectate la sfârşitul lui 2002, pe Valea Arieşului la Sălciua, formaţiunele metamorfice aparţinând grupului Baia de Arieş.

 

Schist are widely spread metamorphic rocks. In the image above there is a mica-schist, due to it`s composition in muscovite, biotite and chlorite. In fact, the sample is a garnet-mica-schist; garnets (almandine) are present due to the altering processes that the rock has suffered. Almandine is a iron-aluminium silicate, brown color, greasy to vitreous luster, no cleavage and chonchoidal fracture. These samples were collected in 2002, on Arieş Valley, Sălciua – ROMANIA.

 

So, this week`s item turned out to be a very complex one!

 

The photos can be used if source is acknowledged.

Hendry, out of Malta Cup!

  

Unfortunately, Steven Hendry is knocked out from The Cup of Malta. His performance in this tournament  gave me hope of seeing him in the Final. But sadly that is not going to happen, because he did not reach the semis.  😦

Where`s that special cue?