OBJECTIVES
The Research Center of Applied Geography has been recognized and authorized by the National Council of Scientific Research in Academic Education since 2005, grouping researchers in physical and human geography, chemistry and geology from the Ştefan cel Mare University of Suceava and the Agency of Environment Protection Suceava.
The research performed within this center focuses on theoretical problems and practical applications regarding: environmental geomorphology, natural and anthropic hazards, aspects of the changes of geographical landscapes, topoclimatology, natural resources, mountain landscapes, human impact on the geographical environment, geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, and geovisualization.
The researches can be applied in the administrative management of the degraded fields, in the reclamation work on the rivers and lakes, in the ecological reconstructions, and land sustenable uses.
MAIN RESEARCH THEMES
Hazards and Risks
Both natural and human hazards are taken into consideration, analyzing their effect in time. The studies focus on: the irrational use of lands, artificial lakes silting and their effects on the environment, models of gully development, experimental researches in the small catchments, the problem of sediment delivery ratio, river channel changes, measurements of sediment magnetical susceptibility, drawing maps for different types of risks (geological, geomorphological, hydrological, climatical etc.).
The main topics in this section is related to the environmental history of the geographical landscape, where the climate global change and human factor play an important part in the evolution of the geographical landscape.
Taking this into consideration, we may say that we are interested in the following aspects: the emphasing of the threshold effect in the landscape development, in case of rivers, the environematal history for the last 140 years, with special view on the human impact, environmental diagnosis on the basis of the global sediment dynamics, optimization of the projects of degradaded land mitigation works, the influence of dams in relief dynamics, the geostatistical analysis of the river bed facies, geographical mapping using advanced technics (especially, GIS technics), hillslope models, hydro-geological maps, other effects caused by the anthropic impact on the environment components (river gravel explotation, environmental effect of ice jams, amplasament studies for the small hydropower etc).
Assessment of the touristic potential of Bucovina.
Integration of tourism resources Bukovina tours national and transnational. Bukovina’s border project PHARE CBC RO-UA.
Environmental Studies
A special attention is paid mainly to the effect of ore exploitation upon the environment in Suceava County and in the Siret drainage basin. The different perimeters for the mechanisms and the dynamics of the processes that can influence the environment are monitored. A special activity was related to the improvement and extension of the European Fish Index and on the effect of the ice jams along the Bistrita River and its tributaries.
The soil, water, air and rock samples complete the information obtained from different areas and help us find solutions regarding environment protection. Investigations on the causes of ice jams along the Bistrita River, which has the longest mountainous course (216 km) of any river in Romania. Over a length of 25–30 km on the upstream portion of the Izvoru Muntelui Reservoir, ice block accumulations known as ice jams form almost yearly during the cold season.
SPECIAL RESULTS
4 Awards of the Romanian Academy, national and international prestige in the fluvial geomorphology, hillslope stability, reservoir sedimentation, sediment yield modelling.
SCIENTIFIC PRODUCTION 2005 – 2008
5 books, 6 ISI articles, collaboration to Soil Erosion in Europe (John Wiley and Sons), Dams in Geomorphology (Elsevier), publishing of one yearly journal, organizing of the national symposium entitled Environment Quality and Land Use.
TEAM
A Bulding, Room D14; Professor Maria Rădoane, PhD Head of the research team. Phone: +40 230-216147/133; fax: +40 230-523742
Email: radoane@usv.ro; Web site: www.atlas.ro
COLLABORATION
Geography Department of Al. I. Cuza University Iaşi, Geography Department of Durham University and of Southampton University, UK, Geography Department of the Bucureşti University, Geography Department of Babeş-Bolyai University, Hydrotechnical Department of the Technical University of Iaşi, Biology Department from Bacau University, Biological Research Center from Piatra Neamţ, Research Center for Soil Erosion from Perieni.
INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL PROJECTS 2002 2005:
1 international project in the FP6 Programme, 12 national projects, researching contracts with several economical agencies.
SPECIFICAL SKILLS:
geomorphological mapping, geographical base data, graphical representations and interpretations, geographical data processing using the statistical analysis, grain size analysis, geotechnical analysis, digital data representation, GIS models development, spatial analysis techniques, understanding of and appreciation for the interactions between the human and natural world, ability to conceptualize spatial relationships for problem solving.