Biota functionality in providing ecosystem services in a highly sensitive mountain soil environment

Abstract

In the current context of the global climate changes, in the Romanian Carpathians strong pressures exercises on mountain ecosystems due to the massive and uncontrolled deforestation, expansion of the urban areas and land restitution (followed mostly by the land use changing). In these circumstances, the soils mountain sensitivity increased. The paper investigates the biota functionality in providing ecosystem services in a highly sensitive soil environment (with highly acidity and hydromorphic threats) located in Pădurea Craiului Mountains. The studied area is an island of acid rocks located in a massive of limestones. The absolute altitude is 600 – 800 m and the land use is secondary grassland. The analytical results of the studied soil profile showed a very low (5.14 – 5.76) pH, as a result the vegetation is acidophilic. The organic matter content is low, as well as the N, P, K values. The micromorphological investigation showed textural, depleted, and redoximorphic pedofeatures generated by the strongly influence of the coastal spring water. In such a highly sensitive mountain soil, the biota (less studied in hydromorphic soils) is adapted to the hard-environmental conditions, its functionality being limited and specialized. Consequently, melioration is required to improve the environment and further biota functionality to provide higher-value ecosystem services.