Liquid chromatography with UV-Vis and mass spectrometric detection (LC-DAD-MS) was applied to the identification of dyes and biological sources in samples from nineteenth to twentieth century ethnographic textiles from ASTRA National Museum Complex, Sibiu, Transylvania. The objects are part of the Romanian traditional costume and are among the first to be acquired for the museum collections, around 1905. Oral and written information mention such objects as homemade, with nearby materials, while literature mentions a significant number of local vegetal sources as being used for textile dyeing. The analytical protocol developed, based on the combined use of the UV-Vis and mass spectrometric detectors to associate the information and distinguish between major and minor dyes, facilitates a clear attribution of the dyes and biological source/sources used. Other techniques, such as X-ray spectroscopy and FTIR-ATR were successfully used to identify inorganic dyes, which may not be detected by LC-DAD-MS, as was the case of Prussian blue. A large number of biological sources was identified in the studied objects, both local and imported. The local sources identified include dyer's broom (Genista tinctoria L.), sawwort (Serratula tinctoria L.), young fustic (Cotinus coggygria Scop.), Rhamnus berries, emodin based dyes (Rhamnus, Rheum, Rumex sp.) and woad (Isatis tinctoria L.), in perfect correlation with literature which states that local dyes were still in use in the period under discussion. Carminic acid containing insects (Dactylopius coccus Costa and Porphyrophora sp.) and redwood type Caesalpinia species should be considered a result of trade. Almost all the natural and synthetic dyes detected are frequently mentioned in a collection of recipes published by the Romanian Academy, in 1914. The richness in colours in belts, the use of insect dyes in shirts decoration and the large amount of cotton in shirts are illustrative for the owners' status. The study provides a better valorisation of the Romanian traditional costume as witness of the rural society at the end of the nineteenth to beginning of the twentieth century and emphasizes the usefulness of chemistry in cultural heritage dedicated applications.
Botanic gardens are important centres for the conservation of plant diversity, but at the same time they can be responsible for plant invasions. As such it is paramount that botanic gardens evaluate their collections of exotic plants, monitor them and seek to minimise the risk of some species becoming invasive. In this context an evaluation of the collection of woody plants in the „Dimitrie Brandza” Botanic Garden, Bucharest, Romania was carried out, and it was established that although there are over 70 species with invasive potential, these do not represent a source of dispersal as the botanic garden is surrounded by artificial habitats undergoing regular maintenance. Nevertheless, indirectly, the Botanic Garden might have contributed to the process of invasion of some species as over the years it has offered vegetal material of plants known as invasive in international exchanges with other botanic gardens and even to the general public for private gardens.
Biological invasions are one of the main drivers of modern human-induced species losses. Research on the distribution of alien species and their pathways of introduction is essential for understanding and tackling the invasion process. A comprehensive overview on invasive alien plant (IAP) species in Romania is lacking. With this paper, we aim to contribute to filling this gap and to provide a visualization of national patterns regarding plant species invasions, geographical origins and pathways of introductions. Based on plant species occurrence records in the published literature and herbaria we compiled a national database of 102 invasive and potentially invasive alien plant species. We georeferenced 42776 IAP species occurrences and performed an analysis of their spatial patterns. The spatial analyses revealed a biased sampling, with clear hotspots of increased sampling efforts around urban areas. We used chord diagrams to visualize the pathway of introduction and geographical origins of the IAP species, which revealed that species in Romania originate mainly in North and Central America, while the dominant pathway of plant introduction was horticulture. Our results provide an important baseline in drafting management and action plans, as invasive alien plant species represent a priority for the European Union through the Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, and a good starting point for various analyses as the database is further developed and regularly updated.
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