In a lichen sample collected from a tree in Bârlad town (Vaslui County, Romania), a new tardigrade species belonging to the genus Milnesium (granulatum group) was found. Milnesium berladnicorum sp. n. is most similar (in the type of dorsal sculpture) to Milnesium beasleyi Kaczmarek et al., 2012 but differs from it mainly by having a different claw configuration and some morphometric characters. Additionally, the new species differs from other congeners of the granulatum group by the different type of dorsal sculpture, claw configuration and some morphometric characters.

Zonocerus variegatus (L.) is known as an agricultural pest in Central Africa. Since legumes are introduced in the Chromolaena odorata fallows in the southern Cameroon as short fallow improvement strategies, we evaluated the abundance of Z. variegatus in short fallows (natural versus planted leguminous fallows) and adjacent fields. Existing Randomized Completed Block Design were used, with three treatments (C. odorata, Calliandra callothyrsus and Pueraria phaseoloides) and three replicates, split in two sites (land cleared from forest and land cleared from chromolaena fallow). Research was carried out from February 2000 to February 2002 by captures (every 14 days) in each fallow and adjacent cropped fields. Within 30 min, 24 ± 75 (SD) individuals were captured in the fallows, while only 10 ± 20 (SD) were captured in adjacent cropped fields. The abundance was greater in fields after forest clearing than in fields after chromolaena clearing. More individuals were captured in C. odorata fallows in both sites. Z. variegatus abundance in planted fallows depended on the site. After forest clearing, Z. variegatus abundance was highest in the P. phaseoloides and lowest in C. callothyrsus fallow, while after chromolaena clearing the abundance in P. phaseoloides fallow was lowest. Z. variegatus abundance between cropped fields adjacent to C. odorata, C. callothyrsus and P. phaseoloides fallow was not significantly different, but significant linear relationships were found between Z. variegatus abundance in 2 years old fallows and the adjacent cropped fields. These results indicate that in areas where chomolaena dominates the fallow, planted P. phaseoloides could be useful in managing Z. variegatus.

In three lichen samples collected from eastern part of Romania, three populations of Ramazzottius cf. oberhaeuseri (Doyère, 1840) infested by Pyxidium tardigradum Van der Land 1964 were found. In this short correspondence we present a first record of P. tardigradum in Romania and infestation rates in studied populations according to the different life stages.

The water supply system is very important for the development of the country. Furthermore, a wastewater treatment with more than two levels of treatment decreases the risk of environmental pollution with heavy metals and better cleans the water that will be reused. According to Eurostat, in 2011 more than 40% of the Romanian population was not connected to the public water supply and even more to the wastewater system. In the present study raw data were analyzed and plotted to show the evolution of the drinking water supply and wastewater treatment, sludge production and disposal, precipitation and evaporation, freshwater abstraction, water consumption for different activities, and renewable freshwater resources during the period 2001 to 2011, before and after joining the European Union, integrated in the context of the future challenges. Since the Romania joined to the EU the projects co-financed by the EU for water supply development and rehabilitation were executed very fast. New modern water treatment plants were constructed and many villages were connected to the safe water supply system and wastewater treatment plants. As a result, a large number of RRomanian inhabitants have access to a safe water resource monitored permanently.