The Influence of Meteorological Phenomena “Frozen Rain” on the Forestry Vegetation. Case Study: Maierus Forest Dept., Brasov County (Romania)

Abstract

Liquid precipitation that freezes on contact with the surface of the underlying components represent a major risk meteorological phenomena affecting, among other things, the high proportion, forest vegetation. The phenomen occurs with a relatively high frequency, every few years, depending on specific mechanisms aggregation on atmospheric physics, needed to its genesis. Affected areas suffer significant changes in structure and composition of forest vegetation. Such a phenomen it was in the first decade of December 2014 on the northern slopes Persani Mountains and it affects an area of 2691.6 hectares of the Măieruş Forest Dept., in Brasov county, resulting 1.84486 million lei ( equivalent to approx. 412,000 euros) damages. Reducing the negative effects on the environment depends on how the administration made the harvesting of downed timber and reforestation of affected areas.

The Effects of Freezing Rain on Forest Stands Administered by Zalău Forestry Department During 2014-2022 Period

“…In Romania, freezing rain phenomenon was described by Murarescu et al (2016), on the northern of Persani Mountains, who observed it on 2691.6 hectares of the Măieruş Forest Department, in Brasov County. The main objective is to determine how the forest stands were affected by the freezing rain and identifying the optimal solutions for ecological reconstruction and prevention against significant damages, in the case of repeated occurrence of the phenomenon.…”

“…As such, the population of trees decreases, which negatively influences the functional role of the forest. Furthermore, the quality of the remaining trees is also reduced, as growths are smaller, tree crowns are sparser, and health, fruiting capacity and natural regeneration are diminished, these aspects would not have occurred naturally (Murarescu et al, 2016, Constandache at al., 2018. The impact of the execution or, on the contrary, of the non-execution of the appropriate silvicultural works, in the studied forest stands, led to different effects, depending on other important characteristics, such as: composition, crown consistency, slenderness coefficient, diameter, height, age, slope (Murarescu et al, 2016).…”

“…Furthermore, the quality of the remaining trees is also reduced, as growths are smaller, tree crowns are sparser, and health, fruiting capacity and natural regeneration are diminished, these aspects would not have occurred naturally (Murarescu et al, 2016, Constandache at al., 2018. The impact of the execution or, on the contrary, of the non-execution of the appropriate silvicultural works, in the studied forest stands, led to different effects, depending on other important characteristics, such as: composition, crown consistency, slenderness coefficient, diameter, height, age, slope (Murarescu et al, 2016). Regarding the gaps caused in some stands, but also the areas where natural regeneration is affected, as a result of ruptured and fallen trees, or where the trees are missing, reforestation technologies must be applied (König et al, 2022).…”