SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF WETLANDS Invasive species in the Danube Delta and their impact on species diversity Teodora Maria ONCIU ROMANIA - “Ovidius” University.

SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF WETLANDS

Invasive species in the Danube Delta and their impact on species diversity

Teodora Maria ONCIUROMANIA - “Ovidius” University – Constanta

2010

The location of the Danube Deltawithin Romania and Europe

(www.deltafishing.ro/en/intara.html [11February 2009 ])

The Danube is Europe’s second largest river, 2 860 km long, with a drainage basin of 810 000 km2,

covering almost one third of Europe (major parts of 13 countries with more then 86 million inhabitants)

(www.ddbra.ro/en/danube.php [10 February 2009])

During about the last ten thousand years the Danube river built,

on its junction with the Black Sea, an unique wetland in Europe:

the Danube Delta.The Delta covers a total area of

4 178 km2, shared by Romania (4/5) and Ukraine (1/5).

There are many large lakes,as well as the shallow marine waters that limit the delta, forming a huge

wetland complex covering more than 6 700 km2.

(Diaconu and Nichiforov, 1963)

The Danube has been connected via several canals with the main Western Europe Rivers (Rhine, Main, and Odder), facilitating communicationswith the North Sea and the Baltic Sea.After 1984, the opening of the Danube-Black Sea Canal shortened the navigation route towards the Black Sea by 250 km. (www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic-art/84090/... [11 February 2009]

• great amplitudes of temperatures;

• annual average air temperature of 11 °C;

• annual precipitations are generally scarce (average of 450 mm);

• air humidity, increasing towards the east, due to intense evaporation in the zone.

The Danube delta has a continental-temperate climate

(Paltineanu et al., 2000)

Arguments for alien specie’s accommodation in the Danube Delta:

• suitable temperatures for eurythermic organisms;• great diversity of habitats;• different ecosystems in a strong interdependence with free food-niches;• high natural productivity assuring abundant food for each trophic level;

Opportunities for incomers:• the Danube Delta is situated in the middle of the northern hemisphere (crossed by the 45° N parallel of latitude) on the main migration routes;• communication with the brackish waters of the Atlantic Ocean eastern regions through a large canal network and the Black Sea; • inhabitants are enterprising and begin different new farming activities.

Invasive species in the Danube Delta:

• accidentally introduced species;• species that naturally extend their range;• deliberately introduced species - object of farming

Accidentally introduced species

Anodonta woodianahttp://www.naturamediterraneo.it/Public/

data4/Stefano78/A%20cygnea%202.jpg_2006121104729_A%20cygnea%202.jpg[February 2009]

Accidentally introduced species

Elodea canadensisagspsrv95.agric.wa.gov.au/dps/version02/01_pl...

[11 February]

Pseudorasbora parvacommons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pseudorasbora...

[11 February]

Accidentally introduced species

1

2

Corbicula fluminea1. www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cbd/musselmanual/page174_5.html

2. www.zooplus.de/.../teich/teichbewohner/92633 [11 February]

Accidentally introduced species

Eriocheiron sinensiswww.padil.gov.au/viewPestLargeImage.aspx?id=1...

[11 February]

Carassius auratus gibelio

• penetrated at the beginning of the 70s;• became the most abundant species in the Danube Delta replacing the crucian carp, the common carp, etc.;• it presents a gynogenetical reproduction;• tolerates very well oxygen and temperature variations, being able to survive out of water for 3 hours.(www.caders-weiher.de/fischkunde/galerie/fuenf... )[11 February]

Leptinotarsa decemlineatawww.funet.fi/.../life/warp/album-Savela-20.html

Accidentally introduced species

Accidentally introduced species

• brackish water species, common in the eastern regions of the Atlantic;• it was found in the Razelm Lagoon in 1951 by Bacescu;• enriched species diversity in the Danube Delta without harmful action on other species.(Skolka and Gomoiu, 2004 )

Rhithropanopaeus harrisi tridentatus nas.er.usgs.gov/.../FactSheet.asp?speciesID=197

[11 February]

Accidentally introduced species

Mnemiopsis leidyi flickr.com/.../undervannsfotografen/1265802993/

[11 February]

Beroe ovata

Accidentally introduced species

Mya arenaria www.carnegiemnh.org/mollusks/classes/food.htm

[11 February]

Scapharca inaequivalvis

http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcidae [11 February]

Species that naturally extend their range

Canis auraeus animal.discovery.com/.../dads/dads-08.html

[11 February]

Species that naturally extend their range

Nyctereutes procyonoides scienceblogs.com/.../2008/03/raccoon_dog.php

[11 February]

Species that naturally extend their range

Ondatra zibethicus perpetuallyperegrine.files.wordpress.com/2008; www.pbase.com/image/44263790 [11 February]

Species that naturally extend their range

Syntarucus pirithouswww.geocities.com/.../Deutsch/pirithous.htm

[11 February]

Lampides boeticus flickr.com/photos/33443775@N00/254731888/

[11 February]

Cameraria ohridella dendro.mojzisek.cz/magaz0.php

[11 February]

Phylloxera vastatrix www.otranto.biz/.../storia-barbatella.html

11 February]

Species that naturally extend their range

Amorpha fruticosawww.mountainmeadowseeds.com/Trees-Bushes.html

[11 February]

Deliberately introduced species

Eleagnus angustifoliacommons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elaeagnus_ang...

[11 February]

Populus sp.courses.washington.edu/z490/gmo/toby.html

[11 February]

Robinia pseudoacacia www.naturephoto-cz.eu/robinia-pseudoacacia-pi...

[11 February]

Deliberately introduced species

Aristichthys nobiliswww.ittiofauna.org/.../index.htm

[11 February]

Deliberately introduced species

Deliberately introduced species

Hypophthalmichthys molitrixen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_carp

[11 February]

Ctenopharingodon idellawww.israquarium.co.il/.../IsraelFishABC.html

[11February]

Deliberately introduced species

Phasianus colchicuswww.naturephoto-cz.eu/bazant-obycajny-pic-448...

[11February]

REFERENCES

www.naturephoto-cz.eu/bazant-obycajny-pic-448... flickr.com/.../undervannsfotografen/1265802993/http://www.naturamediterraneo.it/Public/commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pseudorasbora...www.deltafishing.ro/en/intara.html www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic-art/84090/...http://www.seine-escaut.org/images/map3_xl.jpg www.agric.wa.gov.au/ikmp/images/elodea.gifwww.caders-weiher.de/fischkunde/galerie/fuenf...www.funet.fi/.../life/warp/album-Savela-20.htmlnas.er.usgs.gov/.../FactSheet.asp?speciesID=197perpetuallyperegrine.files.wordpress.com/2008www.pbase.com/image/44263790 scienceblogs.com/.../2008/03/raccoon_dog.phpanimal.discovery.com/.../dads/dads-08.htmlwww.geocities.com/.../Deutsch/pirithous.htmflickr.com/photos/33443775@N00/254731888/dendro.mojzisek.cz/magaz0.phpwww.otranto.biz/.../storia-barbatella.htmlwww.naturephoto-cz.eu/robinia-pseudoacacia-pi...www.mountainmeadowseeds.com/Trees-Bushes.htmlcommons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Elaeagnus_ang...courses.washington.edu/z490/gmo/toby.htmlwww.israquarium.co.il/.../IsraelFishABC.htmlwww.ittiofauna.org/.../index.htmen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_carpwww.carnegiemnh.org/mollusks/classes/food.htmwww.padil.gov.au/viewPestLargeImage.aspx?id=1...

REFERENCES

http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcidae www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cbd/musselmanual/page174_5.html www.zooplus.de/.../teich/teichbewohner/92633

Paltineanu, Cr., Mihailescu, I.Fl., Seceleanu, I. 2000 Dobrogea-condiţiile pedoclimatice, consumul şi necesarul apei de irigaţie pentru principalele culturi agricole, Ed. Ex Ponto, Constanţa

Photographs:

• BANARU Daniela• MUREŞAN Mihaela • ONCIU Teodora Maria

THANK YOU !