Papers by Cogalniceanu Dan
Biodiversity Data Journal
The origin of the common wall lizards (Podarcis muralis) populations in south-eastern Europe (nam... more The origin of the common wall lizards (Podarcis muralis) populations in south-eastern Europe (namely in Bulgaria and Romania), representing the north-eastern range border of this species, was addressed using mitochondrial DNA. We compared cytochrome b sequences from Bulgaria and Romania with those from the contiguous range in Central Europe that are available from previous studies. We recorded five main haplogroups in Bulgaria and Romania, belonging to the Central Balkan clade. However, haplogroup III was recorded in more localities than previously found. Additionally, signs of haplotype admixture were identified in several populations along the Danube River. The presence of the Southern Alps haplotype in one population from Otopeni, Bucharest (Romania) and its close phylogenetic relationships to north Italy populations suggests human-mediated introductions of this wall lizard clade in Romania. Our results confirm that P. muralis can have non-native lineages and admixture through ac...
Water, 2021
The present pilot study tested and validated the use of the ‘Invasive Alien Species in Europe’ sm... more The present pilot study tested and validated the use of the ‘Invasive Alien Species in Europe’ smartphone app (IASapp) in the Lower Danube Region. The study was conducted in three stages: (1) Testing the effectiveness of the app in Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia by organizing information and field testing campaigns; (2) Improving and extending the functionality of the app and developing a list of the invasive alien species (IAS) of concern to the Danube River Basin (DRB); and (3) Testing the updated app during the Joint Danube Survey 4 campaign. Overall, 13 campaigns were carried out, during which seven aquatic IAS of EU concern and nine IAS relevant to the DRB were recorded. Currently, the developed new functionality of IASapp allows the recording of 64 IAS of DRB concern. The updated IASapp has an important role in increasing public awareness on IAS issues, as well as in enlarging the participation and output of citizen science in the IAS early detection, monitoring and reporting in...
European Journal of Wildlife Research, 2024
The pond slider (Trachemys scripta) is a major invasive species in freshwater habitats across the... more The pond slider (Trachemys scripta) is a major invasive species in freshwater habitats across the world. For decades, the main cause of individuals' occurrences in the wild was the illegal release of pet animals. Recently, as an important component of their management, there has been an increasing focus on their ability to successfully reproduce in the invaded regions. In Romania, the species is reported as widespread in urban wetland environments within major cities, but information about its nesting and potential breeding remains scarce or anecdotal. We surveyed a large population of pond sliders in an artificial urban wetland site in Constanţa, SE Romania, and described their nesting ecology and reproductive output. Although eggs from several nests failed to hatch or were predated, potentially limiting their reproductive success, sliders were found to breed successfully at this site, with 18.6% viable hatchlings recorded. Our study could serve as a baseline for additional targeted surveys and to inform decision-making for successfully managing this invasive species. Although the importation, trading, and breeding of this species are prohibited by EU legislation, active and effective management is now required to address the successful reproduction and further potential spread of T. scripta.
Amphibia-Reptilia, 2024
Age and growth-related parameters provide a better understanding of life-history adaptations and ... more Age and growth-related parameters provide a better understanding of life-history adaptations and trade-offs and can be studied in the wild through capture-mark-recapture (CMR) or sclerochronology (i.e., skeletochronology and counting growth marks on hard structures). In chelonians, skeletochronology is limited to carcasses, CMR is limited by time and funding constraints, but counting shell growth annuli (SGA count) is a cheaper and faster alternative. A long-term CMR study in Testudo graeca from southeastern Romania allowed us to compare the age estimated by the two sclerochronology methods using carcasses, and calibrate the results with data obtained from recaptured tortoises. We found that the accuracy of SGA counts significantly decreased with time (i.e., years between captures and older individuals). Skeletochronology showed the best results with long bones (i.e., ulna, radius, femur), but overall underestimated the age when compared to SGA counts; we obtained comparable results from these two methods in tortoises up to 17 years old. The oldest age estimated by skeletochronology alone was 28 years, 30 years by SGA counts, and 40 years by SGA counts when calibrated by CMR. The growth models using age estimations from both skeletochronology and SGA counts were similar, highlighting their usefulness in monitoring growth trajectories. Our study showed that while age estimation in tortoises is challenging, a combination of methods can improve its accuracy.
NeoBiota, 2024
Effective management of invasive alien species requires location-specific strategies involving th... more Effective management of invasive alien species requires location-specific strategies involving the regular update of distribution maps to identify spatial patterns, trends, and pathways of entry and the spread and hotspots of those invasions. However, a comprehensive overview of invasive alien fish species in Romania is lacking. To fill this gap, we compiled a database with occurrences of alien fish species in Romania from diverse sources, including published literature, our own field data, online databases, social media, and online questionnaires. Occurrence data covers the 1910-2022 period. From a total of 52 alien fish species reported as present in Romania's waterways, we assigned an invasive status to 11 species, of which Pseudorasbora parva, Lepomis gibbosus, Carassius gibelio, and Ameiurus spp. are widespread. Based on the currently available occurrence records, we evaluated the presence and distribution of invasive alien fish species at the watershed level, concluding that invasive alien fish species are present in all Romanian watersheds. We identified several hotspots consistent with the main points of entry and spread of invasive alien fish species, principally located in western, central, and eastern Romania, i.e., Mures, Crisuri, and Siret watersheds.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Oct 6, 2022
calitativă transect vizual GPS, aparat foto, binoclu prezentă medie adult mediu ecologic mediu RB... more calitativă transect vizual GPS, aparat foto, binoclu prezentă medie adult mediu ecologic mediu RBDD Rattus norvegicus NA Chișamera G., Cobzaru I., Petrescu A. 20-02-22 PK53 28.8901863 44.556938 CT Săcele calitativă transect vizual GPS, aparat foto, binoclu prezentă medie adult mediu ecologic mediu RBDD 23.72422725 46.762808 CJ Apahida calitativă transect vizual și auditiv GPS, aparat foto, binoclu prezentă medie adult mediu ecologic mediu NA Rattus norvegicus NA Gavril V. 08-05-22 PJ38 28.65495421 44.14391 CT Constanța calitativă transect vizual și auditiv GPS, aparat foto, binoclu prezentă medie adult mediu ecologic mediu NA
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Oct 6, 2022
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jul 11, 2022
intermediar privind distribuția speciilor de animale alogene din hot-spot-uri și căile prioritare... more intermediar privind distribuția speciilor de animale alogene din hot-spot-uri și căile prioritare de pătrundere (an 2). Raport întocmit în cadrul Proiectului POIM2014+120008-Managementul adecvat al speciilor invazive din România, în conformitate cu Regulamentul UE 1143/2014 referitor la prevenirea și gestionarea introducerii și răspândirii speciilor alogene invazive. București: Ministerul Mediului, Apelor și Pădurilor și Universitatea din București.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jul 13, 2022
Nr. Crt. Cod UTM 10x10 km Data Județ Echipa Specii vertebrate alogene semnalate LN25 23
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Oct 6, 2022
Cod și Nume proiect: POIM 2014+ 120008 Managementul adecvat al speciilor invazive din România, în... more Cod și Nume proiect: POIM 2014+ 120008 Managementul adecvat al speciilor invazive din România, în conformitate cu Regulamentul UE 1143/2014 referitor la prevenirea și gestionarea introducerii și răspândirii speciilor alogene invazive Hărți cu distribuția speciilor invazive de vertebrate terestre în arii naturale protejate, în mod special în parcurile naționale și rezervațiile biosferei (14 hărți, 13 parcuri naționale și Delta Dunării) Activitatea A.1.2. Inventariereacartarea speciilor invazive de vertebrate terestre și elaborarea listei naționale a speciilor de vertebrate terestre invazive Subactivitatea 1.2.5. Inventarierea și cartarea intensivă a punctelor fierbinți și a unor posibile căi prioritare de pătrundere a speciilor de vertebrate terestre alogene
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Oct 6, 2022
Raport final privind distribuția speciilor de vertebrate alogene rezultată din activitatea de inv... more Raport final privind distribuția speciilor de vertebrate alogene rezultată din activitatea de inventariere cu efort redus (an 3). Raport întocmit în cadrul Proiectului POIM2014+120008-Managementul adecvat al speciilor invazive din România, în conformitate cu Regulamentul UE 1143/2014 referitor la prevenirea și gestionarea introducerii și răspândirii speciilor alogene invazive. București: Ministerul Mediului, Apelor și Pădurilor & Universitatea din București.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Oct 6, 2022
Raport final privind distribuția speciilor de vertebrate alogene rezultată din activitatea de inv... more Raport final privind distribuția speciilor de vertebrate alogene rezultată din activitatea de inventariere cu efort redus (an 3). Raport întocmit în cadrul Proiectului POIM2014+120008-Managementul adecvat al speciilor invazive din România, în conformitate cu Regulamentul UE 1143/2014 referitor la prevenirea și gestionarea introducerii și răspândirii speciilor alogene invazive. București: Ministerul Mediului, Apelor și Pădurilor & Universitatea din București.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Aug 8, 2023
calitativă transect vizual GPS, aparat foto, binoclu prezentă medie adult mediu ecologic mediu RB... more calitativă transect vizual GPS, aparat foto, binoclu prezentă medie adult mediu ecologic mediu RBDD Rattus norvegicus NA Chișamera G., Cobzaru I., Petrescu A. 20-02-22 PK53 28.8901863 44.556938 CT Săcele calitativă transect vizual GPS, aparat foto, binoclu prezentă medie adult mediu ecologic mediu RBDD 23.72422725 46.762808 CJ Apahida calitativă transect vizual și auditiv GPS, aparat foto, binoclu prezentă medie adult mediu ecologic mediu NA Rattus norvegicus NA Gavril V. 08-05-22 PJ38 28.65495421 44.14391 CT Constanța calitativă transect vizual și auditiv GPS, aparat foto, binoclu prezentă medie adult mediu ecologic mediu NA
Environmental Entomology
Although natural peatlands have been recognized as an important type of wetlands because they sup... more Although natural peatlands have been recognized as an important type of wetlands because they support high biodiversity and provide important ecosystem services, the value of peatlands both in biodiversity research and conservation is still largely underestimated. Our study characterizes the biodiversity and conservation value of Peşteana peat bog, an upland mesotrophic peat bog, located in the Southern Carpathians, Romania. More specifically, we: (1) characterized the invertebrate (i.e., top soil, surface litter, and plant-dwelling) and plant communities along a humidity gradient in Peşteana peat bog and nearby habitats (i.e., treeline, ecotone, lowland and highland meadow, and forest), (2) assessed the main environmental factors driving the invertebrate community diversity and composition, and (3) determined the relationship between invertebrate community diversity and vegetation, focusing on the top soil invertebrates. Our study revealed a high diversity of invertebrates spanning...
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Jul 14, 2022
Titlu proiect: Managementul adecvat al speciilor invazive din România, în conformitate cu Regulam... more Titlu proiect: Managementul adecvat al speciilor invazive din România, în conformitate cu Regulamentul UE 1143/2014 referitor la prevenirea și gestionarea introducerii și răspândirii speciilor alogene invazive.
Hydrobiologia, 2016
Salinity tolerance is critical during the early ontogeny of amphibians, shaping future population... more Salinity tolerance is critical during the early ontogeny of amphibians, shaping future population size, health and dispersal in a certain area. We focused our research on two related anurans with similar ecological niches-Pelobates fuscus and P. syriacus-inhabiting the western Black Sea coast, at the limits of their ranges. We hypothesize that their differences in salinity tolerance are shaping the actual range limits in coastal areas, within the sympatry zone. We quantified experimentally the impact of salinity (range 0-9%) during early ontogeny to ask if salinity can modulate their coexistence, by affecting differently reproductive success and fitness. Exposure to salinity from egg to developmental stage Gosner 25 caused mild to severe malformations and affected survival and size in both species, but the impact was lower in P. syriacus compared to P. fuscus when exposed to salt concentrations of 6%. Embryos of either species did not survive the 9% salinity concentration. We expect that increases in salinization up to 6% could severely reduce the range of P. fuscus, but not P. syriacus, in coastal areas. These results are highly relevant for the conservation of P. fuscus, which is already declining across Europe.
We present the distribution and aquatic habitat use of amphibian communities in two river basins ... more We present the distribution and aquatic habitat use of amphibian communities in two river basins of Transylvania (Romania) on a medium spatial scale: the middle section of Târnava Mare Valley and the Upper section of the Olt Valley. We used between 13 and 15 variables to characterize the breeding ponds and their surrounding terrestrial areas. A total number of 14 amphibian species and a species complex were identifi ed in the two areas. In Târnava, the average species richness is larger in permanent ponds than in temporary ones. No signifi cant differences were found between the species richness in permanent and temporary ponds in Ciuc. In permanent ponds of both areas the presence of high traffi c roads in the vicinity (i.e. within an 800 m radius) explained more of the variation in species richness than the other habitat factors, whereas the presence of dirt roads accounted for the highest variation in species richness in temporary ponds.
Turkish Journal of Zoology
The distribution of amphibian species in Dobrudja has been studied for more than a century; howev... more The distribution of amphibian species in Dobrudja has been studied for more than a century; however, the available information was scattered among tens of publications and museum collections. In the present paper we synthesized the available distribution records from published papers, museum collections, and our own field data. These distribution data were treated separately as historical data (before 1990), continuous data (records from both before and after 1990), and recent ones (after 1990). Based on distribution records we performed a cartographic analysis consisting of 3 indexes that attempt to indicate shifts in geographic range over time. Using these indexes as a measure of the conservation status, we propose a Red List for the amphibians of Dobrudja based on the distribution data and the changes in species range before and after 1990.
We analysed the species and genus richness of chironomid larvae from benthic samples taken from 1... more We analysed the species and genus richness of chironomid larvae from benthic samples taken from 18 alpine lakes in the Retezat National Park, Romania, at both regional and local scales. We identified 86 species in 49 genera, with most taxa having restricted and clumped distributions. We estimated the sampling effort needed to identify a certain percentage of the total number of taxa based on species accumulation curves. While a good estimate of genus richness can be obtained with a relatively small number of samples, a greater sampling ...
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Papers by Cogalniceanu Dan