Impact of climate change on climatic indicators in Transylvanian Plain, Romania

The condition of land degradation in Transylvanian Plain and its effects, being the result of local extreme physical-geographical conditions, are susceptible to degradation (evidenced by the erodibility index), which overlaps the extreme climatic conditions. Thermal and hydric regime monitoring is necessary in order to identify and implement measures of adaptation to the impacts of climate change. Soil moisture and temperature regimes were evaluated using a set of 20 data logging stations positioned throughout the plain. Each station stores electronic data of ground temperature at 3 depths (10, 30 and 50 cm), the humidity at the depth of 10 cm, the air temperature (at 1 m) and precipitations. Climate change in the past few years has significantly altered the climatic indicators of the Transylvanian Plain. Precipitations, although deficient in terms of annual amounts, through their regime, have a negative influence on the plant carpet. Pluvial aggressiveness index reveals, for the research period, a first peak of pluvial aggressiveness during the months of February-April, then in July and in autumn, the months of October-November. This requires special measures for soil conservation, both in autumn and early spring, soil tillage measures being recommended, which ensure the presence of plant debris and vegetation in early spring but especially in summer and autumn. Climatic indicators determined for the period 2008 - 2012 point out, in Transylvanian Plain, a semi-arid Mediterranean climate through the rain factor of Lang, respectively, semi-arid (in the South) - semi-wet (in the North) according to the De Martonne index. This climatic characterization requires special technological measures for soil conservation.