Rehabilitation of the Agricultural Lands Degraded by Uncontrolled Human Intervention in Transylvania

This paper presents the rehabilitation of some of the lands degraded by uncontrolled human interventions conducted by the National Gas Company Romgaz SA Mediaș, in Transylvania. Severe soil degradation by loss of the fertile horizon at the surface, powerful compaction by operating heavy machinery, soil pollution with different substances used in natural gas extraction technology have led to the removal of the affected area from the agricultural use over a long period of time. This negative process of aggressive human activities on soil, as was previously shown, occurs frequently on arable soils in Romania, so the degradation and destruction of agricultural and forestry lands through various forms of pollution, especially by uncontrolled human intervention, has reached alarming levels. The rush to profit of this company with minimal expenses, disregarded the degradation and destruction of many agricultural lands in the area, with serious consequences on the physical, chemical and biological status of the soil and even on biodiversity. Ecological recovery and the restoration of the fertility of these soils to the one that was before the human intervention from Romgaz S.A. Mediaș Company, requires a comprehensive approach leading to elimination of excess moisture combined with land improvement works to improve soil reaction through amendments, periodic organic and mineral fertilization for raising the productive potential of degraded soils and introducing them back into agricultural use. In this context, the paper aims to deal the rehabilitation of agricultural land located in the unincorporated area of Å¢aga village, Cluj County in the Transylvanian Plain, an area characterized by low hills, flat and moderately sloped land that lends itself to a conservative sustainable and profitable agriculture. Pedologically, the studied area is located on carbonate materials (sandstone, marl) with major influence in the formation of zonal soils.