Quantifying Forest Ecosystems Fragmentation in the Subcarpathians between the Râmnicu Sarat and the Buzau Valleys, Romania, Using Landscape Metrics/Utilizarea metricilor peisajului în cuantificarea fragmentarii ecosistemelor forestiere din spatiul Subcarpatilor dintre Râmnicu Sarat si Buzau, România

The Romanian Subcarpathian space has been the subject of continuous transformation during the last 2 centuries under the double impact of human activities and disruptive natural factors. Time and spatial dynamics of land use and coverage determined a major impact on the structure and functionality of the Subcarpathian landscape. In the Subcarpathians between the Ramnicu Sarat and the Buzau, the main tendencies in land use changes are highlighted by the decrease of forestry areas and increase of agricultural terrains, especially pastures and orchards, a consequence of the deforestation undertaken to answer local human needs. The study underlines the necessity of elaborating a strategy of protection and preservation for these ecosystems, aimed at increasing the reforestation rate and decreasing the fragmentation degree. A sustainable planning system of land use must be enforced in order to increase forest productivity and the uniformity degree of the Subcarpathian landscape.