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Quaternary International 293 (2013) 92e104

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Quaternary International

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Holocene vegetation history in the Maramures Mountains (Northern RomanianCarpathians)

Sorina F�arcas a, Ioan Tant�au b,*, Marcel Mîndrescu c, Bogdan Hurdu a

a Institute of Biological Research Cluj, Branch of the National Institute of Research and Development for Biological Sciences, Republicii Street 48, Cluj Napoca 400015, RomaniabBabes-Bolyai University, Department of Geology, M. Kog�alniceanu Street 1, 400084 Cluj-Napoca, RomaniacDepartment of Geography, University of Suceava, Suceava 720229, Romania

a r t i c l e i n f o

Article history:Available online 5 April 2012

* Corresponding author.E-mail address: ioan.tantau@ubbcluj.ro (I. Tant�au)

1040-6182/$ e see front matter � 2012 Elsevier Ltd adoi:10.1016/j.quaint.2012.03.057

a b s t r a c t

Due to their location close to the northern border of Romania, their complex glacial geomorphologyand the existing biodiversity, the Maramures Mountains represent an interesting area. Despite this, fewpalynological studies have been published so far about these mountains. Recent pollen analyses per-formed in T�aul MareeBard�au and Cristina peat bogs, both located in the Northern MaramuresMountains, reveal the Holocene regional vegetation history, beginning with the Atlantic period, asconfirmed by 14C dating. High values of Corylus avellana in the bottom part of both sequences suggestsan Atlantic age for the beginning of the peat accumulation. Picea abies values indicate its significantpresence in the region, continuing through the entire sequence. The development of P. abies andC. avellana forest is assumed to have occurred between 9800 and 9000 cal BP, based on the generaltrend in the Romanian Carpathians, even though this interval is not covered by the pollen diagramsfrom the Maramures Mountains. Mixed oak elements appear under-represented in the sequencesbecause of the high altitude of the sites, similar to Carpinus betulus, whose continuous curve showssmall values. The spread of mixed oak elements occurred at around 10,800 cal BP, as in most regions ofthe Romanian Carpathians. The Fagus sylvatica curve reaches high values during the Subatlantic period,certifying its substantial and early presence in the region. Abies alba pollen occurs continuously in thediagram only during the last period (Subatlantic), and it is poorly represented compared to beech. Thebeginning of C. betulus expansion is dated at ca. 6000 cal BP in Maramures Mountains, whereasF. sylvatica starts to expand at ca. 5100 cal BP, and A. alba at only 2500e3200 cal BP. The decrease in AP/NAP ratio, observed in the last pollen zones, reflects the increasing human intervention in the region,mostly by clearing and cutting of spruce and beech forests.

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1. Introduction

Romania constitutes a key territory for the evolution of Late-glacial and Holocene vegetation in Europe (Tant�au et al., 2003;Tant�au, 2006). Recent data have brought new insights into thehistory of Holocene vegetation in the Maramures Mountains, partof the Romanian Carpathians.

The Maramures Mountains, belonging to the Eastern RomanianCarpathians, are characterized by high biodiversity, as reflected bytheir recent inclusion in the Natura 2000 sites list (OMMP 2387/2011). The mountains are of special scientific interest, consid-ering the complex glacial geomorphology and biodiversity. Recent

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studies, as well as older ones, have revealed the complexity ofcurrent flora and fauna of the Maramures Mountains (Coldea andPînzaru, 1987; Béres, 2000; B�arbos, 2007; Danci, 2011), but theirpalaeobiodiversity and temporal development towards thecurrent situation are still insufficiently studied. Moreover, ona regional scale, only several radiocarbon dated sequences areavailable: two in the Gutâi Mountains (Björkman et al., 2002,2003; Feurdean, 2004, 2005; Feurdean and Bennike, 2004), onein the L�apusului Mountains (Schnitchen et al., 2006; Buczkó et al.,2009) and another site in the Rodna Mountains (Tant�au et al.,2011a). In order to add to the knowledge regarding the subject,several peat bogs and ponds, partially or completely infilled, wereselected for pollen studies during the field campaigns in theMaramures Mountains. This research focuses on pollen analysis intwo sites located within glacial cirques below Pietrosul Bard�auluipeak (1850 m) (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1. Location maps of the Maramures Mountains on the Romanian territory and the sites used for comparisons (A) (1 e Semenic Mts., Rösch and Fischer, 2000; 2 e Retezat Mts.,F�arcas et al., 1999; 3 e Avrig, Tant�au et al., 2006, 2011b; 4 e Bisoca, Tant�au et al., 2009; 5 e Mohos, Tant�au et al., 2003; 6 e Luci, Tant�au et al., 2006; 7 e C�alimani Mts., F�arcas et al.,1999; 8 e Rodnei Mts., Tant�au et al., 2011a; 9 e Gutâi Mts., Björkman et al., 2002, 2003; 10 e Turbuta, Feurdean et al., 2007a; 11e12 e Apuseni Mts., Bodnariuc et al., 2002; Feurdeanand Willis, 2008a, b), and the studied sites (B) near the Romanian border with Ukraine.

S. F�arcas et al. / Quaternary International 293 (2013) 92e104 93

2. Regional setting

2.1. Location

The peat bogs T�aul MareeBard�au (47�500N, 24�360E, 1615 ma.s.l.) and Cristina (47�500N, 24�370E, 1573 m a.s.l.) are located intwo glacial cirques fromMaramures Mountains (Fig. 2). The cirquesare listed in the national survey nomenclature as number 23 and24 (Mîndrescu, 2006). Bard�au is a broad cirque, and the T�aulMareeBard�au bog is located on one of the floor corners tangent tothe short and gentle headwall. This configuration of the site reducesthe catchment area of the peat bog. Nevertheless, the proximity of

Fig. 2. Location map of T�aul MareeBard�au and Cristina peat bogs w

the grassy headwall lead to an increase in the rate of sedimentationin time, which explains how this former lake has completely turnedinto a peat bog. There are two other smaller bogs on the cirque-stepped floor.

The smaller Cristina cirque is carved deeper in the mountainmass on the northeastern side of the Pietrosul Bard�aului peak. Seenfrom above, the cirque looks like a trough, enclosed by headwallson three sides, and by the moraine to the front, resemblinga natural garden. The peat bog has formed at the bottom of thecirque behind a dam made up of a cirque moraine and it includesa peat bog pool, as well, which is partially filled with sediments. Thestudy site is located at the end of the floor, far away from the

ithin glacial cirques below Pietrosul Bard�aului peak (1850 m).

S. F�arcas et al. / Quaternary International 293 (2013) 92e10494

headwall and near the rim, which has provided a larger catchmentand thus a more substantial sediment yield.

2.2. Morphometric data and water analysis

T�aul MareeBard�au peat bog (1615 m a.s.l.) has a rectangularshape, with an area of 8410 m2 and 375 m perimeter. Cristina peatbog (1573 m a.s.l.) is significantly smaller, with an area of 1224 m2.The measurements performed in the field on 20 June 2008provided water chemistry data (see Table 1). These values arecommon for high altitude peat bogs and most likely result from theclimatic conditions and from the type of supply of the peat bog,which comes almost exclusively from rainfall/snowfall water,which typically has low nutrient contents (Mîndrescu et al., 2004).Despite the huge difference between sediment yield coefficients inthe two catchments, the rates of sedimentation are quite similar.

2.3. Geology and geomorphology

The local geology comprises metamorphic schists, overlain bywell-cemented Cenomanian conglomerates (S�andulescu, 1984).Pleistocene deposits are represented by moraines, as well as peri-glacial deposits as scree, or resulting from solifluction.

The Northern Maramures Mountains are not very high, barelyreaching 1850 m altitude (Pietrosul Bard�aului), with wide gentleridges averaging 1500e1600 m altitude. The main trait of thismountainous area is the presence of denudation surfaces. Near thesampling site, there are some gentle, relatively wide ridges, whichhave large steep slopes towards the northeast and the east, whichare the headwalls of the glacial cirques (Bard�au and Cristina). Bothsites are of glacial origin, as suggested by the cirque moraine (Sîrcu,1963) and glacial striations (Mîndrescu, 2006).

2.4. Climate

Data from the nearest meteorological station, Iezer (RodnaMountains, 1785 m a.s.l.), shows that the sampling sites havea subalpine climate at present. The climate is characterized by lowmean annual temperatures (0.6 �C) and abundant precipitation(1300 mm/y), mostly as snow. The climatic conditions and the typeof supply almost exclusively from rainfall and snowfall led to theformation of the peat deposits. The wind direction during thesummer is mainly from either NE or SW, according to the Iezermeteorological station in Rodna Mountains. However, the flag-liketrees on the high mountain plateau indicate westerly winds. Theinfluence of these snow-bearing winds during the Pleistocene wassufficient to give a northeastward tendency to the glacier and,subsequently, to the resulting aspect of the cirque, as can be seentoday (Mîndrescu, 2006).

Table 1Sampled basins characteristics.

Variable T�aul Mare-Bard�au Cristina

Latitude, N 47�5000900 47�500070

Longitude, E 24�3600100 24�3700700

Elevation range of the catchment (m) 1615e1750 1573e1850Peat bog area (m2) 8410 1224Catchment area (ha) 5.34 21.05Origin of the basin Glacial GlacialCirque aspect NE/44� NE/62�

Sediment thickness (cm) 379 301Estimated rate of sedimentation (mma�1) 0.54 0.38Estimated sediment yield (t ha a�1) 0.57 0.015Water pH 3.40 3.70Dissolved oxygen (mg/L) 8.70 5.97Electric conductivity (mS/cm) 39 27.7

2.5. Vegetation

T�aul MareeBard�au and Cristina are both meso-oligotrophicpeat bogs, formed of Carex and Sphagnum species, belonging tothe association Carici rostratae e Sphagnetum. Modern vegetationaround the sites consists of clumps of Pinus mugo, Juniperus sp.,and forests of Picea abies. Alnus viridis clumps ascend the valleysin the proximity of the sites, while Abies alba and Fagus sylvaticaare scattered in the Picea abies forests, at lower altitudes (upto 1200 m a.s.l.). Carpinus betulus forests grow only in thewestern part of the Maramuresului Mountains, at much loweraltitudes (up to 800 m), together with Quercus petraea or Fagussylvatica forests (Danci, 2011). The characteristic associationsaround the sites are Rhododendro myrtifolii e Pinetum mugi nearT�aul MareeBard�au and Soldanello e Piceetum near Cristina peatbog.

3. Materials and methods

From both sequences, cores of sediment were recovered witha modified Russian corer. The sequence from Cristina is relativelyshort, reaching 3.00 m in length. T�aul MareeBard�au sequence wastaken to 3.80 m depth. The top 1.45 m at Cristina could not berecovered, because the sediment consisted of wet and very looseorganic mud.

Following the lithostratigraphic description, the sediment coreswere sub-sampled for pollen and radiocarbon analyses. Chemicalpreparation was carried out using the Erdtman method (1954),modified according to Goeury and de Beaulieu (1979). The proce-dure of filtration by 200m sievewas applied in case of moss samplesfrom the surface. Microscope slides were prepared from theresidue, and 500 terrestrial pollen grains were counted on averageon each microscope slide. Identification of pollen taxa was doneaccording to handbooks and determination keys (Reille, 1992,1995). Nomenclature for vascular plants follows Flora Europaea(Tutin et al., 1964e1980).

Pollen diagrams were prepared using the GpalWin software(Goeury, 1997). The frequencies of pollen for each taxonwere calculated as percentages of the total sum (arborealpollenþ non-arboreal pollen: APþNAP). Because of the over-representation in pollen spectra, monolete spores and Cyper-aceae pollen were excluded from the pollen sum. In the pollendiagram (Figs. 3A, B and 4A, B) pollen values lower than 0.5% arerepresented by dots.

4. Results

4.1. Lithostratigraphy

A simplified stratigraphy of both sequences is presented inTable 2. Whereas the T�aul MareeBard�au sequence is composed ofpeat in different degrees of humidification, the Cristina sequenceshows intercalations between clay, sand, peat and soil, in differentproportions, with gravel, iron oxides, silica grains and abundantmacroremains.

4.2. Chronology

Ten samples were used for AMS 14C dating using facilities atthe Radiocarbon Laboratory in Poznan, Poland: six from T�aulMareeBard�au and four from Cristina peat bog. The results areshown in Table 3.

The AMS 14C measurements were calibrated with CALIB REV6.0.0 calibration program (Stuiver and Reimer, 1993; Stuiver et al.,2010) using the INTCAL09 data set of Reimer et al. (2009). The

Fig. 3. Calibrated AMS radiocarbon dates (black square), used ages (grey triangle), andageedepth model for T�aul MareeBard�au (A) and Cristina (B). The dating error bars aresmaller than symbols.

S. F�arcas et al. / Quaternary International 293 (2013) 92e104 95

age-depth model was constructed based on linear interpolationbetween the midpoints (2 standard deviations) of calibrated ages(Fig. 3). Based on the ageedepth model, there are some differencesbetween T�aul MareeBard�au and Cristina peat bogs, as the accu-mulation rates are more uniform for the latter site. Accumulationrates of ca. 0.06 cm/y were calculated for the interval between 2270and 3280 cal BP and ca. 0.02 cm/y between 3280 and 8000 cal BP atCristina. Four different accumulation rates were calculated for T�aulMareeBard�au sequence as follows: 0.1 cm/y between 95 and 220cal BP, 0.06 cm/y between 220 and 2155 cal BP, 0.10e0.12 cm/ybetween 2155 and 3460 cal BP and 6760e7050 cal BP, and 0.01between 3460 and 6760 cal BP.

4.3. Vegetation history

The 14C dating and pollen spectra place the vegetationhistory of the region in the beginning of the Atlantic period. Thesimilarity between the two sites, with regard to the dynamics ofthe main taxa, is quite remarkable, even though the sequencefrom Cristina is slightly older (7150 14C BP, 8000 cal BP)compared to T�aul MareeBard�au (6090 14C BP, 7000 cal BP). Asboth sites have low surface area (0.84 ha T�aul MareeBard�auand 0.12 ha Cristina), it is likely that pollen assemblages arerepresentative of vegetation composition over a range of severaltens of km (Sugita, 1994; Gaillard et al., 2008; Feurdean et al.,2011).

A total of 6 pollen zones were established for the Cristinasequence, and 9 pollen zones for the T�aul MareeBard�au sequence(Figs. 4A, B and 5A, B). The continuous curve of hazel (Corylusavellana), with high values, suggests the Atlantic age for thebeginning of peat accumulation in the basins. The main phases offorest development are emphasized in Table 4.

5. Discussion

5.1. Regional data from the LateglacialeHolocene transition andEarly Holocene

Unfortunately, none of these two sequences from theMaramures Mountains is old enough to capture the Lateglacial orEarly Holocene vegetation history. The palynological results showa classical succession of Holocene vegetation (Figs. 4A, B and 5A, B),with some local particularities, partially matching the last threeforest phases described in the Romanian literature (Pop, 1929,1932) and related to the Atlantic, Subboreal and Subatlanticperiods. The forest phases described in the classic literature (Pop,1929, 1932, 1945; Diaconeasa et al., 1985; Diaconeasa, 1989) cor-responding to the last three climatic periods of the Holocene are: i)Picea-Quercetum mixtum-Corylus phase (during the Boreal-Atlanticperiods); ii) Picea-Carpinus phase (during the Subboreal period); iii)Picea-Fagus-Abies phase (during the Subatlantic period).

At the Lateglacial/Holocene transition, the open vegetation inthe regionwas replaced by dense forest, in which Pinus, Picea abies,Ulmus and Betula prevailed between 11,000 and 9800 cal BP (F�arcaset al., 1999; Wohlfarth et al., 2001; Björkman et al., 2002; Feurdean,2004, 2005; Feurdean and Bennike, 2004; Tant�au et al., 2011a). Theearly Holocene establishment of Ulmus in the Romanian Carpa-thians has been reported from this northern region (Björkmanet al., 2002, 2003; Feurdean, 2005; Tant�au et al., 2009, 2011a).The mixed oak elements (Quercus, Tilia, Fraxinus and Acer) alsooccurred in pollen spectra during the early Holocene, reflecting theelevations of the studied sites (F�arcas et al., 1999; Feurdean, 2005;Feurdean et al., 2011; Tant�au et al., 2011a), according to theirpresent distribution (Cristea, 1993; St�anescu et al., 1997). Thespread of mixed oak elements occurred after Ulmus, at around10,800 cal BP in most regions of the Romanian Carpathians (F�arcaset al., 1999; Tant�au et al., 2003, 2006, 2009, 2011a; Feurdean, 2005;Feurdean et al., 2007a, 2010, 2011). Between 9800 and 9000 cal BPthere was a decline of Betula and Pinus and an increase of Picea andCorylus, caused by climate warming (F�arcas et al., 1999; Björkmanet al., 2003; Tant�au et al., 2009, 2011a; Feurdean, 2005; Feurdeanet al., 2011). The strong expansion of Picea abies from around10,500 cal BP shows its strong competing ability against the othertree species (Feurdean et al., 2011).

5.2. 8000e6000 cal BP

The calibrated ages for the bottom part of the studied sequencesare 7050 cal BP for T�aul MareeBard�au (Fig. 4A, B), and 8000 cal BPfor Cristina (Fig. 5A, B). Even though there are many similaritiesbetween these two sequences concerning the evolution of thevegetation, there are also some particularities, given by the differ-ence in elevation and sedimentation conditions.

The presence of Picea abies in the region was substantial andconsistent (as shown by the diagram of T�aul MareeBard�au, Fig. 4A),higher than that of Corylus avellana, but lower than Alnus viridis.The last one is favored by both edaphic factors and the high altitudeof the site (1615 m a.s.l.), located at the upper limit of spruce forestsin the area. At the Cristina peat bog, the high percentages of Piceaabies, Alnus viridis and Corylus avellana show their presence at thattime in the proximity of the site, which is similar to the present-daysituation. The presence of P. abies at Cristina is generally betterexpressed than those of C. avellana and A. viridis (Fig. 5A).

Ulmus, Tilia, and Fraxinus were present only at much lowerelevations, and they were under-represented mainly in T�aulMareeBard�au diagram, because of the higher altitude and smallercatchment area of its basin (5.34 ha), compared to Cristina basin

Fig. 4. A, B. Pollen diagrams of T�aul MareeBard�au sequences: AT e Atlantic, SB e Subboreal, SA e Subatlantic. Calibrated (cal BP) and uncalibrated 14C ages (14C BP) are also shown.Pollen values, lower than 0.5%, are represented by dots.

S. F�arcas et al. / Quaternary International 293 (2013) 92e10496

Table 2Simplified stratigraphic description of the T�aul MareeBard�au and Cristina sequences.

Depth (m) Microstratigraphic characteristics

Bard�au0e0.09 Undecomposed peat0.09e0.30 Light brown peat, very lax, slightly decomposed, rich in macroremains0.30e0.60 More compact peat, light brown, slightly decomposed, rich in macroremains0.60e1.00 Brown, lax peat, lacunar in some parts, with plenty of macroremains1.00e1.20 Brown peat, more compact, more decomposed, with few macroremains1.20e1.53 Brown peat, more compact, very unctuous, decomposed, with macroremains1.53e1.80 Light brown, lax peat, slightly decomposed, with dark peat, organic rich, intercalations and many macroremains1.80e2.40 Brown-darkish peat, lax, humid, slightly decomposed, with light peat intercalations and many macroremains2.40e2.70 Humid, lax, light brown peat, slightly decomposed, with dark peat, organic rich, intercalations and many macroremains2.70e3.00 Humid, dark brown peat, compact, unctuous, with light peat intercalations and few macroremains3.00e3.32 Brown peat with dark peat intercalations, more or less decomposed, unctuous, semi compact, fibrous, with macroremains3.32e3.38 Brown, compact peat, with dark peat intercalations and macroremains3.38e3.60 Brown-darkish peat, unctuous, compact, with silica grains and macroremains3.60e3.80 Brown-grayish peat, unctuous, with silica grains, macroremains and pebbles

Cristina1.44e1.80 Fine grey clay, compact, with many peat intercalations, macroremains and iron oxides. Strongly red-colored in some parts.

Sandy lenses occurring at 1.63 m.1.80e2.10 Light gray sandy clay, very humid, slightly compact, with iron oxides, fine gravel and many macroremains.2.10e2.28 Sandy peat, compact, unctuous, with few macroremains. A large piece of wood at 2.12 m.2.28e2.34 Clayish intercalations, alternating with peat layers. Unctuous, compact, grey-brownish, sticky, quite soft.

The color affected by iron oxides.2.34e2.40 Unctuous, compact, grey-brownish, sticky, clayish, with peat layer at 2.10e2.28 m.2.40e2.47 Dark brown soily peat, unctuous, less compact, with blackish peat intercalations, silica grains and macroremains.2.47e2.63 Dark brown soily peat, unctuous, more compact and without obvious silica grains.2.63e2.80 Brown-grayish soily clay, unctuous, with brownish and blackish peat intercalations, with small fragments of

macroremains and silica grains.2.80e3.00 Brown-grayish soily clay, without peat intercalations, more clayish and less unctuous.

S. F�arcas et al. / Quaternary International 293 (2013) 92e104 97

(21.05 ha). Pinus mugo, Betula, Salix and Alnus sp. were also presentin the studied area.

The expansion and most likely the maximum values of Corylusavellana are not reflected in pollen diagrams of the studied sites inthe Maramures Mountains, because of the late onset of sedimen-tation. Farther south, in the Rodna Mountains, the expansion ofC. avellana started around 10,200 cal BP (Tant�au et al., 2011a). Themaximum value was reached earlier (at about 9000 cal BP) than inthe eastern and southern regions of Romania (Tant�au et al., 2006,2009, 2011a), but later than in the western regions (Bodnariucet al., 2002; Björkman et al., 2003; Feurdean, 2005; Feurdeanet al., 2007b). These findings suggest an early migration of thistaxon from the western part of the Romanian Carpathians towardsthe eastern ranges, in agreement with the known situation inWestern Europe (Finsinger et al., 2006), where the expansion andthe maximum of Corylus took place in the early Holocene. Towardthe end of this interval, ca. 6600 cal BP at Bard�au, pollen spectra

Table 3AMS 14C measurements, calibrated years (BP), and the ages used for the ageedepthmodel for the T�aul MareeBard�au and Cristina sequences.

Depth (m) Laboratorynumber

14C BP Cal BP (2s) Age estimateused to construct thechronologies (Cal BP)

T�aul MareeBard�au0.14e0.16 Poz-42813 95� 25 24e141 1401.39e1.41 Poz-42814 2225� 30 2152e2279 21522.59e2.61 Poz-26635 2905� 30 2953e3161 31602.99e3.01 Poz-26636 3285� 35 3470e3558 35583.39e3.41 Poz-26637 5930� 40 6665e6808 66653.77e3.79 Poz-26568 6090� 40 6848e7030 7030

Cristina1.51e1.53 Poz-42815 2285� 30 2301e2351 23002.19e2.21 Poz-42816 3065� 30 3213e3361 33602.64e2.66 Poz-26634 5200� 50 5910e5995 59532.99e3.01 Poz-26594 7150� 40 7948e8002 8000

reflect a sudden decrease of its values, which at Cristina appearslater, at ca. 5600 cal BP.

The first continuous pollen records of Carpinus betulus occurredat ca. 6800 cal BP at Bard�au and ca. 6100 cal BP at Cristina, duringthe maximum values of Corylus avellana, as they are registered inthe respective sequences. The continuous curve of C. betulus hassmall values at first, and then it reaches 5% towards the end of theinterval (ca. 6200 cal BP at Bard�au and ca. 6000 cal BP at Cristina).The first, constant occurrences of Fagus sylvatica with lowpercentages occur at the end of this interval at Bard�au (ca. 6000 calyr. BP).

Concerning the herbaceous plants, only a few such as Poaceae,Cyperaceae and Urticaceae show significant values. The AP/NAPratio is clearly dominated by AP, as shown in the pollen diagrams(Figs. 4B and 5B).

5.3. 6000e0 cal BP

The main characteristics of this interval in both sequences arethe expansion of Carpinus betulus, the high presence of Picea abies,a new maximum of Alnus viridis percentages, the expansion andmaximum occurrence of Fagus sylvatica, and a dramatic reductionof Corylus avellana. For the rest, the same tree taxa mentioned inthe first interval are present with small fluctuations, induced byclimate, and to a lesser extent by human impact.

C. betulus is the taxon that makes one of the most importantdifferences in the vegetation history in Romania, as compared toother European territories, building its own phase during theSubboreal climatic chronozone. Its maximum values are quitereduced in both of the diagrams (ca. 10%), because of the altitude ofthe sites, and the large distance from the hornbeam forests inthe region. The same situation was reported by Pop et al. (1965 e

undated sequence), at T�aul B�aitii (1450 m a.s.l.) not far fromCristina peat bog, and also from the Gutâiului Mountains atPreluca Tiganului and Steregoiu sites by Björkman et al. (2003) and

Fig. 5. A, B. Pollen diagrams from Cristina: AT e Atlantic, SB e Subboreal, SA e Subatlantic. Calibrated (cal BP) and uncalibrated 14C ages (14C BP) are also shown. Pollen values, lowerthan 0.5%, are represented by dots.

S. F�arcas et al. / Quaternary International 293 (2013) 92e10498

Table 4Summary of the pollen stratigraphy, chronology and vegetation history of T�aul MareeBard�au and Cristina sequences (see Figs. 4A, B and 5A, B for pollen diagrams).

Depth (m) Age (cal BP) Description Inferred local upland vegetation

T�aul MareeBard�auLPAZ 1 3.80e3.37 7050e6140 This zone is characterized by maximum values of Corylus,

Ulmus and Alnus viridis. Mixed oak elements are under-representedbecause of altitude. First constant occurrences of beech. The suddenincrease of fern spores and of anthropogenic indicator plants is noticed.

Dense forest dominated by Picea,Corylus, Alnus viridis and Ulmus.Expansion of Carpinus.

LPAZ 2 3.37e2.82 6140e3510 The absolute maximum of Carpinus, a dramatic reduction of Corylus,the expansion of Fagus and the first occurrence of Cerealia are the mostimportant features of this pollen zone.

Dense forest dominated by Picea,Carpinus, Alnus viridis and Fagus.Expansion of Fagus.

LPAZ 3 2.82e2.54 3510e3120 Accelerated increase in the Fagus curve. Carpinus and Picea withpercentages similar to the previous zone, whereas the curves ofCyperaceae pollen and fern spores decrease.

Dense forest dominated by Picea,Fagus, Alnus viridis and Carpinus.

LPAZ 4 2.54e2.15 3120e2710 Fagus curve reaches its absolute values. First occurrence of Abies.The curves of Carpinus and Picea keep high values. The first occurrenceof Secale pollen, evidence of increased agricultural activities in the region.

Dense forest dominated by Picea,Fagus, Carpinus, Alnus viridis.

LPAZ 5 2.15e1.80 2710e2450 The start of the continuous curve of Abies beginns towards the end ofthis zone. Fagus maintains its high values through the entire zone, whereasCarpinus, after a new maximum, decreases.

Dense forest dominated by Picea,Fagus, Alnus viridis and Carpinus.Expansion of Abies.

LPAZ 6 1.80e1.22 2450e1750 This zone is characterized by the ascending curve of Abies and the decreasingcurve of Carpinus. Poaceae and Cyperaceae pollen is very well represented.

Dense forest dominated by Picea,Fagus, and Alnus viridis.

LPAZ 7 1.22e0.80 1750e1110 In this zone Abies reaches a first maximum, whereas Fagus remains relativelyconstant, with high values. Toward the end of the interval, a sharp maximumof Cyperaceae can be observed.

Dense forest dominated by Picea,Fagus, Abies and Alnus viridis.

LPAZ 8 0.80e0.35 1110e460 Abies reaches the absolute maximum of the sequence, Fagus and Picea alsoincrease. “The recovery” of hornbeam, birch and pine is noticed, together withthe absolute maximum of Artemisia.

Dense forest dominated by Picea,Fagus, Abies and Alnus viridis.

LPAZ 9 0.35e0.10 460epresent time In this zone the reduction of the pollen values of Fagus, Abies and Carpinus,goes along with the increase of human impact plant indicators, as Cerealia,Urticaceae, Poaceaea, Cyperaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Plantago sp., Cannabis type,Thalictrum type, Fabaceae, Brassicaceae.

Open forest dominated by Fagusand Picea, result of massivedeforestation.

CristinaLPAZ 1 3.00e2.80 8000e6650 In this zone the continuous curve of Corylus, with high values, relates to the

Atlantic period. The presence of Picea in this zone is substantial. Mixedoak is under-represented because of the altitude. Cerealia, Secale, Artemisia,Plantago, Rumex and Cannabis pollen, significant as anthropogenic indicators.

Dense forest dominated by Picea,Alnus viridis, Corylus, Ulmus,Pinus and Betula.

LPAZ 2 2.80e2.62 6650e5760 This zone is characterized by the first occurrence of Carpinus, fairly reducedbecause of the altitude of the site. Picea remains the dominant taxa,accompanied by Corylus, while Pinus and Alnus viridis decrease. Mixed oakelements are well represented, as Betula and Alnus are.

Dense forest dominated by Picea,Alnus viridis, Corylus, Ulmus, Pinus,Betula and Quercus. First occurrenceand expansion of Carpinus.

LPAZ 3 2.62e2.52 5760e5150 In this zone both Picea and Corylus reach their absolute maximum, thenCorylus decreases quite abruptly. Constant occurrence of Fagus.

Dense forest dominated by Picea,Corylus, Alnus viridis, Ulmus.Establishment of Fagus.

LPAZ 4 2.52e2.07 5150e3165 The main characteristics of this zone are the presence of Fagus pollen withhigh values and the beginning of the continuous curve of Abies. Picea showsseveral maxima, asynchronously with the Alnus viridis and Fagus. Cerealia,Secale, Artemisia and Cannabis are also present.

Dense forest dominated by Picea,Fagus, Alnus viridis.Establishment of Abies.

LPAZ 5 2.07e1.77 3165e2780 The over- representation of Alnus viridis affects the presence of Picea, Fagus,Carpinus and Abies in this pollen zone, which is also characterized by thelarge amount of spores. Together with the pollen of herbaceous plants theysuggest human activity in the region.

Dense forest dominated by Picea,Alnus viridis, Fagus, Alnus,Corylus and Pinus.

LPAZ 6 1.77e1.50 2780e2270 Picea decreases towards the surface, as well as Fagus, Abies and Carpinus.Alnus and mostly Alnus viridis increase. This can be related to forestclearing affecting spruce fir and beech.

Dense forest dominated by Picea,Alnus viridis, Fagus, Alnus, Corylus,Carpinus and Pinus.

S. F�arcas et al. / Quaternary International 293 (2013) 92e104 99

Feurdean (2005). Farther south in the Romanian Eastern Carpa-thians, at Poiana Stiol (Tant�au et al., 2011a) and Iezerul C�aliman(F�arcas et al., 1999), the maximum values reported for C. betuluswere higher, about 20%, despite the high altitude of both sites(1540 m a.s.l., and 1650 m a.s.l.). That correlates with the resultsconcerning the beginning of C. betulus expansion, dated at ca. 6000cal BP at T�aul MareeBard�au and ca. 5800 cal BP at Cristina. Farthersouth, this occurred earlier, at ca. 6500 cal BP in the RodneiMountains at Poiana Stiol (Tant�au et al., 2011a), ca. 7200 cal BP inthe eastern Carpathians (Tant�au et al., 2003; Magyari et al., 2009)and southeastern Romania (Tant�au et al., 2009).

The expansion of C. betulus is dated at ca. 7500 cal BP in thesouthwestern Carpathians (F�arcas et al., 1999; Rösch and Fischer,2000), ca. 5700 cal BP in the western Carpathians (Feurdean andWillis, 2008a; Feurdean et al., 2009), and ca. 5500 cal BP in thenorthwestern Carpathians (Björkman et al., 2003; Feurdean, 2005).

From these results, it can be concluded that C. betulus spread overthe Romanian territory mainly from the south.

The rise of C. betulus forests in western Romania could also berelated to the fire history of this region (Feurdean et al., 2009).Climatic conditions related to decreases in temperature andprecipitations have also been shown to be involved in the expan-sion of C. betulus, between 5600 and 5300 cal BP, due to Mid-Holocene climatic change (Magny and Haas, 2004; Mayewskiet al., 2004; Magny et al., 2006).

Fagus sylvatica, as a new taxon entering the landscape,competed with spruce at higher and hornbeam at lower altitudes.Its presence was noticed at T�aul MareeBard�au around 5110 cal BP,starting to be firmly established only at 3560 cal BP. After that, itsvalues never dropped below 10%. In contrast, at Cristina, theaccelerated growth of F. sylvatica curve is conspicuous, but tookplace at the same time as at T�aul MareeBard�au, at ca. 5100 cal BP,

S. F�arcas et al. / Quaternary International 293 (2013) 92e104100

maintaining high values for over 2000 years. In the RodneiMountains (Tant�au et al., 2011a), the F. sylvatica expansion tookplace at ca. 3200 cal BP, becoming dominant from 2800 cal BPonwards at lower altitudes.

In Romania, the expansion of forests dominated by F. sylvatica isgenerally dated at about 4500 cal BP in the southwestern (Röschand Fischer, 2000) and northern Carpathians (Björkman et al.,2003) and around 3000 cal BP in southeastern Romania (Tant�auet al., 2009). In the Apuseni Mountains, the date of ca. 7000 calBP is mentioned for the beginning of the F. sylvatica expansion(Bodnariuc et al., 2002), whereas other sequences from the samearea suggest a later expansion i.e., 5000e4800 cal BP (F�arcas et al.,2005; Feurdean and Willis, 2008a,b).

Around 3100 cal BP, the F. sylvatica curve reaches its absolutemaximum in the T�aul MareeBard�au sequence, whereas in thesequence from Cristina its curve is bi-maximal (4780 cal BP and3360 cal BP). In both studied sequences, the curves are sometimessynchronous with Picea abies or Carpinus betulus curves, but othertimes are asynchronous, probably reflecting the over-representationof Alnus viridis in the pollen spectra.

During this time span, the first occurrence of Abies alba pollen isnoticed, whose maximum did not reach more than 10%, and evenless at Cristina (5%). The establishment of A. alba around the sitesoccurred at ca. 2500 cal BP at Bard�au and 3200 cal BP at Cristina,whereas in the RodnaMountains it happened at 2000 cal BP, duringthe rise of F. sylvatica to its maximum (Tant�au et al., 2011a), similarto other studied sites from the northern and eastern Carpathians(F�arcas et al., 1999; Björkman et al., 2003; Tant�au et al., 2003). Itsoccurrence comes earlier in southwestern and western Romania(Rösch and Fischer, 2000; Feurdean andWillis, 2008a,b), at ca. 5700cal BP, the Apuseni Mountains being documented to have had thelargest A. alba forests in Romania (F�arcas et al., 2007; Feurdean andWillis, 2008b). The massive reduction of A. alba, as well as of othertree taxa, in the last few decades over all the Romanian Carpathianscoincides with anthropogenic activities, mainly forest clearance(Feurdean and Willis, 2008a,b; Munteanu et al., 2008; Feurdeanet al., 2009; Knorn et al., 2012).

In both of the studied sequences from the Maramures Moun-tains, Picea abies maintains significant values along the almostentire timespan. In the sequence from Bard�au, its presenceappeared to be affected, together with Carpinus betulus and Fagussylvatica, as a result of human impact. In the sequence from Cristina,P. abies shows several maxima, asynchronous with the curves ofAlnus viridis and F. sylvatica.

Pinus, Betula, Ulmus, Quercus, Tilia, Corylus avellana, Alnus sp. andA. viridis are the other tree taxa with constant presence in pollenspectra of this interval, whereas Fraxinus, Juniperus, Pinus cembraand Larix appear only sporadically, in very small amounts. The over-representation of Alnus viridis pollen in both diagrams is probablyedaphically and not climatically induced, but it affects the repre-sentation of the other taxa, mostly the presence of Picea abies, Fagussylvatica, Carpinus betulus and Abies alba pollen.

Among the herbaceous plants, Poaceae, Cyperaceae, Aster-oideae, Urticaceae, Rosaceae, Fabaceae, Rubiaceae, Artemisia andCerealia are well represented during this interval. The sharpmaximum of the Cyperaceae pollen observed at 1190 cal BP in T�aulMareeBard�au sequence (Fig. 4B) is reflected in the reduction ofcurves for the main tree taxa characteristic of this phase, i.e. Fagussylvatica, Picea abies and Abies alba (Fig. 4A). This is the only levelwhere the ratio AP/NAP is higher for the herbaceous plants’ pollen.

6. European context

A comparison between these results and regional evidencecould lead to several conclusions concerning the glacial refugia of

some taxa, as well as the migration paths during the Holocene.Arboreal vegetationwas present even during theWürm Pleniglacialin Romania, and there was only a weak elevational zonation duringthe Lateglacial (Feurdean et al., 2012), the upper limit of forestdescending to lower altitudes. Because Romaniawas not covered byice during the Pleniglacial (glaciation represented only by valleyglaciers), it was an area of refuge for certain taxa, and as such hasspecial value for studies on the long-term conservation of biodi-versity (Feurdean et al., 2007b). Recent studies on palaeoenviron-ments of Central and Eastern Europe have shown that conifers anddeciduous broad-leaved taxa persisted in these regions between42,000e19,000 cal BP (Willis and van Andel, 2004; Fletcher et al.,2010).

Several palynological studies (Diaconeasa and F�arcas,1995e1996, 1997e1998, 1998, 2001, 2002; F�arcas et al.,2000e2001; F�arcas and Tant�au, 2004) showed the particularitiesof Late- and Postglacial vegetation development in the RomanianCarpathians and Transylvania as compared to the southeasternRomania, emphasizing the similarities and especially the differ-ences between the two areas. The least known aspect so far is thesituation of glacial refugia in Romania for deciduous, thermophi-lous taxa, although several palynological studies (F�arcas et al.,2006; Feurdean et al., 2011, 2012) have attempted to clarify theproblems of glacial refugia and migration routes of several foresttaxa, including oak, ash, and hornbeam.

For southeastern Romania, it is generally assumed (based solelyon palynological data) that during the Lateglacial, oak and pineforests coexisted as mixed ecosystems in these coastal areas(Diaconeasa, 1977; Diaconeasa and F�arcas, 1998, 2002). Providingthat this assumption is correct (given the lack of radiocarbon ageestimates), glacial refugia for mixed oak forests may have existed inproximity, at higher altitudes, in the mountains of Dobroudja. Atthe transition to the Holocene, climate warming is indicated bydecreasing percentages of steppe grass vegetation and byincreasing percentages of tree pollen.

In Greece, the Lateglacial presence of Abies (Rezina), Carpinus(Kopais) or Fagus (Ioannina) is clearly documented in several well-dated pollen diagrams (Bottema, 1974; Allen, 1986, 1990; Willis,1992), proving their presence in regional glacial refugia, but thetiming of their regional expansion is different. The presence ofCarpinus and Abies during the time-period 12,000e9800 BP wasalso documented in the sequence from Lake Maliq in neighboringAlbania (Denèfle et al., 2000).

With regard to Carpinus, various data from Romanian sitesshowed a migration trend on the Romanian territory from southtowards north, west and east. These results are consistent with datafrom Bulgaria, where Carpinus is already recorded in Lateglacialsequences (Bozilova, 1975; Tonkov et al., 2006, 2008, 2011) or at thebeginning of the Holocene (Bozilova and Tonkov, 2000; Tonkovet al., 2002; Stefanova and Ammann, 2003). In contrast, theexpansion of Carpinus occurred only at ca. 3800 cal BP in Poland(Ralska-Jasiewczowa and Latalowa, 1996). From these data, itappears that the early presence of Carpinus in Dobroudja, comparedto Transylvania and upland sites (Diaconeasa, 1977), reflects themigration of these taxa from southern locations in the BalkanPeninsula prior to its spread along and over the Carpathian Moun-tains (Diaconeasa and F�arcas, 1998; F�arcas et al., 2006; F�arcas, 2008).

As for Fagus, studies from Bulgaria have shown its presencesince the Lateglacial (Bozilova, 1975; Tonkov et al., 2006, 2011) orthe beginning of the Holocene (Tonkov, 2003; Tonkov et al., 2008;Lazarova et al., 2011), similar to results from Slovenia (�Sercelj, 1984;Culiberg, 1991), Hungary (Nagy-Bodor et al., 2000), and south-western Romania (F�arcas et al., 2000e2001). The expansion ofFagus occurred in Slovenia during the early Holocene (Culiberg and�Sercelj, 1996), whereas in Romania it occurred much later, around

S. F�arcas et al. / Quaternary International 293 (2013) 92e104 101

4500e5000 cal BP, which is similar to results from southeasternPoland (Ralska-Jasiewczowa and Latalowa, 1996). Studies aiming todocument factors driving the Fagus expansion invoke bothtemperature drop and precipitation increase (Holzhauser et al.,2005; Feurdean and Willis, 2008a,b; Feurdean et al., 2009; Tant�auet al., 2009, 2011a,b), as well as human actions, such as forestclearance and fire (Küster, 1997; Tonkov and Marinova, 2005;Tant�au et al., 2009, 2011a,b; Lazarova et al., 2011).

As for Abies, there are palynological data on Lateglacial occur-rences in Hungary (Willis et al., 1995,1997, 2000;Willis et al., 1997),Slovenia (Andri�c et al., 2009) and Bulgaria (Bozilova, 1975; Tonkovet al., 2006, 2008, 2011), as well as in the early Holocene in Bulgaria(Petrov and Filipovich,1987; Lazarova et al., 2011), Slovenia (�Sercelj,1984; Terhürne-Berson et al., 2004) and southwestern Romania(F�arcas et al., 2000e2001).

The establishment of the mixed oak forest assemblages inSlovenia is assigned to the Preboreal, whereas the Fagus phase isalready recorded in the Boreal. The climax forests of Fagus withAbies were established during the Atlantic chronozone, and theyremained dominant in this region until present time (Culiberg and�Sercelj, 1996). Based on these findings, it is assumed that strongmigration centers for Abies and Fagus existed in northwestern partof the Balkan region. The establishment of the Abies forests inBulgaria also took place much earlier than in Romania, witha maximum occurrence in Subboreal (Tschakalova et al., 1990;Tonkov and Bozilova, 1992).

7. Human impact

According to regional archaeological data from the Maramuresarea, the prehistoric occupation is clearly discernible mostly fromthe Neolithic and Bronze Age onwards (Comsa and Kacso, 1973;Kacsó, 1999, 2001). The great number of archaeological findingsat a larger scale (Wollmann, 1996; Ursulescu et al., 2001; Vulpe,2001; Feurdean et al., 2010) suggests significant human occupa-tion and intensive land use in the region.

The first evidence of human activities in the T�aulMareeBard�au isrecorded around 7050e6000 cal BP, assigned to the first pollen zone(Fig. 4B). These activities could be reflected in the sudden increase offern spores, as well as of herbaceous pollen, known as anthropo-genic indicators (Poaceae, Cyperaceae, Urticaceae, Artemisia, Plan-tago, Cannabis type). In the sequence from Cristina (Fig. 5B), theoccurrence of Cerealia and Secale pollen is much older, between8000 and 6000 cal BP interval, and simultaneous with T�aulMareeBard�au, considering the Cannabis type pollen. A furtherincrease in anthropogenic indicators is noted in the interval 6000e0cal BP (Figs. 4B and 5B), by the high values indicating the estab-lishment of open herbaceous communities, particularly of Cerealia,Secale, Artemisia, Plantago sp., Chenopodiaceae, Asteroideae, andCichorideae, which indicates cultivated land at lower altitudes, aswell grazing activities nearby.

On the other hand, the dynamics of some tree taxa in the studiedsequences is providing valuable information on the human activi-ties around the sites and in the region. Generally, a rise in Pinus,Betula, Alnus, and Quercus, linked to a decline in the main forestconstituents, which are Picea abies and Fagus sylvatica can beobserved in pollen diagrams fromRomanian Carpathians (Feurdeanet al., 2010; Tant�au et al., 2011a). Pinus, Betula, and Corylus avellanashow a slight increase towards the upper part of the pollen diagramfrom T�aul MareeBard�au sequence, as a result of clearing whichfavored the growth of these pioneer, light-demanding trees, insteadof spruce or beech. The reduction in pollen values of F. sylvatica,Abies alba and Carpinus betulus is coupled with an increase in thepollen values of herbaceous plants, indicators of human impact,such as Cerealia, Urticaceae, Poaceae, Cyperaceae, Chenopodiaceae,

Plantago, Cannabis type, Thalictrum type, Fabaceae, and Brassica-ceae. The over-representation of Alnus viridis in both of the studiedsequences is probably edaphically induced, but it can also berelated to forest clearing affecting spruce fir and beech, as can besee nowadays.

The first occurrence of Juglans pollen occurred at 2970 cal BP inCristina sequence, and later, at 2490 cal BP in T�aul MareeBard�ausequence. Its presence in this northern region of the Carpathianchain is much older compared to the ages of 1800e600 cal BP in theeastern and southeastern Carpathians (Tant�au et al., 2003, 2009,2011a) and 850e950 cal BP in the western and southern Carpa-thians (Tant�au et al., 2006, 2011a,b; Feurdean and Willis, 2008a).

Massive forest clearance of Fagus sylvatica, Picea abies and Abiesalba over the last centuries followed by natural afforestation withPinus sylvestris and Betula led to the present forest compositionin the studied region. Similar patterns were noticed in othersequences from the Romanian Carpathians over the last twocenturies (Tant�au, 2006; Feurdean and Willis, 2008a; Feurdeanet al., 2009; Tant�au et al., 2009, 2011a,b).

8. Conclusions

The peat bog sequences from the Maramuresului Mountains,T�aul MareeBard�au and Cristina, provide new records on the mid-Holocene forest dynamics and climate history in the NorthernRomanian Carpathians. The beginning of peat deposition in bothsequences corresponds to the Atlantic period.

The forest succession as reflected in the studied sequences is asfollows:

(1) Dense forest dominated by Picea abies, Corylus avellana, Alnusviridis, and Ulmus prevailed around 7050 cal BP (Bard�au), and8000 cal BP (Cristina), where P. abies played the leading role,due to its presence nearby (Cristina) or in the vicinity (Bard�au)of the site. Alongside Pinus (probably P. mugo), less continuousand poorly represented in the diagrams, is Pinus cembra,a glacial relict, now with a quite narrow distribution in theRomanian Carpathians.

(2) Ulmus, Quercus, Tilia, and Fraxinus occur with lower valuescompared with other pollen sequences from Romania. Giventhe location of both sites (1615 and 1573 m a.s.l.), the pollen ofthese tree taxa must have originated from lower elevations,where these forests were growing. As a consequence, mixedoak elements appear under-represented in these upland sites.

(3) Corylus avellana occurred in the regional forest, but itsmaximum documented values are rather low (under 20%). Theexpansion and most likely its maximum values are not re-flected in the pollen diagrams because of their late onset ofsedimentation in these particular basins.

(4) Carpinus betuluswas present in the regional forest, but at muchlower elevations. The first continuous pollen records ofC. betulus occurred at ca. 6800 cal BP at T�aul MareeBard�au andca. 6100 cal BP at Cristina. The onset of the C. betulus expansionis dated at ca. 6000 cal BP at T�aul MareeBard�au, and ca. 5800cal BP at Cristina. Farther south, its expansion occurred earlier,at ca. 6500 cal BP in the Rodnei Mountains and ca. 7200 cal BPin southeastern Romania. The expansion of C. betulus is dated atca. 7500 cal BP in the southwestern Carpathians, ca. 5700 cal BPin the western Carpathians, and ca. 5500 cal BP in the north-western Carpathians. It very likely spread over the Romanianterritory from the south toward the north, west and east.

(5) Fagus sylvatica competed with spruce at higher altitudesand hornbeam at lower ones. Its expansion began in theMaramures Mountains at 5110 cal BP, and it is generally datedat 4500 cal BP in the southwestern and northwestern

S. F�arcas et al. / Quaternary International 293 (2013) 92e104102

Romanian Carpathians, 3000 cal BP in southeastern Romania,and 5000e4800 cal BP in the western Carpathians. Thehypothesis of a glacial refugia for this taxon in ApuseniMountains needs to be confirmed by future studies.

(6) The establishment of Abies alba around the sites from theMaramuresului Mountains occurred at ca. 2500e3200 cal BP.Its occurrence was earlier in southwestern and westernRomania, at ca. 5700 cal BP, whereas in the northeastern Car-pathians it is first documented at 2000 cal BP, an age rangesimilar to other studied sites from the northern and easternCarpathians.

(7) Thefirst evidenceofhumanactivities inMaramuresMountains isrecorded in the 8000e6000 cal BP interval,when the pollenwithanthropogenic indicator value (Cerealia, Secale, Artemisia, Plan-tago,Cannabis type)aredocumented indiagrams.Thedecreaseofthe AP/NAP ratio, as recorded in the last two pollen zones of theT�aul MareeBard�au sequence, reflects the increasing humanintervention in the region, mostly by the clearing and cutting ofspruce and beech forests. As the upper part of the sequence fromCristina (from 145 cm up to the surface) was unavailable, thediagram could not represent the more recent changes in vege-tation structure caused by human activities.

Acknowledgements

SF and IT acknowledge funding from PN II-Idei Program ofthe Romanian Ministry of Education and Research (projectPN II-Id_2263). The authors warmly acknowledge Mihai Micl�ausand Gheorghe Coldea for their scientific and linguistic support.Suggestions on an earlier version of the manuscript from the editorand two anonymous reviewers are greatly appreciated.

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