PREVENTING AND CONTROL OF SOIL EROSION ON AGRICULTURAL LANDS BY ANTIEROSIONAL SHELTER-BELTS

In Romania, one third of territory is affected by soil erosion process, doubled by a dry trend in climate, therefore, there are necessary ample measures of antierosional works. Among these, antierosional forest belts and plantations establishment represent a major approach. The present work has as the main objective to Romanian bibliographically reference the types and establishment modalities of antierosional works, as well as main areas where they have been established. In recent observations, we have analyzed the behavior of the tree species, forest belts spatial design and its antierosional efficiency in different zones from the country. Antierosional forest belts are to be established on contour lines of the affected or predisposed to erosin versants. Space between belts is determined based on the criticial erosion distance, as varying between 100- 150 m to 300 m, depending on the erosion degree, lands topography and land use. Belts width is set upon both rainfall and land features, as varying between 10 - 20 m up to 60 m on strongly eroded slopes. Regarding the species assortment, the most efficient, both in terms of halting erosion and stand evolution, shows the mixes of principal, secondary and shrubs woody species, in a designed spatial structure with tallest tree species centrally positioned, while other species are placed toward the edges of belts in descending height order to bushes on both sides. Most promising tree species for further use in the composition of the antierosional forest belts are: oaks, sycamore, maple, ash, common walnut, cherry, locust, honey locust, flowering ash, Siberian elm, field maple, Tartarian maple, osage-orange, oleaster, cherry-plum, as well as shrubs: hazelnut, male dogwood, blakthorn, dog rose, under different shares depending on stational conditions. The antierosional forest belts previously established, through their both exceptional functional value and rich biodiversity, represents ecologic, social and economic environmental assets, offering the basics the future action of designing and execution works. Based on obtained results there were prepared appropriate recommendations; toward continuing of establishment of antierosional forest belts under different conditions.