74 Geoforum 6175

Die Tieflandv&lder bestehen aus mesophilen zentraleuropiiischen Eichen &I. robur, 0 perraea~. Sie finden sich basonders in Transsilvanien und im Norden dar Moldau. Die Wilder sind aus Stieleiche und Steineiche geblldat, gemischt mit enderen Spezies wie Campinlrs bewlus, Ulmus fdiacm, U. procera, Tilia argentm, Fraxinus excelsior, Acer campestre und rahlreichen Striiuchern wie Corylus aveiiene, Cretaegus monogyna, C. penta#yne, Evonymus europaea, Comus senguinee, Lygustrum vulgere, Sambucus nigra

Der siideuropi%bche EinfluC macht sich fmsonders durch illyrische Walder bemerkbar, die aus submesophilen-tharmophilen Eichen gebildet sind: Zerreiche (Q. cerris) und Ungarische &he lD. frainettol. Diese beiden Arten bilden reine Zerreichen- oder D_ fminetto_Besthde oder aber Mischwklder aus diesen beiden Arten. Die illyrischen WBlder haben sich in Hochebenen entwickelt, wie euch in den Vorbergen und in hiiheren Lagen im Tiefland, besonders in Oltenien. im Westen Munteniens, im Westen Trenssilvaniens und im Siidwesten der Dobrudscha.

Der Ubergang zwischen Wald und Steppe ist die Zone der Waldsteppe, die aus einem Wechsel von schiitteren isolierten Wlldarn mit steppenartigen Weiden besteht. In Rumiinien existieren zwei Arten von Waldsteppen. Im Norden der Moldau, in der sog. Transsilvania- Ebene und im siidlichen Teil der transsilvanischen Hochebene. im

Kreisch-Gebiet und im Banat entwickelt sich die n6rdlfche Waldstappe, fiir die mosophile Eichenwklder charakteristisch rind (0. r&r und r2 petmea), Hier und da, im Banat und im Kreisch-

Gebiet erscheinen such Q. pubescens und Cl cerris mit 0. freinelto.

In der Moldau erscheint-allerdings nur sehr selten-such 0 pedunculiflom.

Die siidliche Waldsteppe ist in der Dobrudscha, in Oltenien, Muntenien, im S&fen und im Zentrum der Moldau vertreten. Sie ist durch subxerophile-thermophile Eichen ((2. pedunculiffom und 0 pubescensl charakterisiart. Kennzeichnend fiir die siidlicha Waldsteppe ist die relative Hkufigkeit der submediterranen Arten Cerpinus orientalis, Padus maheleb, Cotinus coggygrie, Frexinus

ornus, Paliurus spina-christi, Pirus elaeagrifoie, Ruscus aculeetus, Rhemnus tinctoria, Celtis glabrete, &lutes enborescens, Jasminium frudcens usw.

Die stark reduzierte Steppenzone in Rumiinien gliedart rich in die Unterzonen der Gremineen und Dikotyledonen fkrautreich) und der Gramineen fkreutarm), letztere mit stark osteuropiiischem EinfluR.

In der krautreichen Steppe warden die Phytozijnosen aus xerophilen Griisern gebildet, wie: Stipa cepilleta, Stipa Joannis, Agropynrm cristatum, FesWca valesieca und andere Spazies aus enderen Femilien, be&den Zwiebelgeophyten ~Omitftogelum guSSonei, Crocus verie@Ws und andere). Man kann hier such noch Straucher und xerophile Bgsche ant&fen: Prunus spinose, Amygdelus nana, Rosa galiica.

In der krautarmen Steppe fmit grogerer Trockenheit) fehlen Blume. Die Grasdecke besteht aus verschiedenen Spezies von Stipa, Fesruw und Agropyrum. Heutzutage sind aber diese typischen Steppen nur noch sehr selten enzutreffen, auf ganz eingeschrlnkten Fliichen, die ungijnstig fgr die Landwirtschaft sind. Ausgedehnte Fl;ichen der Steppe warden heute urbar gemacht. Unwesentliche Reste der Steppenvegetation finden rich in den Vorbergen des Karpatenbogens, wo die spezifischen topoklimatischen Bedingungen das sekundere Auftreten dieser Vegetationsformationen erlaubt hat.

In Auen herrschen die hvgrophilen und mesohygrophilen &me ux, wie: Salix alba,‘Populus alba, P. nigra, Alnus glutinosa, A. incana u.a. Was die Striiucher anbelegt, erscheinen sehr oft Rubus caasius, Cornus sanguinea, Viburnum opulus, Sambucus nigra, und im Grasteppich erscheinen die hygrophilen Spezies Scimus, Care%

Polygonurn etc. Auenfllchen gibt es im Donau-Delta und in den Beltes.

Die knappan Ausfiihrungen m6gen zeigen, da9 in Rumlnien, einem relativ kleinen Territorium, rich die Vegetation durch eine auSerge~hnliche Reichhaltigkeit und viele Variantan auszeichnet.

Geography in School

Maria STANESCU and Aurel POPESCU *

From the liberation (23 August, 1944). Romania has experienced great social changer inspired bv ideals as to the materiel and spiritual welfare of the masses. Education has made a decisive contribution to this development of cultural levels and of knowledge and technology.

During the thirtv years sincefiberation the structure, organization

end aims of Romanien education have altered. Schooling became compulsory for all, and was extended from four to seven and then to eight grades. In 1968 the all-round compulsory education was extended to ten grades, the syllabuses were modernized, and changes made in the methods of teaching, introducing more technical training. This favourably influenced geogaphy es a teaching subject.

The 18-19 June 1973 plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the Romanien Communist Party examined Romanian education in detail, emphasising a direct practical character, necessary for the Romanien economy, science and culture.

In September, 1974, at the conclusion of the National Conference of the Higher Education Institutes, the General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party, Nicolae CEAUSESCU underlined the necessitv of merging education with research and production and improving the structure of tuition:“... we do not went to take only formal steps of improvement, we do want to attain a basic reorganization of education, reshaping it according to new revolutionary bases, both regarding its conception and organization. The new conception should be based on merging education with research and production . . . Consequently the syllabuses should correspondingly be adapted to the attainment of this fundamental tergat”.

Under this fevourable context regarding the direction of methodology and organization, teaching geography has been developed and will continuously develop as a link between all- round education and higher specialized education.

Taking over end enriching the progressive elements of past Romanian geography, taking into account the tradition and experi- ence of the Romenian geography school with famous predecessors such as S. MEHEDIN Jl, G. VALSAN, C. BRATESCU, M. DAVID, etc., present day geography has moved on. A new basis of geographical knowledge has bean created, with new possibilities for directing the subject towards targets connected with the interests and demands of the socialist economy, leaving aside the more restricted framework of former geographical teaching. The naad for

l Prof. Maria STANESCU. Ministerul Educatiei pi Inv?it*am%tului, Str. Spiru Haret nr.12, Bucharest, Romania; Prof. Aurel POPESCU, Casa Corpului Didactic al judetului Ilfov, Str. lntrarea Spatarului nr.12, Bucharest, Romania.

Geoforum 6175 75

spacialised studmnts fin hydrology, climatology, geomorphology, etch has been advanced with the introduction of new aspects

such as biogwpwhy, pedogqmphy, tourist geography, transport gsogaphy, agrlcultun, industry, exchange geography, etc. In addition, there hr been concern for better training of graduates in order to meat the complex tasks they subwquently have to face.

The scientific guicbnce and organixation of geography in general, and particularly in school has been made on the basis of scientific plans and wall-defined targets, and many thorough studies hsve lmen made of the theoretical and practical problems of today’s geography.

Owing to such pcesibilitiar and to the permanent support of the party and state Iaedership, Romania’s mrs have achieved

much in scientific and teaching activity. Monographs of many places and of natural regional entltias hare bean written such as the Bucegi kbuntainr, The L#~IIJ Country, l7te Moldavian Plain. The Nont, Wtsnie Kant, lib D~ube~ha, etc. Altogether over 69 such studies have dealt with less-known areas both from a theoretical and practical resaerch point of view.

Similarly, in school geography changes have baen made, from anelytical typological tuition to synthetic and regional (e.g. geography of Romania both in the elementary and in the secondary schoolj. Thus, as a consequence of this concern to improve the structure, contents and spa&gout of geography in various grades. the actual situation in the elementary school is as follows: 3rd grada--gogmphy of the county (for children of Bucharest,

geography of Bucharest); 4th grade-wgraphy of tha Socialist Republic of Romania (concept

and general information); 5th grade- general physical geography; 6th gmda-gaogmp hy of southern continents; 7th grade-groemphy of northern continents; 6th gmda--pography of Romania (natural framework and economic branches).

The secondary school: the 2nd grade scientific section and 3rd grade humanities section-

general economic geography; the 4th grade-mraphy of Romania (the regional division).

At present there is an intention to introduce environmental geography and population geography as tuition subjects, necessary knowledge to every graduate of the elementary school or secondarV school.

Another aim of our tuition is the connection with reality, the affective merger of geography with. research-end production. In the last few years this process has been carried on, on the basis of contracts and conventions-for geographical higher education. It has influenced teaching in elementary schools and secondary schools. As en illustration the monographs of villages produced by geography teachers under the influence of the Romanian Geography Society fS.R.G.jcan be quoted. They have drawn up the gazeteen for the counties as wall as working as members of committees for systematiz-

ing territorial organization, environmental protection etc.

The various activities of geography teachers have been achieved within the general context of finding new ways to teach.Traditional methods have bean added to with programmed, and problem orientated tuition as well as by the use of modern, audio-visual aids (such as epidiascope, retroprojector, aspectomet, projector for teaching and scientific films, Verfix-apparatus for automatic collective testing the pupils’ knowledge etc.) A defining feature of geographical tuition within the elementary and secondary school is an increased diversity of its equipment. Numerous geography laboratories have bean established as well as research plots, rock,

plant end insect collections, albums, photwhs, maps and practical work, andexcunions --geographical orjoint excursions which have oftan become a tradition, as wall as studiee in industrial units or on agricultuml plots have also baan undertaken. Each of thase direct activities involved in gatting to know the country, natural phenomena, socioeccncmic situations and other facts link gaogmphy teaching to practice, stimulating and &eloping the pupils’ love for their country and their people. These activities are often the fruit of joint interest shown by the Board of Education and the Romanian Geographical Society and by the Scientific, Cultural and Education Trade Unions, the Pioneers’ Netiorml Council, the Union of Communist Youth, etc. Considering both the class activities and the extra-curricular activities it can lm said that geographical tuition is varied and forms practical, useful skills for pupils in their futum lives fag. finding one’s way in the field: observing, map drawing, prevention of dastructive phenomena; and imbuing love and knowledge of countryj.

The concern at both nationel and international level - to study environmental pollution, natural hazards, the demographic “explosion”, urbanism. rational distribution of Iabour forces etc. represents problems belonging not only to geographical research and research in other related sciences but leads also to the reconsideration of gaography as a school rubjact for its contribution to explanation and solution of the above mentioned problems. Consequently, from time to time either at local or county or national level, geography teachers meet for conferences, scientific sassions, colloquia, and symposia to collect and to disseminate information and to discuss the new aspects of syllabuses and geography text books. For example the Geographical Sciences Society witi about 63 branches organizes such meatinp either separately, or jointly at least once a term, and the meetings are sometimes followed by practical demonstrations. All these steps take into account the fact that the modernization of education in general, including geographical tuition, should start with permanent refresher courses for teachers. Periodical refresher courses for geography teachers are organized by the Central Teachers’ Training Institute at its branches in Cluj Igi, 6rasov. Timisoam, Cm&a. Courses at the tmditional field stations ware organized by the Geographical Sciences Society jointly with the Scientific, Cultural and Education Trade Union at their XVlth session. Such field ccurses, under canvas, last about e fortnight, their aim being to supply the teachers with specialized information and to offer them practical skills, and to increase their knowledge of their country. The camps are located in different areas of the country for each course, while the practical side of training covers about 96 per cent of the programme. The geographical seas where such camps have been held include: Mammures, Apuseni Mwntains, Deva, the Carpethian arc, the north of Oltenia, Banat, the Danube delta and the north of Dobrudja.

Beginning with 1968 at the end of the field cwrse, yearly meetings of the teachers who participated in the course were organized including delegates of the Geographical Sciences Society end some of the specialized units. Such meetings include on the agenda problems of a wide geographical interest such as reports on the natural and socioeconomic environment of the area studied, problems regarding the achievements and tendencies of both Romanian and foreign geography, practical demonstrations to incrwse knowledge of certain geographical phenomena and economic units of the eree.

Up to the present, the annual meetings of the Romanian Geographical Society, continuing the former ‘annual congressw’, heve taken place at the following localties: Sighisoera, 1966: Cdmpulung Muscel, 1969; Oradea, 1970; Galati. 1971; Suceava, 1972; Cmiova, 1973; Timisoara, 1974.

76 Geoforum 6t75

In the last three dacades as wall as much improved text books, teachers have been offered for their information, hundreds of studies, reference collections, university courses, gaographical research handbooks, gaographicel dictionaries, complete works of some ~erunne~ of Romanian geography, literary text8 on 9eopphy. specialized translations, rne~~~~i~l end pada@cal papers, papan for dissaminatht# information, maps, atlasses, guide- books,etc. Mention should also be made of the activity of the publishing houses such ae Editura Didactic% si Pedagogic& Editura Stiintiticii, Editura Acadamiei and that of the Romanian Geographical Society. The last named has published the review Nstura (geography section}; Terra is in its 16th yaar and the bulletin of the Romanian Geophysical Sdience Society is in its 6th. Also worthy of mention are Lecmri office obspm Rom&e IGaographic Readings on Romania. 2 volumes) and Countries of Europe, Pnysicat G8oprrrphy Research fi8r#dbook, 9 volume Of C~mUn~ari de ~~~6

{Geographical Reports), and In ajurorulprofesor&t~ da geogmfie (A Guidebook for the Gao9raphy teacher); volumes on various countrias have bean published: Constanta, Suceava, Buziru, Bucuresti, Thgu &I, Deva, Timisoara, Ba&u,atc.

The periodical and non-periodical publications of the SSG included in addition to the ordinary reports, studies, and scientific naws from

both home and abroed (surnrnar~~, chronicles, reports), @ographical readings designed to attrect pupils to geography.

The SSG have also organized numerous excursions into other sociali? European countries, as wall as an interesting cruise on the Black Sea in the ~mmer of 1962 with the Romanian motor chip Transi/vaoi8-also called “the swan of the Black Sea“. On this cruise there were about 499 gographers, geologists and biologists and the Russian harbours Odesa, lelta, Soci and Batumi wera visited.

The coming centennial celebration of the Romanian Geographical Society, one of the oldest geographical societies in the world (now with more than4009 members), finds Romanian geography both in school and in the university in a surge of creative activity, animated by a new spirit of tuition and education, of theoretical and practical investigetion, with a more analytical approach and sacking the merger of its inter+ubject researches. Ah the activity will undoubtedly lead to its davelopment both as e school subject and in the applied fields.

Simion ~h~in~i (1888-1962)

C. BRATESCU, and V. MIHAILESCU. Simion MEH~DlN~1.s activities and his individuahty as en academician were a spur to the geographical movement in Romania. He edited the Bulsfinul Societatii UomSne de Gaografie (Bulletin of the Romanian

I. POPOVICI, Bucharest*

Simian MEHEDINTI, a native of Soveje Wrancaaj. began his educational studies in Romania and completed them in Germany, where as a member of the Romenian Geographical Society he attended lectures of many famous 19th century geographers. In addition to gaography he studied philosmhy and other sciences, enlarging his field of knowfedga and distinguishing himself as one of the most intuitive of scientists. Ha obtained his doctor’s degree by submitting the thesis entitled Die Kartographische lnduktion Il8W.

On his return home ha organized in 1999 the first Romanian department of geography at the Bucuresti University. A gifted teacher and a distinguished scholar he educated an outstanding gsneration of geographers. amongst whom ware G. VALSAN,

* Prof. Dr. loan POPOVICI, Facuftatae de Geologic-Geografie, Universitatea Bucurasti, 1 Soul N. Balcescu. Bucharest.

Society of Geography) until 1942 when he was elected vice president.

His productive activities as a profassor and scientist conferred upon him the welf-desarvad honour of being the organizer and craator of the Romanian school of geography. His modern scientific approach is to be seen in various works, partk~~larly in Terra, introducere in cograf’ie ca stiinte’ {Terra, an introduction to

geography as a science 2 volumes, Bucharest 1931) representing the culmination of his creative power as the mentor of Romanian

geography.

Against the background of meth~o~og~al problems and the restrictive concepts existing in geography at that time, Terra gave to the literature of the early 20th century for the first time a comprehensive and deeply analytical image of geographical knowledfp.

This was the work, where what could be called MEHEDINTl’s