Râpa Roșie (

Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language *** Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language ** Romanian cuisine, tradition ...

for "red ravine") is a protected area, a natural monument of national interest in Alba County,

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...

. It is a geological and botanical reserve, located in the extreme southwest of the , on the right bank of the river Secașul Mare, about north of

Sebeș Sebeș (; German: ''Mühlbach''; Hungarian: ''Szászsebes''; Transylvanian Saxon dialect: ''Melnbach'') is a city in Alba County, central Romania, southern Transylvania. Geography The city lies in the Mureș River valley and straddles the rive ...

. With a size of approximately , the reserve is classified as IUCN Category III. Erosion and runoff has given it a prominent, sharp rocky appearance in the mountainside. Râpa Roșie itself measures approximately in size. Râpa Roșie stretches over a length of . Its height measures between ( absolute altitude). A huge wall, almost vertical, gives the impression of a ruined ancestral monument. Tiered columns and pyramids, separated by ravines, form a

badlands Badlands are a type of dry terrain where softer sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively eroded."Badlands" in ''Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 2, p. 47. They are characterized by steep slopes, m ...

microrelief. The first report of a

Coțofeni culture The Coţofeni culture ( sr, Kocofeni), also known as the Baden-Coţofeni culture, and generally associated with the Usatove culture, was an Early Bronze Age archaeological culture that existed between 3500 and 2500 BC in the mid-Danube area of ...

find at Râpa Roșie was made by Fr. W. Schuster in 1865. It was the first archaeological exploration made by him which revealed remnants of large and small pottery that had ornamentation, which also attested to the Coțofeni culture.

Geology

Râpa Roșie is a geological reserve and a natural monument with unusual red bed features. Assessing the geological age of the formations has been a daunting task as no fossil remains had been found in the past. The geological monument has been called a "natural wonder". Its walls rise to a height of . Rock formations are naturally carved with very unusual shapes of columns, towers and pyramids formed over centuries of erosion by rainwater. Study of the feature has revealed geological formations of gravel, quartz sands, and sandstones. The deposits are distinct "succession of red clays, grey and reddish soap-stones, friable white soap-stone." They all exhibit a reddish colour. Deep ravines are formed and during the rainy season the water flowing in the deep ravines is in the colour of the formation that is red; as the water falls into the ravines it makes a roaring sound. The Râpa Roșie River flows in the vicinity.

Flora

There are many rare and endemic plants in the area. The floral species reported from the park are '' Cotoneaster integerrimus'', ''

Ephedra distachya ''Ephedra distachya'' is a shrub in the family Ephedraceae that stands about 25 cm to 50 cm high. The shrub grows in many parts of the world, including southern and central Europe and western and central Asia. Its local names include ' ...

'', '' Centaurea atropurpurea'', '' Dianthus serotinus'', '' Cephalaria radiate'', and '' Asplenium nigrum''. To evolve a management plan for the natural reserve, a study was carried out on the flora and faunal resources within the reserve area. Given this data, the details of flora reported are 144 plant species of 41 families. Of these, 8 are endangered species which are characteristic to the ecoregion of the

xerophilous A xerophile () is an extremophilic organism that can grow and reproduce in conditions with a low availability of water, also known as water activity. Water activity (aw) is measured as the humidity above a substance relative to the humidity above p ...

grasslands and/or the Xerothermic subcontinental

Oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

forest, and are: '' Cephalaria radiate'', '' Cephalaria uralensis'', '' Onosma pseudoarenaria'', '' Jurinea mollis ssp.'' (''transsilvanica''), '' Salvia transsilvanica'', '' Salvia nutans'', '' Centaurea atropurpurea'' and ''

Quercus pubescens ''Quercus pubescens'', the downy oak or pubescent oak, is a species of white oak (genus ''Quercus'' sect. ''Quercus'') native to southern Europe and southwest Asia, from northern Spain (Pyrenees) east to the Crimea and the Caucasus. It is also fo ...

''. In addition to the above, some rare plant species reported are '' Cotoneaster integerrimus'', '' Centaurea atropurpurea'', '' Dianthus serotinus'', '' Cephalaria radiata'' and ''

Asplenium adiantum-nigrum ''Asplenium adiantum-nigrum'' is a common species of fern known by the common name black spleenwort. It is found mostly in Africa, Europe, and Eurasia, but is also native to a few locales in Mexico and the United States. Description This splee ...

Fauna

To draw up a management plan for the natural reserve, a study was carried out on the flora and faunal resources within the reserve area. ;Avifauna * ''

Alauda arvensis The Eurasian skylark (''Alauda arvensis'') is a passerine bird in the lark family, Alaudidae. It is a widespread species found across Europe and the Palearctic with introduced populations in New Zealand, Australia and on the Hawaiian Islands. I ...

'' (sky lark) * ''

Accipiter gentilis The northern goshawk (; ''Accipiter gentilis'') is a species of medium-large raptor in the family Accipitridae, a family which also includes other extant diurnal raptors, such as eagles, buzzards and harriers. As a species in the genus ''Accipit ...

'' (goshawk) * ''

Aegithalos caudatus The long-tailed tit (''Aegithalos caudatus''), also named long-tailed bushtit, is a common bird found throughout Europe and the Palearctic. The genus name ''Aegithalos'' was a term used by Aristotle for some European tits, including the long-tail ...

'' (long tailed tit) * '' Buteo buteo'' (common buzzard) * ''

Carduelis carduelis The European goldfinch or simply the goldfinch (''Carduelis carduelis'') is a small passerine bird in the finch family that is native to Europe, North Africa and western and central Asia. It has been introduced to other areas, including Austral ...

'' (European goldfinch) * ''

Carduelis chloris The European greenfinch or simply the greenfinch (''Chloris chloris'') is a small passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. This bird is widespread throughout Europe, North Africa and Southwest Asia. It is mainly resident, but some north ...

'' (Greenfinch) * ''

Coccothraustes The hawfinch (''Coccothraustes coccothraustes'') is a passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It is the only species placed in the genus ''Coccothraustes''. Its closest living relatives are the Chinese grosbeak (''Eophona migratoria'') ...

sp.'' (hawfinch) * ''

Corvus corax The common raven (''Corvus corax'') is a large all-black passerine bird. It is the most widely distributed of all corvids, found across the Northern Hemisphere. It is a raven known by many names at the subspecies level; there are at least e ...

'' (raven) * '' Corvus cornix'' (hooded crow) * ''

Circus cyaneus The hen harrier (''Circus cyaneus'') is a bird of prey. It breeds in Eurasia. The term "hen harrier" refers to its former habit of preying on free-ranging fowl. It migrates to more southerly areas in winter. Eurasian birds move to southern Eur ...

'' (hen harrier) * ''

Dendrocopos major The great spotted woodpecker (''Dendrocopos major'') is a medium-sized woodpecker with pied black and white plumage and a red patch on the lower belly. Males and young birds also have red markings on the neck or head. This species is found acros ...

'' (great spotted woodpecker) * ''

Erithacus rubecula The European robin (''Erithacus rubecula''), known simply as the robin or robin redbreast in Great Britain & Ireland, is a small insectivorous passerine bird that belongs to the chat subfamily of the Old World flycatcher family. About in len ...

'' (European robin) * ''

Fringilla coelebs The common chaffinch or simply the chaffinch (''Fringilla coelebs'') is a common and widespread small passerine bird in the finch family. The male is brightly coloured with a blue-grey cap and rust-red underparts. The female is more subdued in ...

'' (chaffinch) * ''

Falco tinnunculus The common kestrel (''Falco tinnunculus'') is a bird of prey species belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae. It is also known as the European kestrel, Eurasian kestrel, or Old World kestrel. In the United Kingdom, wher ...

'' (common kestrel) * ''

Garrulus glandarius The Eurasian jay (''Garrulus glandarius'') is a species of passerine bird in the crow family Corvidae. It has pinkish brown plumage with a black stripe on each side of a whitish throat, a bright blue panel on the upper wing and a black tail. The ...

'' (jay) * '' Miliaria calandra'' (corn bunting) * '' Parus caeruleus'' (blue tit) * '' Parus major'' (great tit) * '' Parus palustris'' (marsh tit) * ''

Passer domesticus The house sparrow (''Passer domesticus'') is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, found in most parts of the world. It is a small bird that has a typical length of and a mass of . Females and young birds are coloured pale brown and grey, an ...

'' (house sparrow) * ''

Passer montanus The Eurasian tree sparrow (''Passer montanus'') is a passerine bird in the sparrow family with a rich chestnut crown and nape, and a black patch on each pure white cheek. The sexes are similarly plumaged, and young birds are a duller version o ...

'' (tree sparrow) * ''

Phoenicurus ochruros The black redstart (''Phoenicurus ochruros'') is a small passerine bird in the genus '' Phoenicurus''. Like its relatives, it was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family (Turdidae), but is now known to be an Old World flycatcher (Musci ...

'' (black redstart) * '' Phylloscopus collybita'' (chiffchaff) * ''

Pica pica The Eurasian magpie or common magpie (''Pica pica'') is a resident breeding bird throughout the northern part of the Eurasian continent. It is one of several birds in the crow family (corvids) designated magpies, and belongs to the Holarctic r ...

'' (magpie) * '' Saxicola rubetra'' (whinchat) * ''

Sitta europaea The Eurasian nuthatch or wood nuthatch (''Sitta europaea'') is a small passerine bird found throughout the Palearctic and in Europe. Like other nuthatches, it is a short-tailed bird with a long bill, blue-gray upperparts and a black eye-strip ...

'' (nuthatch) * '' Strix aluco'' (tawny owl) * ''

Sturnus vulgaris The common starling or European starling (''Sturnus vulgaris''), also known simply as the starling in Great Britain and Ireland, is a medium-sized passerine bird in the starling family, Sturnidae. It is about long and has glossy black plumage ...

'' (European starling) * '' Troglodytes troglodytes'' (wren) * '' Turdus philomelos'' (song thrush) * '' Turdus merula'' (blackbird) ; Amphibians * '' Bombina variegate'' (yellow-bellied toad), * '' Bombina bombina x variegate'' (hybrid forms between the yellow-bellied and the fire-bellied toad, ''Bombina bombina'') * ''

Hyla arborea The European tree frog (''Hyla arborea'') is a small tree frog. As traditionally defined, it was found throughout much of Europe, Asia and northern Africa,Frost, Darrel R. ''Amphibian Species of the World''. Allen Press, Inc., 1985, p. 126. but b ...

'' (common tree frog) * '' Rana dalmatina'' (agile frog) ;Reptile species * ''

Lacerta agilis The sand lizard (''Lacerta agilis'') is a Lacertidae, lacertid lizard distributed across most of Europe from France and across the continent to Lake Baikal in Russia. It does not occur in European Turkey. Its distribution is often patchy. In the ...

'' (sand lizard), * ''

Lacerta viridis The European green lizard (''Lacerta viridis'') is a large lizard distributed across European midlatitudes from Slovenia and eastern Austria to as far east as the Black Sea coasts of Ukraine and Turkey. It is often seen sunning on rocks or lawns, ...

'' (green lizard), * ''

Podarcis muralis ''Podarcis muralis'' (common wall lizard) is a species of lizard with a large distribution in Europe and well-established introduced populations in North America, where it is also called the European wall lizard. It can grow to about in tota ...

'' (common wall lizard), * '' Anguis fragilis'' (slow-worm), * ''

Coronella austriaca The smooth snake (''Coronella austriaca'')Street D (1979). ''The Reptiles of Northern and Central Europe''. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. 268 pp. . is a species of non-venomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is found in northern and ce ...

''(smooth snake)

Paleontology

Paleontology Paleontology (), also spelled palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene epoch (roughly 11,700 years before present). It includes the study of fossi ...

investigations have been carried out at Râpa Roșie near Sebeș town, on the southwestern side of the

Transylvanian Plateau The Transylvanian Plateau ( ro, Podișul Transilvaniei; hu, Erdélyi-medence) is a plateau in central Romania. The plateau lies within and takes its name from the historical region of Transylvania, and is almost entirely surrounded by the East ...

. The investigations were started in 1969.

Dinosaur bones A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

were reported in earlier investigations. Based on the investigations carried out by Codrea and Dica in 2005, they have assigned the age of these formations to the

Early Miocene The Early Miocene (also known as Lower Miocene) is a sub-epoch of the Miocene epoch (geology), Epoch made up of two faunal stage, stages: the Aquitanian age, Aquitanian and Burdigalian stages. The sub-epoch lasted from 23.03 ± 0.05 annum, Ma to ...

age (also conjectured as of Eggenburgian-Ottnangian age). Some of the rare fossils found here are vertebrates; one of these is of sauropod caudal vertebra. This fossil's original source is interpreted as the underlying Șard Formation of the Maastrichtian- Priabonian, which has eroded over the years. Paleontologists involved with the studies at Râpa Roșie have opined that this is the only sauropod

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

reported at any time in the latest

Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of ...

Maastrichtian The Maastrichtian () is, in the ICS geologic timescale, the latest age (uppermost stage) of the Late Cretaceous Epoch or Upper Cretaceous Series, the Cretaceous Period or System, and of the Mesozoic Era or Erathem. It spanned the interval ...

) formations in Romania, which could be stated as ''

Magyarosaurus ''Magyarosaurus'' (" Magyar lizard") is a genus of dwarf sauropod dinosaur from late Cretaceous Period (early to late Maastrichtian) in Romania. It is one of the smallest-known adult sauropods, measuring only in length and in body mass. The t ...

''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rapa Rosie Protected areas of Romania Geography of Alba County