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, traditiona ...

for "red ravine") is a

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

, 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, a ...

. 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 r ...

. 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 ...

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 o ...

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 ''Cotoneaster integerrimus'', the common cotoneaster, is a species of '' Cotoneaster'' native to central and eastern Europe and southwest Asia, from southern Belgium and eastern France south to Italy, and east through Germany to the Balkans, nort ...

'', '' Ephedra distachya'', ''

Centaurea atropurpurea ''Centaurea atropurpurea'' is a species of ''Centaurea ''Centaurea'' () is a genus of over 700 species of herbaceous thistle-like flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. Members of the genus are found only north of the equator, mostly in t ...

'', ''

Dianthus serotinus ''Dianthus serotinus'', called the late pink, late-coming pink, late carnation or late-coming carnation due to its tendency to bloom from June to October, is a species of '' Dianthus'' native to the Pannonian Basin of Hungary and nearby areas. ...

'', '' Cephalaria radiate'', and ''

Asplenium nigrum ''Asplenium'' is a genus of about 700 species of ferns, often treated as the only genus in the family Aspleniaceae, though other authors consider ''Hymenasplenium'' separate, based on molecular phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequences, a differ ...

''. 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 ''Cephalaria'' is a genus of about 65 species of flowering plants in the family Caprifoliaceae, native to southern Europe, western and central Asia, and northern and southern Africa. They are annual or perennial herbaceous plants growing to 0.8 ...

'', ''

Onosma pseudoarenaria ''Onosma'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae. They are native to the Mediterranean and western Asia. They grow in dry, sunny habitats with rocky, sandy substrates.Koyuncu, O., et al. (2013)A new ''Onosma'' (Boragina ...

'', ''

Jurinea mollis ssp. ''Jurinea'' is a genus of plants in the family Asteraceae. The species are native to Europe, Asia, and northwestern Africa.

'' (''transsilvanica''), '' Salvia transsilvanica'', '' Salvia nutans'', ''

'' 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 fou ...

''. In addition to the above, some rare plant species reported are ''

'', ''

'', '' Cephalaria radiata'' and '' Asplenium adiantum-nigrum.

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'' (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 ''Accipite ...

'' (goshawk) * '' Aegithalos caudatus'' (long tailed tit) * ''

Buteo buteo The common buzzard (''Buteo buteo'') is a medium-to-large bird of prey which has a large range. A member of the genus '' Buteo'', it is a member of the family Accipitridae. The species lives in most of Europe and extends its breeding range acr ...

'' (common buzzard) * '' Carduelis carduelis'' (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 ...

'' (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'' (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 (bird), chat subfamily of the Old World flycatcher family. A ...

'' (European robin) * '' Fringilla coelebs'' (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, where no ...

'' (common kestrel) * '' Garrulus glandarius'' (jay) * ''

Miliaria calandra The corn bunting (''Emberiza calandra'') is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae. This is a large bunting with heavily streaked buff-brown plumage. The ...

'' (corn bunting) * ''

Parus caeruleus The Eurasian blue tit (''Cyanistes caeruleus'') is a small passerine bird in the tit family, Paridae. It is easily recognisable by its blue and yellow plumage and small size. Eurasian blue tits, usually resident and non-migratory birds, are ...

'' (blue tit) * ''

Parus major The great tit (''Parus major'') is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. It is a widespread and common species throughout Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and east across the Palearctic to the Amur River, south to parts of North Af ...

'' (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'' (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 (Muscica ...

'' (black redstart) * ''

Phylloscopus collybita The common chiffchaff (''Phylloscopus collybita''), or simply the chiffchaff, is a common and widespread leaf warbler which breeds in open woodlands throughout northern and temperate Europe and the Palearctic. It is a migratory passerine whic ...

'' (chiffchaff) * '' Pica pica'' (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-stripe. ...

'' (nuthatch) * ''

Strix aluco The tawny owl (''Strix aluco''), also called the brown owl, is commonly found in woodlands across Europe to western Siberia, and has seven recognized subspecies. It is a stocky, medium-sized owl, whose underparts are pale with dark streaks, a ...

'' (tawny owl) * '' Sturnus vulgaris'' (European starling) * ''

Troglodytes troglodytes The Eurasian wren (''Troglodytes troglodytes'') or northern wren is a very small insectivorous bird, and the only member of the wren family Troglodytidae found in Eurasia and Africa (Maghreb). In Anglophone Europe, it is commonly known simply a ...

'' (wren) * ''

Turdus philomelos The song thrush (''Turdus philomelos'') is a thrush that breeds across the West Palearctic. It has brown upper-parts and black-spotted cream or buff underparts and has three recognised subspecies. Its distinctive song, which has repeated music ...

'' (song thrush) * ''

Turdus merula The common blackbird (''Turdus merula'') is a species of true thrush. It is also called the Eurasian blackbird (especially in North America, to distinguish it from the unrelated New World blackbirds), or simply the blackbird where this does no ...

'' (blackbird) ; Amphibians * ''

Bombina variegate The fire-bellied toads are a group of six species of small frogs (most species typically no longer than ) belonging to the genus ''Bombina''. The name "fire-bellied" is derived from the brightly colored red- or yellow-and-black patterns on the ...

'' (yellow-bellied toad), * ''

Bombina bombina x variegate fire-bellied toads are a group of six species of small frogs (most species typically no longer than ) belonging to the genus ''Bombina''. The name "fire-bellied" is derived from the brightly colored red- or yellow-and-black patterns on the to ...

'' (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 The agile frog (''Rana dalmatina'') is a European frog in the genus ''Rana'' of the true frog family, Ranidae. Description This species is fat and has long limbs and a pointy snout. Adult males are rarely larger than 6.5 cm, while females ...

'' (agile frog) ;Reptile species * ''

Lacerta agilis The sand lizard (''Lacerta agilis'') is a 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 ...

'' (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 total ...

'' (common wall lizard), * ''

Anguis fragilis The slow worm (''Anguis fragilis'') is a reptile native to western Eurasia. It is also called a deaf adder, a slowworm, a blindworm, or regionally, a long-cripple and hazelworm. These legless lizards are also sometimes called common slowworms. Th ...

'' (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 ...

''(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 fos ...

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 made up of two stages: the Aquitanian and Burdigalian stages. The sub-epoch lasted from 23.03 ± 0.05 Ma to 15.97 ± 0.05 Ma (million years ago). It was p ...

age (also conjectured as of Eggenburgian-Ottnangian age). Some of the rare fossils found here are vertebrates; one of these is of

sauropod Sauropoda (), whose members are known as sauropods (; from '' sauro-'' + '' -pod'', 'lizard-footed'), is a clade of saurischian ('lizard-hipped') dinosaurs. Sauropods had very long necks, long tails, small heads (relative to the rest of their ...

caudal vertebra. This fossil's original source is interpreted as the underlying

Șard Formation Sard is a dark reddish-brown variety of the mineral chalcedony, similar to carnelian. Sard may also refer to: * Sard's lemma, a result in mathematical analysis, named after mathematician Arthur Sard * Anything from, or related to the Mediterranean ...

of the Maastrichtian-

Priabonian The Priabonian is, in the ICS's geologic timescale, the latest age or the upper stage of the Eocene Epoch or Series. It spans the time between . The Priabonian is preceded by the Bartonian and is followed by the Rupelian, the lowest stage ...

, which has eroded over the years. Paleontologists involved with the studies at Râpa Roșie have opined that this is the only

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 n ...

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 interv ...

) 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 ...

''.

References

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