Mining activities for mineral resources over the years have resulted in major soil damage. Due the removal process of desired mineral materials, soil textures have been destroyed, various nutrient cycles have been disturbed, and microbial communities have been altered, affecting vegetation and leading to the destruction of wide areas of land in many countries. Therefore, soil restoration of abandoned mining lands became a very important part of sustainable development strategies and also prescribed by law in several countries. The main aims of this study were to develop an ecological land restoration strategy to the degraded lands due former kaolin, quartz sand, and iron mining located in Aghireșu and Căpușu Mare in Cluj County, in the Northwestern part of Transylvania from Romania and monitor soil quality changes over 40 years. To assess the effectiveness of soil reclamation of mine lands, 30 soil profiles were examined and 450 soil samples were collected from three depths (0–20 cm, 20–50 cm, and 50–80 cm) and subjected to physical and chemical analyses, and compared for their sustainable and beneficial use. All the proposed plant covers (natural grassland, pasture cover, black locust, Norway spruce, and scots pine) significantly improved the overall soil quality with the increasing years of reclamation following various patterns. Pasture cover most significantly enhanced the soil’s microbial activity, organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content followed by natural grassland. The results of this study show that considerable changes in soil quality was reached by revegetation of these abandoned mine lands restoring their ecological integrity and self-sustainability.

Agricultural financing is a key global topic impacting sustainable development, food security, and environmental protection. This article presents a bibliometric analysis of research evolution in agricultural financing from 1975–2025, using the Web of Science and VOSviewer 1.6.18 platforms. The findings indicate a significant increase in interest, with agricultural financing emerging as a critical pillar for sector sustainability. Research in this field is shaped by a global network of collaborations, supported by major international organizations, contributing to innovative policy development. The study highlights key themes such as climate change, food security, and access to financing, as well as the diversification of financial resources. Countries with strong agricultural traditions have been central to this process, while others with fewer resources have achieved excellence through strategic approaches. Recent research underscores the role of agricultural financing in fostering a sustainable sector, with a focus on advanced technologies and international partnerships. This study provides a preliminary bibliometric overview of the evolution and growth of agricultural financing, identifying key influencing factors. It contributes to the existing literature and offers directions for future research, emphasizing emerging trends and significant academic contributions in the field.

Erythronium dens-canis L. is a monocotyledonous, perennial geophyte species, belonging to the lily family (Liliaceae). It flowers before trees leafing out, starting in February – March. This Eurasian floristic element is distributed in southern Europe and the Balkans. It extends eastwards to the Caucasus, Siberia and Japan. It is found in Portugal, Spain, France, Romania, Italy (southwards to Tuscany and the Marche), in the southern foothills of the Alpine arc to Burgenland), in south-eastern Hungary and northern Greece. It is found north of the Alps and is found in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It occurs in dry to mesophilous soils, in deciduous forests, but mainly in older and more open forest stands. In southern Oltenia, isolated populations with a small number of individuals can also be found through the plant community built by Robinia pseudoacacia. In southern Oltenia, an infrataxon with white flowers is found, identified for the first time by Alexandru Buia and Marin Păun - Erythronium dens-canis L. subsp. niveum, characteristic of forest habitats of Carpinion betuli. In Europe, E. dens-canis is a native species, in Romania it is considered a vulnerable species. Following phytosociological and ecological studies carried out in Oltenia, especially in the forests of the Jiu basin, a very high variability and a decrease in the number of populations but also in the number of individuals within populations correlated with global climate changes but also with the impact of the anthropogenic result of inadequate forest management were found.

Adonis vernalis L., known as pheasant's eye, spring pheasant's eye, yellow pheasant's eye, is a perennial plant with yellow flowers from the Ranunculaceae family that grows in xerophytic meadows but sometimes also in the glades of the thermophilic and sub-thermophilic forests of Europe and Asia. Following the studies carried out, in the south-west of Oltenia, the species was identified in xerophytic and xero-mesophytic meadows, but also in the glades and clearings of the Turkey oak and Hungarian oak trees in the localities: Radovan, Perișor, Plenița, Mărăcine, Tencănău, Vârvoru de Jos, Târnava. The populations were found on level ground at altitudes between 60-125 m. From a phytocoenotic point of view, the species was identified in the following plant communities: Stipetum capillatae Schneider-Binder 1967, Bothriochloetum ischaemi (Krist. 1937) Pop 1977, Festucetum valesiaco-rupicolae Csuros et Kovacs, Quercetum cerris Georgescu 1941; Quercetum frainetto-cerris (Georgescu 1945) Rudski 1949. The populations of the species are very few, the number of individuals in a population being quite small. It was found that the climatic changes of recent years, combined with the expansion of the sandy lands in Oltenia, had a negative impact on this species both from the population and phytocoenotic point of view. Pheasant's Eye (Adonis vernalis has most recently been assessed for The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2011. Adonis vernalis is listed as Least Concern. The species is also protected by 2 international agreements important at European level.

Changes in climatic conditions influence the expansion on ever larger surfaces as well as the exacerbated development of populations of invasive species introduced in southern Romania initially for ornamental purposes. In the last decades, an increasing number of species that were cultivated for different purposes but also that accidentally entered Oltenia became successful invaders in different habitats. Many factors may contribute to the increased invasiveness of these species, including seed production, germination, and their relatively high growth rate. The impact of invasive species on native vegetation in a region can have different intensities, but they can increase with the accentuation of the drought and the aridification of the lands in the south of Oltenia, this may lead to the loss or irreversible degradation of habitats or species populations. In recent years in Oltenia, especially in the southern part, in the large hydrographic basins of the Danube, Jiu and Olt, the number of invasive species has increased considerably, their ability to spread and invasiveness being very high. Some of these species exert a high degree of aggression on wet, practical and forest habitats, influencing the structure and functionality of edifying phytocoenoses. Among the invasive species introduced for ornamental purposes in Oltenia, particularly important populations have developed: Acer negundo, Rhus typhina, Amorpha fruticosa, Ailanthus altissima, Eleagnus angustifolia, Fraxinus pensylvanica, F. americana, Parthenocissus inserta, P. quinquefolia, Robinia hispida. It should be noted that in recent years the species Albizia julibrissin was introduced for ornamental purposes in Romania, but also in Oltenia. This species is cultivated excessively, in gardens, green spaces, private yards and especially in the open spaces in front of private yards in most locations in Oltenia. Following the studies carried out regarding the invasive potential of this species, we can mention the fact that this species has a very high spreading power, quickly conquering new territories, each individual produces a very large number of seeds that have a very high germination power, is a species extremely resistant to drought, to various anthropogenic factors, including atmospheric pollution, to harmful mechanical factors, very high temperatures of over 400 during the summers in the south Oltenia, growing on the sides of roads, alleys, on several types of soil, including sandy. Around each individual, but also at distances between 2-80 m from it, vigorous saplings were identified, with increased vitality and accelerated growth, being able to reach up to 30-40 cm in height in one year of vegetation. Thus, we can specify that this species can be considered a new invasive species for Romania.