RESEARCH ON INTERSPECIFIC RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN FISH AND CORMORANTS IN COMANA NATURE PARK, ROMANIA.

The study aims to present the interspecific relationships between fish and cormorants from Comana Pond and Putu-Greci ponds. Also, it is presented the dynamic of the ichtyofauna, during 2011-2017 years, in Comana Nature Park, on the watercourses of the Neajlov River, Comana Pond or Neajlov Delta, Gurbanu River and Putu-Greci Ponds. The Comana Pond, with area of 1200 hectares, in 2011 suffered a major intervention on the habitat characteristic of wetland, namely an ecological reconstruction, by constructing a low-rise dam. Reconstruction has been beneficial because permanent water glow has reached up to 40% of its surface, with plenty of high-glistening water in the pond, favoring bird species characteristic of the aquatic environment and including the ichtyofauna by expanding the feeding and reproduction habitat. By increasing the habitat characteristic of wetlands and by improving breeding and feeding conditions, Comana Pond has attracted an impressive number of characteristic bird species of the aquatic environment. Starting in 2015, it has mainly begun to monitor the ichthyofauna in all wetlands of the Comana Nature Park, including the Comana Pond, and secondly it started to monitor the species of birds of prey, focusing on the Phalacrocorax carbo and Microcarbo pygmaeus. Phalacrocorax carbo is listed under the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement and in Europe is listed in 245 Special Protection Areas. Microcarbo pygmaeus is listed on Appendix I of the Convention on Migratory Species and is covered by the African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement. It is listed under Annex II of the Bern Convention and Annex I of the EU Birds Directive, and it is currently listed within 182 Important Bird Areas in Europe. According with results, during the monitored period it has increase the number of fish and bird species. The monitoring of predatory bird species provides valuable information about ichthyofauna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]