Environmental changes induced by the development of Ranca resort in a mountainous area

The paper aims at analyzing the most important environmental aspects generated by the development of a touristic resort within a reference mountainous area of the Parang Mountains. The direct and indirect impact of the touristic activity on the environment is evaluated both by analyzing the spatial evolution of the resort according to the French and Austrian Tyrol patterns, and by the integrated analysis of the negative effects induced by the touristic activity on the natural ecosystems characteristic for the high mountainous area. Using various techniques (for instance the Spatial Planning of the Local Territory, the guide published by WTO, measurements on the 1:25,000 topographic map, satellite images), there the POT and CUT urban indexes were determined, together with some specific indicators for touristic pressure on the environment, such as stress and critical ecosystems. The final goal of mapping the ecologic fragility areas situated along the main directions for the settlement development is to underline the potential environmental changes determined by the touristic capitalization of the region.