BrainMap

Mr. Mihai-Daniel Nita

Dr.

Professor - UNIVERSITATEA TRANSILVANIA BRASOV

Researcher | Teaching staff

Web of Science ResearcherID: I-3128-2019

Curriculum Vitae (29/09/2019)

Expertise & keywords

HYPERCUBE 4.0 - Moving Wood Measurement Towards a New Dimension Call name: P 4 - Proiecte de Cercetare Exploratorie, 2020
PN-III-P4-ID-PCE-2020-0401 2021 - 2023

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA TRANSILVANIA BRASOV

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA TRANSILVANIA BRASOV (RO)

Affiliation:

Project website: https://sites.google.com/view/hypercube40/pagina-de-pornire

Abstract:

Forests have always been a provider of raw materials, including wood, that significantly contributed to the Romanian economy. However, poorly managed wood supply chains (WSC) are threatening the sustainable provision of wood. To be effective, WSC, that interlink several stakeholders, operations and transactions, need decisions at strategic, tactical and operational level which are based on fast, accurate and reliable data. The Romanian WSC is challenged by an excessive bureaucracy (which is law-enforced) and high frequency of controls which are acting as bottlenecks and which prevent the reliability and responsiveness of the wood-related businesses. The costs incurred by excessive controls and wood measurement disagreement, which form the basis of routine wood quantity checks and transactions, often result in business abandonment, therefore in the de-structuration and de-strengthening of the Romanian capital. Such problems are also affecting the forestry image, competitiveness, contribution to the economy and position on the international markets. As the wood measurement by the currently used methods is one of the biggest bottlenecks, this project aims at a paradigm changing in wood measurement processes by introducing and testing fast, reliable and responsive sensor-based scanning and 3D solid volume computing technologies to enable a better transaction flow, to save money and to remove suspicions. The project is structured as a triple-fold experimental comparison study.

Alliance on Interdisciplinary Learning and Entrepreneurial skills in Green for Health and Social Inclusion Call name:
EPP-1-2019-1-IT-EPPKA2-KA 2020 - 2023

Role in this project: Key expert

Coordinating institution: University of Padua

Project partners: University of Padua (); UNIVERSITATEA TRANSILVANIA BRASOV ()

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA TRANSILVANIA BRASOV ()

Project website: https://www.greenforcare.eu/

Abstract:

Recent studies have shown that nature-based solutions such as social agriculture, urban green infrastructure and forest therapy are providing cost-effective way to reduce the negative effects of some growing megatrends such as ageing population, more stressed and unhealthy standards of living in urban areas and the growing threat of climate change above all from developing nations.

The GREEN4C project, co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme by the European Union, aims at increasing Europe’s innovation capacity among universities and businesses to promote green and natural approaches to health and social care.

Improving the accuracy and precision of biomass estimations for Fagus sylvatica L., from tree level to large area, using terrestrial laser scanning technology Call name: P 1 - SP 1.1 - Proiecte de cercetare pentru stimularea tinerelor echipe independente
PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2019-1744 2020 - 2022

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA TRANSILVANIA BRASOV

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA TRANSILVANIA BRASOV (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA TRANSILVANIA BRASOV (RO)

Project website: https://sites.google.com/view/biopredict/pagina-de-pornire

Abstract:

Within Paris Agreement, the forests emerged as key mitigation option. However, to increase the relevance of forest-based mitigation, it is vital that further scientific emphasis is put on reducing uncertainties in forest biomass estimations, with a special focus on uncertainty routed in allometric biomass models. For countries like Romania, the lack of country-specific allometric biomass models is among the most important limitations for providing a robust greenhouse gases inventory report on forests. Development of new allometric biomass models relay on biomass recordings for a large number of trees, which requires extensive resources and logistics, especially for measuring biomass of large trees. However, promising new technologies such as terrestrial laser scanners (TLS) were shown to be effective for predicting tree aboveground volume and biomass. In this proposal we aim to develop allometric biomass models for European beech in Romania using TLS approach and address some of the current limitations of this approach: (i) predict the wood density variation within and between trees; (ii) improve the accuracy of leaf biomass estimation based on predictors derived from crown architecture; (iii) compare some algorithms for reconstruction of tree volume; (iv) investigate the sensitivity of allometric model parameters to uncertainty in wood density and leaf biomass; (v) assess the relative contribution of TLS-based approach on large scale biomass estimation uncertainty. Furthermore, we aim to investigate some allometric modelling issues, and their effects on large scale biomass estimations. Besides the practical application of the allometric biomass models which will be developed in this project, we aim to produce knowledge that will significantly advance the current state-of-the-art in forest biomass prediction with further consequences on climate change mitigation programmes.

Long-Term Land Degradation in the Caucasus Call name:
16-LCLUC16-2-0013 2018 - 2020

Role in this project: Partner team leader

Coordinating institution: University of Wisconsin-Madison

Project partners: University of Wisconsin-Madison (RO); UNIVERSITATEA TRANSILVANIA BRASOV (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA TRANSILVANIA BRASOV (RO)

Project website: https://lcluc.umd.edu/projects/long-term-land-degradation-caucasus

Abstract:

Land degradation, both of forest and in grasslands, is widespread in the Caucasus, and a major environmental challenge. However, land degradation is more difficult to monitor with satellite imagery than, for example, outright land use conversion or forest disturbance. One reason is that understanding land use change and land degradation trends greatly benefits from long-term land use data, but assessing land use prior to the Landsat record is challenging. However, once those technical obstacles are overcome, studying land degradation can greatly advance land use science. The reason is that land degradation patterns in peripheral areas can be greatly affected by demand for resources from the cores of economic activity, especially in countries where ample oil and gas reserves foster rapid growth of their cores, and studying degradation patterns thus allows to investigate core-periphery relationships. This is why we propose here to:

a) develop new remote sensing approaches to monitor degradation that are based on a) the integration of multiple years of Landsat data while accounting for phenology, and b), changes in endmember mixtures, phenology metrics, and the classification likelihood of a given land cover class, in order to map forest and grassland degradation across Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia;

b) apply new methods to rectify 1960s and ‘70s Corona data semi-automatically with structure-from-motion software, and develop new methods to classify Corona data with image segmentation; and

c) examine the effects of economic cores, especially those related to oil and gas development, on land use in the peripheries in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. This proposal builds upon a LCLUC project by PI Radeloff on land use change and the effect of wars in the Caucasus that will end in February of 2018, i.e., right when the work proposed here would start. The current project, now in its third year, has been highly successful, and highlighted that while land use conversions are uncommon, land degradation is widespread. The new work proposed here will build upon our findings, and extend them further. We will create wall-to-wall maps of land degradation, examine long-term LCLUC via the analysis of Corona imagery, and advance the understanding of core-periphery relationships and the effects of oil and gas development as drivers of land use patterns. Our project will make extensive use of NASA remote sensing assets, develop new remote sensing methods, and advance land use science via the collaboration of remote sensing specialists, economists, and experts from the Caucasus region.

Development of a European Study Programme: International Master’s Degree for the Environmental Security Sector Call name:
KA2 /2017-1-UK01-KA203-036521 2017 - 2020

Role in this project: Key expert

Coordinating institution: Bucks New University

Project partners: Bucks New University (); UNIVERSITATEA TRANSILVANIA BRASOV ()

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA TRANSILVANIA BRASOV ()

Project website: http://ensecproject.eu/

Abstract:

ENSEC has been designed with the aim to support the development and the implementation of an innovative practice, a new training path for the environment security, expecting the followings results:

increase innovation, improve capacity, and support development of partners’ postgraduate programme on green growth and urban development

improve compliance, support policy development, and build capacity, towards achieving resilient, low carbon economies that meet global climate change targets, in line with the commitments made under the Paris Agreement

increase awareness among decision makers and the public including its impact on security, transparency, and governance, and support efforts to improve governance structures helping to tackle corruption and improve accountability

improve protection for endangered species and/or improve countries’ legislative frameworks to help reduce or eradicate the trade.

European Research and Enterprise Alliance on Marketing and Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity Call name:
ERASMUS +/ KA2/ 2015-3437/001-001 2016 - 2019

Role in this project: Key expert

Coordinating institution: University of Padua

Project partners: University of Padua (); UNIVERSITATEA TRANSILVANIA BRASOV ()

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA TRANSILVANIA BRASOV ()

Project website: https://www.ecostarhub.com/

Abstract:

ECOSTAR provides training and support for young professionals and students to improve entrepreneurship and innovation skills tailored to the marketing and economics of ecosystems and biodiversity.

The following sections provide access to our resources and online training programme that will help deepen your knowledge on developing business initiatives that market and promote ecosystem services and biodiversity.

ECOSTAR online training programme is composed of several specialized e-modules, and eventually culminates with the development of a business idea.

Our e-students will eventually be encouraged to apply and compete within our global Nature-Accelerator programme!

Ecological corridors for habitats and species in Romania Call name:
2015 - 2017

Role in this project: Key expert

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA TRANSILVANIA BRASOV

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA TRANSILVANIA BRASOV (RO); UNIVERSITATEA BUCURESTI (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA TRANSILVANIA BRASOV (RO)

Project website:

Abstract:

Environmental friendly solutions to manage torrential riverbeds located in the protected areas ROSCI0207 Postăvaru, ROSCI0195 Piatra Mare şi ROSCI0038 Ciucaş Call name: Joint Applied Research Projects - PCCA 2013 - call
PN-II-PT-PCCA-2013-4-0687 2014 - 2017

Role in this project: Partner team leader

Coordinating institution: INSTITUTUL NAŢIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE ÎN SILVICULTURĂ "MARIN DRĂCEA"

Project partners: INSTITUTUL NAŢIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE ÎN SILVICULTURĂ "MARIN DRĂCEA" (RO); REGIA PUBLICA LOCALA A PADURILOR SACELE RA (RO); REGIA PUBLICA LOCALA A PADURILOR KRONSTADT RA (RO); FUNDATIA CARPATI (RO); UNIVERSITATEA TRANSILVANIA BRASOV (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA TRANSILVANIA BRASOV (RO)

Project website: http://www.icasbv.ro/?page_id=1164

Abstract:

Research will be carried out in three natural protected areas ROSCI0207 Postăvaru, ROSCI0195 Piatra Mare and ROSCI0038 Ciucaş (in central Romania) and will lead to the achievement of two goals: implementing a monitoring system for torrent control structures in all three protected areas and introducing a model for torrential riverbeds management, using environmental friendly resources and materials.

In the first phase, an inventory of torrent control structures in the studied protected areas will be done. Besides identification and location data, the inventory will include data regarding their dimensions and behaviour. Each behavioural event (damage or dysfunction) will be assessed taking account their size, which will be used to establish its intensity. By introducing the intensity of the most important damages into an equation, the condition rate (a unique parameter defining structure condition) will be determined.

A geospatial database, concerning torrent control structures inside the protected areas, will be established, using the description and geographical data as well as the condition rate for each structure. Database, part of the proposed monitoring system, will be exploited in a GIS environment.

The proposed monitoring system was substantiated and tested on a pilot watershed (Bremenea Valley, in south – western Romania), as a result of research conducted by ICAS focused on more than 3800 torrent control structures throughout the country.

Monitoring activities will be undertaken at two levels: first, the evolution of each structure, in specific environmental condition, will be emphasized and, secondly, for an entire hydrotechnical system of a riverbed reports would be provided, that could help to establish the repairs order of these structures.

Torrential phenomena disregard administrative and natural boundaries of affected areas or their status as Natura 2000 site. But mitigation techniques and means must, however, be different according to the analysed area status (natural protected area, urban area, etc) and requiring protection objectives (forest roads, reservoirs, national network transport, etc).

Until now, for Romanian natural protected areas, models that might be applied to manage torrential riverbeds, in the neighbourhood of social or economic objectives endangered by floods, do not exist. Torrential risk maps have not been developed for the three protected areas, even if they are close to large urban centres (Braşov, Săcele, Predeal, Râşnov), are crossed by major transport routes (the railway Braşov – Ploieşti, the national roads Braşov – Bucharest, Râşnov – Predeal and Braşov – Vălenii de Munte) and have one of the largest tourist infrastructure in Romania (ski slopes, roads, cabins, shelters etc) being some of the busiest recreational areas both, in summer and vernal seasons.

Repair technologies that will use only environmental friendly means and materials (fascines, stone embankments, wooden structures etc) will be established in order to reinforce damaged torrent control structures. This project will include a preliminary feasibility study for the ecological improvement of watercourses jeopardizing different objectives. The study will include staging of management improvements required. Those works and measures assigned in the first stage will be implemented by this project. The so improved riverbeds will be a model of ecological landscaping of torrent for all protected areas in the mountainous and hilly regions of Romania.

Study regarding the inventory of the status of the torrent control dams from the forest administered by RNP-ROMSILVA Call name:
3691/30.03.2015 2015 - 2016

Role in this project: Project coordinator

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA TRANSILVANIA BRASOV

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA TRANSILVANIA BRASOV ()

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA TRANSILVANIA BRASOV ()

Project website: http://gis.rosilva.ro/GeoPortalTor.html

Abstract:

The way of interacting with the information regarding the hydrotechnical works is supported by a database.

The action of interacting depends on the ability of the database to store, be interoperable and to provide mathematical and logical query functions.

The information regarding the hydrotechnical dams for the management of the torrential rivers can be organized in the form of entities with geographical reference within a geospatial database.

Thus, the inventory of the state of the torrent control dams can be applied using as a computer support a geospatial database regarding the hydrotechnical works as a computer system consisting of interconnected tables, containing geographic information stored through a special

module (GIS) of the database

European Islands Continue education on Resources Efficiency Virtual Gateway Call name:
539230-LLP-1-2013-1-ES-ERASMUS-EQR 2013 - 2016

Role in this project: Key expert

Coordinating institution: University of La Laguna

Project partners: University of La Laguna (); UNIVERSITATEA TRANSILVANIA BRASOV ()

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA TRANSILVANIA BRASOV ()

Project website: https://apus.uma.pt/vireg/course/index.php?categoryid=1

Abstract:

VIREG is a Project that corresponds to the Lifelong Learning Program (LLP), coordinated by the University of La Laguna and with the presence of other 7 Universities and research and entrepreneurship centers from main EU islands (Canary, Balearic, Madeira, Sicily, Cyprus, Crete, UK).

VIREG will develop a virtual platform and learning courses related with the management and efficient use of resources: Natural resources: land, water & commodities; Energy-related resources: renewables vs. non-renewables; Physical capital (machineries) and infrastructures (mainly public and related with the transport sector: road, maritime, air or alternative use to road); Human resources: labor force, human capital (knowledge, skills, abilities, etc.); Services provided by stakeholders (mainly partners), with special emphasis on: EU isolated regions and islands; Preferably oriented to: Postgraduates of about 22-45 years old, with maybe some experience in the labor market (i.e. returnee youth, excluded from jobs, transition from academic to market, etc.), With the need and interest to adapt their curricula to new situation (new jobs, new markets to be attend, new legal regulation, new customers of our services, etc.).

Development of new products derived from satellite data adapted to the needs of users in the field of management of hydro-meteorological risk situations Call name:
PNCDI2-81037 2007 - 2010

Role in this project: Key expert

Coordinating institution: ADMINISTRATIA NATIONALA DE METEOROLOGIE RA

Project partners: ADMINISTRATIA NATIONALA DE METEOROLOGIE RA (); UNIVERSITATEA TRANSILVANIA BRASOV ()

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA TRANSILVANIA BRASOV ()

Project website: http://www.meteoromania.ro/despre-noi/proiecte/proiecte-nationale/riscasat/

Abstract:

The frequency of extreme hydro-meteorological phenomena that determine risk situations is increasing in many countries of the world. In the last decade, the scientific and technological community in the field of Earth Observation with satellite systems has developed a series of initiatives (GMES, GEOSS, etc.) that aim to reduce material damage and save human lives by improving the management of crisis situations due to hydro-meteorological factors ( floods, droughts, forest fires, wind gusts and snow breaks in forests, landslides, coastal erosion, etc.). Currently, there are hundreds of products derived from satellite data, many of which are addressed to users in the field of crisis management. Many of these products, especially those at medium and large scales, are not sufficiently used by the potential beneficiaries due to the insufficient dissemination, the difficulties of interpretation and especially due to the lack of validations in the operational activity. The major purpose of the project is the creation of new ones. products obtained by calibration, validation, interpretation and analysis of standard products derived from existing satellite data, adapted to the needs of users in the field of management of hydro-meteorological risk situations in Romania

FILE DESCRIPTION	DOCUMENT
List of research grants as project coordinator or partner team leader
Significant R&D projects for enterprises, as project manager
R&D activities in enterprises
Peer-review activity for international programs/projects