A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION TO A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE TERRESTRIAL ENVIRONMENT IN ROMANIA, COORDINATED BY PROFESSOR AUREL ARDELEAN It’s four-volume series „The diversity of the living world“, initiated and coordinated by Stoica Preda Codreanu in ’90s, designed as a practical guide, as keys to identify the most common species, but also the most rare, endangered. Since the publication of the first volume (1995), 15 years passed by before the appearance of the third one (2010) which consists of three parts to fit the 70 chapters of the terrestrial fauna written by 52 authors. Indeed, a substantial contribution to the study of biodiversity of the whole living world in Romania (plants and animals)! Each volume has its coordinator – this one is coordinated by Aurel Ardelean. The three parts, like separate paperbacks, were printed at “Vasile Goldiş” University Press of Arad and summarize 1164 pages and thousands of drawings. The final volume, the fourth, is ready, but there are financial difficulties and it expects the completion of the global economical crisis. It includes the fauna of underground ecosystems and most authors are from the Institute of Speleology “Emil Racovita”. Sterea Godeanu’s experience, as his proverbial patience, is unique in the world, worthy of Guinness Book of Records.

O contribuţie majoră la mai buna cunoaştere a biodiversităţii mediilor terestre din România, realizată sub coordonarea prof. dr. Aurel Ardelean. -