Scientific papers prepared as a foundation for Conserving Biological Diversity in Bulgaria: The National Biological Diversity Conservation Strategy developed through the joint efforts of the Government and the People of the Republic of Bulgaria, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the Biodiversity Support Program.
The Biodiversity Support Program is a Consortium of World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy, and World Resources Institute funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development.
March 1998
The maps in this document were generously prepared by Charles Convis, Conservation Program Coordinator for Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. Original data preparation, analysis and synthesis were performed by Dr. Iva Apostolova, Dr. Gergin Blagoev, Dr. Stoyan Blagoev, Charles Convis and James Henderson on a geographical information system (GIS) using Arc/ViewTM. Arc/ViewTM was developed by Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc.
The scientific papers included in these volumes parallel those published in the Volumes I and II of the National Strategy for the Conservation of Biological Diversity published in Bulgarian in November, 1993 and April, 1994. The papers were prepared for presentation at the National Biological Diversity Conservation Strategy Workshop, which took place in March, 1993, and formed the basis for the strategy document which followed. The strategy and recommendations were published as Conserving Biological Diversity in Bulgaria: The National Biological Diversity Conservation Strategy, in June 1994 (English) and April, 1995 (Bulgarian).
Requests for copies of this publication should be directed to the Biodiversity Support Program, c/o World Wildlife Fund, 1250 24th Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20037, USA. Telephone: (202) 293-4800; Fax: (202) 293-9211.
Section One: Bulgaria's Biological Diversity
The Macromycetes Fungi of Bulgaria
Maria Drumeva-Dimcheva and Melania Gyosheva-Bogoeva
Biodiversity of Non-Vascular Plants in Bulgaria
Dimitar Vodenicharov, Dobrina Temniskova-Topalova, Ivan Kirjakov, Stefka Dimitrova-Konaklieva, Rumen Mladenov, Snezhana Moncheva, Slavcho Petrov, and Dobri Ivanov
Biodiversity of Vascular Plants in Bulgaria
Dimitar Peev, Stefan Kozuharov , Mincho Anchev, Ana Petrova, Daniela Ivanova, and Sonia Tzoneva
Plant Community Ecology in Bulgaria
Tenio Meshinev, Velcho Velchev, Pavel Vassilev, Iva Apostolova, Nikolay Georgiev, and Anna Ganeva
Invertebrates (Non-Insecta) in Bulgaria
Christo Deltshev, Stoice Andreev, Gergin Blagoev, Vasil Golemansky, Gabriela Milojkova, Vlada Peneva, Dobrin Dobrev, Milcho Todorov, and Zdravko Hubenov
Insects of Bulgaria, Part 1: Odonata, Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Homoptera (Auchenorrhyncha), Heteroptera, Coleoptera
Vasil Gueorguiev , Venelin L. Beshovski, Boris K. Russev, Krasimir P. Kumanski, Michail V. Josifov, and Vladimir P. Sakalian
Insects of Bulgaria, Part 2: Blattodea, Mantodea, Isoptera, Orthoptera, Dermaptera, Embioptera, Megaloptera, Raphidioptera, Neuroptera, Mecoptera, Hymenoptera, Trichoptera, Lepidoptera, and Diptera
Zdravko Hubenov, Venelin Beschovski, Stoyan Beshkow, Janko Kolarov, Krasimir Kumanski, Alexi Popov, and Emiliya Vassileva
Diversity of Zooplankton and Zoobenthos in the Danube River, Its Tributaries, and Adjacent Water Bodies
Boris Russev, Anelia Petrova, Ivanka Janeva, and Stoice Andreev
Aquatic Ecosystems of the Aegean and Black Sea Basins
Yordan Uzunov, Stanoy Kovachev, Krassimir Kumanski, and Jenny Ludskanova-Nikolova
Biological Diversity of the Black Sea Zoobenthos and Zooplankton
Asen Konsulov and Tsenka Konsulova
Freshwater Fish of Bulgaria
Maria Karapetkova, Mladen Zivkov, and Koyka Alexandrova-Kelomanov
Fish of the Bulgarian Coastal Waters
Kamen Prodanov, Kristina Dencheva, and Ludia Ivanov
Bulgaria's Amphibians and Reptiles
Vladimir A. Beshkov
The Bulgarian Ornithofauna
Tanyu Michev and Petar Iankov
The Small Mammals (Insectivora, Lagomorpha, Rodentia) of Bulgaria
Vassil Popov
The Bats of Bulgaria
Vladimir A. Beshkov
Large Mammals (Macromammalia) of Bulgaria
Geko Spiridonov and Nikolai Spassov
Section Two: Management of Bulgaria's Biological Resources
Protected Areas Management in Bulgaria
Michail Michailov and Lubomira Mileva
Contemporary Trends in the Development of Bulgaria's Protected Areas System
Geko Spiridonov and Lubomira Mileva
Forest Resources and Their Ecological Functions in Bulgaria
Christo Bojinov
Wild Medicinal Plant Resources in Bulgaria and Recommendations for Their Long-term Development
Rayna Hardalova, Lyuba Evstatieva, and Chavdar Gussev
Plant Genetic Resources and Their Management in Bulgaria
Dimitar Stoyanov
Preservation of Livestock Genetic Resources in Bulgaria
Tsvetan Dimitrov, Ivana Dimitrova, and Dimitar Vassilev
The Preservation of Autochthonous Breeds of Domestic Animals in Bulgaria
Jordan Danchev
Status of the Populations of Wild Animals Subject to Economic Use in Bulgaria
Velichko Velichkov and Lubomir Profirov
Status and Assessment of Bulgarian Fish Resources
Nickolai Kissiov, Petar Kolarov, Tzvetan Dikov, Sonia Zlatanova, Atanas Boiadjiev, and Petar Petrov
Soil Cover, Land Use, and Soil Degradation in Bulgaria
Pencho P. Konishev, Alexander V. Koulikov, and Hachadur D. Tchuldjian
Section Three: Socioeconomic Aspects of Biodiversity Conservation in Bulgaria
Legal-Sociological Problems of Safeguarding Biological Resources in Bulgaria
Stefka S. Naumova
European Nature Protection Law and Its Significance for Bulgaria
James J. Friedberg
Protection of Biological Resources in Bulgaria Under International Environmental Law
David Downes and Chris Wold
Economics and Biodiversity Conservation in Bulgaria
Carollyne Hutter
Institution Building to Protect Biological Resources: A Perspective from the United States Park Service
William J. Briggle
Regional Planning and the Conservation of Biological Resources in Bulgaria
Plamena Borisova
An Eco and Sustainable Tourism Development Strategy for Bulgaria
Nicholas Spall
Section Four: Reports of Bulgarian Non-Governmental Organizations
Summary Report of the Bulgarian Conservation Non-Governmental Organizations
Boriana Mihova
500 Opinions on Man and Biodiversity: Analysis of an Opinion Poll
Julietta Penchovska
Report of the Bulgarian Bird Protection Society
Peter Yankov
Report of the Bulgarian Union for the Conservation of the Rhodope Mountains
Jordan Danchev
The Biological Diversity of the Black Sea Shelf Along the Bulgarian Coast and Its Adjacent Landscape
Rumyana Petev
Report of the Green Balkans Movement on the Bulgarian National Biological Diversity Conservation Strategy
Hristo Nikolov, Blagoy Gruev, Dimitar Delipavlov, Dimo Gramatikov, Andon Darahtchiev, Andrey Stojanov, Teodora Ivanova, Boian Petrov, and Petko Tzvetkov
Report of the Wilderness Fund on the Status and Conservation of Biological Diversity in the Central Part of the Balkan Mountains
Nikolai Spassov, Kiril Georgiev, and Pavel Vassilev With the support and advice of the expert team of the Wilderness Fund
Map 1. Selected Features of Bulgaria Map
Macromycetes Fungi
Map 2. Areas of Species Richness; Further Study Needed
Map 3. Areas with Rare Fungi Species
Map 4. Areas with Threatened Species of Fungi
Vascular Plant Ecology
Map 5. Distribution of Bulgarian Endemic Plants
Map 6. Distribution of Balkan Endemic Plants
Plant Community Ecology
Map 7. Distribution of Representative Plant Communities
Map 8. Distribution of Rare Plant Communities
Map 9. Distribution of Bulgarian Endemic Plant Communities
Map 10. Distribution of Balkan Endemic Plant Communities
Invertebrates
Map 11. Unique Territories
Map 12. Poorly Known Areas
Map 13. Rare Taxa
Map 14. Bulgarian Endemic Species
Map 15. Balkan Endemic Species
Map 16. Threatened Invertebrates Requiring Protection
Map 17. Fragile and Threatened Invertebrates
Fresh Water and Black Sea Ecology
Map 18. Sites with Algae, Benthos and Plankton Species in Need of Protection
Map 19. Distribution of Bulgarian Coastal Fish Populations
Reptile and Amphibian Ecology
Map 20. Distribution and Consumption of Tortoise (Testudo) Species
Bird Ecology
Map 21. Distribution of Bird Species
Map 22. Distribution of Rare Bird Species
Map 23. Distribution of Unique Bird Ecosystems and Habitats
Map 24. Bird Migration Routes
Map 25. Threatened or Fragile Bird Sites
Map 26. Distribution of Bird Habitat Types
Map 27. Distribution of Sites with the Most Representative Examples of Bird Diversity
Forest Ecology
Map 28. Forest-Climatic Regions of Bulgaria
Economic Species
Map 29. Distribution of Medicinal Plant Species Under Threat
Since 1989, Bulgaria has experienced profound social, economic and political changes that continue to have far-reaching implications for the protection and sustainable use of the country's rich flora and fauna. Bulgarian officials, scientists, and conservationists working to respond to these changes were assisted in the period 1991-1994 to develop a set of recommendations for conserving Bulgaria's biota through the National Biological Diversity Conservation Strategy (NBDCS) project. A 3-year process, spanning from 1992 to 1995, was funded by the Bureau for Europe and the New Independent States of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID/ENI) and was carried out as technical assistance to the Government of Bulgaria's Ministry of Environment (MOE) by the U.S.-based Biodiversity Support Program, a consortium of World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy, and World Resources Institute.
Central to the development of the Strategy, which included a summary review of the current status of biological resources in Bulgaria, was a planning process in which a series of papers on key aspects of the country's biodiversity were prepared. Teams of top Bulgarian scientists were recruited to prepare these papers, as were representatives of national and regional nongovernmental organizations and government agencies, and professionals in the fields of protected area management, environmental economics, law, tourism, regional planning, and private/park partnerships.
The papers were presented at the National Biological Diversity Conservation Strategy workshop, held at Sveti Vrach, outside Sandanski, Bulgaria on March 12-20, 1993. The workshop and the background documents, were designed to develop consensus on a national strategy for the conservation and sustainable use of Bulgarian natural resources, and to provide a framework for future foreign assistance to conservation and development projects.
In preparation for the workshop, the teams of scientists and agency and organizational representatives were enlisted to assemble and evaluate information on the biological basis for conservation planning in Bulgaria. They were charged with the task of exploring and forming recommendations within the fields of biological diversity, applied biology, social and economic sciences, including law and policy, nongovernmental actions and opportunities, and information as a management and policy tool (particularly in the form of geographical information systems (GIS)). For each respective taxonomic group or resource, the biological and applied biology teams were asked to summarize the current state of knowledge about their topic, with particular attention to the following categories:
This preparation resulted in the most comprehensive assembly of knowledge about Bulgaria's biological resources and their status to be gathered in one place. The publication of these papers in Bulgarian and English represents the compilation of this accumulated knowledge in a physical form that may be accessed by anyone in search of information.
The English versions of these papers are collected into a single book, which parallels the structure and order of the two volumes published in Bulgarian. Topics in both publications range from macromycetes to large mammals, from wild medicinal plants and plant genetic resources to domestic endemics and relatives of wild species. The policy components of the papers include current and recommended management practices, suggested law and policy frameworks, and attitudes among the public toward protected areas and biodiversity. In total, there are 41 individual papers. In addition, 21 of the 52 original and 15 composite maps developed for this project are included in Section 5.
These maps, rendered for publication on Arc/ViewTM, are the culmination of a process in which each of the five teams produced drawings on scale maps that were subsequently digitized and coded as data sets in the geographical information system. The data was then synthesized and used to produce composite maps, such as the gap analysis map that appeared in Conserving Biological Diversity in Bulgaria: The National Biological Diversity Conservation Strategy published in June, 1994. These maps were created using multiple data sets which were scored and com-bined to produce a compound image. Though the maps in this publication were produced at Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI), in Redlands, California, they are derived from the same data base that resides on the GIS system at the Institute of Zoology in Sofia, Bulgaria.
The audiences for this publication are the participants of the NBDCS workshop and other scientists who will find the taxonomic information and recommendations within their own disciplines interesting. However, we hope that the citizens, scientists, NGOs and government officials of Bulgaria and other countries, especially in Central and Eastern Europe, on whom depends the successful creation and implementation of sustainable development practices, will find these papers to be helpful in assessing their resources and developing their longterm strategies. The impetus for this work has been the hope that it will be useful in safeguarding and sustaining Bulgaria's biological diversity while generating social and economic benefits for current and future generations.
The Biodiversity Support Program would like to reprise briefly our thanks to the many institutions and individuals who made this publication possible:
The Government of Bulgaria and all of its agencies, particularly the Ministry of Environment and National Nature Protection Service (formerly the Office of Biodiversity, Protected Areas and Forests), the Committee of Forests, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Regional Development and Construction, and the Committee on Tourism;
All participants in the National Biological Diversity Conservation Strategy Workshop and their colleagues, many of whom are listed among the authors of the following papers;
The Bureau for Europe and the New Independent States of USAID and Lori Freer, Environmental Specialist;
Dr. Francesca Grifo, Director of the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History;
Dr. Iva Apostolova of the Institute of Botany, Dr. Gergin Blagoev of the Institute of Zoology and Dr. Stoyan Blagoev of the Bulgarian Ministry of Environment's Laboratory and Information Center for their work on the geographical information system and subsequent composite maps; and
Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. for their generous contribution of PC Arc/ViewTM to the NBDCS project and ultimately to the Institute of Zoology in Sofia, Bulgaria.
For this publication, special thanks are due to: Dr. Curt Meine who spent an entire summer editing the imposing volume of papers that follow, and who eloquently fashioned from the abundant information contained within them a clear summary, solid framework, and lucid strategy document.
Dr. Marieta Sakalian who edited and oversaw publication of the Bulgarian version of the papers. Dr. Sakalian was essential to BSP's understanding of the subtleties and details of language which might have been lost in translation. Her skills were critical to the availability of this knowledge in both languages.
Mr. Charles Convis, ESRI Conservation Program Coordinator, for his consistent enthusiasm and commitment to this project, and to making accessible to the broadest constituency possible the information and tools by which conservation can be achieved. His generous assistance in producing the maps incorporated in this volume is deeply appreciated.
Bruce Leighty and Norah Heckman of Biodiversity Support Program, for sustaining life in the NDBCS project until formatting of these papers could be completed, and for making possible their final publication.
Richard Klein for giving form to the publication by virtue of many hours spent in formatting the following pages on computer.
Christie Feral who acted as managing editor and gave considerable time and energy to rendering the many pages into a completed volume.