Plant Conservation in Bulgaria

National Red Data Books

Chervena kniga na NR Bulgariya: izcheznali zastrasheni ot izchezvane i redki rasteniya i zhivotni [Red Data Book of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria. Volume 1. Plants]. V. Velchev, S. Kozuharov, I. Bondev, B. Kuzmanov & M. Markova. 1984. Pp. 447. Sofiya: Izdatelstvo na Bulgarskata Akademiya na Naukite. In Bulgarian (with English & Russian summaries). Describes 763 threatened species, including data on distribution, habitats and ecology.

Threatened plant species in Bulgaria including candidate species for Appendix I of the Bern Convention. D. Peev. 1993. Council of Europe, Strasbourg. List prepared for the 13th meeting of the Standing Committee of the Bern Convention.

Preliminary data on Bulgarian threatened bryophytes. A. Ganeva. 1998. Lindbergia 23: 33–37. Lists 59 (out of 169) liverworts and 142 (out of 599) mosses.

Red list and threat status of Bulgarian macromycetes. M. G'oseva, V. Fakirova & C. Dencev. 2000.

A new red data book is in preparation and will be completed and published at the end of 2006.

Floras

Flora Reipublicae Bulgaricae. 10 vols. 1963-1995. D. Jordanov, S.I. Kozuharov & B.A. Kuzmanov (eds.). Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Publishing, Sofia.

Fungi Bulgaricae. 4 vols. 1991-2001. I. Kovatschevski, V. Fakirova & S. Vanev (eds.). Bulgarska Akademiya Na Nauite, Sofia.

Vegetation

To the north of the Stara Planina (mountains running east-west across Bulgaria), Central European vegetation with steppe elements (Stipa, Astragalus, Phlomis spp.). On the Stara Planina, coniferous forest to 2000-2300m with juniper and pine-scrub at higher altitutes and alpine flora (Dyras, Empetrum and Salix spp.). Deciduous oak and beech forests extend from the north-west with conifer forests of Pinus heldreichii and P. peuce in the south and south-west. Forests of P. peuce particularly well-developed in Bulgaria, forming pure stands above 1700m in the Rila, Pirin and western Rhodope Mts. They cover 11,600 ha, about 3% of the country's conifer forests. To the south in the plain of Thrace, sub-Mediterranean maquis of Quercus coccifera, Phillyrea, Cistus. (Paragraph reproduced with permission from Davis, S.D. et al. (1986). Plants in Danger: What do we know? IUCN, Gland, Switzerland).

Plant Conservation Programmes

The Green Balkans Federation of NGOs runs several conservation programmes on wetland restoration, forests and mountain habitats, species (especially mammals) and protected areas. There is very little information on plant conservation programmes available.

The Bulgarian-Swiss Biodiversity Conservation Programme is financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and carried out through the Bulgarian Ministry of Environment and Water. The project aims to protect biodiversity and to manage the ecosystems in Bulgaria.

Key Institutions

Ministry of Environment and Water of Bulgaria, 67 William Gladstone str., BG-1000 Sofia.

Executive Environmental Agency, 136 Tzar Boris III blvd., BG-1618 Sofia.

Institute of Botany, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. Georgi Bonchev Street, Bl. 23, BG-1113 Sofia.

Faculty of Biology, Sofia University St Kliment Ohridski, 8 blvd. Dragan Tzankov, BG-1164 Sofia.

University of Forestry, 10 Kliment Okhridsky Blvd., BG-1756 Sofia.

Botanic Garden, Okolovrastno shosse Str., POB 604, BG-1000 Sofia.

National Museum of Natural History, 1 Tzar Osvoboditel Blvd., BG-1000 Sofia.

Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation, 75 Sredna gora Str., BG-1303 Sofia. A non-profit organisation that contributes to the conservation of the natural heritage of Bulgaria and neighbouring countries of South-Eastern Europe, with an increased involvement of the civil society.

Wilderness Fund, 7 Gotze Delchev Blvd, BG-1612 Sofia.

Acknowledgement

Last updated June 2006.