Annex 2 PES-Bulgaria

‘Complementary financing for Environment in the context of Accession - Innovative sources’ National level analysis Country: Bulgaria Authors: Maya Todorova Yuliya Grigorova and Yanka Kazakova August 2007 Citation and disclaimer This report should be quoted as follows: Todorova, M., Grigorova, Y. & Kazakova Y. 2007. Complementary Financing for Environment in the Context of Accession – Innovative Resources: National Report Bulgaria. A project for the European Commission (contract 070201/2006/443879/MAR/E3). WWF Danube Carpathian Programme. 35 pp + Annexes. The contents and views contained in this report are those of the authors, and do not necessarily represent those of the European Commission. WWF is the world largest and most effective conservation organization. The mission of WWF is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment, and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by: conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of the renewable natural resources is sustainable and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. WWF Danube Carpathian Programme (WWF DCP) is responsible for leading and to a significant extent implementing WWF’s efforts to preserve, restore and sustainably manage the natural values of the Danube-Carpathian ecoregions. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CASE STUDY AREA......................................... 4 2 SWOT ANALYSIS......................................................................................18 3 DEVELOPMENTS AND PRESSURES ............................................................19 4 VALUE OF BIODIVERSITY ........................................................................22 5 SELECTION OF STUDY SITES....................................................................22 6 OPPORTUNITY COSTS OF MAINTAINING BIODIVERSITY ...........................25 7 PAYMENT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES ............................................28 8 INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS................................................................32 9 SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................33 10 ACKNOWLEDEGEMNTS, DATA SOURCES, REFERENCES AND DATA ANNEXES ......................................................................................................35 3 1 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CASE STUDY AREA Geographic location and boundaries The Natural Park of Roussenski Lom is a natural complex of ecological, historical and cultural significance. The park is located in the northeast of Bulgaria, in the canyon-like valley of the Roussenski Lom River, the last major right tributary of the Danube before it spills into the Black Sea. The area was designated as a nature park in 1970. Covering an area of 3,408 ha, the Park includes territories of 2 districts: Rousse district, including Ivanovo and Vetovo municipalities; and Razgrad district, including Tzar Kaloyan municipality. Following the planned extension of the park boundaries, its area will increase 3 times to about 10,000 ha, including more territories of Rousse municipality towards Rousse and Vetovo. The boundaries will extend to Vetovo, Krivnia, Senovo in the East; Rousse, Tabachka, Shirokovo to Ostrica in the West; and Svalenik in South. With these additional territories, the Park will rank sixth among all 10 natural parks in Bulgaria in terms of area. Map 1. Current (blue) and future (blue and red) boundaries of Natural Park Roussenski Lom The whole territory of the park is divided into four zones in terms of their functions: • Visiting zone – includes settlements (villages) serving as points of departure to the park • Recreation zone (approximately 48% of the park) – includes the river valley of Mali Lom and the pertaining forest areas • Historical zone (ca. 19%) – includes historical sites in Ivanovo municipality • Zone under strict protection (approximately 32% of the park) – this zone includes the river valley of Beli Lom and the adjoining forest areas between Pisanec and Nisovo. 4 Zones will be redrawn following enlargement of the park. Four rivers cross the territory of the park: the Roussenski Lom, Beli Lom, Cherni Lom and Mali Lom rivers. The Roussenski Lom River is the last major right tributary of the Danube before it spills into the Black Sea. The river is formed by the Beli and Cherni Lom Rivers. Before merging, the two rivers have a length of 130 km for the Cherni Lom and 140 km for the Beli Lom and a drainage basin of 1,549 km² and 1,276 km², respectively. Both rivers primarily run northwestwards, with the Beli Lom going west at Senovo and the Cherni Lom flowing northeast after Shirokovo, as the two rivers get closer to merge north of Ivanovo. The Roussenski Lom empties into the Danube at the city of Rousse, which gives the river its name, with a total length from the source of the Beli Lom being 196.9 km. There are underground reservoirs, but they lie deep under the loess sediments. In the river valleys, underground water can be located superficially, at 1-3 m depth. There are karst springs along the river valleys, some of which are used for water supply. In general, the Loms’ waters can be used for animals and fish farming, but should be purified before they are used for drinking and food preparation. Soils The main soil types are black earth (chernozem) – represented by leached calcareous chernozem and leached chernozem as well as alluvial soils. Chernozems have favourable physical characteristics for agricultural production – loose, good aeration, high porouseness. The soil horizon varies between 30 and 80 cm. The humus content is within 1.6 and 3%. Alluvial soils are spread in the river valleys. Their soil horizon is 100- 150 cm, and humus content is 2-2.8%. Most agricultural lands are on alluvial soils, which are highly fertile and suitable for cultivation of cereals, industrial crops, vegetables and perennial plants. According to the Park management plan from 2002, erosion measures are not to be undertaken in the park boundaries because forest areas have light erosion, and agricultural lands are not eroded. Biodiversity On the territory of Roussenski Lom Nature Park there are 29 habitat types as defined by CORINE from them 17 habitats are in the group of the ones needed strict protection. The CORINE classification is basis for the identification of the habitats of high priority, namely: • Aquatic with floating cormophytes ( Lemna sp. div., etc.); • Riparian, spring and marshy fresh-water with hydrophilous and hygrophilous vegetation. • Riparian terraces with reach well-moisture soils with hygro mesophil оus and mesophilous wood and grass vegetation; • Trampled often nitrified soils with ruderal vegetation; • stone walls and cracks, screes and eluvia with hasmophyte vegetation; • Fields near steep areas exposed mainly to north with well developed moderately to weakly moisturized soils with mesophyte and xeromesophilic vegetation; • Fields near steep areas exposed east and west with well-developed and moderately moisturized soils with mesoxerophyte and xerophyte vegetation; 5 • Steep mesotherm and xeromesotherm slopes with rock disclosures covered with xeromesophilic vegetation; • Xerotherm areas with eroded soils with xerophilous grass and shrub vegetation. The whole area within the current boundaries of the Park has been proposed as a Natura 2000 site. Woodlands The total area of woodlands (forests and lands) in the Park is 2,808 ha, which is approximately 67% of the park territory. 2,281 ha of the woodlands (81.3 %) is afforested. There are 27 tree species. Oriental hornbeam occupies the largest area – 573.1 ha (25% of the afforested areas), followed by black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) – 508.9 ha (22.3%) and Turkey oak (Quercus cerris ) – 443 ha (19.4%). The main part of the park is occupied by local species. Forests are mainly deciduous, occupying 265.5 including oak, and ash among others. Coniferous forests occupy about 66 ha, represented by pine trees and mixed coniferous- deciduous cultures. Flora Flora is represented by 825 plant species, 27 of which are sub-species. The park is the only place where Polygala sibirica and Verbascum dieskianum can be found -- highly vulnerable species with extremely small populations . Galium rubioides, Anemone sylvestris, Chamaecytsus kovacevii, Stenbergia colchiciflor, Astragalus ha аrbachii all have small populations within the park There is only one place in the Park, where the rare Batrachospermum moniliform e can be found and it is highly vulnerable due to water contamination. The hydrophilous species along the rivers are vulnerable and under the EU conventions protection. Other highly vulnerable species in the Park are: Galanthus nivalis, Orchis tridentata , Orchis simia, Orchis purpureae,Orchis morio, Himanthoglossum hircinum, Cephalanthera longifolia, Cyclamen hederifolium, Cephalanthera damasonium. There are 95 species of macrofungi, 5 of them of special conservation significance. Most of the species are found in deciduous forests. Among them are 23 valuable edible species, including Agaricus campestris, Armillaria mellea , Boletus aestivalis, Cantharellus cibarius, Craterellus cornucopioides. Fauna The variety of climatic conditions and habitats contributes to the high diversity among animal species. Six protected insect species have been identified: the red wood ant ( Formica rufa ) and caterpillar-hunter ( Calosoma inquisitor ), Calosoma sicophanta , stag beetle ( Lucanus cervus ), Oryctes nasicornis and Saturnia piri . There are 22 fish species identified,

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