Strategy for the Protection and Restoration of Floodplain Forests on the Bulgarian Danube Islands

Ministry of Ministry of National Environment Agriculture Forestry Board and Water and Forests

2001 This Strategy is jointly developed by the

Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, the Ministry of Environment and Water,

WWF, Bulgarian experts and NGOs.

Publisher: WWF International Danube Carpathian Programme, Vienna Umweltstiftung WWF Deutschland / WWF-Auen-Institut (WWF Institute for Floodplains Ecology), Rastatt

Edited by: Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, National Forestry Board Bulgarian Ministry of Environment and Water Green Balkans, Bulgaria - Federation of Conservation NGOs WWF-Auen-Institut (WWF Institute for Floodplains Ecology)

Cartography: Detlef Günther-Diringer, Nils Harm, Georgy Tinchev

Layout: Andreas Jung

Photos: Karl Gutzweiler, Dr. Erika Schneider

Rastatt, July 2001 Strategy for the Protection and Restoration of Floodplain Forests on the Bulgarian Danube Islands

Ministry of Agriculture and Forests 55, Hristo Botev Blvd. 1040 Sofia, Bulgaria Phone: 00 359 (0) 2 98 5111 99 Fax: 00 359 (0) 2 98 19 17 3 www.mzgar.government.bg

Ministry of Environment and Water 67, William Gladstone Str. 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria Phone: 00 359 (0) 29 40 62 22 Fax: 00 359 (0) 29 86 25 33 E-mail: [email protected]

National Forestry Board 55, Hristo Botev Blvd. 1040 Sofia, Bulgaria Phone: 00 359 (0) 2 98 5115 03 Fax: 00 359 (0) 2 98 13 73 6 E-mail: [email protected] www.nug.bg

WWF Germany WWF-Auen-Institut Institute for Floodplains Ecology Josefstr. 1 D-76437 Rastatt Phone: 0049 (0) 72 22 38 07-0 Fax: 0049 (0) 72 22 38 07-99 E-mail: [email protected]

WWF International Ottakringerstr. 114-116 Danube Carpathian Programme A-1160 Vienna Phone: 0043 (0) 1 48 8172 57 Fax: 0043 (0) 1 48 8172 76 E-mail: [email protected]

160 Shesti Septemvry Blvd. 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria Phone: 00 359(0) 32 62 69 77 Fax: 00 359(0) 32 26 45 16 NGO „Green Balkans“ Bulgaria E-mail: [email protected] PREFACE ...... 5

SUMMARY ...... 7

INTRODUCTION ...... 8

I. THE LOWER DANUBE FLOODPLAIN FORESTS ...... 9

II. STATUS OF THE BULGARIAN DANUBE ISLANDS ...... 10 1. BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION IMPORTANCE ...... 10 HABITATS ...... 10 FLORA AND VEGETATION ...... 10 FAUNA ...... 12 CONSERVATION IMPORTANCE OF THE AREA ...... 14 2. FORESTS STATUS AND TRENDS ...... 16 3. PROTECTED AREAS ...... 20

III. ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF THE DANUBE ISLANDS RESOURCE MANAGEMENT ...... 22 ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF POPLAR PRODUCTION FOR THE STATE ...... 23 ECONOMIC ASPECTS FOR THE STATE FROM FLOODPLAIN FORESTS RESTORATION ON THE DANUBE ISLANDS ...... 24

IV. POLICY BASIS FOR THE STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION ...... 26 1. LEGAL DOCUMENTS ...... 26 2. POLICY DOCUMENTS ...... 27 3. INSTITUTIONAL ASPECTS ...... 28

V. STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK FOR FLOODPLAIN FORESTS PROTECTION AND RESTORATION ON THE DANUBE ISLANDS ...... 29 1. THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY ON THE DANUBE ISLANDS ...... 29 2. INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT GOALS FOR THE DANUBE ISLANDS ...... 30 3. RANGE OF MEASURES FOR THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE GOALS ...... 31 4. IMPLEMENTATION ...... 32 NEXT STEPS ...... 32 FINANCIAL SOURCES FOR THE STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION ...... 32

REFERENCES ...... 33

ANNEXES ...... 36 ANNEX 1. HABITATS BALANCE ON THE BULGARIAN DANUBE ISLANDS ...... 36 ANNEX 2. CRITERIA FOR THE SELECTION OF RESTORATION SITES FOR DANUBE NATIVE FLOODPLAIN FORESTS ...... 37 ANNEX 3. CRITERIA FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE PROTECTED AREAS NETWORK . .37 MAPS ...... 38 Preface

Forests are a natural resource of primary socio-economic and environmental importance, and a heritage to be preserved for future generations. As the reproduction of natural forests takes more than one generation, they are not only a resource of economic and social interest, but also vulnerable components of natural ecosystems. Their preservation depends on responsible use and protection over many generations.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forests of the Republic of Bulgaria is the key institution responsible for the management of most renewable natural resources in the country, including forests. In view of Bulgaria’s accession to the European Union, and the international agreements to which our country is signatory, we are committed to sustainable management and protection of natural forests not only on a national, but also on a European and global scale, which has direct implications for the formulation of our forestry policy priorities combining economic, social and ecological considerations. The achievement of such a balanced policy is crucial for the Bulgarian Danube islands, which feature a very specific combination of favourable natural conditions for economic development, and essential ecological functions. Their sustainable management requires a fine equilibrium to be established between poplar timber production and the conservation of their unique floodplain habitats.

With our current strategy we are taking a confident step towards a modern model for sustainable forestry management. We hope that its implementation will become a successful positive example for our future management policies and for approaches to other areas of similar importance.

Ventsislav Vurbanov Minister of Agriculture and Forests In June 2000, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Moldavia signed a Declaration to create a Lower Danube Green Corridor of 900,000 ha consisting of existing and newly established protected areas and restored wetlands. This is the largest international initiative in the region, aimed directly at the implementation of international conventions in the field of biodiversity conservation, and also satisfying the requirements of the European Union Habitats and Birds Directives.

The present strategy is an important practical step towards fulfilling the commit- ments of our country to the establishment of the Lower Danube Green Corridor. It is the product of successful cooperation between institutions from different sectors and government levels, international and national non-governmental organizations.

This strategy document is a wonderful example of the integration of biodiversity issues into forestry sector policy and a major contribution to the achievement of global biodiversity conservation goals along the Danube river.

Allow me to congratulate all partners on this excellent initiative and to wish them the same success with the practical implementation of the Floodplain Forest Protection and Restoration Strategy for the Danube islands.

Evdokiya Maneva Minister of Environment and Water Summary

The Lower Danube, together with the Danube Delta, is one of the world’s outstanding freshwater ecoregions. On the Bulgarian Danube islands (75 islands with a total area of 10,713.4 ha), 53 main types and combinations of habitats have been described, ranking their diversity as high as Bulgaria’s largest National Parks. The floodplain forests, channels and marshes on the islands are integral parts of the Danube migration corridor, essential for the distribution of many plant and animal species. These habitats support biodiversity of national, European and global importance.

Since the early 1960s, the islands have been subjected to targeted intervention for the creation of poplar forestry, which has led to the conversion of natural floodplain forests to hybrid poplar plantations. The current Forestry Plans envisage further large-scale conversion of natural habitats to poplar monocultures, affecting in particular floodplain forests. Areas covered in native species would decrease from the current 30 % to 7.7 %, and some native species would disappear completely. It is of primary importance to halt this alarming trend, and to restore, where feasible, the formerly rich biodiversity of the islands.

This will require a compromise between economic interests and conservation goals. This is made possible by the fact that all 75 Danube islands are owned exclusively by the state and managed by the National Forestry Board of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, which is committed to developing a balanced and sustainable forestry policy on the Danube islands. The analysis of poplar economy on the islands indicates that a feasible economic compromise can be achieved, entailing the prevention of further conversion of floodplain forests into poplar plantations, and setting aside 30 % of the plantation area that will be logged within the next five years for floodplain forest restoration. The effects of reduced poplar production can be mitigated by a number of measures including intensification in areas that will continue to be used for poplar timber production, as well as alternative sources of livelihood for local people, such as ecotourism, sustainable use of forest resources, hunting, fisheries, etc. This compromise is even more attractive in view of the benefits for biodiversity conservation and compliance with nature conservation requirements of the European Union.

The present Strategy for Protection and Restoration of Floodplain Forests on the Danube islands lays down the framework of a new management policy. It defines integrated strategic goals for the conservation and restoration of natural floodplain forests, improvement in the protected areas network and increasing institutional resources, as well as sustainable use of timber and non-timber natural resources on the Danube islands. A five year Action Plan will be developed for the implementation of the Strategy, on the basis of which of the local Forestry Plans for the Danube islands will be amended.

Initial estimates indicate that significant financial resources will be needed for floodplain forest restoration over the next 5 years; for the restoration of channels on the islands; extension of the protected areas network; training and public awareness activities, institutional capacity building, etc. The exact cost of these measures will be identified in the Action Plan for this strategy. The government will provide support for the implementation of some priority nature conservation activities on the islands. The government will actively look for funding from both national sources and international donor organizations for the activities for the strategy implementation. Introduction

Over the last 40 years, forestry management on the Danube islands has been limited to economic interest resulting in large-scale poplar production. The expansion of poplar plantations has led to destruction of natural floodplain forests, drastic decline in the islands’ outstanding biological diversity, and has threatened the survival of species and habitats of global importance. In the early 1990s, on the initiative of the then Committee of Forests, first contac- ts were established with the WWF Germany Institute of Floodplains Ecology and the WWF International Danube Carpathian Programme (former Green Danube Programme). As part of this programme, a Bulgarian Floodplain Forests project was successfully implemented between 1994 and 1996, with pilot floodplain forest restoration and protection activities on selected Danube islands. At the beginning of 1998, a Wetlands Working Group was formed between the National Forestry Board, the Ministry of Environment and Water, Green Balkans Federation and WWF. The objective of the working group was to co-ordinate and support floodplain and wetland conservation and restoration activities in the Bulgarian part of the Danube basin and also develop the protected areas network. At the beginning of 1998, the working group prepared a framework document for the Danube wetlands, based on which at the end of 1998 a joint Declaration was signed between the NFB, MoEW and MRDPW, emphazising the importance of Danube wetlands and the need for their conservation, restoration and sustainable management. The Declaration is/was open to other interested parties, and was supported by more than 130 environmental NGOs at their national annual meeting in 1999. The working group also developed a concept to establish the Bulgarian part of a Lower Danube Green Corridor, to include restoration of existing and former wetlands; conservation and restoration of natural floodplain forests; and extendion of the protected areas network in the Danube river basin. In April the concept was presented at a meeting in Tulcea, (Tulcea!) Romania, which included representatives from Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine and Moldova. The meeting initiated the joint work of the four countries to establish the Green Corridor. As a result a Declaration for the Establishment of a Lower Danube Green Corridor was signed by the Environment Ministers of Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Moldova in June 2000, in Bucharest. Since then, Bulgaria has carried out a number of activities towards the establishment of the Green Corridor, including the designation of Persina Nature Park; planning and preparation of new protected areas and wetland restoration activities. Based on the experience of the working group over the last five years, it has become clear that a framework policy document is needed to lay down the foundations for sustainable management of the Danube islands. The present Strategy for Protection and Restoration of Floodplain Forests stems from this agreement. It provides the framework for a coherent and sustainable management policy for the islands forests. Based on a careful analysis, the Strategy defines environmental and socio-economic goals for the Danube islands. Specific implementation measures will be defined in the subsequent Action Plan, based on which the present Forestry Plans will be revised and brought in line with the goals of the Strategy.

Dipl. Eng. Milko Stanchev Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forests

8 I. THE LOWER DANUBE FLOODPLAIN FORESTS

The Lower Danube, from the Iron Gate to the Danube Delta, has an average slope of 0.05 ‰. It features nume- rous branches and islands composed of relatively fine sediments, as well as natural levees on the river banks, dam- ming up tributaries with low transportation capacity. The Danube floodplains vegetation is formed under the impact of the river’s hydrological and morphological dynamics, which determine the succession and spatial distribution of plant communities.

The influence of the continental climate results in a visible change of vegetation along the river from west to east. Although there are some submediterranean and balkanic-moesic climatic influences in the western part of the Lower Danube, its vegetation is typically influenced by continental climate with dry summers and hard frost winters. Due to these conditions, typical species occurring on the Lower Danube are the Hairy ash (Fraxinus pallissae=holot- richa), Balkan oak (Quercus pedunculiflora), Tatar maple (Acer tataricum), Greek liane (Periploca graeca), Asparagus tenuifolius and A. pseudoscaber, Swallow wort (Cynanchum acutum) and Sweet wort (Glycyrhiza echi- nata). The Tamarisk (Tamarix ramosissima) occurs as a pioneer species on the entire Lower Danube including the delta on the Black Sea.

Despite human induced changes (such as river bed erosion after the construction of power plants), there is a visible repartition of vegetation in the transection from the low water levels to the highest floodplain levels on the islands, corresponding to the dynamics of the hydrological regime and sedimentation of different grain size. Typical for the Lower Danube with its extended floodplains, low slope and fine sized sediments are large areas of softwood stands, dominated by two different types of White willow (Salix alba) communities. Flooding duration has a strong influence on the vegetation character, in particular with regard to the species composition of the herbaceous layer. In areas around the mean water level where flooding lasts for about six months, softwood stands are poor in species composition and structure, with only White willow (Salix alba) in the tree layer and very poor shrub layer. The herbaceous layer is composed mainly of indicator species for longer flooded areas which are well adapted to changing water levels. In longer flooded areas between the mean water level and the low water level, only short living annual herbaceous plants occur. In areas where flooding duration is no longer than four months, the softwood forests include, beside White willow, White and Grey poplar (Populus alba, Populus canescens), as well as locally small leaved ash (Fraxinus angustifolia). Black poplar (Populus nigra) is also present in such types of forest stands, but occurs less frequently than the White poplar.

The Small leaved ash (Fraxinus angustifolia) marks the transition from soft to hardwood forests and is locally dominant in the low levels of hardwood forests. Hardwood forests naturally occur less often in the lowland conditions of the Danube in comparison to softwood forests and, with some exceptions, have been eliminated by human activity. Only a few patches of near natural hardwood forests (Querco-Ulmetum) still remained on the Lower Danube, for example on the Romanian side in the floodplains Balta Greaca and Balta Calarasi and on the Bulgarian Vardim Island, as well as the famous hardwood forests in the dune areas of Letea and Caraorman in the Danube Delta. On the Romanian stretches of the Lower Danube, hardwood forests include stands dominated by Balkan oak (Quercus pedunculiflora) and Small leaved ash (Fraxinus angustifolia), while the Common oak (Quercus robur) has a sub- dominant role. The Hairy ash (Fraxinus pallissae) also occurs in these forests. The Greek liane (Periploca graeca), the Swallow wort (Cynanchum acutum) and the Wild wine (Vitis sylvestris) form thick veils locally giving the Lower Danube forests a tropical-like appearance. Depending on the micro-relief, the herbaceous layer is composed of species with different humidity needs.

9 II. STATUS OF THE BULGARIAN DANUBE ISLANDS

1. BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION IMPORTANCE

On the Bulgarian stretch of the Danube, there are 75 islands with a total area of 10,713 ha. The hydrological dynamics of the Danube River, its erosion and sedimentation activity and periodic flooding of different duration, height and frequency, have determined the formation of the islands, their unique vegetation and rich wildlife diversity.

HABITATS

Using the Classification of Palearctic Habitats, 14 groups of habitats with 53 main types and combinations have been identified on the islands1 . Such a high diversity on an area of 100 km2 is comparable only with that of the big- gest national and nature parks in Bulgaria. A detailed habitats balance is presented in Annex 1.

The largest areas are covered by the following habitats: 83.321 Poplar plantations (35.63 % of the total islands area, and 53.26 % excluding Belene island); 82.11 Field crops (17.88 % of the total islands area, all of them situated on Belene island); 44.17 Salix alba and Populus alba Lower Danube galleries (17.59 %); 22.1 Permanent water bodies (2.72 %), 22.2 Temporary water bodies (1.87 %), 31.87 Woodland clearings (3.6 %).

Some of the habitat types on the islands have not been included in the balance, due to their naturally small areas or to the lack of reliable information on their actual distribution, such as 22.411. Duckweed covers; 22.415. Salvinia covers; 22.422. Small pondweed communities; 22.4311. Waterlily beds; 22.4313. Fringed waterlily beds; 24.31. Unvegetated river sands banks; 44.121. Almond willow-osier scrub; 44.123. Balkan purple willow forests; 44.814111. Danubio-tracian fresh water tamarix stands; 53.111. Flooded Phragmites beds; 53.112. Dry Phragmites beds; 53.12. Common clubrush beds; 53.132. Lasser reedmace beds.

The Danube islands are among the five most representative regions in Bulgaria for a number of habitats included in Annex I of the EU Habitats Directive. The Forestry Plans for the islands envisage large-scale conversion of these natural habitats to poplar and willow monocultures. The loss would be extremely high for those habitat types listed in the EU Habitats Directive (see Annex 2).

FLORA AND VEGETATION

The Danube River dynamics and the various microrelief structures have led to the formation of a rich plant diversity on the Danube islands. About 3,000 algal species and varieties, and over 200 Macromycetae have been described on the islands. Out of the 300 species of higher plants occuring on the islands, 162 species directly depend on the presence of water.

Different willow dominated communities represent natural floodplain forests on the islands, with White willow (Salix alba) covering the largest areas. The island banks, subject to long periods of flooding, are characterized by different formations of White (S. alba), Almond (S. triandra), and Purple willow (S. purpurea), with individual trees of Black

1 These habitats are mapped based on the forest database updated in 2000, and the latest Forestry Plan for Belene Island from 1983. Belene Island accounts for more than 40 % of the total area of the islands and the use of information from a period so far back in time creates serious uncertainties in the interpretation of the habitats balance.

10 (Populus nigra) and White poplar (P. alba), Ash (Fraxinus angustifolia=oxycarpa) and Elm (Ulmus minor=campestris and U.laevis= effusa). Less common forest communities are those dominated by Ash, Elm, White and Black poplar, most often in combination with White willow. Extremely rare floodplain oak forest communities are found on the elevated parts of Vardim island. They are dominated by a local ecological variety of the Common oak (Quercus longipes Stev.), with co-dominants Elm, White poplar and White willow, as well as individual trees of Black poplar, Ash, Mulberry (Morus nigra) and Pear (Pyrus communis). These unique floodplain forests feature well-developed curtains of Wild vine (Vitis sylvestris) and Hops (Humulus lupulus), and rare liane species such as Periploca graeca and Cynanchum acutum.

White willow regeneration on the river bank.

Typical shrub species in natural forests are the Dewberry (Rubus caesius), Common hawthorn (Crataegus mono- gyna), Common dogwood (Cornus sanguinea), Guelder rose (Viburnum opulus) , and Spindle tree (Euonymus euro- paeus), as well as the aggressive non-native Indigo shrub Amorpha fruticosa. Typical herbaceous species are Schoenoplectus lacustris, Rorippa amphibia, Scripus michelianus, Panicum crus-galii, Mentha aquatica, Urtica dioica, Cirsium creticum, Galium palustre, Rumex hydrolapathum, Lysimachia vulgaris, Bryonia alba and Oenanthe aquatica. The herbaceous species change significantly in the process of succession of the forest ecosystems.

The vegetation of island marshes and channels includes the following communities:

• Communities of fully submerged and non-rooted plants, such as Ceratophylum demersum; • Communities of submerged non-rooted plants with floating leaves on the surface, such as Salvinia natans, Azolla caroliniana, Spirodela polyrhiza, Lemna minor, Lemna trisulca, Wolffia arrhiza; • Communities of submerged rooted plants with floating leaves, such as different pondweed species (Potamogeton nodosus, Potamogeton trichoides), Frog-bit (Hydrocharis morsus-ranae), Fringed water-lily (Nymphoides peltata), Whorled and Spiked water-milfoil (Myriophyllum verticillatum, Myriophyllum spicatum);

11 • Communities of high reeds, such as Typha angustifolia, Typha latifolia, Phragmites australis; • Communities of tall sedge plants, such as the great bulrush (Schoenoplectus lacustris); • Communities of medium-height and low herbaceous species, such as the reed Sweet-grass (Glyceria aquatica); • Communities of medium-height sedge and rush plant species, such as Bolboschoenus maritimus, Cyperus longus, Sparganium ramosum, Butomus umbellatus, Oenanthe aquatica.

In the past, communities of White and Yellow water lily (Nymphaea alba, Nuphar luteum) Water chestnut (Trapa natans), and Clower farn (Marsilea quadrifolia) were formed on Persina island. After the dykes and drainage system construction, the first three, and probably the last of these communities disappeared from the Bulgarian Danube islands vegetation. Open water surfaces were replaced mainly by wet and dry formations of Typha angustifolia and Phragmites australis, with wetland and wet meadow species on the peripheries of these areas, such as Schoenoplectus lacustris, Carex divisa, C. flacca, Poa palustris, Phalaris arundinaceae, Juncus inflexus, Althaea officinalis, Potentilla reptans, Holoschoenus vulgaris, Tanacetum vulgare, Bolboschoenus maritimus, and Agrostis stolonifera.

Open herbaceous island communities are mainly dominated by Cynodon dactylon, Agrostis alba, Scripus michelianus. Ruderal vegetation is widespread, with most often occurring Verbascum blattaria, V. phlomoides, V. lychni- tis, Elymus repens, Hordeum murinum, Sclerohloa dura, Poa pratensis, P. compressa, Bromus mollis, and Bromus sterilis.

FAUNA

Water and water associated animals of European and Euro-Siberian origin are typical of the Danube islands. They have migrated along the biological corridor formed by the river, the wetlands on the banks and the wetlands on the islands. This process explains the occurrence of Mid-European species only in the Danube wetlands in Bulgaria.

About 1100 animal species occur on the Danube islands, including 250 zooplankton and 99 zoobenthic species, as well as over 770 invertebrates, with 35 species of snails and 16 species of bivalve molluscs. Among the 65 fish species in the river and the island marshes, most typical are Bulgarian Loach (Cobitis bulgarica), Barbel (Barbus barbus), Burbot (Lota lota), Zoppe (Abramis balerus), Sabre carp (Pelecus cultratus), Streber (Zingel steber), Zingel (Z. zingel), Ruff (Acerina cernua) and others. A large number of sturgeon species inhabit the studied area of the Danube river. Eleven amphibian species are described in the area, including Lake frog (Rana ridibunda), Edible frog (Rana esculenta), Green toad (Bufo viridis), Common toad (Bufo bufo), Spadefoot (Pelobates fuscus), Syrian spadefoot (P. syriacus), Fire-bellied toad (Bombina bombina), and Common tree frog (Hyla arborea). The region includes the only habitats in the country, including the islands, of the endemic Great crested danube newt (Triturus cristatus dobrogicus). A number of reptiles are widespread on the islands, such as the Grass snake (Natrix natrix), Dice snake (Natrix Tessellata), Green lizard (Lacerta viridis)and European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis).

The islands are important nesting, migration and wintering sites for more than 160 bird species including the globally threatened Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus), Ferruginous duck (Aythya nyroca), Red-breasted goose (Branta ruficollis), and Pygmy cormorant (Phalacrocorax pygmaeus). They are one of the last habitats of the White- tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) in Bulgaria. Eighteen mammal species are described in the region, of which the European river otter (Lutra lutra) is included in Appendix II to the Bern convention. Most often occurring are rodents, Deer (Capreolus capreolus), Beech marten (Putorius putorius), Fox (Vulpes vulpes), Wild cats (Felis sylvestris) etc. Wild boars (Sus scrofa) migrate among the islands and present a significant threat to the natural reproduction of old oak forests.

12 Softwood floodplain forest composed by White poplar (Populus alba) and White willow (Salix alba) with colonies of Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)

13 CONSERVATION IMPORTANCE OF THE AREA

The Lower Danube with the Danube Delta is one of the world’s outstanding Global 200 freshwater ecoregions. Fourteen groups of habitats with 53 main types and combinations have been described on the Bulgarian Danube islands, ranking their biodiversity as high as Bulgaria’s largest National Parks. Seven islands and island groups are Important Bird Areas (IBA); four are CORINE Sites of European conservation importance; and one is part of a Ramsar site. A recent ornithological study by the "Green Balkans” Federation and MoEW, identified several new sites that meet the requirements for IBA and CORINE - BIOTOPE sites on the islands.

On Vardim island there are still near natural floodplain forests with great conservation importance

The Danube islands’ forests are among the five most representative sites in Bulgaria for the following types of habitats included in Annex I to the European Union Habitats Directive:

22.13 Natural euthrophic lakes with Magnopotamion or Hydrocharition-type vegetation 44.17 Salix alba and Populus alba galleries 44.3* Residual alluvial forests (Alnion glutinoso-incanae) 44.4 Mixed oak-elm-ash forests of great rivers 44.8 Thermo-Mediterranean riparian galleries (Nerio-Tamariceteae) and south-west Iberian Peninsula ripa rian galleries (Securinegion tinctoriae) (44.814111 Danubio-Thracian fresh water Tamarix stands)

The islands’ floodplain forests, channels and marshes are an integral part of the Danube migratory corridor, essential for the distribution of many invertebrates, fish and bird species. Without these habitats, migration would be difficult, and for a number of species - impossible.

14 Hardwood floodplain forest on Little Vardim island

In addition to their conservation importance, the preserved floodplain forests are of significant scientific interest from the point of view of evolution and natural ecological processes and relations in these rare ecosystem types. Due to the hydrological and morphological dynamics of the river, existing islands are growing and new sediment banks and islands are being formed on the Lower Danube. All stages of the evolution processes can be observed on the newly formed areas, from pioneer willow stands, natural regeneration of white and black poplar and formation of gallery-like softwood forests, to the first settling of hardwood trees with further elevation. White willow and black poplar forests on the small islands emerging without human intervention, together with the pioneer vegetation of ephemeral species in the low water bed, are real pristine forests and habitats of the highest degree of naturalness. Their development and survival depend on the water level dynamics, erosion and accretion. They stand at the beginning

15 of a whole series of developments and are the prerequisite for the natural development of floodplain forests. As they have dramatically decreased all over Europe, they also deserve special attention from a nature conservation point of view.

The natural habitats on the islands support threatened plant and animal species of national, European and global conservation importance. On Vardim island, there are extremely rare floodplain forests dominated by the so-called "Vardim oak” - a local ecological variety of the Common oak (Quercus longipes Stev.), forming large areas of over 200-year-old trees. Some of the plants occurring in the islands’ forests are included in Appendix 1 of the Bern Convention, such as Salvinia natans, or in the Red Book of Bulgaria, such as Leucojum aestivum, Euphorbia luci- da, Potamogeton trichoides, Nymphoides peltata and Urticularia vulgaris.

This section of the Danube is the most important habitat for six sturgeon species occurring in Bulgaria. After the construction of dykes along the Danube banks and destruction of most riparian marshes, the islands’ channels and wetlands became the most important habitats of phytophilic and plankton-eating fish species, as well as the only alternative spawning sites of species dependant on stagnant waters.

Among the mammals inhabiting these biotopes is the Otter (Lutra lutra), included in Annex II to the Bern Convention. The islands’ floodplain forests are the habitats of over 160 bird species, more than 100 of which nest on the islands. These forests support some of the largest colonies of Egrets (Egretta alba, E. garzetta), Cormorants (Phalacrocorax phalacrocorax, Ph. pygmeus) and Spoonbills (Platalea leucorodia). The islands are important nesting, resting and wintering sites for globally threatened bird species such as the Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus), the Ferruginous duck (Aythya nyroca) and the Pygmy cormorant (Phalacrocorax pygmeus). The Danube islands are the last remaining habitats of the White-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) in Bulgaria. In the past, it was common along the Black Sea and all big plain rivers. Considered harmful, it was harassed and killed, coming under additional pressure from the decrease of its natural floodplain forest habitats. It stopped nesting in the inner part of the country in 1942, by the Black Sea in 1967 (only one pair occasionally nests by Mandra Lake); on Batini and Liulyac islands in 1962; on Golyam Brushlen in 1967 and on Vetren in 1972. The remaining nesting places are Vuzhetoara, Persin, Kitka, Milka and Lakut islands on the Danube.

The Danube islands’ natural habitats are of crucial conservation importance. The current Forestry Plans for the islands envisage further large-scale conversion of natural habitats to poplar and willow monocultures, affecting in particular floodplain forests. The loss would be extremely high for those habitats enlisted in the EU Habitats Directive. It is of primary importance to prevent this trend of targeted conversion to intensive monocultures, and to restore, where feasible, the former rich biodiversity of the Danube islands.

16 2. FORESTS STATUS AND TRENDS

Since the early 1960s, the Bulgarian Danube islands have been subject to targeted intervention for poplar forestry. In some years, plantations have covered over 75 % of this area. Most preserved natural floodplain habitats are on small islands at the initial stages of succession, far from their ecosystem climax. Remnants of floodplain vegetation are preserved along the banks of the bigger islands, but they can hardly be considered entirely natural, since their areas are limited and subject to the impact of adjacent intensive plantations. Human activities have facilitated the spread of immigrated aggressive species (neophytes). The age structure of the islands forests is also deeply affected by the large share of poplar monocultures. At present only 35.1 % of all forests are older than 20 years; 13.9 % are 5 years of age; 26.0 % are 5-10 year-old forests; 15.6 % are between 10-15 years of age, and 9.4 % are between 15 and 20.

Hybrid poplar plantation on the site of natural floodplain forests. The alien species Amorpha fruticosa forms locally compact stands, replacing the native species.

At present, 5,253.2 ha or 83.9 % of the islands are covered with natural or artificial forests. In order to present their characteristics in a systemised way and identify suitable sites for restoration and protection, all vegetation communities on the islands are conditionally classified based on the following three main criteria:

• Tree species composition: the most important criterion for the strategy. Tree species are defined as native, i.e. naturally occurring in the region: Ulmus minor, Salix alba, Populus alba, Populus nigra, Pyrus communis, Quercus longipes, Morus nigra, Fraxinus angustifolia and Acer pseudoplatanus; and non-native, introduced species, including hybrid poplars and willows and other species. • Origin: natural (seed or coppice), or artificial (sowing or planting). This criterion is indicative of certain forest uses in the past, or of certain afforestation activities. • Presence of Amorpha fruticosa:, alien species, indicates poor forest status and different human interventions in the habitat or in adjacent regions.

17 Based on the above, island areas are classified into the following groups and sub-groups: A) Open areas without tree vegetation. They are divided into two sub-groups based on the presence of Amorpha fruticosa (A.1 and A.2), which is a potential problem for restoration. B) Natural forests - only native tree species, only with natural seed or coppice origin (sub-groups B.1. and B.2.). Natural seed origin is indicator of maximum close-to-nature succession. Coppice origin is considered indicator of certain forest uses in the past. These forests can meet the goals of the strategy, provided that appropriate management measures are taken. C) Semi-natural forests - mixed forests of native species, hybrid poplar and willow, or forests of native species with artificial origin (seed or planted). They are semi-natural because afforestation has had impact on the community. They are sub-divided according to the presence of Amorpha fruticosa. Communities of native species with A. fruticosa are also excluded from natural forests and defined as a sub-group of semi-natural communities. D) Artificial forests - dominated by hybrid poplar and willow. According to the presence or absence of native species, they are divided into pure monocultures without native species (D.1.), plantations with some oak and elm trees (D.2.), and plantations with ash or other softwood deciduous trees (D.3.). The latter two groups will be the basis for selection of restoration sites and species. The plant origin of willow plantations indicates the technologies used. Tree stands of artificial seed origin may consist of other introduced species, such as Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Juglans nigra, or Taxodium distichum, forming a separate sub-group (D.4.).

The table below presents the current distribution of forest types by area and % (excluding Belene), as well as some significant data for their distribution after 5 years, if the current Forestry Plans are implemented. The classification is based on the updated database (from 2000) of the Danube islands, as well as indices from the current Forestry Plans.

Table 1: Distribution of forests on the Danube islands and future trends, based on the operative Forestry Plans

Communities Current Future Area, ha % Area, ha % A. Open areas 1,006.9 16.1 387.3 6.2 A.1 Open areas without Amorpha 848.7 13.6 387.3 6.2 A.2 Open areas with Amorpha 158.2 2.5 0.0 B. Natural Communities 1,226.2 19.6 395.7 6.3 B.1 Natural forests of native species without Amorpha, 846.3 13.5 395.7 6.3 of natural seed origin B.2 Natural forests of native species without Amorpha, of coppice origin 379.9 6.1 0.0 C Semi-natural Communities 657.8 10.5 16.8 0.3 C.1 Plantations of native species without Amorpha, artificial seed origin 19.9 0.3 0.0 C.2 Plantations of native species with Amorpha, all origins 257.6 4.1 0.0 C.3 Mixed plantations of native species and hybrid poplar, 323.7 5.2 16.8 0.3 or other non-native species C.4 Artificially planted communities of native species, with 56.6 0.9 0.0 or without Amorpha D. Artificial Communities 3,369.3 53.8 5,460.2 87.2 D.1 Pure poplar/willow monocultures (hybrid) without native species 3,057.5 48.8 4,760.7 76.0 D.2 Poplar plantations (hybrid) with oak and elm 137.3 2.2 94.9 1.5 D.3 Poplar plantations (hybrid) with ash or other soft timber 168.9 2.7 602.7 9.6 deciduous local species D.4 Cultures of other non-native species 5.7 0.1 1.9 0.0 Total (excluding Belene Island) 6,260.1 100.0 6,260.1 100.0

18 As revealed in the last two columns, if current Forestry Plans are implemented, natural and semi-natural forests on the Danube islands will decrease, and some types disappear in the next five years, on account of increased hybrid poplar plantations. The trends for the main forest types are illustrated on Fig.1 below:

6,000 5,460.2

5,000

4,000 3,369.3 Current 3,000 composition Future Area, ha composition 2,000

1,226.2 1,006.9 1,000 657.8 387.3 395.7 16.8 0 A B C D Communities

Fig. 1: Present and future distribution of forests on the Danube islands

These trends are directly related to the distribution of some native and non-native tree species on the islands, as shown below:

Table 2: Current and future tree species composition on the Danube islands according to the Forestry Plans (5-year period): Current distribution Future distribution Tree species % of % of Area, ha total area Area, ha total area Acer pseudoplatanus 0.9 0.01 0.0 0.00 Fraxinus angustifolia (= Fraxinus oxycarpa) 35.4 0.57 5.1 0.08 Morus nigra 2.5 0.04 1.1 0.02 Salix alba 1,523.1 24.33 341.0 5.45 Populus alba 82.2 1.31 20.7 0.33 Populus nigra 70.0 1.12 16.0 0.26 Pyrus communis 0.8 0.01 0.0 0.00 Quercus robur, Q. longipes 32.5 0.52 65.9 1.05 Ulmus campestre (=Ulmus minor) 132.2 2.11 32.9 0.53 Populus x (hybrids) 3,363.9 53.74 4,714.6 75.31 Salix (hybrids) 2.8 0.04 673.4 10.76 Taxodium distichum 1.1 0.02 1.1 0.02 Fraxinus pensilvanica 0.9 0.01 0.9 0.01 Juglans nigra 4.9 0.08 0.0 0.00 5,253.2 83.92 5,872.8 93.81

19 The above data indicates that the Forestry Plans envisage a drastic decrease of native species on the islands, especially for Ash, Vardim oak, White willow, White and Black poplar, Elm, and Mulberry trees. Areas covered with native tree species would decrease from a current 30 % to a future 7.7 %. Some native species covering small areas at present or represented by single trees, such as the Sycamore, Pear, Aspen, Ash tree and Large-leaved lime, will completely disappear. The current state of the islands’ forests and the trends in the Forestry Plans conflict with the conservation importance and needs of the islands. Management practices need to be revised in order to preserve and restore the outstanding biodiversity of the Danube islands.

3. PROTECTED AREAS

The network of protected areas, including forests, on the Danube islands consists of 7 sites with a total area of 1,048.3 ha, which is 10 % of the total island area. They are described in the following table:

Table 3: Overview of the protected sites on the Danube islands.

Name Category Corresponding to Main purpose Area, ha according to IUCN category national law 1 Ibisha Reserve I floodplain forests, bird colonies 36.9 2 Kitka Reserve I floodplain forests 34.0 3 Persin-iztok Nature Site IV floodplain forests 719.0 4 Stariya dub Protected Site IV floodplain forests, bird colonies 98.4 5 Bezimen Protected Site IV floodplain forests, bird colonies 70.8 6 Pozharevo Protected Site IV floodplain forests, bird colonies 71.8 7 Srebarna-part Reserve IV floodplain forests 17.4 Total 1,048.3

Protection regimes range from strict protection (reserves) to restriction of activities such as logging, afforestation, hunting or construction in the sites belonging to the other categories. In some cases the regime prohibits all activities, including restoration, for example in strict reserves. At the same time, some regimes allow for poplar plantations or grazing, which conflicts with their conservation and restoration objectives. It is therefore necessary to up-date the management regimes of some of the protected areas. The current characteristics of these protected areas and the provisions of the Forestry Plans reveal some flaws and worrying trends both in certain sites and in the network as a whole, illustrated by the following examples:

• Lack of sufficient information: For example, the latest data about nature site Persin-iztok date from 20 years ago and do not reveal its actual state. This lack of information calls into question the importance of the protected area. For this reason, Persin-Iztok is excluded from the analysis of the protected areas network. A comprehensive inven- tory of the protected areas status is needed, as a basis for updated management objectives.

• Insufficient coverage: Protected areas (excluding Persin-iztok) cover just over 10 % of the total islands area, covered at present by natural communities, and less than 10 % of the semi-natural forests on the islands. This is illustrated by the ratio of communities of particular conservation interest to the part of them currently under protection:

20 1400 1,226.2 1200 1000 Total 800 657.8 Protected 600

Area, ha Areas 400 140.5 200 57.9 0 Natural forests Semi-natural forests

Fig. 2: Areas of certain forest communities on the parts of their territories under protection

A little over 10 % of the total island distribution of White willow is represented in protected areas. The ratio is 5 to 20 % for other species such as Oak, Elm, and Black and White poplar. Some native species (Ash) are not represented as forest stands in the protected areas network at all; only individual trees occur in these areas. The protected areas network is insufficient to ensure the conservation of habitats included in the EU Habitats Directive. In order to increase the value of the protected areas network as a tool for the conservation of important natural habitats on the islands, it is necessary to extend its current scope in order to cover to a sufficient degree all native forest communities.

• Inadequate coverage: At present 42.7 % of the islands’ protected areas are natural, and 17.6 % are semi-natural habitats. The total percentage of poplar monocultures in protected areas is very high: 22.7 %, which decreases the quality of the network. Although some small sites, such as Kitka Reserve, cover entirely natural forests, the ratio in some of the larger areas is in favour of poplar monocultures, while natural communities cover less than 10 % of the area, e.g. in the Staria Dub (Vardim Island) Protected Site. The management objectives of these sites need to be re-defined towards increased participation of native species.

• Conflicting forestry and conservation objectives: The current Forestry Plans envisage a drastic increase of hybrid poplar areas- from 22.7 % to 74.8 %. Natural forests and bare areas will decrease from 42.7 % to 16.6 % and from 17.1 % to 8 % respectively. Semi-natural forests will almost disappear from the islands. The changes envisaged in species composition directly correspond to changes in the distribution of communities. Only the elm and Vardim oak will preserve their share in the future composition of forests in protected areas. The areas of White willow will decrease dramatically - from 60 % to 18.7 %, while White and Black poplar will practically disappear. It is necessary to revise the current Forestry Plans in order to harmonize economic and nature protection management objectives.

In conclusion, the current system of protected areas on the Danube islands is neither sufficient nor adequately developed. Some of its qualitative characteristics indicate that it does not fulfil its conservation objectives, particularly concerning the representation of native forests and species. Some well-preserved, valuable nature habitats, important nesting colonies and bird resting places are not under protection. In addition, within some protected areas, protection and economic objectives conflict. These facts indicate the need for a revision of the establishment and management policies for the islands’ protected area network, based on the analysis of up-dated information.

21 III. ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF THE DANUBE ISLANDS RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

All Bulgarian Danube islands are state owned and managed by the National Forestry Board. Economic activities on the islands include forestry, limited agriculture and hunting. Poplar forestry is undoubtedly the main economic sector on the islands, due to the favourable natural conditions, high productivity and short return period (average 15- 20 years).

The concentration of poplar production on the islands has led to the damage and destruction of priority natural habitats. The Forestry Plans envisage further drastic expansion of intensive poplar plantations, at the cost of the elimination of natural forests. It is of primary importance to develop a new, balanced policy towards protection and restoration of the remaining natural habitats on the Danube islands, entailing a reasonable economic compromise.

The present analysis of forestry economy on the Danube islands is made from the state’s point of view. It aims to define the dimensions of a reasonable economic compromise for the state, based on a forecast of profits from poplar, and therefore estimated lost income for the state from different protection and restoration options. Possibilities for mitigation of economic losses, economic alternatives, as well as environmental and social benefits from protection and restoration measures are outlined. These possibilities, as well as the socio-economic aspects of land use on the Danube islands for all stakeholders involved, will be subject to a more detailed economic analysis in the subsequent Action Plan of the strategy.

Hybrid poplar plantations are widely spread in the Danube floodplains not only on the Bulgarian, but also on the Romanian side. 22 ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF POPLAR PRODUCTION FOR THE STATE

Since 1950, a national policy has been developed for intensive poplar production in the country. Poplar timber is mainly used for veneered boards, plywood sheets, cellulose pulp and paper. Most of the raw timber is processed in Bulgaria; about 1 % is exported, mainly to the Republic of Greece.

Poplar timber accounts for 3 % of the annual timber production in the country, or 0.1 million m3. The Danube islands provide about 20 % of annual poplar timber production in the country, i.e. 0.02 million m3, and approximately 2 % of the country’s annual income from timber. Poplar plantations on the Danube islands have the following tree stand and economic characteristics:

Table 4: Growth and economic characteristics of poplar plantations on the Danube islands, according to age ranges

Age 0-5 years 5-10 years 10-15 years 15-20 years

Total timber volume, m3 3,924.2 99,212.3 108,924.3 89,442.5 Area, ha 701.1 1,324.7 714.2 320.7 Average volume, m3 / ha 5.6 74.9 152.5 278.9 Total price BGN 1,891,581.9 1,925,691.2 Average price, BGN/ ha 2,648.4 6,004.3 Average price, BGN/ m3 17.4 21.5

The average price is based on Decree No 32 for Price Formation of Forests and Lands in Forest Areas. Price estimates are only made for 10-20 years old stands, i.e. the most common rotation period for poplar.

For the first nine months of 2000, the average income to the state from licence fees for poplar amounted to 34.09 BGN/m3. The lowest incomes were obtained through negotiations with potential users (23.92 BGN/m3), and the highest through open tenders (41.30 BGN/m3). The minimum licence fee for poplar timber is 21.18 BGN/m3, based on Council of Ministers Decree No 266. It is important to bear in mind that these prices were realised during a period of structural reform in the forestry sector, with no well-established fees and market prices.

The estimates of the actual income and costs to the state from poplar are based on literature research. Costs of creating new poplar plantations vary significantly, depending on the site and the technique. For 2000, the average cost of creating 1 ha of poplar plantation in the Danube region was about 4.200 BGN. In the most recent plantation period, however, these estimates increased to 4.800 BGN/ha. These figures include, beside planting, the costs for growing, re-planting and pruning the plantations. At the same time, an interest payment should be calculated on the initial investment for a period of 15 years, based on the most common rotation period (i.e. the period for return of the investment).

Based on this information and data on the structure of poplar plantations for the period 1990-1996, a forecast is made of the income from one ha poplar culture on the Danube islands, for a period of 20 years, based on the expected timber per ha, the lowest and the highest prices in 2000, and the costs for planting and growing of poplars with an initial investment of 4.200 BGN/ha or 4.800 BGN/ha, at an interest rate of 5 %.

23 14000

12000

10000 Income at fees 45 BGN/m3

8000 Income at fees 22 BGN/m3

BGN/ ha 6000 Expense at 4,200 BGN/ha

4000 Expense at 4,800 BGN/ha

2000

0 1 5 10 15 20 years

Fig. 3: Income and expense of the National Forestry Board plantations on the Danube islands

The data above should be considered cautiously. In the first place, granting of rights for use is a relatively new practice; licence fees are not well established and vary significantly. Secondly, poplar timber markets are impossible to predict in the long run. In this context, large-scale conversion to timber monocultures on the Danube islands could imply significant economic risk for the state in the long run.

Bearing these uncertainties in mind, the above graph indicates that profits from poplar can be achieved by the state if expenses are kept very low (at an interest rate of 5 %), while licence fees are very high. In the best scenario, the calculated profit for the state amounts to 1, 490 BGN/ha. The first conclusion is that, under current conditions, there is no economic case for the state to further expand poplar plantations on the islands. Furthermore, some islands could prove unprofitable for poplar production, due to a number of factors that influence cost, such as size, distance from the bank, specific natural conditions, etc. This criterion can serve to select sites for exclusion from the current poplar forestry at a minimum economic loss to the forestry sector.

ECONOMIC ASPECTS FOR THE STATE FROM FLOODPLAIN FORESTS RESTORATION ON THE DANUBE ISLANDS

In view of the importance of conservation and small remaining areas of floodplain forests on the Danube islands, the first goal of the present strategy will be to stop further conversion of natural floodplain habitats to intensive plantations. According to current forestry plans, 830.5 ha of currently preserved natural forests will be converted to poplar plantations. In the best possible scenario of 1,490 BGN/ha profits from licence fees, these areas will provide for a total profit to the state, within a 15-20 year period, of 1,237,445 BGN.

The restoration of floodplain forests means that after harvesting, some current areas of poplar plantations, will have to be set aside for restoration instead of being used to create new poplar plantations. The suggested scheme is to set aside one-third of the poplar plantations harvested within the next five years, using to the following scheme:

24 Table 5: Areas of poplar plantations to be logged within the next five years and areas for floodplain forests restoration

Year Area of poplar 1/3 of logged areas, ha Costs for planting of native plantations for logging, ha (for setting aside) species on 1/3 of the area, BGN 4,000 BGN/ha 2001 180 60 240,000 2002 165 55 220,000 2003 120 40 160,000 2004 135 45 180,000 2005 150 50 200,000 Total 750 250 1,000,000

Based on current licence fees and expected costs, a very tentative forecast can be made that the income for the National Forestry Board from these 250 ha for a period of 15-20 years would range from BGN 1,500,000 to BGN 3,200,000 while costs will range from 2,785,962.5 to 3,183,957 BGN even at the lowest interest rate of 5 %. In the worst scenario, income will not be sufficient to cover expenses, while in the best scenario with minimum expenses, maximum licence fees and a 5 % interest rate, the maximum profit to the state is estimated at no more than BGN 414,000. Stopping further conversion of natural forests to poplar plantations and excluding 1/3 of the harvested areas from the plans for re-planting of poplar is feasible at a minimum economic loss to the state, especially if the selected sites for exclusion and restoration are ones where expenses for poplar plantations are high. They can be further compensated by intensification in those areas that will continue to be used for poplar production in the future, through the introduction of new, improved technology and hybrids.

Areas excluded from current poplar plantations will need different restoration measures. It is not likely that restoration will happen without human intervention, because the rapid spread of the aggressive non-native species Amorpha fruticosa, will prevent the reproduction of native species in abandoned areas, without established vegetation cover. Measures will include the planting of native tree species, selected measures to foster natural regeneration of forests, the control of Amorpha, etc. The last column of table 5 presents a forecast of the costs of the creating forests of native species over the first 5 years. These costs are a very rough approximation, since they will vary according to location, type of forest, type of restoration activities, etc. The exact sites, types of activities and budgets will be specified in the framework of the Action Plan for the implementation of the present strategy.

In order to compensate for the possible economic and social costs of reduced poplar production on the islands, alternative economic activities can be developed, for example:

• Sustainable use of timber and non-timber resources of natural forests, such as herbs, fruit and others. This can be combined with revival of traditional crafts, e.g. production of wicker furniture, wickerwork and other goods from willow branches, reed and cattail.

• Revival of fisheries through restoration of the Danube islands’ channels, which are important fish spawning gro- unds. Fishing on the Danube is a traditional mainstay for the local population, with significant potential for the socio-economic development of the region. 1,500 to 2,000 fishing boats are licensed annually, which corresponds to the number of families dependent on fishing for their livelihood. The dramatic decline in fish in the Danube, to a large extent due to the loss of spawning sites, has affected the entire fishing community in the region. The present strategy could bring about some improvement by paying special attention to the islands’ channels and to the activities taking place there or in adjacent regions.

25 • Eco-tourism can be developed with the improved conditions and biodiversity status of the islands (e.g. bird-wat- ching), and the local population can profit from related services.

• Hunting: according to official data from the Hunting Management Plans, about 20 Deer and 80 Wild boar are shot on the islands annually (excluding Belene). Trophy specimens are about 15 Deer and 30 Wild boar. The annual income from hunting and hunting services, including trophy shooting, shooting for meat and services to hunting and tourist groups is about 70,000 BGN. The potential for intensification of hunting has some limitations, e.g. in some cases it can threaten the natural reproduction of native tree species. Nevertheless, this possibility should not be dismissed altogether, and the development of cost-effective hunting on the islands should be considered.

The options outlined for alternative socio-economic benefits will be further explored and elaborated in the Action Plan for the implementation of the present strategy.

In conclusion, the definition and implementation of integrated management goals for the Danube islands implies a compromise between economic, social and environmental interests. This compromise will only be possible with political goodwill from all the stakeholders involved. The analysis above of state income and costs from poplar shows that at present, from the state’s point of view, there is no good economic case for further expansion of poplar plantations on the islands. This conclusion supports the formulation of strategic goals for the protection and restoration of floodplain forests on the islands. The achievement of these goals can have a number of economic consequences for other stakeholders, in particular private forestry companies carrying out plantation maintenance and harvesting on the islands, fishermen, local people, etc. A full social cost-benefit analysis for the various management options will be carried out in the Action Plan following this strategy.

IV. POLICY BASIS FOR THE STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION

1. LEGAL DOCUMENTS

The present strategy stems from Bulgaria’s commitment to a number of international conventions in the field of biodiversity:

• Convention on Biological Diversity (Rio) • Convention on the Conservation of the Wild European Flora and Fauna and Natural Habitats (Bern) • Convention on the Conservation of Wetlands of International Importance, Especially as Waterfowl Habitats (Ramsar) • Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (Bonn)

In accordance with the Agreement for Association of Bulgaria to the European Union (EU), the implementation of the current strategy would be a direct contribution to the fulfilment of European nature protection legislation:

• Directive 92/43/EC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora • Directive 79/409/EEC on the conservation of wild birds

26 The above agreements lay down Bulgaria’s main biodiversity conservation goals:

• Conservation of priority types of natural habitats; • Conservation of habitats of priority species of the wild flora and fauna; • Establishment of protected areas covering a sufficient part of the above habitats; • Restoration of habitats that have deteriorated.

These goals are the basis for the definition of the main goals and measures of the present strategy.

NATIONAL LEGISLATION

Bulgaria’s national legislation on nature protection and resource management presents a good legal framework for the implementation of the present strategy. The most important legal acts in this area are:

• Protected Areas Act: regulates the designation, categorisation and protection regimes of protected areas and the preparation of management plans; defines the institutions responsible for the management, guarding and control of protected areas. According to the act, National Parks and Reserves are exclusively state owned.

• Nature Protection Act: regulates the protection of rare and threatened plant and animal species and the regimes for utilisation of some species of economic interest.

• Forestry Act: according to this act, forests on the Danube islands are exclusively state owned; the act requires the development of Forestry Plans, programmes and projects for forest management; introduces requirements for the reproduction, use and protection of forests; and defines the responsibilities and funding mechanisms for their management, security and control.

2. POLICY DOCUMENTS

The main policy documents forming the framework for the development and implementation of the present strategy are:

• Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy (Sofia 1995) Theme 2 of the Implementation Plan requires the integration of biodiversity conservation and restoration concerns into all sector policies and plans. Theme 6 concerns the conservation and restoration of river ecosystems and wetlands. The first Pan-European objective is directed at integrated management of the Danube and Rhine rivers and their catchment areas, in order to support the buffer and corridor role of riparian vegetation. Theme 9 relates to the 100% preservation of virgin alluvial forests and riparian forest corridors, and the integration of biological and landscape conservation concerns into forestry planning and management.

• Declaration for the Establishment of the Lower Danube Green Corridor (Bucharest 2000) The LDGC of Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine and Moldavia, will consist of 900,000 ha of existing and newly estab lished protected areas and restored wetland habitats. The conservation and restoration of natural floodplain forests habitats on the Danube islands will undoubtedly be among the most important contributions of Bulgaria to the Green Corridor.

• Strategic Action Plan for the Danube River (1995-2000) Developed by the Danube River Environmental Programme, the plan comprises priority action for the conservation of the river and its catchment area. Five Bulgarian sites are included in the plan for conservation and restora-

27 tion and three of them deal with islands or island groups: Belene island group, Vardim island, and islands adjacent to the Sreburna Lake.

• National Biodiversity Conservation Strategy (1995) The strategy provides for the integration of biodiversity issues into sector policies, institutional cooperation, and extension of the protected areas network; the development of concrete strategies and plans for conservation and restoration of high-value and rare biological resources and habitats, bearing in mind particularly the Danube islands floodplain forests; and the implementation of joint measures with Romania for the restoration of transboundary Danube habitats and ecosystems. The strategy identifies twelve groups of habitats and ecosystems as unique and representative for Bulgaria because of their importance for biodiversity conservation and three of them are in the Danube basin: riparian shrub and forest vegetation of willows, poplars and alders along the river; natural wetlands, including those on the Belene islands; and seasonally flooded Danube islands, nesting and reproduction bird habitats.

• National Action Plan for Biodiversity Conservation (1999) According to the plan, the Danube River and its wetlands are included in priority ecosystems, and priority tasks include the conservation and restoration of Danube islands floodplain forests. Conversion of natural floodplain forests to poplar plantations is outlined as one of the main threats to the forest sector.

• National Action Plan for the Conservation of the Most Important Wetlands (1993) The plan identifies the Belene group, Vardim and the islands near Srebarna with their natural forests as three of the eleven most important sites for bird nesting and migration, and for the conservation of the wild flora and fauna.

• Declaration for the Wetlands in the Bulgarian part of the Danube River Basin (1999) The declaration signed by MoEW, MAF and MRDPW aims to establish an institutional framework for cooperation between different sectors to deal with Danube wetlands issues and their solution.

3. INSTITUTIONAL ASPECTS

National legislation and the exclusive state ownership of the Danube islands defines a clear and narrow range of institutions and organizations that will be directly responsible for the practical implementation of the Strategy:

• The Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, specifically the National Forestry Board and its agencies, are in a position to assign and approve technical plans for floodplain forests restoration at sites identified by the Action Plan for the implementation of the Strategy; establish a tree nursery for native forest species; delegate and control the implementation of restoration activities and forest use activities; preserve and guard floodplain forests; manage protected areas- nature parks, protected sites and nature sites; co-ordinate the extension of the protected areas network; develop and implement protected areas management plans; manage and guard game resources; develop a 5- year action plan for the implementation of the Strategy, together with MoEW; control and limit activities incom- patible with the conservation policy and documents; and provide funding for the implementation of the Strategy. The National Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture with the MAF defines the regime and conditions of use of fish resources, and controls their enforcement.

• The Ministry of Environment and Water is in a position to implement the planned procedures and designate new or extend existing protected areas; define protection regimes for protected areas or alterations in them; assign and approve protected areas management plans; control protected areas, directly manage and guard reserves; and co- operate with the MAF on the development of a five-year Action Plan for the implementation of the Strategy.

28 • Local Municipalities and conservation NGOs. Their participation in the process of development and implementation of the Strategy is extremely important in order to obtain public support for the Strategy goals, and to ensure that they become permanently involved in the policy and practice of the respective responsible institutions.

V. STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK FOR FLOODPLAIN FORESTS PROTECTION AND RESTORATION ON THE DANUBE ISLANDS

1. THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY ON THE DANUBE ISLANDS

The present state of biodiversity components on the Danube islands, and the marked trends in natural resource management bring the following major threats to the forefront:

• Conversion of existing natural floodplain forests to intensive poplar and willow plantations, including those protected areas. This process leads to the following negative consequences: - Permanent loss or drastic decrease in natural floodplain habitats, some of them international and European listed sites. This loss in protected areas leads to a decrease in their conservation value . - Loss of valuable typical microhabitats. The process of creation of intensive forest plantations on open areas leads to loss of floodplain meadows and their specific biodiversity. The technology for creating poplar plantations is usually related to substantial soil preparation, including levelling and crushing which leads to the destruction of small wetlands and channels. - Decrease or loss of genetic diversity of native tree species, as a consequence of their limited distribution and the possibilities for natural reproduction of viable native populations. - Destruction of existing and potential habitats of colonial and individual nesting birds, and disturbance during their reproduction period. - Damage to the integrity of the Danube River migratory corridor, due to the impact on some of its key habitats.

• Expansion of areas taken by aggressive non-native species The expansion of areas covered with the Indigo shrub Amorpha fruticosa, has the following negative impacts: - Amorpha supplants native herbaceous and shrub species; - Amorpha impedes the reproduction of native tree species - The Amorpha plants induce changes in the habitat conditions (they are believed to excrete choline that exerts certain allelopathic effects on other species in the plant community). The difficult elimination of Amorpha for longer periods will present a real problem for future restoration measures, from both a technical and biological point of view.

• Decrease of the food base for native wild animal species The destruction of channels, which are the natural spawning sites for a number of Danube fish, has a negative impact on their population and leads to a decrease in the food base for fish-eating birds. The reduced plant diversity has led to the decline of certain bird species, for example Passeriformes.

• High numbers of some game species (Wild boar and Deer) The high numbers of Wild boar and Deer threaten the natural reproduction of oak and softwood species on the islands. These animals also present a potential threat for the restored native forests.

29 • Poaching Game and fish poaching, although not directly linked to the issues of floodplain forest restoration, are a matter of concern, since they lead to disturbance and decrease of some game and fish populations, and indirectly hamper the achievement of the strategy goals related to biodiversity conservation on the islands as a whole.

• Weak institutional capacity The lack of capacity of MAF/NFB and NAFA poses a serious threat to the effective control of biodiversity protection on the islands. This is particularly related to the totally insufficient amount of technical equipment (transport, means of communication, etc.) available to their regional and local bodies in order to carry out effective control and co-ordination of activities on the islands. The same is true for the Regional Inspectorates for Environment and Water. There is also a need for staff training.

2. INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT GOALS FOR THE DANUBE ISLANDS

In view of the importance and the current state of the Danube islands floodplain forests, the threats to their survival, the requirements of international legislation and the corresponding alterations in national law and policy documents, the present Strategy for Restoration and Protection of Floodplain Forest on the Danube Islands sets the following goals:

1. Conservation of existing natural forest communities on the Danube islands This goal is related to the necessity for a revision of the poplar economy expansion policy in the interests of natural communities, and the achievement of an optimum balance of all types of island forests. New protected areas need to be established, or extended to include the most important remaining natural floodplain habitats on the Danube islands. Target: Halt the of conversion of natural forests to poplar plantations within one year from the signing of the present strategy.

2. Increase in the total area of floodplain forests of native species on the Danube islands The achievement of this goal will require the implementation of targeted measures for the creation of forests of native species in the place of hybrid monocultures, as well as measures to bring semi-natural forests to a more natural state. Target: Restoration of 250 ha floodplain forests on areas of current poplar plantations, which will be logged within the next 5 years, which is 1/3 of these areas and about 7 % of the total area of intensive poplar plantations on the islands.

3. Protection and restoration of habitats of rare, threatened and economically important wild plant and animal species This goal directly relates to and depends on the achievement of the first strategic goal and on the need to conserve biodiversity on specific island sites, such as wet meadows, channels, nesting colonies, etc. The targets are as follows: - Expansion of the protected areas network by about 500 ha; - Restoration of "Runtava bara” channel on Vardim island in the next five years; - Placing under protection of all new-formed Danube islands.

4. Conservation of the genetic pool of native tree species on the Danube islands The conservation of the genetic pool of native tree species requires the maintenance of existing and the creation of new viable populations. It is particularly important to create conditions for free cross-breeding and limit the possibilities of inbreeding in natural and semi-natural forest communities.

30 5. Establishment of conditions for sustainable use of non-timber natural resources This goal will be achieved through the revival of traditional skills for the local population - fishery, crafts using floodplain forest resources, etc. Special attention should be given to the opportunities for eco-tourism, maxi- mising the involvement of the local population in the tourist services as a source of additional local incomes.

6. Compensation for economic losses in the forestry sector from reduced poplar plantations Compensating for economic losses from resulting the reduction of poplar plantations will help to achieve a reasonable compromise between economic and conservation interests on the Danube islands. This will be achieved through improved technology and the introduction of hybrid varieties with increased productivity in areas that are not targets of protection and restoration.

7. Raising of public and institutional awareness and support The long-term goals of the current strategy are related to the formation of a lasting policy framework for forest management, based on the professional approach of its implementing bodies, and supported by the general public.

3. RANGE OF MEASURES FOR THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE GOALS

The strategy goals will be achieved in the long run through the implementation of a coherent system of regulati- ve and practical measures in the following main areas:

• Revisions of the Forestry Plans to exclude activities for the conversion of natural forests or open areas to poplar plantations; • Maintenance activities providing or assisting the natural reproduction in preserved old or over-ageing native flood plain forests; • Ensuring non-disturbance during the nesting period by the definition of regimes of use of areas surrounding nesting colonies; • Establishment of new floodplain forests of native species in the place of intensive poplar and willow cultures; • Expansion of the protected areas network; • Revision of the objectives and regimes of existing Protected Areas; • Development and implementation of management plans for priority protected areas; • Conversion of semi-natural communities to natural by eliminating non-local species from their composition; • Implementation of activities to limit the spread of Amorpha; • Conservation and restoration of the Danube islands wetlands (channels and marshes) as habitats for Danube fish; • Conforming of forestry activities with the presence of rare microhabitats and habitats of rare plant and animal species; • Creation of banks of native tree species in order to produce trees for restoration activities; • Implementation of awareness campaigns and training programmes; • Regulation of number of game; • Non-interference in the natural processes of newly formed island formations; • Filling of knowledge gaps; • Specialist monitoring of processes in island ecosystems; • Creation of conditions for the development of additional economic benefits for the local population (crafts, ecotourism); • Institutional strengthening of local structures of NFB, MoEW and NAFA; • Intensification of poplar and willow production and economic benefits through the introduction of new hybrids and modern technology.

31 4. IMPLEMENTATION

NEXT STEPS

The present Strategy for the Protection and Restoration of Floodplain Forests on the Danube Islands provides the general policy framework for the Danube islands for the next 30 years. For the implementation of the strategy in the short term, the following steps will be taken:

1. Development of a 5-year Action Plan for the Protection and Restoration of Floodplain Forests on the Danube Islands, which will specify activities and financial schemes in the framework of the strategy goals over the next five years. Extremely important are activities related to the expansion of the protected areas network, restoration of natural floodplain forests, and conservation and restoration of habitats for fish, birds and other species, as well as the institutional strengthening of the local bodies of the NFB, MoEW and NAFA. During the preparation of the Action Plan the sites for the restoration of floodplain forests will be specified together with sites for expansion of the protected areas network. A set of criteria has been developed for the selection of sites. This is set out in Annex 3.

2. Introduction of measures to effectively stop any further conversion of existant natural floodplain forests. Deve- lopment of technical projects for the restoration of natural floodplain forests at the sites listed in the Action Plan. Preparation of proposals for designation of new or expansion of existing protected areas at sites listed in the Action Plan.

3. Implementation of the Action Plan in cooperation with the National Forestry Board, the Ministry of Environment and Water, non-governmental conservation organisations and other stakeholders.

FINANCIAL SOURCES FOR THE STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION

The development of the Action Plan and the amendment of currently operational Forestry Plans will be carried out with financial assistance from the World Bank/WWF Alliance, within the project "Bulgaria Danube Island Restoration”.

Initial estimates indicate that about 1,000,000 BGN (approximately USD 500,000) will be needed for the afforestation alone of 250 ha with native forest species, in accordance with the target for the next 5 years. Additional significant funding will be necessary for the restoration of channels on the islands; for the extension and strengthening of the protected areas network; and for institutional strengthening of the agencies of the MAF and MoEW. The exact costs of these measures over the next five years will be identified in the Action Plan to this strategy. The Bulgarian partners can only finance the implementation of priority conservation activities on the islands to a limited extent. Active co-ordinated efforts by NFB, MoEW and NGOs are therefore required in order to provide other sources of finance for the implementation of the measures proceeding from the Action Plan.

32 REFERENCES

COUNCIL OF EUROPE (1996): Classification of Palearctic Habitats. Council of Europe Publishing, Strasbourg

DONITA, N., GH. DIHORU & C. BINDIU (1966): Asociatii de salcie (Salix alba L.) din luncile Cîmpiei Române.- St. Si Cerc. Biol. Seria Bot. (Bucuresti), 18, 4: 341-353

EUROPEAN COMMISSION, DG ENVIRONMENT. Nature Protection, Coastal Zones and Tourism (1999): Interpretation Manual of European Union Habitats (Natura 2000)

EUROPEAN COMMUNITY DIRECTIVE 79/409/EEC on the conservation of wild birds

EUROPEAN COMMUNITY DIRECTIVE 92/43/EC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora

HORVAT, I., V. GLAVAC & H. ELLENBERG (1974): Vegetation Südosteuropas.- Geobotanica Selecta 4, G. Fischer Verlag Stuttgart

LASZLOFFY, W. (1967): Die Hydrographie der Donau (Der Fluß als Lebensraum).- in LIEPOLT: Limnologie der Donau, pp: 16-57

POPESCU, A., V. SANDA & G. FISTEAG (1997): Characterisation of the biodiversity of the current vegetation in the south of Muntenia field.- Proceedings of the Institute of Biology, Annual Scientific Session, Romanian Academy: 11-17, Bucharest

REGIONALE ZUSAMMENARBEIT DER DONAULÄNDER (1986): Die Donau und ihr Einzugsgebiet. Eine hydrologische Monographie, München

REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA (1997): Law on the Restitution of Forests and Lands in Forest Areas (Promulgated in the Official Gazette Issue No. 110/1997 with subsequent amendments in Issues No. No. 33/1998, 59/1998, 133/1998, 49/1999)

REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA (1998): Decree _ 32 for Price Formation of Forests and Lands in Forest Areas

REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA (1998): Instruction _ 3 on the terms and conditions for assigning of forestry management activities in forests and lands in forest areas (Promulgated in the Official Gazette Issue No. 17/2000)

REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA (1997): Forestry Act (Promulgated in the Official Gazette Issue No. 125/1997)

REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA (1998): Instruction _ 33 on the terms and conditions for forest use based on tenders, competitions and negotiations with potential users (Promulgated in the Official Gazette Issue No. 109/1999 with subsequent amendments in Issues No. No. 8/2000 and 27/2000)

REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA. MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT (1993): National Action Plan for the Conservation of the Most Important Wetlands. With the assistance of the Ramsar Bureau.

REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA. MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT (1995): National Biodiversity Conservation Strategy. USAID and BSP Assistance.

33 REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA. MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND WATER (2000): The National Biodiversity Conservation Plan. UNDP/GEF Assistance

REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA. NATIONAL FORESTRY BOARD (MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTS) (1989): Forestry Plan for Silistra Local Forestry Unit

REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA. NATIONAL FORESTRY BOARD (MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTS) (1991): Forestry Plan for Rousse Local Forestry Unit

REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA. NATIONAL FORESTRY BOARD (MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTS) (1993): Forestry Plan for Forestry Plan for Byala Local Forestry Unit

REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA. NATIONAL FORESTRY BOARD (MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTS) (1993): Forestry Plan for Tutrakan Local Forestry Unit

REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA. NATIONAL FORESTRY BOARD (MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTS) (1993): Forestry Plan for Vidin Local Forestry Unit

REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA. NATIONAL FORESTRY BOARD (MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTS) (1995): Forestry Plan for Pleven Local Forestry Unit

REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA. NATIONAL FORESTRY BOARD (MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTS) (1996): Forestry Plan for Svishtov Local Forestry Unit

REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA. NATIONAL FORESTRY BOARD (MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTS) (1996): Forestry Plan for Lom Local Forestry Unit

REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA. NATIONAL FORESTRY BOARD (MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTS) (1996): Forestry Plan for Oryahovo Local Forestry Unit

REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA. NATIONAL FORESTRY BOARD (MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTS) (1996): Forestry Plan for Nikopol Local Forestry Unit

REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA. NATIONAL FORESTRY BOARD (MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTS) (2000): Forests Database for the Danube Islands

REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA. NATIONAL FORESTRY BOARD (MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND AGRARIAN REFORM) (1999): Sustainable Management of the Forests in Bulgaria – Criteria and Indicators. With assistance from the Bulgarian-Swiss Forest Project 1.

REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA. Protected Areas Act (Promulgated in the Official Gazette Issue No. 133/1998)

SCHNEIDER, E. (1991): Die Auen im Einzugsgebiet der unteren Donau.- Laufener Seminarbeiträge 4: 40-57, Akademie Natursch. Landschaftspfl. (ANL), Laufen Salzach

SCHNEIDER, E. (1992): Chap. 8: Vegetation.- in: Environmental Status Reports, vol. four: Conservation Status of the Danube Delta: 75-88; International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Ressources

34 SCHNEIDER, E. (2001): Les forêts alluviales du Danube.- in: Les ripisylves dans les hydrosytèmes fluviaux.- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Lyon (in print)

WWF DANUBE-CARPATHIAN-PROGRAMME & WWF-AUEN-INSTITUT (WWF GERMANY) (1999): Evaluation of wetlands and floodplain areas in the Danube River Basin.- Programme Coordination Unit/Danube Environmental Programme, UNDP/GEF Assistance

ZANOV, I. Z.(1992): Zalivnite gori po Dunavskoto poretshie na Bulgaria (Forêts inondables de la plaine du Danube en Bulgarie) (Floodplain Forests along the Danube in Bulgaria), Bulgarian Academy of Science

The full list of documents used in preparation of these strategy is available on the websites of the National Forestry Board: http://www.nug.bg, WWF-Germany Auen-Institut: http://www.wwf.de and Green Balkans Federation: http://www. greenbalkans.org.

ABBREVIATIONS

BGN - Bulgarian levs EU - European Union IBA - Important Bird Area IUCN - International Union for the Conservation of Nature LDGC - Lower Danube Green Corridor MAF - Ministry of Agriculture and Forests MoEW - Ministry of Environment and Water MRDPW - Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works NAFA - National Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture NFB - National Forestry Board NGO - Non-governmental Organizations NP - National Park USD - United States dollars WWF - World Wide Fund for Nature

35 ANNEXES

ANNEX 1. HABITATS BALANCE ON THE BULGARIAN DANUBE ISLANDS

No Index Habitat type Area % 1 22.1 Permanent water bodies and lakes 291.0 2.72 2 22.2 Temporary water bodies 200.1 1.87 3 22.3 Water communities 4.8 0.04 4 24.31 Bare sandy river banks 28.4 0.27 5 24.5 Muddy river banks 9.9 0.09 6 31.87 Logging areas 386.1 3.60 7 31.8D1 Amorpha forest bushes 146.4 1.37 8 34.3 Eastern European steppes and grass communities 595.9 5.56 9 37.24 Wet meadows 23.3 0.22 10 44.132 East European poplar-willow forests 434.4 4.05 11 44.132 x 31.8D1 East European poplar-willow forests with Amorpha 20.7 0.19 12 44.132 x 83.3211 Poplar-willow forests and intensive willow cultures 14.5 0.14 13 44.132 x 83.3212 Poplar-willow forests and cultures of non-local species 37.5 0.35 14 44.334 East European floodplain forests near slow rivers 337.6 3.15 15 44.334 x 31.8D1 East European floodplain forests near slow rivers with Amorpha 13.0 0.12 16 44.4 Mixed oak-ash-elm forests near big rivers 30.0 0.28 17 44.4 x 31.8D1 Mixed oak-ash-elm forests with Amorpha 79.6 0.74 18 44.1621 Lower Danube galleries of white willow 1,481.3 13.83 19 44.1621 x 31.8D1 Willow galleries with Amorpha 229.2 2.14 20 44.1621 x 83.3211 Willow galleries and intensive cultrures of local species 26.5 0.25 21 44.1621 x 83.3212 Willow galleries and intensive cultures of non-local species 147.9 1.38 22 44.6611 Western Pontic white poplar galleries 17.4 0.16 23 44.6611 x 31.8D1 Western Pontic white poplar galleries with Amorpha 0.4 0.00 24 44.6612 Western Pontic black and white poplar galleries 2.7 0.03 25 82.11 Merged agricultural fields 1,916.0 17.88 26 82.3 Extensively used agricultural lands 3.4 0.03 27 83.3211 Poplar cultures with a floor of high grasses 701.0 6.54 28 83.3211 x 44.334 Poplar cultures with Amorpha, elm tree, ash tree and white willow 33.1 0.31 29 83.3211 x 44.4 Poplar cultures with Amorpha and floodplain oaks 59.1 0.55 30 83.3212 Other poplar cultures 2,963.6 27.66 31 83.3212 x 44.123 Poplar cultures with willow 1.0 0.01 32 83.3212 x 44.334 Poplar cultures with ash tree, elm tree and white willow 35.1 0.33 33 83.3212 x 44.4 Poplar cultures and floodplain oak forests 20.1 0.19 34 83.3212 x 83.3252 Poplar cultures and non-local broad leafed species 4.1 0.04 35 83.312 Plantations of exotic conifer species 1.1 0.01 36 83.3251 Plantations of local broad leafed species 2.8 0.03 37 83.3252 Plantations of exotic broad leafed species 7.4 0.07 38 86.2 Settlements and buildings 59.0 0.55 39 87,2 Communities of ruderal species 311.8 2.91 40 89,2 Freshwater lagoons and canals 36.2 0.34 Total 10,713.4 100.00

36 ANNEX 2. CRITERIA FOR THE SELECTION OF RESTORATION SITES FOR DANUBE NATIVE FLOODPLAIN FORESTS

These criteria stem from the main goals of the strategy and are related to the establishment of an adequate balance between the biodiversity conservation and economic profits from the islands, in the time frame of the Action Plan.

Main criteria The sites for restoration of natural floodplain forests are selected from those with the following main characteristics:

• Semi-natural forests with non-native species, hybrids and varieties • Pure monocultures whose rotation period (turnus) expires within the next 5 years • Bare areas covered by aggressive introduced species and logged areas

Additional criteria From the sites that meet some of the three main criteria, further selection will be made based on one or more of the following additional characteristics or conditions, listed in order of their importance:

• Sites within protected areas • Sites proposed for designation as new protected areas • Semi-natural forests and plantations adjacent to protected areas • Reserve buffer areas • Plantations created directly on the banks of the islands and channels • Small areas of intensive culture surrounded by natural forests • Small islands • Islands far from ports • Habitats of rare and protected species • Areas surrounding nesting colonies and single nests • Plantations with single representatives of native species

ANNEX 3. CRITERIA FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE PROTECTED AREAS NETWORK

• Habitats enlisted in the European Union Habitats Directive • Habitats of protected species or species listed in the EU Habitats and Birds Directive • Nesting colonies or bird resting places • Native forests adjacent to existing protected areas • Communities of native tree species not represented in the current protected areas network • Newly formed islands

37 MAPS: 1 Vardim Island: community types, recent tree species 2 Vardim Island: community types, future tree species 3 Nikopol Island Group, recent tree species 4 Nikopol Island Group, future tree species 5 Leskovec, recent tree species

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