FLORA AND FAUNA GEOPARKS - NATURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE THAT JOINS EUROPEAN STUDENTS AND TEACHERS 2018-2020 OF THE AREA OF GEOPARK ISKAR – PANEGA AND RILA MOUNTAIN

A presentation prepared by:

Aleksandra Venkova and Kremena Dimitrova Rila National Park & Geopark Iskar - Panega

What? Where? RILA NATIONAL PARK RILA NATIONAL PARK (Bulgarian: Национален парк „Рила“) is the largest national park in Bulgaria spanning an area of 810.46 km2 in the Rila mountain range in the south-west of the country. It was established on 24 February 1992 to protect several ecosystems of national importance. Its altitude varies from 800m near Blagoevgrad to 2,925m at Musala Peak, the highest summit in the Balkan Peninsula. There are 120 glacial lakes, including the prominent Seven Rila Lakes. Many rivers have their source in the national park, including the longest river entirely in the Balkans, the Maritsa, and the longest river entirely in Bulgaria, the Iskar. The national park occupies territory from 4 of the 28 provinces of the country: Sofia, Kyustendil, Blagoevgrad and Pazardzhik. It includes four nature reserves: Parangalitsa, Central Rila Reserve, Ibar and Skakavitsa. Rila National Park is among the largest and most valuable protected areas in Europe. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the park as Category II. GEOPARK ISKAR-PANEGA

GEOPARK ISKAR-PANEGA is on the territory of Lukovit Municipality. It includes two micro-regions - the Karlukovo karst complex and the Panega Crop Landscape Park. The Geopark is a sustainable tourist product of geological, geomorphological or paleontological sites of aesthetic or cultural-historical value. It brings together the natural and historical features of the municipality's territory, increasing their attractiveness for both locals and tourists. The Geopark as a whole product offers education and information programs that aim to raise the interest of locals and visitors from the preservation of non-living objects in the region. The main task of the Geopark is to stimulate the development of geotourism and to preserve the geological and geomorphological heritage for future generations. Flora & Fauna

What?? What are the Flora and Fauna?

– Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. – Fauna on the other hand, is the name given to collective animal life that lives or was once found in a certain area or time period. Both the flora and fauna of the earth have been given sub-divisions. The fauna sub-divisions are Fossil Flora, Native Flora, Agricultural Flora. And the fauna sub-divisions are Avifauna, Piscifauna, Cryptofauna, Microfauna, Megafauna. Without flora and fauna, humans cannot exist. The flora generates and releases oxygen, which is needed by the fauna for respiratory purposes. In return, the fauna produces and releases carbon dioxide, which is needed by the flora for photosynthesis. It’s a symbiotic kind of relationship. In the same line, humans cannot get by without both flora and fauna. Eurasian lynx

The Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) is a medium- sized wild cat occurring from Northern, Central and Eastern Europe to Central Asia and Siberia, the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas. It inhabits temperate and boreal forests up to an altitude of 5,500m. Because of its wide distribution, it has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 2008. It is threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching and depletion of prey. The European lynx population is estimated at comprising maximum 10,000 individuals and is considered stable. Rhodopean Silivryak

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The wolf (Canis lupus), also known as the gray wolf, timber wolf, or tundra wolf, is a canine native to the wilderness and remote areas of Eurasia and North America. It is the largest extant member of its family, with males averaging 43–45 kg and females 36–38.5 kg. It is distinguished from other Canis species by its larger size and less pointed features, particularly on the ears and muzzle. The global gray wolf population is estimated to be 300,000. The gray wolf is one of the world's best-known and most-researched animals, with probably more books written about it than any other wild species. Although the fear of wolves is pervasive in many human societies, the majority of recorded attacks on people have been attributed to animals suffering from rabies. Non- rabid wolves have attacked and killed people, mainly children, but this is rare, as wolves are relatively few, live away from people, and have developed a fear of humans from hunters and shepherds. Edelweiss

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