Presentation of Life Project Conservation and Restoration of Black Sea Oak Habitats LIFE09 NAT/BG/000229 A/P M. Broshtilova Ms. V. Tsakova PROJECT DATA Coordinating Beneficiary – Balchik State Hunting Area (Balchik SHA) Total budget - 681 831 € EU contribution - 511 373 € (75 %) of total costs) Project duration – 36 months /from 01.02.2011 till 31.01.2014/ Associated Beneficiaries: ◦ Nesebar State Hunting Area / Nesebar SHA/ ◦ Executive Forest Agency / EFA/ – Sofia ◦ Oak Forest Experimental Station /OFES/ - Burgas LIFE09 NAT/BG/000229 2 OBJECTIVES Overall project objective: Restoration and long-term conservation of local oak habitats in the Black Sea coastal area. Specific project objectives: ◦ Restoration of priority oak habitat types on an area of 115 ha in two protected zones from the Natura 2000 network– “Batova River Valley” in the region of Balchik State Hunting area, and Emine – Irakli in the region of Nesebar State Hunting Area. ◦ Elaboration of an Action Plan for restoration and management of the habitats ◦ Decrease of unfavorable impact of free movement of people and grazing on the restoration area by constructing of a 12 km long fence; ◦ Awareness rising of nature conservation of Black Sea coastal woodland ◦ Improving fire safety in forests; growing opportunities and the ability to absorb carbon dioxide. LIFE09 NAT/BG/000229 3 THE PRIORITY HABITATS, SUBJECT TO THE PROJECT ARE AS FOLLOWS: - Sub-continental peri-panonic scrub woodlands (40A0). - Pannonian woods with downy oaks (Quercus pubescens 91Н0) - Pannonic woods with Quercus petraea and Carpinus betulus (91G0) - Euro-Siberian steppic woods with oak Quercus spp. (91I0), - Eastern white oak forests (91AA) - According to the National Priority Framework for Action during the next period 2014 – 2020 for Natura 2000 zones the conservation status of all habitats is U1 unfavourable-inadequate. LIFE09 NAT/BG/000229 4 The targeted areas are mainly oak habitats whose condition has deteriorated due to their being managed as scrubby habitats for decades on, and the clear felling system being applied. The natural recovery is badly affected and needs active and scientifically proved methods to be improved. Severe anthropogenic pressure exists in the targeted areas, coming from adjacent territories, settlements and sea resorts – mainly people passing by and livestock grazing. LIFE09 NAT/BG/000229 5 Preparatory phase: This covers the period from 01.02.2011 till 31.05.2012 and Actions A1 – Scientific workshops and discussions with stakeholders, and A2 - Elaboration of an Action Plan for restoration of the target Habitats and their sustainable management. Conservational phase: This covers the whole project period and all the actions from components C (Conservational actions) and D (Public awareness and dissemination of the project results). Within the framework of this phase the oak habitats were restored in the targeted areas, where larger areas were covered. LIFE09 NAT/BG/000229 6 C Actions /Conservational actions/ С.1. Collecting of reproductive material - oak acorns and seeds from concomitant tree species with local origin - Prunus, Fraxinus, Malos, Sorbus, etc. 10 292 kg of seeds from following oak species have been collected: Quercus cerris , Quercus robour, Quercus pubescens, Quercus frainetto and concomitant species. LIFE09 NAT/BG/000229 7 С.2. Growing of seedlings in a nursery. Under the project 430,200 seedlings were produced, grown on an area of 5 ha in the nursery of Sokolovo, owned by Balchik SHA. Seedlings produced are as follows: Tree species Number Turkey oak (Quercus cerris) 344280 Raywood ash (Fraxinus oxycarpa) 30480 Sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus) 16920 Norway maple (Acer platanoides) 8520 Hungarian oak (Quercus frainetto) 6560 Downy oak (Quercus pubescens) 7080 Pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) 16360 TOTAL 430200 LIFE09 NAT/BG/000229 8 For the purposes of this action a disc harrow and a motocultivator were purchased. LIFE09 NAT/BG/000229 9 С.3. Regeneration cuttings (removal of shrubs and undergrowth) The proposal envisaged an area coverage of 115 ha – 90 ha in Balchik SHA and 25 ha in Nesebar SHA. Due to the financial resources’ savings made, mainly in part Project progress monitoring (Action E2), the area coverage under Action С3 was significantly expanded to 206.4 ha This action creates conditions for oak saplings to be competitive on the shots of hornbeam /Carpinus orientalis/, flowering ash /Fraxinus ornus/, hawthorn / Crataegus monogina/ and cornel /Cornus mas/. LIFE09 NAT/BG/000229 10 С.4. Soil cultivation According to the proposal under the project a total area of 115 ha must be cultivated as follows: mechanized soil cultivation -20 ha, manual soil cultivation -95 ha (on 45 ha - creation of planting platforms and on 50 ha -formation of terraces). LIFE09 NAT/BG/000229 11 Manual soil cultivation, including formation of terraces – 75.5 ha on the area of Balchik SHA and 20 ha on the area of Nesebar SHA. Total 95.5 ha. Created planting platforms and terraces were sowed with acorns (Action С5) and planted with seedlings (Action С6) in the second year. Mechanised soil cultivation – 20.1 ha on areas of Balchik SHA, planted with seedlings. LIFE09 NAT/BG/000229 12 С.5. Acorn sowing – in the first year and partially in the second year Total area of 79,5 ha was sowed with acorns – 75,5 ha of them in Batova River Valley Protected Zone and 4 ha in Emine- Irakli Protected Zone. LIFE09 NAT/BG/000229 13 С.6. Planting of two-year-old seedlings Under the project 463,500 seedlings (430,200 seedlings produced under Action С2 and 33,300 seedlings produced by use of own resources of Nesebar SHA) were planted in Batova River Valley and Emine- Irakli Total area planted with seedlings: 36,1 ha, which is exceeding by 16,1 ha the area initially planned under the project. LIFE09 NAT/BG/000229 14 С.7. Amendments of the current forestry management plans in accordance with Bulgarian laws. The amendments of the Forestry management plans (15 amendments made by Balchik SHA, and 1 amendment made by Nesebar SHA) were made in 2011 , which were approved by the Ministry of Environment and Water and the Executive Forest Agency in Sofia. С.8. Removal of artificially grown coniferous plantations in Emine-Irakli Protected Zone 12 ha of atypical for the habitat, artificially grown coniferous plantations of Austrian pine were cleared, and the area was re-afforested with oak seedlings. LIFE09 NAT/BG/000229 15 С.9. Growing (hoeing) during the second and third year This activity improves moisture retention in the soil and ensures the interception of saplings. During the second and third year of the project actions were implemented for seedling growing on an area of 428.5 ha (380.5 ha in Balchik SHA and 48 ha in Nesebar SHA). LIFE09 NAT/BG/000229 16 С.10 – Fencing – construction of a 13,8 km long fence A 13.8 km long fence was constructed under the project, which contributed significantly to be achieved the desired effect of the restoration of the target habitats in Batova River Valley Protected Zone. As a result, the damages to the flora and fauna caused by unregulated livestock grazing and excessive human presence (camping, motor vehicle intrusion, tourism) were limited to an area of 16.5 km2, and also the fire hazards were diminished. The protective fence significantly increases the chances for survival of the newly planted trees, because it hinders soil treading, and also the gnaw damages caused by domestic animals were stopped. The protective fence will have material contribution to the improvement of the ecological status of the priority habitats. LIFE09 NAT/BG/000229 17 D Actions /Public awareness and dissemination of the project results/ These activities aim to raise not only public, but also professionals’ awareness of LIFE+ Instrument and in particular of our project. D.1. Informational boards and cubes 7 boards and cubes are mounted as follows: •Two double-sided Information boards with dimensions 1,40 m x 0,8 m. are mounted in front of the nursery Sokolovo and in the forest of Batovo, at the beginning of the area afforested under the project. • Two information full-coloured boards with dimensions 2.6 m x 1.6 m are mounted on the building of Balchik SHA and on the building of the Oak Forest Experimental Station (OSDG Burgas). LIFE09 NAT/BG/000229 18 • One billboard with dimensions 1.2 m x 1.2 m is placed alongside the road II-71 km (Albena– Silistra). •Two 3D Cube boards with dimensions 1 m x 1m x 1 m – one is mounted in front of the administrative building of Nesebar SHA, and the second one is located in the courtyard of the hunting hut Batova, Balchik SHA. LIFE09 NAT/BG/000229 19 D.2. Website The project website http://www.lifeplus.dlsbalchik.eu/ was created on 19.05.2011 by a contracted external company. The website maintenance and support was assigned to the company Club Predpriemach (Club Entrepreneur) Ltd – as part of a contract for promotion through communication campaign, signed on 17.08.2011, together with the commitments assumed under the implementation of Action D.5 LIFE09 NAT/BG/000229 20 D .3. Workshop for the Bulgarian Forestry authorities • The two-day seminar was held in the premises of Balchik SHA in November 2013 as a two -day workshop with the forest authorities concerned under Action D3. A very useful discussion was held on the management of oak forests within the Natura 2000 Protected Zones and the specific methods of management of the oak habitats, located in the Batova River Valley Protected Zone and Emine-Irakli Protected Zone in relation to their conservation and restoration. LIFE09 NAT/BG/000229 21 D.4. 8 informational seminars 8 informational seminars were held in Balchik, Burgas, Nesebar and Sofia from 2011 till 2013.