Vassileva, L., Gussev, Ch., Dimitrov, D. On the Flora of the Djendema Reserv th Ejnjuspwhsbe!)Zvhptmbwjb*-!Kvoz!6.:-!3113! 7 Symposium on Flora of Southeastern Serbia and Qspdffejoh-!38.45!! Neighbouring Regions ! ! Po!uif!Gmpsb!pg!uif!Ekfoefnb!Sftfswf!.!Dfousbm!Cbmlbo!Obujpobm! Qbsl!)Cvmhbsjb*!! Liliana Vassileva, Chavdar Gussev, Dimitar Dimitrov1 Institute of Botany, BAS, Sofia, Bulgaria Department of Botany, University of Sofia, Bulgaria Abstract: Liliana Vassileva, Chavdar Gussev, Dimitar Dimitrov: On the Flora of the Djendema Reserve – Central Balkan National Park (Bulgaria). Proceeding of the 7th Symposium on Flora of Southeastern Serbia and Neighbouring Regions, Dimitrovgrad, 2002. Based on recent field work, an inventory of 412 plant taxa (408 species and 4 subspecies) from the Djendema Reserve (Central Balkan National Park - Bulgaria), is presented. Taxonomic diversity and structure, Raunkiaer’s life-forms distribution and floristic elements in the investigated area are analysed. Taxa with conservation value are determined. Key words: - Jouspevdujpo! J a n k a (1871, 1872, 1878 after S t a n e v , 1994), ! Urumov (1929, etc.), Wagner (1884), The Central Balkan National Park (42°47'N, F o r m a n e k (1890), N e i c h e v (1906, 1908), 24°45'E; 73 261.8 ha), designated in 1991 covers Ivanov, Drenovsky (1912 after Stojanov, the N and S slopes of the highest parts of Central 1933), etc. Stara Planina Mt. range. It includes 9 large reserves After this "pioneer" period other data were (only one of them is smaller than 1000 ha). reported in other chorological or taxonomic works. The plant diversity is a principal base Special attention we give to the publications of motivating the outlining of the park area and setting Kiriakov & al. (1949), Meshinev & al. up the reserve borders (Spiridonov, Mileva, (2000), G u s s e v & al. (1999), which contains 1998) and their Management Plan. floristic and phytocoenotic assessments of many However, the scientific sources are not so species with conservation value. There are also precise to give information. The main problem is specific facts given in phytocoenotic or that the major part of the chorological data is not phytogeographic publications, e.g. P e n e v (1964), updated and they are quite general, without B o n d e v (1991, 1998), V e l c e v (1998). concrete data concerning localization of the taxa. The actual study was carried out in the west Moreover, the Biosphere reserve Djendema and part of the reserve Djendema which is situated in complete floristic inventory of the buffer zone was South Kaloferska Planina Mt. This reserve is a part not made. of the UN worldwide system of Biosphere reserves. On the other hand, as a part of the Kaloferska Its surface area is 4220.2 ha, which is 5.8% of the planina Mt. this region has attracted many Central Balkan NP territory. Djendema is the botanists. First general information is given by biggest reserve in the NP (21.2% of its reserved F r i v a l d s k y (1835, 1836 after S t a n e v , 1994), territories) and the second in Bulgaria. 27 7th Symposium on Flora of Southeastern Serbia and Neighbouring Regions Proceeding Eftdsjqujoh!pg!jowftujhbufe!bsfb! the area are given from the meteorological station ! on Botev peak (S t a n e v & al. (eds.), 1991). The Djendema reserve covers the water The winter is long and cold with strong winds, catchment area and the watershed of Byala reka fogs and snow precipitation. The mean temperature river between Botev (2376 m alt) and Ravnetz is about -7°C. The snow precipitation is 228 mm (2100 m alt) peaks, the headwaters of Tundzha average. The spring and the summer are short and river and the gorge of Tuzha river. This is one of cool. The mean temperature is about 7.4°C and the the most inaccessible reserves in Bulgaria. precipitation is between 288 mm and 366 mm Djendema is in a contemporary plant speciation average. The autumn is considerably hotter and place on silicate terrain in the Central part of Stara sunny than the spring. The mean temperature is Planina Mt. (Kozhuharov, 1977). about 2.2°C. The present study was done in the W part of Winds (mainly NW, N, NE) have an average the reserve and its buffer zone which covers 110.3 speed per year 11.4 m/s. The mean number of fogy ha (2.6% of the territory of the whole reserve). The days is 270. Avalanches, thunderstorms and hails investigated area includes parts of the main ridge of provoke more extreme conditions. Stara planina Mt., also other peaks and the water N i n o v (1998) points out the highest part of catchment area of Byala reka river between 1448.0 Stara planina Mt. as independent High Balkan Soil m alt (Golemiya Kupen peak) and 2376 m alt Province belonging to the Mediterranean Soil (Botev Peak). Region. Specific data for Kaloferska planina Mt. Kaloferska Planina Mt., respectively the Botev and the reserve Djendema are given by N e n o v peak massif, is situated on the central part of the (1979), N e d y a l k o v , N i k o l o v (1986). The main Stara Planina range. According to Vaptzarov most spread out are the meadow sod and the (1998) its structure is a result of processes which humuous soils. Their thickness is about 20-50 cm. took place in the Tertiary. Principal aftermath is the The organic substance is 15-20%. The pH is below 7. so-called Botev peak thrust, which is formed from High mountain shruby, herbaceous and rocky- granites and metamorphic rocks gravitationally scree communities were found in the studied area moved from Sredna Gora Mt. and covered between 1400 m - 2376 m alt. They are part of the sediments from Cretaceous and early Tertiary. The sub-alpine and the alpine vegetation belts (P e n e v , basic factors responsible for the present formations 1964, V e l c e v 1998). The species that dominate of the relief are the tectonic movements, the river in the coenoses are mainly psychrophytes and erosion, the proven glacial forms (Glovnya, Nenov criophytes, mesophytes and xeromesophytes, 1968) and the precipitation that provokes the karst adapted to the high mountain harsh conditions. relief. Principal shrub communities are those of The Botev peak massif is formed by Juniperus sibirica, Vaccinium myrthyllus, V. vitis- heterogeneous in age and structure rocks. There are idaea and V. uliginosum. Not so frequent are the metamorphic, magmatic and sedimentary rocks Bruckenthalia spiculifolia communities. (Glovnya, Nenov,op.c.). The most ancient are the Psychrophyte herbaceous communities are Precambrian metamorphic rocks which are on the more widely distributed. In the alpine belt there are base of the youngest sediments with Mesozoic and coenoses of Agrostis rupestris, Alopecurus Tertiary age. Upper are disposed the magmatic gerardii, Festuca airoides, Carex curvula, Juncus rocks - allochtonous granites which origin is from trifidus. Calamagrostis arundinacea, Bellardio- the neighbor Sredna Gora Mt. chloa violacea, Agrostis capillaris, Festuca The intensive thaw and the abundant rain balcanica, F. valida, Nardus sticta, etc present the precipitation in April, May and June are the causes sub-alpine zone. for the spring maximum of rivers draw off Chasmophytic vegetation grows on rock and (Georgiev 1991) - 10 l/s/km per year. The S slopes scree areas. They are presented by Minuartia of Kaloferska planina Mt. give birth of several saxifraga, Silene lerchenfeldiana, Centaurea rivers with deep incise valleys, e.g. Stara reka, kerneriana, Saxifraga sancta ssp. pseudosancta, Byala reka, Tundja, Tuza, etc. Interesting Festuca balcanica, Primula frondosa, Haberlea phenomenon is the so-called Pruskala - waterfalls rhodopensis, Micromeria frivaldszkyana, etc. In the conditioned by the geomorphology of the region. screes Geum montanum, Poa cenisia, Campanula Such are: Raiskoto pruskalo (124 m), Karlovskoto velebitica, Potentilla haynaldiana, etc. can be pruskalo, etc. (Nenov,1979). found. The Botev peak massif is in the Mountain Communities of water-demanding herbs occur Climate Region of the Temperate-continental -.Heracleum verticillatum, Angelica pancici, Climate subprovince. The climate characteristics of Alchemilla sp. div., Telekia speciosa, etc. 28 Vassileva, L., Gussev, Ch., Dimitrov, D. On the Flora of the Djendema Reserv Anthropophytes can also be found - coenoses 8. Sh. Botev - W slope of Botev peak by the cliff - the of Rumex alpinus, Chenopodium bonus-henricus, crossing with the summer route for ch. Rai; Urtica dioica, etc. 9. The place Bashmandra - Hayduttepe peak - the beginning of Ribeshkiya Rid hill; 10. Ch. Rai - Golyam Kaloferski Kupen peak - Maluk Nfuipet! Kaloferski Kupen peak; ! 11. Ch. Rai - Hanmaarata cave and the open-air parts The study is based on our own collection, of the near W hill; however a few entries are done like a consequence 12. Ch. Rai - Rogatchevata cave by the cliff. of observations in the field only. They were made The following characteristics are indicated in during the vegetation period in 1997 and 1998 as brackets in the list of taxa: the earliest collections are from May and the latest - areal-diagnosis for endemic taxa; from the end of September. - conservation value abbreviations: RDB(e,r)- The nomenclature is according to Jordanov endangared and rare taxa in Red Data Book of (ed.) (1970-1989), K o z h u h a r o v (ed.) (1992), Bulgaria; PL - protected by Law taxa according the K o z h u h a r o v (ed.) (1995). Families, genera, Act # 1718 and # RD-401; EU - taxa included in species and subspecies are arranged alphabetically the List of Rare, Threatened and Endemic Plants of within the major taxonomic units.