Study of natural habitats in the areas of the LIFE project "Land for Life"

During the field season of 2016, a field team of the project "Land for Life" visited 27 selected model grasslands, which are foraging habitats of the Imperial Eagle, and which have different methods of management and maintenance. Some are actively used mainly by grazing cows and horses; others are cleaned with shredders, third are left to the development of natural succession processes.

During the study differences in plant diversity and abundance of species depending on the type of use of the communities are reported. In Sakar and Derventski vazvishenia was found great plant diversity of grassland, even those with high levels of anthropogenic impact, such as abandoned farmlands. Particularly rich are grasslands in the immediate vicinity of the town of Topolovgrad and between the town and Oreshnik village where within the working area of 25 square kilometers are found about 70 species of higher plants.

Within the study have also been identified rare and endemic species like Anthemis thracica, Minuartia rhodopaea, Rosa pontica and others. The team found numerous populations of the protected species in Annex 2 and 3 of the Law on Biological Diversity – the orchid Himantoglossum caprinum, too.

Photo: Rosen Ysonev