Georgi Gogushev

University of Forestry - Sofia

The object of this research are the oak forests in three mountains in Southwest Bulgaria - Ograjden, Maleshevska mountain and Vlahina. A new syntaxonomic scheme of the communities has been suggested on the basis of 243 phytocoenotic relev's. The paper provides a description of 8 groups in a synoptic table. On the basis of a syntaxonomic analysis 3 of them have been classified to belong to the following associations which have already been described: Querco cocciferae-Carpinetum orientalis Oberdorfer 1948 em. Horvat 1954, Digitali viridiflorae-Quercetum frainetto Gamisans et Herbard 1980, Genisto carinalis-Quercetum petraeae Bergmeier in Bergmeier et Dimopoulos 2008. Two new associations - Cisto incani-Quercetum pubescentis, Cyclamini hederifoli-Quercetum frainett? and three communities - Cephalanthera rubra-Quercus pubescens, Theucrium polium-Quercus pubescens, Vicia cracca-Quercus frainetto are established.

Dimitar Dimitrov1, Maya Kurteva2&l

1National Museum of Natural History - BAS, 2 Institute of Botany - BAS

A field exploration in two floristic regions of Bulgaria - Predbalkan (West) and Balkan Range (West) has been carried out in summer 2005. The experimental plots are located in the mountains of Predbalkan (West) - Dragoytsa, Lakavitsa and Balkan Range (West) - Rzhana, Golema, Mala, Sofiyska, Murgash and Bilo. Within the 45 investigated plots 43 plant habitats, belonging to 8 types, were described. The habitats from the following 3 types: 6510, 6210 and 6520 are the most widespread. 23 habitats, more typical for the investigated regions, were described. A high level of biodiversity in the regions was detected which needs conservation. 

Dimitar Dimitrov, Vasil Vutov

National Museum of Natural History - Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

The flora of the "Swamp near the village of Dolni Bogrov" comprises a total of 176 vascular plants from138 genera and 52 families. The most numerous families are Asteraceae (19), Brassicaceae (15), Fabaceae (14), Poaceae (13), Caryophyllaceae (7), Lamiaceae (7), Rosaceae (7), Apiaceae (6), Cyperaceae (7), and Salicaceae (5). The vegetation in the protected area is dominated by the Phragmitetum, Potamogenetum, and the Myryophylletum water communities.

Dilyanka Bezlova, Ludmila Malinova, Desislava Tomova

University of Forestry - Sofia 

Chuprene Biosphere Reserve is among the 16 biosphere reserves established in Bulgaria under UNESCO "Man and Biosphere" Programme. Some of the main functions of this protected areacategory are ecological surveys and monitoring of the environment. In the present paper results for macro- and microelement content in soil samples, litter and needles in representative spruce stands were presented and discussed.In addition soil fertility and soil resistance to pollution were assessed. 

Alexander Tashev, Alexandra Alexandrova

University of Forestry - Sofia 

The paper presents characteristics of the systematic structure of the vascular flora in Sinite Kamani Nature Park in Eastern Stara planina. A complete list of the indigenous plants in the park was done based on a critical survey of literature sources. According to the data in the list, there are total 993 species in the park, belonging to 430 genera and 96 families. The most represented families and genera are outlined. The distribution of the floristic element is presented as well. Fifty-three species occurring in the park are included in the Red Data Book of Bulgaria: 43 of them with the category "rare" and 10 with the category "threatened by extinction". Forty-two species are protected by the Biodiversity Act of Bulgaria.