Assessment and mapping of sparsely vegetated land ecosystems conditionand their services in Bulgaria
Svetlana Bancheva, Anna Ganeva, Vladimir Vladimirov
Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev, bl. 23, 1113-Sofia, Bulgaria, [email protected]
Sparsely vegetated land ecosystems areplaces where vegetation is lacking or veryscarce. According to the ecosystemclassification of MAES they include coastaldunes and sandy shores; coastal shingle;costal rock cliffs, ledges and shores,including the supralittoral; screes; inlandcliffs, rock pavements and outcrops.Although these ecosystems occupy arelatively small area of the territory ofBulgaria, they have a very important role inprotecting of particular species of the floraand fauna of the country, and in providingvaluable services to people.
The need to study and assess the condition of ecosystems and their services is outlined in a number of strategic documents, such as Action5 of Target 2 Maintain and restoreecosystems and their services of the EU Biodiversity strategy to 2020. In Bulgaria ninetypes of ecosystems are present and mappingand assessment of their state and servicesalready started in 2015 and is still ongoing.
For assessment of ecosystems and theirservices a set of relevant indicators is usedas part of a special methodology developedduring the predefined project BG03.PDP2Methodological support. These indicatorsprovide information about the area of therespective ecosystem type, richness of thetaxonomic groups presented, threats to theactual and potential ecosystem services.
At the same time, they reflect changes inecosystem state and services over time. Theimplementation of the activities began withcollection of relevant information and GIS-modelling of the distribution of sparselyvegetated land ecosystems in Bulgaria,followed by verification of these models inthe field, mapping and assessment ofecosystem condition and services.
The main outcome of the project is thepreparation of several map and GIS layers onthe state of ecosystems with sparsevegetation in Bulgaria and their services.
AcknowledgmentsThis work was supported by the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area 2009-2014, Contract № Д-33-88/28.08.2015“Mapping and assessment of Sparsely vegetated land ecosystem services in Bulgaria (SPA-EcoServices)”.
Rhodopa Mts, Habitat 8210
Black See, Habitat 1210Black See, Habitat 1240 Black See, Habitat 2110
Beglik tash locality, Near Black See
Mussel shell
Onosma taurica Umbilicus rupestris
Black See, habitat 2130
