02G1
Flooded forests of Common alder (Alnus glutinosa)
Relationships with habitat classifications. EUNIS: G1.413 Southern Helleno-Balkan swamp alder woods; PAL. CLASS.: 44.913 Southern Helleno-Balkan swamp alder woods; HD 92/43: 91E0 *Alluvial forests with Alnus glutinosa and Fraxinus excelsior (Alno-Padion, Alnion incanae, Salicion albae); Bondev (1991): 143 Black alder (Alneta glutinosae), willow (mostly Saliceta albae, Saliceta fragilis) and poplar (Populeta nigrae, Populeta albae) forests partly combined with artificial poplar plantations and hygrophilous grass communities.
Conservation status. BDA, HD.
Category. Endangered [EN – A1, 2 C2 D2 E2 F2 G2 H2 I J L2].
General characteristics. The swamp woodlands of the common alder (Alnus glutinosa) occur in the lower parts of the valleys of the rivers from the Black Sea – Mediterranean basin. In some places they have strip-like distribution, therefore they resemble “galleries”. The soils are alluvial (Fluvisols) and Mollic Gleyisols. They are rich, very humid to over-wet, thick, badly aerated with features of gleying. In some places Fraxinus oxycarpa is a sub-edificator.In the phytocoenological shrub horizon solitary shrubs of Cornus mas, Euonymus europaeus, Viburnum opulus and Frangula alnus occur but no shrub layer has been developed. The herbaceous layer consists mainly of Angelica sylvestris, Carex remota, Circaea lutetiana, Leucojum aestivum, Ranunculus repens, Rubus caesius, Rumex sanguineus, Stellaria nemorum, etc. Swamp vegetation with Berula erecta, Carex riparia, Iris pseudacorus, Lycopus europaeus, Oenanthe aquatica, Phragmites australis, Scirpus lacustris (= Schoenoplectus lacustris), etc. develops in places where the canopy of the forest is not very thick.
The swamp woodlands of common alder (Alnus glutinosa) very often form complexes with the mixed hygrophytic longoz forests but differ from them in soil-ecological conditions and the higher participation of meadow-swamp species, as well as the more limited distribution of lianas (Hedera helix, Humulus lupulus, Periploca graeca).
Syntaxonomically the hygrophytic, Common alder forests belong to class Alnetea glutinosae, order Alnetalia glutinosae and alliance Alnion glutinosae.The common alder forest at the mouth of Batova River in Bulgaria belong to subassociation Alnetosum glutinosae of association Smilaco-Fraxinetum.
Characteristic taxa.
- Vascular plants: Alnus glutinosa, Angelica sylvestris, Berula erecta, Carex remota, C. riparia, Circaea lutetiana, Cornus sanguinea, Equisetum telmateia, Frangula alnus, Fraxinus oxycarpa, Hedera helix, Iris pseudacorus, Leucojum aestivum, Lycopus europaeus, Oenanthe aquatica, Parietaria erecta (= Parietaria officinalis), Periploca graeca,Ranunculus repens, Rubus caesius, Rumex sanguineus, Scirpus lacustris, Stellaria nemorum, Viburnum opulus, etc.
- Fungi: Macromycetes – Auricularia auricula-judae, Bisporella citrina, Ciboria amentacea, Daedaleopsis confragosa, Daldinia concentrica, Gyrodon lividus, Hymenoscyphus calyculus, Inonotus radiatus, Laccaria tortilis, Lachnum virgineum, Laetiporus sulphureus, Naucoria alnetorum, N. escharoides, Paxillus filamentosus, Phellinus igniarius, Tympanis alnea; Micromycetes – Gnomonia ditopa, Gnomoniella tubiformis, Phyllactinia guttata, Plagiostoma alneum, Septoria alni (on Alnus glutinosa), Hypoxylon fuscum, Pezizella alniella.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Restricted distribution in the lower parts of the valleys of Batova, Kamchia, Ropotamo, Veleka, Rezovska, Toundzha and other rivers.
Conservation importance. Rare plant species such as Leucojum aestivum and Periploca graeca, as well as the fungus of conservation value, Gyrodon lividus, occur in this habitat.
Threats. Transformation of parts of this habitat into agricultural land and poplar plantations, river bed corrections, logging; changes in the hydrological regime as a result of the construction of dikes, roads, draining systems, etc.
Conservation measures taken. The habitat is included in Annex №1 of the national Biodiversity Act and is of conservation priority. Parts of the habitat are within Baltata Managed Nature Reserve, Kamchia and Ropotamo Strict Nature Reserves, Ustieto na Reka Veleka Protected site and in sites of the European Ecological Network NATURA 2000 in Bulgaria.
Conservation measures needed. Detailed phytocoenological studies; mapping and monitoring; maintenance of the necessary hydrological conditions; restoration of the habitat in the places with poplar plantations. Elaboration and implementation of information and education programs showing the importance of the habitat. Measures for the improvement of forest protection. Prohibition of logging.
References. Dimitrov et al. 2005; Kochev 1976; Penev et al. 1969; Penev 1981.
Authors: Marius Dimitrov, Alexandar Tashev
