04D4

D. Mires, bogs and fens

Alkaline swamps and mires

Relationships with habitat classifications. EUNIS: D4.1 Rich fens, including eutrophic tall-herb fens and calcareous flushes and soaks. Pal. Class.: 54.2 Rich fens; HD 92/43: 7230 Alkaline fens; Bondev (1991): 5 Hygropsychrophyllous (peat bog) communities (Cariceta acutae, Cariceta echinatae, Cariceta rostae, Sphagneta spp., Cariceta lapponi, Primuleta deori, Hygronardeta etc.).

Conservation status. BDA, BC, HD.

Category. Endangered [EN – A1, 2 D2 E2 F2 G2 H2 L2].

General characteristics. This habitat type encompasses water bodies with neutral or slightly alkaline reaction of the water. They occur at different altitudes from lowlands up to high mountains, but mostly in the foothill karst areas. As a rule the water is near the surface or above the soil layer. The meso- to eutrophic environment is suitable for the occurrence of a large number of species mainly from Cyperaceae: Carex spp., Cyperus spp., Eriophorum spp., Schoenus spp., etc. that are obligate calcicoles or are indifferent to the acidity of the soil and water. Most often mosses play an important role in the vegetation cover. A well-developed layer of brown mosses is typical: Bryum pseudotriquetrum, Calliergonella cuspidata, Campylium stellatum, Ctenidium molluscum, Fissidens adianthoides, Palustriella commutata, etc. The peat formation takes place under the water. Depending on the characteristics of the water body (size, depth, etc.) the composition of the phytocoenoses differs, from swampy meadows to shallow marshes. Most of the calcareous marshes in Bulgaria are similar to the swampy meadows with alternating over-wet and dry parts with typical mesophytic species: Briza maxima, Deschampsia caespitosa, Lathyrus pratensis, Lychnis flos-cuculi, Ranunculus acris, and Rhinanthus rumelicus. Communities of Carex species and Scyrpus sylvaticus develop in the wettest places of this habitat.Very typical are the coenoses dominated by Eriophorum (mainly E. latifolium and E. vaginatum) and as a second stage Blysmus compressus (Popovi Livadi, and Krusheto localities, Dunavtsi and Tsraklevtsi villages, etc.). Very typical for Dunavtsi village are the coenoses from the association Orchido-Schoenetum nigricentis dominated by Schoenus nigricans with the participation of Clematis integrifolia, Eleocharis quinqueflora, Epipactis palustris, Genista tinctoria, Gymnadenia conopsea, Lysimachia vulgaris, Orchis laxiflora subsp. elegans, Potentilla erecta, Sanguisorba officinalis, Triglochin palustris as well the endemic snail Bulgaria lozekii.In Popovi Livadi locality there are more swampy places with Menyanthes trifoliata and meadows with Blysmus spp., Carex spp., and Dactylorhiza cordigera. In Krusheto locality Valeriana simplicifolia participates. The coenoses related with Caricion davallianae are a transition to the wet mountain meadows from Molinion (e.g. near Tsraklevtsi, Sofia region) and in some lower parts of the country to a different type of sedges swamps of the alliance Cladietum mariscae (Dunavtsi village, Kazanlak region). In many places, especially at higher altitudes, where the alkaline bogs and marshes are very limited, this habitat is a part of swampy systems where  phytocoenoses from the above-mentioned alliances participate together with  other types of hygro- and hydrophytic vegetation.

When the alkaline bogs and marshes develop on travertine, the peat is from brown mosses and sedges.

Characteristic taxa.

Distribution in Bulgaria. Thracian Lowland (Dunavtsi and Yasenovo villages), Sofia region (Tsraklevtsi and Chelopech villages), Zlatitsa, Znepole region (fragments from Choklyovo swamp), Pirin Mts. (Krusheto locality), Samokov region (Podanovtsi village).

Conservation importance. The folloing vascular plant of conservation importance occur in this habitat type: Carex buxbaumii, C. caespitosa, C. lasiocarpa, Hippuris vulgaris, Lathyrus palustris, Pedicularis palustris, Potentilla palustris, Salix pentandra, S. rosmarinifolia, Sesleria caerulea, Utricularia minor, etc.. Also the fungi species of conservation importance Disciotis venosa occurs in this habitat. The bats Nyctalus noctula, Pipistrellus pipistrellus, P. nathusii, Hypsugo savii are active above the waters.

Threats. Decrease of the habitat areas as a result of draining of marshes and changes in the land use (ploughing, fertilization, planting of crops); deterioration of the habitat due to the deposition of household and industrial waste; changes in the composition and structure of the vegetation as a result of natural successions.

Conservation measures taken. The habitat is included in Annex 1 of BDA. Some of the marshes belonging to this habitat type are in sites of the European Ecological Network NATURA 2000 in Bulgaria.

Conservation measures needed. Preservation and restoration of the wetlands according to the Ramsar Convention; inclusion of the habitat in the National Biodiversity Monitoring System.The assessment of the state of the habitat and the existing threats will make possible the  selection of the appropriate measures for its restoration and preservation. Proclamation of some of the localities as protected areas.

References. Hájek et al. 2005a; Jordanoff 1931; Stoyneva & Valchanova [1997] 1999; Valchanova & Stoyneva 1995, 2000.

Authors: Anna Ganeva, Veska Roussakova


Alkaline swamps and mires (distribution map)