19F3
Pontic steppe brush
Relationships with habitat classifications. EUNIS: F3.2471 Ponto-Sarmatic steppe brush; PAL. CLASS.: 31.8B71 Ponto-Sarmatic steppe brush; HD 92/43: 40C0 *Ponto-Sarmatic deciduous thickets.
Conservation status. BDA, BC, HD.
Category. Critically endangered [CR – A1, 2 B1C3 D3 E3 F3 G3 H3].
General characteristics. Relic steppe communities that have survived in very restricted areas in isolated places in North Bulgaria. These communities are widely distributed in the steppe and forest-steppe zones of Eurasia, from Russia and Ukraine to Mongolia, and Bulgaria is in the most southwestern part of their distribution. During glaciation periods they were more widely distributed. After the improvement of the climatic conditions improved and the expansion of the areas covered by forest vegetation, steppe vegetation was limited only in certain areas in the plains, on heights and isolated stony hills and on the calcareous rock crowns and slopes. These communities are thick patches of small shrubs (0,20–1,00 m high). They cover up to several hundred square meters and are surrounded by closed or semi-closed xerophytic herbaceous plant communities of perennial herbs. Most often the soil is Chernozem on shallow limestone bedrock. These communities occur on basalt only in Cherna Mogila locality, near Dragomirovo village, Svistov district. The shrub communities have distinct dominants, mainly Caragana frutex subsp. mollis and Spiraea crenata. These shrub patches are mainly among communities dominated by Chrysopogon gryllus, Stipa capillata, and S. pennata agg.,with the participation of many typical steppe species: Adonis vernalis, Aster oleifolius, Astragalus austriacus, Carex tomentosa, Gypsophila glomerata, Hesperis tristis, Inula ensifolia, Iris pumila, Phlomis hebra-venti, Salvia nutans, Trinia glauca, etc.
Characteristic taxa.
- Vascular plants: Amygdalus nana, Caragana frutex subsp. mollis, Cerasus fruticosa, Crataegus monogyna, Spiraea crenata.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Danubian plain (Dragomirovo village, Svistov district – Chernata Mogila locality; Tranchovitsa village Levski municipality – Kapitanska Mogila locality; Novachene village, Nikopol region – Goloto Bardo locality); North-East Bulgaria – Kabiyushka Mogila locality (to the north of Shumen town), the valley of Kamenitsa River – between Kaspichan town and Zlatna Niva village, Taushan Tepe locality near Nevsha village, Varna district; up to 300 m alt.
Conservation importance. These plant communities make complexes with relic steppe communities in which rare, endangered and protected species occur. The main dominants for this habitat are Caragana frutex subsp. mollis and Spiraea crenata. They are included in the Red Data Book of Bulgaria and are protected.
Threats. Their relic nature and the strongly fragmented distribution, grazing, deterioration of the herbaceous communities, fires, exploitation of limestone and basalt (near Zlatna Niva and Dragomirovo villages) are among the major threats for this habitat.
Conservation measures taken. The habitat is in Annex № 1 of the Biodiversity Act and is of conservation priority. The locality in Kabyushka Mogila is a Protected Site. The localities near Dragomirovo village, the valley of Kamenitsa River and Taushan Tepe locality are in sites from the European Ecological Network Natura 2000.
Conservation measures needed. Monitoring and proclamation of all localities of the communities of Caragana frutex and Spiraea crenata as protected areas.
References. Jordanoff 1936; Petrova et al. 2007; Tzonev 2004.
Authors: Rossen Tzonev, Chavdar Gussev
