31E6

E. Herbaceous communities and communities of lichens and mosses

Inland saline meadows

Relationships with habitat classifications. EUNIS: D6.1 Inland salt marshes, E6.222 Western Pontic saline meadows; PAL. CLASS.: 15.4 Sub-oceanic inland salt meadows, 15.A212 Western Pontic saline meadows; HD 92/43: 1340 *Inland salt meadows; Bondev (1991): 146 Halophytic grass communities with the prevalence of Puccinelieta convolutae, Limonieta gmelinii, Aeluropeta littoralis, Salicornieta europaeae etc. partly of secondary origin; Ganchev et al. (1971): II. Class formations of non-typical halophytic vegetation.

Conservation status. BDA, BC, HD.

Category. Endangered [EN - A1, 2 B1 C2 D3 E3 F2 G2 H2].

General characteristics. Inland saline meadows are very rare in Bulgaria – they occur in the Danubian Plain (the valley of Studena River) and in Toundzha Hilly Country (near Karnobat, Radnevo, etc.). They are high-herb meadows of secondary origin that develop on saline soils – mainly Fluvisols, as well as solonchaks with moderate salinity and without “bluming” of salts on the surface. Usually the humidity is good, because these meadows occur in the flooded terraces of medium-sized rivers – Studena, Blatnitsa, Mochuritsa rivers. The good humidity and moderate salinity allow the development of closed phytocoenoses with the participation of both typical halophytes and species that are not halophytes but are tolerant to moderate salinity. Elymus elongatus is the most frequent dominant in these coenoses and it forms a layer that is 1 m high. In the more humid places, e.g. in the ravines northwards from Ovcharitsa dam, more hygrophytic communities occur with the participation of Phacelurus digitatus. The main species is up to 2 m high. In the composition of these phytocoenoses other hygrophytes participate as well – Carex spp., Juncus spp., Juncellus serotinus (= Cyperus serotinus), etc. In the coenoses dominated by Elymus elongatus, the dominant makes typical tufts, among which a secondary layer, most often of Cynodon dactylon, develops. The following species occur also in the floristic composition of these communities: Atriplex hastata, A. tatarica, Bupleurum tenuissimum, Camphorosma monspeliaca, Centaurium spicatum, Dianthus campestris subsp. pallidiflorus, Hordeum hystrix, Juncus gerardii, Lactuca saligna, Limonium vulgare, Lotus tenuis, Plantago lanceolata, Polygonum pulchellum, P. monspeliensis, Puccinellia convoluta, Scilla autumnalis, Spergularia marina, and Taeniatherum caput-medusae. In more elevated places some typical xerophytes appear such as Bothriochloa ischaemum(= Dichanthium ischaemum), Chrysopogon gryllus, Eryngium campestre, and Festuca valesiaca, while in wetter places can be found species typical for the mesophytic meadows such as Colchicum autumnale, Poa sylvicola, Festuca arundinacea. The ruderals Achillea millefolium, Bromus arvensis, Cichorium intybus, and Inula britannica often occur. The inland saline meadows make complexes with the saline swamps and steppes on solonchaks and solonets. The distribution of both groups of habitats depends on the salinity of the soils, and the preservation of the soil humidity during the active vegetative season.

Characteristic taxa.

Distribution in Bulgaria. Danubian Plain – along Studena river; Toundzha Hilly Country (near Radnevo town, Ovcharitsa dam); Karnobat plain – Sigmen village and in Sliven region – Atolovo and Gorno Alexandrovo villages.

Conservation importance. The habitat is exclusively rare in Bulgaria. Its area of distribution is very limited, mostly in SE Bulgaria. The habitat develops under very specific conditions.

Threats. Converting of the saline meadows into arable land, overgrazing and consequent ruderalization, general aridisation of the climate, draining of wetlands and redirection of the river beds, construction activities, soil pollution by one of the major industrial enterprises in the areas: Maritsa-Iztok 1 and 2 Thermoelectric Power Station, the open mining method; transport and communication facilities.

Conservation measures taken. The habitat is included in Annex № 1 of the national Biodiversity Act and is of conservation priority. Some of the localities are within sites of the European Ecological Network NATURA 2000 in Bulgaria.

Conservation measures needed. Mapping and monitoring of the habitat state; proclamation of some of the most representative localities of the habitat as Protected Sites, e.g. the locality that is northwards from Radnevo town.

References. Ganchev & Kochev 1962; Ganchev et al. 1971; Tzonev et al. 2008.

Authors: Rossen Tzonev, Chavdar Gussev


Inland saline meadows (distribution map)