31F9
Riverside Tamarisk (Tamarix spp.) stands
Relationships with habitat classifications. EUNIS: F9.3133 East Mediterranean tamarisk thickets, F9.3141 Pontic tamarisk stands; PAL. ClASS.: 44.8133 East-Mediterranean Tamarix thickets, 44.8141 Pontic Tamarix stands; HD 92/43: 92D0 Southern riparian galleries and thickets (Nerio-Tamaricetea and Securinegion tinctoriae).
Conservation status. BDA, BC, HD.
Category. Endangered [EN – A1, 2 C2 D2 E2 F2 G2 H2 L2].
General characteristics. This habitat type encompasses riverside galleries and shrubs dominated by Tamarix ramosissima and T. tetrandra, along permanent or temporary streams or in wet places. They mainly occupy the broadest parts of the river valleys with gravel, sand and clay deposits. The habitat occurs in the lower parts of the valleys of some rivers from the Mediterranean basin and rivers that flow into the Black Sea and the middle part of the Danube. They occur also as fragments among the riverside vegetation, and sometimes can be of secondary origin, replacing riverside willow or plantain forests. Salix purpurea, S. fragilis, S. alba and in some places Platanus orientalis also occur in these plant communities together with the dominants. In East Rhodopi Mts. on the thick alluvial gravel deposits in the valleys of Arda, Krumovitsa, Varbitsa and Byala Reka rivers occur communities dominated only by Tamarix tetrandra with the participation of Alyssum tortuosum,Anchusa officinalis, Artemisia scoparia, Centaurea rutifolia, Chondrilla juncea, Cichorium intybus, Cynodon dactylon, Eryngium campestre, Euphorbia niciciana, Hypericum olympicum, Ononis arvensis, Plantago lanceolata,P. scabra, Salix xanthicola, Salvia tomentosa, Satureja pilosa, Scrophularia canina, Xanthium strumarium.On the sand dunes near Sunny Beach tourist complex Artemisia campestris participate in the communities of Tamarix tetrandra. Along Struma valley in the communities dominated by Tamarix tetrandra and T. ramosissima occur Artemisia campestris, A scoparia, Chenopodium botrys, Erianthus ravennae, Scrophularia canina, Xanthium strumariumetc.
Relatively small communities of Tamarix ramosissima and T. tetrandra occur also on the sand dunes (over-wet places) or on saline clay along the Black Sea coast: at the estuary of Ropotamo river and the hills by the sea near Balchik town. The only known community dominated by Tamarix ramosissima along the Danube occurs in Katinata Protected Site (28 ha), on the territory of Zagrazhden village, Gulyantsi municipality. Tamarix ramosissima makes single fragments on the flooded terrace of the bank of the Danube where hygrophytic species also occur: Elymus repens, Cynodon dactylon, Trifolium fragiferum etc. Pioneer communities of Tamarix spp. used to be more widely distributed along the Danube but as a result of the redirection of the river bank and afforestation with poplar trees they have disappeared in most places.
Characteristic taxa.
- Vascular plants: Artemisia campestris, Salix fragilis, S. purpurea, S. xanthicola (only East Rhodopi Mts.), Tamarix ramosissima, T. tetrandra.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Along the Danube (Katinata locality, near Zagrazhden village), lower parts of the valleys of Maritsa, Toundzha, and Struma rivers, along Arda, Varbitsa, Krumovitsa and Byala Reka rivers in East Rhodopi Mts., Black Sea coast; up to 300 m alt.
Conservation importance. Salix xanthicola,a Balkan endemic and endangered species in the Bulgarian flora, occurs in this habitat type in East Rhodopi Mts.
Threats. Construction of hydro-ameliorative devices, redirection of river beds, building of water power stations, cutting and burning of riverside vegetation during river clearings and for the exploitation of inert materials.
Conservation measures taken. The habitat is included in Annex № 1 of the Biodiversity Act. Parts of the communities are within protected areas: Ropotamo Strict Nature Reserve, Katinata and Meandrite na Byala Reka Protected Sites, “Pyasachni Dyuni v Mestnostta Babata” Nature Monument near Sunny Beach Resort, etc. Some of the localities are in sites of the European Ecological Network NATURA 2000.
Conservation measures needed. Detailed phytocoenological studies, mapping and monitoring.
References. Stojanov 1941, 1948; Meshinev et al. 1982, 1994.
Author: Chavdar Gussev
