Kamchia (biosphere reserve)
Encyclopedia
The Kamchia Biosphere Reserve, is a UNESCO-listed biosphere reserve
on the northern coastline of Bulgaria
, comprising the floodplain at the mouth of the Kamchia River. Consisting largely of alluvial longose groves, (or the Longoz as its also known), but also featuring some of the Black Sea
coastline, the area of the protected habitats in the reserve, together with Kamchia Sands Protected Area, totals 1.200 ha.. It protects the primeval forest from intensive logging
and drainage
that had decimated it by mid-20th century and was established in 1977. It is situated 25 km south of the town of Varna
and is enclosed by the villages of Staro Oriahovo, Shkorpilovtsi
and Bliznatsi.
and drainage
attempts in the past. The reserve is currently under revision.
. The site is important for wintering Cygnus cygnus and is the most important breeding area in Bulgaria for Dendrocopos medius and Ficedula semitorquata. The locality is also a major migratory bottleneck site, where 60,000 or more white stork
s pass overhead each autumn. Birds include a small colony of little egrets (Egretta garzetta) and the rare half-collared flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis semitorquata).
Twenty-five fish species have been recorded in the river, seven of which are listed under the IUCN Redlist, including wild common carp , (Cyprinus carpio), Knipowitschia caucasica
and the Aral Stickleback, (Pungitius platygaster).
Mammals in the biosphere reserve include roe deer
(Capreolus capreolus), wild boar (Sus scrofa), pine marten
(Martes martes) and fox
(Vulpes vulpes) There are also many reptiles and amphibians, including European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis), tessellated water snake (Natrix tessellata) and alligator lizard
(Ophisaurus apodus).
There are twenty-five species of small mammals known to inhabit the reserve, including the European Otter
, (Lutra lutra), which is on the European IUCN Red List.
(Quercus pedunculiflora), Acer and Alnus, with scrub of Crataegus monogyna, Cornus, Paliurus
and Ligustrum
, and lianas of Clematis
, Smilax
and Periploca.
or the nearby Resort of Kamchia, (which shares the same beach line).
on the water quality and its impact on the Black Sea coastal zone, (and so on the reserve as well) concluded that
Other environmental issues are that the river is purportedly becoming marshy. The water lily, torfaceous snowdrop, and white Kamchia lily are also disappearing according to the World Wildlife Fund. The Storage Battery Plant in Targovishte is a significant polluter, (spilling heavy metals), of the Kamchia River.
Cattle breeding is the second major source of water pollution and directly affects sources of drinking water. Due to a serious lack of water purification stations on cattle farms, non-purified waste waters pour into the various water basins. The same holds for the underground waters, as nitrates, phosphates, and other macroelements used in farming are dissolved and washed away by rains, to appear subsequently in water basins and mineral springs. As the river runs directly through the biosphere reserve, it has a strong impact ecosystems within it. Since the entire area is irrigated by the river all of the animals and plants living there are dependent on it for their survival.
However on a more positive outlook, as a result of improvements to the River Kamchia, it no longer floods the dense forest. This is was seen as responsible for the appearance of Dutch elm disease, which was causing great damage to elms and ashes.
Biosphere reserve
The Man and the Biosphere Programme of UNESCO was established in 1971 to promote interdisciplinary approaches to management, research and education in ecosystem conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.-Development:...
on the northern coastline of Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, comprising the floodplain at the mouth of the Kamchia River. Consisting largely of alluvial longose groves, (or the Longoz as its also known), but also featuring some of the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
coastline, the area of the protected habitats in the reserve, together with Kamchia Sands Protected Area, totals 1.200 ha.. It protects the primeval forest from intensive logging
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
and drainage
Drainage
Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from an area. Many agricultural soils need drainage to improve production or to manage water supplies.-Early history:...
that had decimated it by mid-20th century and was established in 1977. It is situated 25 km south of the town of Varna
Varna
Varna is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, with a population of 334,870 inhabitants according to Census 2011...
and is enclosed by the villages of Staro Oriahovo, Shkorpilovtsi
Shkorpilovtsi
Shkorpilovtsi is a small village and sea resort in Dolni Chiflik Municipality on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, located only 100 m away from one of the most beautiful beaches on the Moesian Black Sea Coast...
and Bliznatsi.
History
The reserve was established in 1951 to protect the remnants of floodplain forests which had once covered a considerably larger area. The biosphere reserve itself was established in 1977, as with all other Biosphere Reserves in Bulgaria. The area has been subject to loggingLogging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
and drainage
Drainage
Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from an area. Many agricultural soils need drainage to improve production or to manage water supplies.-Early history:...
attempts in the past. The reserve is currently under revision.
Geography
The core area of the reserve is 842.1 ha, (with a buffer zone of 230 ha), some 764 ha of it is afforested, and the rest 78.1 ha is not afforested, (34.5 ha of meadows, 0.4 ha of channels, 3.3 ha of openings, 21.8 ha of swamps, 9.9 ha of marshlands etc.), the reserve is 40 km in length and reaches 5 km in width in some areas. The "Longoz" forests in the lower course of the river are the best representatives of their kind throughout Europe. Within the reserve there are remnant riverine forests, small freshwater marshes of Phragmites and Typha along the riverbank, arable land (the former Staro-Oryachovo marshes), a beach with sand-dunes, and a sea bay.Fauna
The area is a key site for birds and harbors almost 200 species, eight of which are considered endangered and are listed under the IUCN Red ListIUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
. The site is important for wintering Cygnus cygnus and is the most important breeding area in Bulgaria for Dendrocopos medius and Ficedula semitorquata. The locality is also a major migratory bottleneck site, where 60,000 or more white stork
White Stork
The White Stork is a large bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. Its plumage is mainly white, with black on its wings. Adults have long red legs and long pointed red beaks, and measure on average from beak tip to end of tail, with a wingspan...
s pass overhead each autumn. Birds include a small colony of little egrets (Egretta garzetta) and the rare half-collared flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis semitorquata).
Twenty-five fish species have been recorded in the river, seven of which are listed under the IUCN Redlist, including wild common carp , (Cyprinus carpio), Knipowitschia caucasica
Knipowitschia caucasica
Caucasian dwarf goby is a species of fish in the Gobiidae family. It is found along the coasts of the Black Sea, Sea of Azov, Caspian Sea, and Aegean Sea . It was also introduced to the Aral Sea....
and the Aral Stickleback, (Pungitius platygaster).
Mammals in the biosphere reserve include roe deer
Roe Deer
The European Roe Deer , also known as the Western Roe Deer, chevreuil or just Roe Deer, is a Eurasian species of deer. It is relatively small, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapted to cold environments. Roe Deer are widespread in Western Europe, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia, and from...
(Capreolus capreolus), wild boar (Sus scrofa), pine marten
Pine Marten
The European Pine Marten , known most commonly as the pine marten in Anglophone Europe, and less commonly also known as Pineten, baum marten, or sweet marten, is an animal native to Northern Europe belonging to the mustelid family, which also includes mink, otter, badger, wolverine and weasel. It...
(Martes martes) and fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...
(Vulpes vulpes) There are also many reptiles and amphibians, including European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis), tessellated water snake (Natrix tessellata) and alligator lizard
Alligator lizard
Alligator Lizard may refer to one of the following:Species of the genus Elgaria:*Northern Alligator Lizard*Southern Alligator LizardSpecies of the genus Gerrhonotus.Species of the genus Abronia ...
(Ophisaurus apodus).
There are twenty-five species of small mammals known to inhabit the reserve, including the European Otter
European Otter
The European Otter , also known as the Eurasian otter, Eurasian river otter, common otter and Old World otter, is a European and Asian member of the Lutrinae or otter subfamily, and is typical of freshwater otters....
, (Lutra lutra), which is on the European IUCN Red List.
Flora
The forests are dominated by ash (Fraxinus oxyphylla), Ulmus, oakOak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
(Quercus pedunculiflora), Acer and Alnus, with scrub of Crataegus monogyna, Cornus, Paliurus
Paliurus
Paliurus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rhamnaceae. The eight species are native to warm, dry regions of Eurasia and North Africa from Morocco and Spain east to Japan and Taiwan.-Description:...
and Ligustrum
Ligustrum
Ligustrum is a genus of about forty species of erect, deciduous or evergreen shrubs, sometimes forming small or medium-sized trees. They are now all known by the common name of privet.-Selected species:...
, and lianas of Clematis
Clematis
Clematis is a genus of about 300 species within the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. Their garden hybrids have been popular among gardeners beginning with Clematis × jackmanii, a garden standby since 1862; more hybrid cultivars are being produced constantly. They are mainly of Chinese and Japanese...
, Smilax
Smilax
Smilax is a genus of about 300-350 species, found in temperate zones, tropics and subtropics worldwide. In China for example about 80 are found , while there are 20 in North America north of Mexico...
and Periploca.
Environment and Pollution
Most of the pollution in the reserve is associated with the River Kamchia's load and pollutants present there, however, that litter from tourists was once a major problem for the local authorities. Mainly this was because there was bridge which allowed people to visit the reserve. It was later destroyed and litter became less of a problem, however since it is still possible to cross the river mouth on to the beach area of the reserve, (see image), the problem has not entirely been resolved. Additionally litter and industrial pollutants are regularly washed up on the shore, much of which either come from the port of VarnaVarna
Varna is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, with a population of 334,870 inhabitants according to Census 2011...
or the nearby Resort of Kamchia, (which shares the same beach line).
Pollution associated with the river
A 2006 study conducted by the Institute of Oceanology and the Bulgarian Academy of SciencesBulgarian Academy of Sciences
The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences is the National Academy of Bulgaria, established in 1869. The Academy is autonomous and has a Society of Academicians, Correspondent Members and Foreign Members...
on the water quality and its impact on the Black Sea coastal zone, (and so on the reserve as well) concluded that
Other environmental issues are that the river is purportedly becoming marshy. The water lily, torfaceous snowdrop, and white Kamchia lily are also disappearing according to the World Wildlife Fund. The Storage Battery Plant in Targovishte is a significant polluter, (spilling heavy metals), of the Kamchia River.
Cattle breeding is the second major source of water pollution and directly affects sources of drinking water. Due to a serious lack of water purification stations on cattle farms, non-purified waste waters pour into the various water basins. The same holds for the underground waters, as nitrates, phosphates, and other macroelements used in farming are dissolved and washed away by rains, to appear subsequently in water basins and mineral springs. As the river runs directly through the biosphere reserve, it has a strong impact ecosystems within it. Since the entire area is irrigated by the river all of the animals and plants living there are dependent on it for their survival.
However on a more positive outlook, as a result of improvements to the River Kamchia, it no longer floods the dense forest. This is was seen as responsible for the appearance of Dutch elm disease, which was causing great damage to elms and ashes.
External links
- http://www.unesco.org/mabdb/br/brdir/directory/biores.asp?code=BUL+08&mode=all| UNESCO MAB Directory listing for Kamchia
- http://www.kamchia.net/natur_en.htm
- http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/sites/index.html?action=SitHTMDetails.asp&sid=410&m=0