Key parameters for landscape evolution and anthropogenisation estimation in the Kamchia River downstream region (Eastern Bulgaria)

Pollen productivity еstimate (PPE) and relevant source area of pollen (RSAP) are critical parameters for quantitative interpretations of pollen data in palaeolandscape and palaeoecological reconstructions, and for analyses of the landscapes evolution and anthropogenisation as well. In light of this, the present paper endeavours to calculate PPE of key plant taxa and to define the RSAP in the Kamchia River Downstream Region (Eastern Bulgaria) in order to use them in landscape simulations and estimations. For the purposes of this research, a dataset of pollen counts from 10 modern pollen samples together with corresponding vegetation data, measured around each sample point in concentric rings, were collected in 2020. Three submodels of the Extended R-Value (ERV) model were used to relate pollen percentages to vegetation composition. Therewith, in order to create a calibrated model, the plant abundance of each pollen type was weighed by distance in GIS environment. The findings led to the conclusion that most of the tree taxa have PPE higher than 1 (ERV3 submodel). Cichoriceae, Fabaceae and Asteraceae have lower PPE

Patterns in recent and Holocene pollen accumulation rates across Europe - the Pollen Monitoring Programme Database as a tool for vegetation reconstruction

The collection of modern, spatially extensive pollen data is important for the interpretation of fossil pollen assemblages and the reconstruction of past vegetation communities in space and time. Modern datasets are readily available for percentage data but lacking for pollen accumulation rates (PARs). Filling this gap has been the motivation of the pollen monitoring network, whose contributors monitored pollen deposition in modified Tauber traps for several years or decades across Europe. Here we present this monitoring dataset consisting of 351 trap locations with a total of 2742 annual samples covering the period from 1981 to 2017. This dataset shows that total PAR is influenced by forest cover and climate parameters, which determine pollen productivity and correlate with latitude. Treeless vegetation produced PAR values of at least 140 grains cm−2 yr−1. Tree PAR increased by at least 400 grains cm−2 yr−1 with each 10 % increase in forest cover. Pollen traps situated beyond 200 km of the distribution of a given tree species still collect occasional pollen grains of that species. The threshold of this long-distance transport differs for individual species and is generally below 60 grains cm−2 yr−1. Comparisons between modern and fossil PAR from the same regions show similar values. For temperate taxa, modern analogues for fossil PARs are generally found downslope or southward of the fossil sites. While we do not find modern situations comparable to fossil PAR values of some taxa (e.g. Corylus), CO2 fertilization and land use may cause high modern PARs that are not documented in the fossil record. The modern data are now publicly available in the Neotoma Paleoecology Database and aid interpretations of fossil PAR data.publishedVersio

Patterns in recent and Holocene pollen accumulation rates across Europe - the Pollen Monitoring Programme Database as a tool for vegetation reconstruction

The collection of modern, spatially extensive pollen data is important for the interpretation of fossil pollen assemblages and the reconstruction of past vegetation communities in space and time. Modern datasets are readily available for percentage data but lacking for pollen accumulation rates (PARs). Filling this gap has been the motivation of the pollen monitoring network, whose contributors monitored pollen deposition in modified Tauber traps for several years or decades across Europe. Here we present this monitoring dataset consisting of 351 trap locations with a total of 2742 annual samples covering the period from 1981 to 2017. This dataset shows that total PAR is influenced by forest cover and climate parameters, which determine pollen productivity and correlate with latitude. Treeless vegetation produced PAR values of at least 140 grains cm(-2) yr(-1). Tree PAR increased by at least 400 grains cm(-2) yr(-1) with each 10% increase in forest cover. Pollen traps situated beyond 200 km of the distribution of a given tree species still collect occasional pollen grains of that species. The threshold of this long-distance transport differs for individual species and is generally below 60 grains cm(-2) yr(-1). Comparisons between modern and fossil PAR from the same regions show similar values. For temperate taxa, modern analogues for fossil PARs are generally found downslope or southward of the fossil sites. While we do not find modern situations comparable to fossil PAR values of some taxa (e.g. Corylus), CO2 fertilization and land use may cause high modern PARs that are not documented in the fossil record. The modern data are now publicly available in the Neotoma Paleoecology Database and aid interpretations of fossil PAR data

Umwelt, Landnutzung und klimatische Veränderungen der bulgarischen Schwarzmeerküste und benachbarter Regionen in der Vorgeschichte

The article highlights the vegetation history of the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast for the time about 5000–2800 cal BC. On the basis of two pollen diagrams (Durankulak Lake and Sozopol Bay) climatic changes and the human impacts were discussed against the background of the results of archeological examinations in the environsstatus: publishe

Quaternary Palynostratigraphy of the Bulgarian Black Sea coastal area

The palynological method is one of the main biostratigraphic methods. Pollen analysis of marine sediments offers the possibility of obtaining long and presumably continuous records of coastal vegetation that are the source of plant microfossils found in the marine basins. Such sequences provide opportunity to develop complete and high-resolution records of terrestrial events. The stratigraphic subdivision of sediments from the western Black Sea area is based on qualitative interpretation of the pollen and spore assemblages, and the vertical and spatial distribution of selected indicator tax

Study of the current status of traditional knowledge about herbs and their use among the population of THE Northern Bulgarian Black sea coast

Recent ethnobotanical studies in different parts of the world indicate a trend of gradual reduction of the folk knowledge about herbs and their use. The aim of our study was to examine the current state of that knowledge and the attitude to traditional methods of treatment among the population of the Northern Bulgarian Black sea coast. The study was carried out in different cities and villages from April to June 2015 using the interview technique face to face. Respondents were men and women of different social status and of different age groups, randomly selected.Descriptive statistical procedures and χ2 test were used for the analysis of results. The impact of demographic characteristics on the attitudes of respondents to the herbs and their use was examined by the correlation coefficient of Pearson.Positive attitude to herbs and their uses were established for 96.85% of respondents, and only 4.32% were indifferent. Among the demographic characteristics only age and gender were ones that affected the answers. The highest percentage of negative responses to the question „What is your attitude to herbal preparations compared to those of conventional medicine,“ was given by people from younger age categories, which outlined the trend of reduced interest to herbs and herbalism among the younger generation. The majority of respondents - 76.68% preferred combined therapy with herbs and synthetic drugs. Relatively large was the share of those who replied entirely on herba treatment - 29.19%. The results indicated consistent positive attitude of the local population of Northern Bulgarian Black sea coast to medicinal plants and to the traditional methods of treatment. Along with this the impact of modernization of the society on the use of herbs is proven

Summer practices - an important element of pharmaceutical botany learning

Identification of medicinal plants and distinguishing them from similar species that do not have the same medicinal properties is an important prerequisite to ensure quality material for the production of pharmaceuticals. For the rational use of natural plant resources serious practical knowledge of botany is needed, the acquisition of which is achievable only by conducting field work in natural habitats followed by preparation of herbarium.Conducting summer practice in pharmaceutical botany is of great value for the professional realization of master of pharmacy. It enables students to get acquainted with exclusive variety of species of medicinal plants in different habitat, to acquire skills for collecting plants during the spring and summer expeditions and to acquire laboratory skills to work with diagnostic keys.The natural conditions on Bulgarian Black Sea coast allow educational practice of Pharmaceutical Botany to be held in extremely diverse habitats, namely forest formations, primary steppes of coastal Southern Dobrogea, aquatic ecosystems and sand communities. The combination of various floral elements is the reason for the great variety of species of medicinal plants, the identification of which is the primary aim of the fieldwork.Visits to the Natural History Museum - Varna and Botanic Garden - Balchik in order to conduct field work in labeled plant collections further enrich the knowledge of future pharmacists

Palaeoecology and geoarchaeology of the Varna Lake, northern Bulgarian Black Sea coast

The coastal lakes are rich sources of biostratigraphic information that is very useful in palaeoecological reconstructions of climate changes and human impact on the natural vegetation. This information is of great importance for the archaeological descriptions of submerged praehistorical settlements found in the northern Bulgarian Black sea area. There are 4 archaeological sites in this area that have been palynologically studied for the last 30 years: the Durankulak Lake, the Shabla-Ezeretz Lake system, the Lake Bolata, as well as the Varna-Beloslav Lake system. Because of the lack of AMS radiocarbon dates for these sites, it was not possible to correlate adequately all palaeoenvironmental results with the available archaeological chronology.Aimed to receive additional information on the Holocene vegetation dynamics and lake level changes, as well as on the anthropogenic impact during the Late Eneolithic and Early Bronze Age, the high-resolution spore-pollen analysis of AMS dated laminated sediments from a new Core 3 – Varna Lake was combined with analyses of dinoflagellate cysts, acritarchs, and other non-pollen palynomorphs.The location of the core is close to several sites of submerged praehistorical settlements and the Varna Late Eneolithic (Chalcolithic) Necropolis, which is famous with the oldest hand-made gold treasure in the Worlds, and permits the palaeoenvironmental correlations of obtained results with available archaeological and geochronological data. The core is 995 cm long, but its palynologically investigated length is 870 cm. It contains dark grey clay and laminated sediments (varves). Seven samples of sediments were submitted for radiocarbon dating to the National Ocean Sciences Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (NOSAMS) Facility of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). The dates have been calibrated using the program CALIB version 6.1.0 of using the IntCal09 curve. An Age Model for the sedimentation rate was created by the newest version 1.17.16. of the TILIA software. </p