Guidelines for assessing favourable conservation status of Natura 2000 species and habitat types in Bulgaria

This executive summary describes the methodology for assessing the favourable conservation status of N2000 habitats and species on site level in Bulgaria and gives guidelines for its application. The methodology was developed in the frame of the BBI/Matra project 2006/014 “Favourable Conservation Status of Natura 2000 Habitat types and Species in Bulgaria”. The project was generously supported by the Dutch government under the BBI/Matra programme, which is a combination of two international policy programs of the Dutch government. The objectives and financial resources of the BBI/Matra Programme fall within the remit of the Matra Social Transformation Program of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and under the International Policy Program on Biodiversity of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality

NEW RECORDS OF RARE AND THREATENED LARGER FUNGI FROM MIDDLE DANUBE PLAIN, BULGARIA

New data about the distribution of eleven rare larger fungi for Bulgaria from the Middle Danube Plain (Pleven District) are presented in the paper. Nine species are of a high conservation value, included in the Red List of fungi in Bulgaria. Three of them are enlisted also in the Red Data Book of the Republic of Bulgaria. Seven taxa are new records from Middle Danube Plain

New data on the ecological peculiarities and the distribution in Bulgaria of the vulnerable habitat F3.1d Balkan-Anatolian submontane genistoid scrub from the European Red List of Habitats

According to the first Red List assessment of European Habitats, only 6 types of heathland and shrub have conservation significance. Amongst them, one type - F3.1d Balkan-Anatolian submontane genistoid scrub, is endemic for a part of the Balkan Peninsula and the west Anatolian Peninsula. This habitat type comprises a complex of open shrub, herbaceous and chasmophytic plant communities, but mostly dominated by the species complex of Genista rumelica/G. lydia. It is represented by open low heathlands typically occupying volcanic rocky substrates under climatic conditions with a pronounced Mediterranean influence. The European distribution of these communities is limited to North-East Greece and South Bulgaria. They are also included in the Red Data Book of Bulgaria, vol. 3. Natural habitats, assessed as “Vulnerable”. Despite their significance for the vegetation cover of Bulgaria and their conservation value at national and European level, these communities remain poorly studied. The present study provides more detailed information on habitat’s distribution and area coverage in Bulgaria, as well as on its floristic and ecological structure

Phytosociological study of submontane genistoid scrub communities from the Southeastern Balkans

Genista lydia Boiss. is an endemic Balkan-Anatolian species which forms rare communities in the territory of south Bulgaria and northeast Greece. They are spread exclusively on acidic, siliceous substrates. This study presents new data on their distribution, floristic and ecological structure and phytosociological affinities. The research is based on 156 phytosociological relevés. Unweighted pair–group method with arithmetic averages (UPGMA) was employed and a detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) was performed prior to the syntaxonomical decision. Three new associations and the new alliance Genistion lydiae have been described and classified within the order Lavandulo stoechadis-Hypericetalia olympici Mucina in Mucina et al. 2016 of the class Cisto-Lavanduletea stoechadis Br.-Bl. in Br.-Bl. et al. 1940. The study has also emphazised the potential threats concerning a decline of the habitat area and proposed some conservation measures

Seismic retrofit of precast panel buildings in Eastern Europe

Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2013.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (pages 85-87).Many countries in Eastern Europe, particularly ones from the former Soviet Bloc, are facing a potential crisis regarding their deteriorating precast panel apartment buildings. These complexes were built using industrial methods in response to the housing shortage during the 1960s, 70s and 80s. An ending lifecycle in combination with the poor design and construction quality makes these buildings extremely vulnerable to earthquakes that are frequent in the region. This thesis addresses the need to act urgently in order to rehabilitate these structures and ensure that they meet today's building code requirements. It is achieved through a case study that explores the effectiveness of global bracing seismic mitigation techniques on an existing precast panel building located in Sofia, Bulgaria. The in-situ building is first analyzed using SAP2000 and then again after the bracing is added to the model. A variety of parameters such as drift, floor acceleration and seismic damage are compared with cost and plausibility of the chosen options. As a final outcome, the external bracing scheme used in this study does in fact decrease both the floor accelerations and the interstory drift by at least 10% and in some cases as much as 85%. During the thesis, several local experts and practicing structural engineers were interviewed and consulted. For this study it is assumed that the building has a close statistical representation of other buildings with similar structural system both in Bulgaria and neighboring Eastern European countries.by Tzonu Tzonev.M.Eng

Phytosociological study of submontane genistoid scrub communities from the Southeastern Balkans

Genista lydia Boiss. is an endemic Balkan-Anatolian species which forms rare communities in the territory of south Bulgaria and northeast Greece. They are spread exclusively on acidic, siliceous substrates. This study presents new data on their distribution, floristic and ecological structure and phytosociological affinities. The research is based on 156 phytosociological relevés. Unweighted pair–group method with arithmetic averages (UPGMA) was employed and a detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) was performed prior to the syntaxonomical decision. Three new associations and the new alliance Genistion lydiae have been described and classified within the order Lavandulo stoechadis-Hypericetalia olympici Mucina in Mucina et al. 2016 of the class Cisto-Lavanduletea stoechadis Br.-Bl. in Br.-Bl. et al. 1940. The study has also emphazised the potential threats concerning a decline of the habitat area and proposed some conservation measures

Classificaton of the relict forest communites of Palla’s Black Pine (Pinus nigra subsp. pallasiana) in Bulgaria

New approach for the classifcation of the Black Pine forest communities in Bulgaria was made in the paper. Te analysis of forest pytocoenoses from Vlahina, East and West Rhodopi and Balkan Range Mountains confrmed their separation into two classes – Quercetea pubescentis (low-altitudinal) and Erico-Pinetea (high altitudinal). Te second class is represented from one polymorphic association Seslerio latifoliae-Pinetum nigrae whereas the other group is represented from two new associations. Te association Junipero deltoidi-Pineteum pallasianae is more related to the surrounding thermophilous oak forests as well as the association Lathyro laxiflori-Pinetum pallasianae is more similar to the hornbeam and beechforests

Forest communities of the relict Balkan endemic Aesculus hippocastanum

Aesculus hippocastanum L. (European Horse-chestnut) constitutes a biogeographical relict species of the Balkan Peninsula, occurring in isolated and topographically distinct localities in Albania, Bulgaria, Greece and North Macedonia. Despite its great botanical, ornamental and pharmaceutical value, a thorough investigation of Ae. hippocastanum habitat diversity in its native distribution range has not been conducted yet. The present study aims at the syntaxonomic classification and ecological features of plant communities dominated by this species across its overall native distribution range. On the basis of 55 phytosociological relevés, five ecologically, floristically, and spatially well differentiated clusters were identified, with the main revealed gradients of differentiation being geographic location (longitude, latitude), altitude, annual precipitation and precipitation seasonality. The distinct microhabitats with a special refugial character where these plant communities occur meet the species’ requirement for relatively high air and soil humidity. They have allowed the preservation of Ae. hippocastanum through time highlighting their great conservational value. The last one could be useful for the implementation of some appropriate measures for effective conservation of these communities

UPON THE ETIOLOGICAL TREATMENT OF BACTERIAL NONGONOCOCCAL URETHRITIS

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