EXECUTIVE FOREST AGENCY

FOREST SECTOR IN THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA

REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA

EXECUTIVE FOREST AGENCYExecutive Forest Agency, Bulgaria

Forest ecosystem services

19.02.2015, Sofia, Balkan conference

• Services provided by forests cover a wide range of ecological,, economic, social, cultural and political considerations and processes

• No easy forest management solutions, incorporating a variety of competing interest groups and views

Ecological services• regulation of water regimes by intercepting rainfall

and regulating its flow through the hydrological system;

• maintenance of soil quality and the provision of organic materials through leaf and branch fall;

• limiting of erosion and protection of soil from the direct impact of rainfall;

• modulating climate; • key components of biodiversity both in themselves

and as a habitat for other species

Economic services

• Forests form the basis of a variety of industries -timber, processed wood and paper, rubber, and fruits

• Products, necessary to rural communities - fuel and fodder, game, fruits, building materials, medicines and herbs

Sociocultural services

• Forests are home to millions of people world-wide, and many of these people are dependent on the forests for their survival

• many people have strong cultural and spiritual attachments to the forests

• Indigenous knowledge, spirituality, aesthetics and beauty

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment

• Supporting services: The services that are necessary for the production of all other ecosystem services including soil formation, photosynthesis, primary production, nutrient cycling and water cycling.

• Provisioning services: The products obtained from ecosystems, including food, fibre, fuel, genetic resources, biochemicals, natural medicines, pharmaceuticals, ornamental resources and fresh water;

• Regulating services: The benefits obtained from the regulation of ecosystem processes, including air quality regulation, climate regulation, water regulation, erosion regulation, water purification, disease regulation, pest regulation, pollination, natural hazard regulation;

• Cultural services: The non-material benefits people obtain from ecosystems through spiritual enrichment, cognitive development, reflection, recreation and aesthetic experiences – thereby taking account of landscape values;

EU Classification of ecosystem services

*Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services, EU, April, 2013

Provisioning all material and biota-dependent energy outputs from ecosystems – Nutrition(including potable water) ; Materials (biotic); Energy (biomass)

Regulating and maintenance

- all the ways in which ecosystems control or modify biotic or abiotic parameters that define the environment of people:• Mediation of waste, toxics and other nuisances• Mediation of flows (air, liquid, solid masses - regulation and maintenance of land and snow masses, flood and storm protection • Maintenance of physical, chemical, biological conditions - soil formation, climate regulation, pest and disease control, pollination and the nursery functions that habitats have in the support of provisioning services

Cultural Includes all non-material ecosystem outputs that have symbolic, cultural or intellectual significance - physical and intellectual interactions with biota, ecosystems, and land-/seascapes; Spiritual, symbolic and other interactions with biota, ecosystems, and land-/seascapes

Methodology for valuation of forest

ecosystem services • Different methods and

interpretations exists• Not enough experience and

know-howIn Europe only Schwitzerland has

a working mechanism for such payments but on local level

• the special forestry activities, delivering the ecosystem services are determined

• The methods for calculation of the services are defined

• The value of the ecosystem services to be paid by the users (business enities)

Forest Ecosystem Services

Forest Act: Chapter seventeen PUBLIC ECO-SYSTEM BENEFITS FROM THE

FOREST TERRITORIES

Art. 248. (1) Public eco-system benefits from the forest territories shall be the results from the specialized activities of its management.

• (2) Public eco-system benefits from the forest territories shall be

• 1. protection against erosion of soil from avalanches and floods;

• 2. guaranteeing the quantity and quality of water;• 3. maintaining biological diversity;• 4. scanning, noise conteminators take over and maintaining

micro-climate;• 5. providing conditions for recreation and tourism;• 6. maintainig the traditional landscape;• 7. protection of the natural and cultural heritage;• 8. protection of infrastructure sites and equipment;• 9. slowing down and regulation of impacts from the climate

changes.Art. 249. (1) The public eco-system benefits

under Art. 248, Para. 2, wher they are in favour of performing economic activity shall be paid.

The Forest Law requires the adoption of an Ordiance on payment of ecosystem services from forest territories:

Determination of the zones, from which the forest ecosystem services are delivered Determination of the payments /compensation/ of public forest ecosystem services;Definition of the way of payments for ecosystem services;Mode and methods for distribution of the payments , delivered from forest ecosystem services Conditions, when the forest ecosystem services shall be paid

Regional plans for the development of forest territorries

1. Borders of the zones which provide ecosystem services are determined

2. Land estates within the zones are determined

3. The economic activities within the zones are defined

4. The users of forest ecosystem sevices are defined

Methods of payments

• Based on the expenditures to preserve the ecosystem services in forests

• On the possible missed benefit from forest – compensation payments

• Both..

EEA Grant

• Methodology for assessment and mapping of woodland and forest ecosystems state and their services in Bulgaria

• Methodological support for ecosystem service assessment and biophysical valluation