High Nature Value farmland in Strandzha

Koen De Rijck - for EFNCP / WWF-DCP Strandzha seminar, 26-27 June 2007

Land use

• Total area of Strandzha Nature Park: about 116.000 ha

• 80% of Strandzha NP: forest– Broad-leaf forests prevail– Oriental beech (Fagus orientalis), Oak

(several species)

Land use

• Total area of Strandzha Nature Park: 116.000 ha

• 80% of Strandzha NP: forest– Broad-leaf forests prevail– Oriental beech (Fagus orientalis), Oak

(several species)– Evergreen underbrush of Strandzha

rhododendron (Rhododendron ponticum)

Land use

• About 10-12% of Strandzha NP is agricultural land:– Pastures

Land use

• About 10-12% of Strandzha NP is agricultural land:– Pastures– Orchards– Arable land

Land ownership

• Private property: 54% of agricultural land or 11.800 ha

• Temporarily managed by municipality: 35,1% or 7.700 ha

• Municipal ownership: 7,7% or 1.700 ha

• State ownership: 2,5% or 550 ha

Concept

• High Nature Value farmland are those areas in Europe where agriculture is a major (usually the dominant) land use and where that agriculture supports, or is associated with, either a high species and habitat diversity or the presence of species of European conservation concern, or both

Farmland species diversity

• Species directly connected to farmland: 25 – 13 mammal species– 8 birds

• Grey Partridge (Perdix perdix), Quail (Coturnix coturnix), Corncrake (Crex crex), Sky Lark (Alauda arvensis), Tawny Pipit (Anthus campestris), Black-headed Bunting (Emberiza malanocephala)

– 4 reptiles• Dione's Snake, Green Whip Snake

Farmland species diversity

• Species depending on extensive grassland management: 104 invertebrates and 60 vertebrates– Mammals

• Marbled Polecat (Mustela putorius), mole rat, Souslik (Citellus citellus), mole, shrews (Sorex spp.), mice rodents, Hamster

– Birds• eagles (Aquila spp.), White Stork (Ciconia ciconia), Little Owl

(Athena noctua), Roller, Hoopoe (Upupa epops)

• Farmland provides food for 90-95 species inhabitants of the forests, rocks and caves

Farmland species diversity

• Breeding niche of 9 priority mammal species, birds and reptiles and of over 100 invertebrate species of significance for conservation

• Provides food for more than 20 species of priority mammals and birds.

• Farmland in Strandzha is biotope of European significance

Typology

• Type 1: Farmland with a high proportion of semi-natural vegetation

• Type 2: Farmland dominated by low intensity agriculture or a mosaic of semi-natural and cultivated land and small-scale features

• Type 3: Farmland supporting rare species or a high proportion of European or world populations

High Nature Value farmland in Strandzha

Koen De Rijck - for EFNCP / WWF-DCP Strandzha seminar, 26-27 June 2007