Biodiversity_01_UNDPelv
84
9/6/12
9:16 AM
Page 84
B I O D I V E R S I T Y : D E L I V E R I N G R E S U LT S I N E U R O P E A N D T H E C I S
Integrating forestry with conservation and rural development in Bulgaria’s mountain landscapes
The Rhodope Mountains The Rhodope Mountains of southern Bulgaria cover more than 12,000 km2. More than 70 percent of the western Rhodope is mainly coniferous forest, together with high mountain meadows and pastures. By contrast, the eastern Rhodope is generally lower in altitude, the mainly deciduous forests cover around one third of the area, and around half the forests are plantations. The remaining landscapes of the eastern Rhodope comprise large and diverse grassland, farmland and steppe areas, many of them under centuries-old traditional management. As well as being rich in traditional culture, the Rhodope Mountains are also one of Bulgaria’s most important regions for biodiversity. The mountains support more than 25 distinct natural habitats, have a very high level of endemism (especially of plants and invertebrates), and support large numbers of vertebrate species, most notably birds and bats. Despite this, the coverage of protected areas in the mountains was (before the project) less than one quarter of the country’s average. While traditional management practices have helped to maintain the values of Rhodope in the past, growing pressures and new threats have started to endanger the mountains’ unique nature and culture. The most significant of these are:
PROJEC T:
Conservation of globally significant biodiversity in the landscape of Bulgaria’s Rhodope Mountains (2004-2009)
habitat fragmentation and deterioration of the habitat mosaic of forest, farmland and meadows; unsustainable use of natural resources (over-harvesting of medicinal plants, inappropriate tourism, seasonal use of fire, illegal logging, modernisation and intensification of agriculture); loss of genetic diversity and abandonment of local plant varieties and domestic animal breeds; and
The overall objective of the project was the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity in the Rhodope Mountains. Achieving this has involved establishing innovative partnerships of foresters, farmers, civil society organisa-
inadequate, small, isolated protected areas. The challenge faced in protecting and sustaining the natural and cultural landscapes of the Rhodope Mountains is to introduce new approaches that can be readily accepted and assimilated by the diverse range of stakeholders in the region, from foresters to farmers, large agencies to small communities.