Uzunbodzhak

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Uzunbodzhak Biosphere Reserve
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Relief Map of Bulgaria.jpg
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Location of Uzunbodzhak Reserve
Location Municipalities of Malko Tarnovo and Tsarevo, Burgas Province, Bulgaria
Nearest city Malko Tarnovo, Tsarevo
Coordinates 42°04′01.2″N27°46′58.8″E / 42.067000°N 27.783000°E / 42.067000; 27.783000 Coordinates: 42°04′01.2″N27°46′58.8″E / 42.067000°N 27.783000°E / 42.067000; 27.783000
Area 25.296 km2
Established 1956
Governing body Ministry of Environment and Water

Uzunbodzhak (Bulgarian : Узунбоджак), also transliterated as Ouzounboudjak is an UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, one of the five nature reserves in Strandzha Nature Park in south-eastern Bulgaria. The reserve is sometimes called Lopushna (Bulgarian : Лопушна). [1] Uzunbodzhak was established on 13 December 1956 and was included in the UNESCO network of biosphere reserves in March 1977. [2] It covers an area of 2529.6 hectares, or 25.296 km2. [2] All economic activities are prohibited on the territory of the reserve. [3]

Bulgarian language South Slavic language

Bulgarian, is an Indo-European language and a member of the Southern branch of the Slavic language family.

Man and the Biosphere Programme UNESCO conservation programme

Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) is an intergovernmental scientific programme, launched in 1971 by UNESCO, that aims to establish a scientific basis for the improvement of relationships between people and their environments.

Strandzha Nature Park landscape park in Bulgaria

Strandzha Nature Park is the largest protected area in Bulgaria spanning a territory of 1,161 square kilometres (448 sq mi) in the Strandzha Mountain in the extreme south-eastern corner of the country on the border with Turkey. It was established on 25 January 1995 to protect ecosystems and biodiversity of European importance, as well as the traditional cultural, historical and folklore heritage of the region. The altitude varies from 710 metres (780 yd) on Gradishte Peak to 0 metres (0 yd) at the Black Sea coast with average length of 50 kilometres (31 mi) from west to east and 20 kilometres (12 mi) from north to south.

Contents

Geography

The reserve is situated between the villages of Kosti in Tsarevo Municipality и Slivarovo in Malko Tarnovo Municipality, in the valley of the Rezovo river at about 20 km from its mouth. The relief is uneven. The altitude varies between 50 and 300 m.

Kosti, Burgas Province

Kosti is a village in southeastern Bulgaria, part of Tsarevo Municipality, Burgas Province. It is located on the banks of the Veleka River in the Strandzha mountains not far from the Turkish border, 20-25 kilometres south of Tsarevo and 91 km southeast of Burgas. As of June 2008, it has a population of 320 and the mayor is Iliya Yazov. The village lies within Strandzha Nature Park.

Tsarevo Municipality Municipality in Burgas, Bulgaria

Tsarevo Municipality is a municipality in Burgas Province, Bulgaria.

Slivarovo is a village in Malko Tarnovo Municipality, in Burgas Province, in southeastern Bulgaria. It is situated in Strandzha Nature Park.

The climate is continental Mediterranean and tends to be milder because of the proximity to the Black Sea. The average monthly temperature in winter does not fall under 0°C (2-3°C in January). The soils are cinnamon and yellow-podzolic.

Black Sea Marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean between Europe and Asia

The Black Sea is a body of water and marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean between the Balkans, Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Western Asia. It is supplied by a number of major rivers, such as the Danube, Dnieper, Southern Bug, Dniester, Don, and the Rioni. Many countries drain into the Black Sea, including Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey and Ukraine.

Uzunbodzhak is crossed by the rivers Rezovo, Karetarski Dol and Lopushnitsa.

Flora

There are 651 species and subspecies of vascular plants. Around 65% of the forests are dominated by oak, and 30% - by beech. The forests are more that 200 years old. [3]

Vascular plant subkingdom of plants

Vascular plants, also known as tracheophytes, form a large group of plants that are defined as those land plants that have lignified tissues for conducting water and minerals throughout the plant. They also have a specialized non-lignified tissue to conduct products of photosynthesis. Vascular plants include the clubmosses, horsetails, ferns, gymnosperms and angiosperms. Scientific names for the group include Tracheophyta, Tracheobionta and Equisetopsida sensu lato. The term higher plants should be avoided as a synonym for vascular plants as it is a remnant of the abandoned concept of the great chain of being.

Relict plant species include Strandzhan oak ( Quercus hartwissiana ), cherry laurel ( Laurocerasus officinalis ), pontic rhododendron ( Rhododendron ponticum ), Pontic daphne ( Daphne pontica ), Colchic holly ( Ilex colchica ), Rose-of-Sharon ( Hypericum calycinum ), Caucasian whortleberry ( Vaccinium arctostaphylos ), oleaster-leafed pear ( Pyrus elaeagrifolia ), common medlar ( Mespilus germanica ), Pontic fritillary ( Fritillaria pontica ), etc.

<i>Quercus hartwissiana</i> species of plant

Quercus hartwissiana, the Strandzha oak, is a species of oak, native to southeastern Bulgaria, northern Asia Minor along the Black Sea, and the Caucasus. It was described by the Finnish-born Russian botanist and entomologist Christian von Steven in 1857.

<i>Rhododendron ponticum</i> species of plant

Rhododendron ponticum, called common rhododendron or pontic rhododendron, is a species of Rhododendron native to southern Europe and southwest Asia.

<i>Daphne pontica</i> species of plant

Daphne pontica, commonly known as twin-flowered or Pontic daphne, is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae, native to Bulgaria, northern Turkey and the Caucasus. It is a small evergreen shrub growing to 1 m tall by 1.5 m wide, with leathery leaves and clusters of fragrant yellow flowers in pairs, in spring. The flowers are often followed by black berries. It tolerates deep shade in the garden, but dislikes transplanting.

Fauna

The fauna in Uzunbodzhak is diverse. The most common mammals are the wild boar, wildcat, grey wolf, golden jackal, red fox, European badger, roe deer, European hare, grey dwarf hamster. [3] The Eurasian lynx roamed the territory of the reserve until the 1930s, when it went extinct from the region. [1]

Wild boar species of mammal

The wild boar, also known as the wild swine, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia, North Africa, and the Greater Sunda Islands. Human intervention has spread its distribution further, making the species one of the widest-ranging mammals in the world, as well as the most widely spread suiform. Its wide range, high numbers, and adaptability mean that it is classed as least concern by the IUCN and it has become an invasive species in part of its introduced range. The animal probably originated in Southeast Asia during the Early Pleistocene, and outcompeted other suid species as it spread throughout the Old World.

Wildcat Small wild cat

The wildcat is a species complex comprising two small wild cat species, the European wildcat and the African wildcat. The European wildcat inhabits forests in Europe and the Caucasus, while the African wildcat inhabits semi-arid landscapes and steppes in Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Central Asia, into western India and western China. The wildcat species differ in fur pattern, tail, and size: the European wildcat has long fur and a bushy tail with a rounded tip; the smaller African wildcat is more faintly striped, has short sandy-gray fur and a tapering tail; the Asiatic wildcat is spotted.

Golden jackal A wolf-like canid that is native to Southeast Europe and Asia

The golden jackal is a wolf-like canid that is native to Southeast Europe, Southwest Asia, South Asia, and regions of Southeast Asia. Compared with the Arabian wolf, which is the smallest of the gray wolves, the jackal is smaller and possesses shorter legs, a shorter tail, a more elongated torso, a less-prominent forehead, and a narrower and more pointed muzzle. The golden jackal's coat can vary in color from a pale creamy yellow in summer to a dark tawny beige in winter. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List due to its widespread distribution and high density in areas with plenty of available food and optimum shelter.

The reserve is home to a number of species, such as common buzzard, long-legged buzzard, Eurasian sparrowhawk, lesser spotted eagle, common kingfisher, white-throated dipper, fieldfare, grey wagtail, corn bunting, hawfinch, European stonechat, common cuckoo, black stork, different species of falcons, woodpeckers, swallows, etc.

The amphibians and the reptiles include common toad, marsh frog, agile frog, as well as European green lizard, Darevskia praticola , slowworm, Kotschy's gecko, smooth snake, Caspian whipsnake, Aesculapian snake, Montpellier snake and European ratsnake.

Related Research Articles

Geography of Bulgaria Information about the geographical make-up of Bulgaria, including topology

Bulgaria is a country situated in Southeast Europe, bordering Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, and the Black Sea to the east. The northern border with Romania follows the river Danube until the city of Silistra. The land area of Bulgaria is 110,879 square kilometres (42,811 sq mi), slightly larger than that of Iceland or the U.S. state of Tennessee. Considering its relatively small size, Bulgaria has a great variety of topographical features. Even within small parts of the country, the land may be divided into plains, plateaus, hills, mountains, basins, gorges, and deep river valleys. The geographic center of Bulgaria is located in Uzana.

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Bulgarian Black Sea Coast geographical object

The Bulgarian Black Sea Coast covers the entire eastern bound of Bulgaria stretching from the Romanian Black Sea resorts in the north to European Turkey in the south, along 378 km of coastline. White and golden sandy beaches occupy approximately 130 km of the 378 km long coast. The region is an important center of tourism during the summer season (May–October), drawing millions of foreign and local tourists alike and constituting one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. Prior to 1989 the Bulgarian Black Sea coast was internationally known as the Red Riviera. Since the fall of the Iron Curtain, however, its nickname has been changed to the Bulgarian Riviera.

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References

  1. 1 2 "Strandzha Nature Park: Nature Reserves". Official Site of Strandzha Nature Park. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Register of the Protected Territories and Zones in Bulgaria". Official Site of the Executive Environment Agency of Bulgaria. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 "Uzunbodzhak Biosphere Reserve". Official Site of UNESCO. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
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