Open AccessTHE BULGARIAN MOUNTAIN FOREST RESOURCES
Author(s) -
A. Alexandrov
Publication year - 2017
Language(s) - English
DOI - 10.32006/eeep.2017.1.4649
Subject(s) - geography , agroforestry , mountain range (options) , livestock , vegetation (pathology) , quercus petraea , carpinus betulus , forestry , afforestation , fagus sylvatica , archaeology , environmental science , beech , medicine , pathology , financial economics , economics
39 mountains are situated on the territory of Bulgaria, 8 of which have peaks higher than 2000 m a.s.l. Mountain areas refer hypsometrically to territories above 600 m altitude (from 600 m up to 2925 m) with a total area of 30,608 km2 or 27.6% of the country. Within this range are situated the resources of forests, pastures, spring waters, game, mountain agriculture and livestock-breeding, as well as tourism and sport facilities. Some small towns, villages and hamlets in the mountains are however depopulated due to migration processes.Mountain forest resources are spread all over the following vegetation belts: 1. Carpinus betulus L.-Quercus petraea Liebl. belt, 2. Fagus sylvatica L. belt, 3. Coniferous forests belt, 4. Sub-alpine thin forests, Pinus mugo Turra and Juniperus sp. formations belt. The forests by-products include the returns of hay, foliage, forest fruits, different kind of nuts, lime-blossoms, medical herbs and mushrooms. The national parks, the bigger part of nature parks and reserves are distributed mainly in the mountains, where they preserve the biodiversity and the genetic resources of plants and animals. Mountain agriculture and livestock-breeding are directed to traditional bio-products and food security. Many monasteries, churches and mosques, as part of the cultural-historical heritage, are situated in mountain regions.