DOI: 10.3897/jbgs.e166425

Authors: Fiorella La Matta Romero, Vanessa Arevalo-Seijas, David Valqui-Peña, Moya MacDonald, Jemma Wadham, Raul Loayza-Muro

Abstract: The retreat of tropical glaciers in the Peruvian Andes, particularly in the Cordillera Blanca, has significantly altered hydrogeological and geochemical processes in mountain water-sheds. This study investigates the influence of glacier change-driven acid rock drainage (ARD) upon benthic macroinvertebrate communities in 19 glacier-fed streams of the Santa River watershed over two consecutive dry and wet seasons (2019–2020). The findings reveal that ARD driven by glacier melt and sulphide oxidation has led to increased metal concentrations (e.g., Fe, Mn, Al, Pb) and pH reductions (of 2–3 in some sites), creating a “toxic or treat” scenario for aquatic biodiversity. Statistical analyses, including principal component analysis (PCA), principal coordinate analysis (PCoA), and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), indicate significant correlations between physical and chemical changes and macroinvertebrate assemblages. Collector-gatherers (e.g., Chironomidae, Baetidae) were dominant in sites impacted by ARD, while sensitive functional feeding groups, such as scrapers and shredders, declined under high metal stress. Seasonal variations also affected taxonomic richness, with greater abundance observed during the dry season. These results highlight the cascading effects of climate-induced glacier loss on freshwater ecosystems and provide critical insights into the ecological consequences of ongoing environmental changes in high-altitude Andean rivers.

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DOI: 10.3897/jbgs.e109172

Authors: Bilyana Borisova, Maria Glushkova, Stoyan Nedkov, Miglena Zhiyanski, Vanya Stoycheva

Abstract: Habitat maintenance as an ecosystem service (ES) is essential for the protection of natural capital, however, it is among the most challenging services for definition and evaluation. The present study is focused on assessing and mapping habitat maintenance ecosystem service in Rila and Pirin Mountains in Bulgaria for strategic planning purposes by better understanding the link between the potential of providing this ecosystem service and biodiversity in five protected areas (PAs). An integrated approach for the assessment of the condition of ecosystems in PAs and their potential to provide ecosystem services was applied and further developed in the present study. The results showed that the conservation regime allowed the territories to preserve a high degree of naturalness in a very good ecological condition – 96477 ha (73%) of the total case-study area, and 33078 ha (77%) of the target PAs, respectively. The potential of ecosystems to provide habitat maintenance ES is high to very high for 84% of the total studied area (81258.9 ha) and for 96.4% (31906 ha) of the area of the target PAs. A current assessment and mapping show the role of protected areas as spatial natural capital assets that purposefully and actively support their prioritized habitat maintenance functions as spatial guarantors for the sustenance of rich packages of material, regulating, and cultural functions in significant geographic areas. The results demonstrate the importance of protected site management in mountain areas in ensuring sustainable cooperation and consumption of ecosystem services in peripheral mountain communities of the European Union highly dependent on available natural capital.

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DOI: 10.3897/jbgs.e94913

Authors: Petko Bozhkov, Borislav Grigorov, Alexandar Sarafov

Abstract: The following paper represents results from a research focused on the soil associations and their corresponding vegetation communities (soil-plant catenas), located on the northern slopes (N, NW, NE) of the Rila Mountains. Data from eight key sites located between 815 and 2041 m above sea level is discussed. The slope in each site varies from 2° to 25°, and most often the tests and descriptions were carried out on sites with a slope of 10-15°. Vegetation cover is analyzed with plant community plots which provides data on species composition, abundance and coverage. The size of each plot varies from 16 up to 225 m2 depending on the vegetation type. Topsoil horizons were tested in each site in order to diagnose the subspecies diversity of brown forest soils (Cambisols) using ratio of humic acids to fulvic acids. That ratio varies from 0,69 up to 1,61 in all studied sites. Both acids are associated with the dominance of different vegetation types – deciduous, mixed or coniferous forest or herbaceous canopy. The results are interrupted in terms of the diagnosis and classification of Cambisols and Umbrosols in the area of interest. Differences in soil and vegetation cover of Northwest and Eastern Rila Mountain are highlighted and analyzed.

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DOI: 10.3897/jbgs.e66377

Authors: Borislav Grigorov, Nikolay Velev, Assen Assenov, Momchil Nazarov, Mladen Gramatikov, Beloslava Genova, Kiril Vassilev

Abstract: The current research focuses on the investigation of shrubland vegetation in Dragoman municipality. The study is motivated by the willingness of the authors to check the shrubland habitats’ territorial extent and their importance to ecosystem processes, following the increased degree of succession over the last three decades. On the other hand, governmental subsidizing has been common for the last decade, leading to a clearance of lands with shrubs. Shrublands were studied through the application of the Braun-Blanquet approach and were defined by the European Nature Information System (EUNIS) classification. One main habitat type with three subtypes have been defined. Those are the Subcontinental and continental deciduous thickets (F3.24) that covers the largest area, Peri-Pannonic dwarf almond scrub (F3.24122), Moesian oriental hornbeam thickets (F3.2431), Moesian lilac thickets (F3.2432), covering a total area of 52.32 km2. Secondary succession has to be considered among the main reasons for shrubland distribution. The lower number of grazing animals and forest clearings act as boosters for this ecological process. Large areas in Dragoman municipality are characterized also by shallow soils that are unable to sustain forest vegetation, thus giving way to shrubs.

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DOI: 10.3897/jbgs.2019.40.5

Authors: Galin Petrov, Hristina Prodanova

Abstract: The names of geographical objects on a particular area are peculiar store for conservation of historical-geographical information. Typical versatility of the toponymic system gives possibility for usage of different approaches for analysis of it, including spatial analysis. Information for state of natural environments and their changes is coded in the toponymic system. Historical localization of landscapes with coniferous vegetation on the northern slopes of Shipchenska Mountain (Balkan Mountains, Bulgaria) on toponymic basis is presented in the article. Some conclusions about probability for existence of coniferous belt in the past are formulated. The study is an initial attempt to build a link between toponymy and onomastics on the one hand and historical geography of landscapes on the other. The used approach has some weaknesses and could be used successfully in combination with the results of other studies such as paleobotanical, paleoecological, etc.

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DOI: 10.3897/jbgs.2018.39.15

Authors: Assen Assenov, Borislav Grigorov

Abstract: The current study investigates the development of the land cover in the mountainous territory of Mala Planina, located in the western part of Stara Planina. It focuses on cameral and terrain research in which basis is the CORINE Land Cover (CLC), initiated by the European Union. All existing databases for the country were applied (CLC 1990, 2000, 2006 and 2012). Each updated version of the CLC data shows typical transformation in Mala Planina’s land cover. A thorough investigation is made about all parts of the mountain and published within the results. Four GIS derived maps are published. The results show that the most significant dissonance occurs between CLC 1990 and the rest CORINE Land Cover data sets (CLC 2000; 2006; 2012) and the reason for the imparity lies mainly in the extensive timeframe. Almost no distinction is observed, when we compare CLC 2006 and 2012. The most common changes are connected with the transition to land principally occupied by agriculture, with significant areas of natural vegetation, which is explained by the decreasing number of population and abandonment of the agricultural areas.

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