Environmental research

Justification Dobrudja is a coniferous forest zone of Bulgaria. As a part of the East-European plain it is exposed to northern, north-eastern, and north-western wind drafts during the whole year. Agricultural land devastation caused by the strong wind drafts adversely affects all economic enterprises. Since 1924 nine water-erosion-prevention zones (called main, and perpendicularly structured) and a total network of anti-wind-forest zones for protection of agricultural fields (called secondary, with parallel structure) have begun to be constructed. The forest protection zones prevent from wind devastation by limiting the erosion and snow floods. Their constant benefits ranged over 300-800m to provide better agricultural humidity supply via plain snow cover distribution, and enhance specific environmental conditions and greater biodiversity and habitat variability. The agricultural profits increase with 15-80% and the production quality is also enhanced. Contrariwise, the unprotected fields bear 20-40% stronger wind influence, which reaches 23 times at the former forest protection zones. The negative consequences affect all agriculture and agrosystem elements: atmospheric, micro climate, edaphic (humus soil content drops to 31%, the same tendency is discribed with the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compounds), hidrologic, biologic, public health, economic, management, etc. At the State Hunting Unit of Balchik, nowadays, the forest protection zones are not properly managed. Some are totally destroyed. The agricultural land privatization has led to destruction of the compact protection system, especially at the zones planted with short-life species. Moreover, at the municipality of Shabla the forest productivity is the lowest in Bulgaria. This fact, together with the global climate warming and lack of water supply worldwide cause enormous hazard over the ecology and productivity of agricultural land. The only natural alternative to protect and restore the agro-forest ecosystems and enhance land fertility and productivity is the forest protection zones system reconstruction. The forest protection zones could additionally increase the agriculture productivity and soil fertility via nitrogen, pesticide and stimulant use prevention. If this project is not worked out, or is postponed the forest protection zones would be totally destroyed due to the short-life forest species, the global warming hazard and the improper forestry practice which could not protect the resistance of these vulnerable artificial ecosystems. Inevitably, the social status of the local residents and landowners as well as the agricultural lands productivity would be affected. The most recent and scientifically based approach in solving these vital problems is focused on technology of growing and management of new forest protection zones out of more resistant and long-life species in appropriate mixture. A pilot model of structure and effectivity improvement of the forest protection zones introducing recently adapted forestry practice allowing their multi-functional management and better adaptation and resistance would be used. Upon successful media popularization, the project activities may be used as a model of multiplication in the neighboring municipalities of the Dobrudja region, which face the same or similar problems. Location North-Eastern region, Dobritch, Shabla municipality. Locations: t. Shabla-43. 533N; 28. 6E, v. Zahari Stoianovo - 43.7N; 28. 45E, v. Chernomoretsi - 43. 6666N; 28. 43333E, v. Gorichene - 43.533N; 28. 45E Project Target Groups The local residents, land-owners, land-renters, state forest officials and the forest workers would benefit most by the project activities. Long-term benefits are regional climate improvement, soil degradation secession and environmental milder conditions. The local social community would be better informed on the global climate hazard, natural forest protection zones dynamics and their stability, bio-diversity, and ecological benefits resistance. Greater konwledge and understanding of the global climate change hazard would be provided and ecologically-based behavior modles would be adapted. Goal and expected impacts Regional forest growing improvement, forest protection zones integration and restoration, and their resistance and stability enhancement would be achieved. The forest protection zones will modifythe environmental conditions improving the residential management and economic enterprises. Soil degradation cessation of the neighboring agricultural fields would be achieved. Greater productivity and income increase would be expected as well. Objectives and expected results The project objectivities aim to increase the forest productivity, to enhance forest species biodiversity, and enlarge the wood terrains in the region. Based on specific scientific results, the forest species would be selected and plant in optimal environmental conditions. Good forest-engineer practice would be considered and undertaken to provide modern multi functional agro-forest ecosystem management and assure forest protection zone resistance, better adaptivity and effectiveness. The long-term project efficacy focuses on bio-diversity restoration, biotic and abiotic damage reduction, and enhancement of carbone dioxide forest intake. Social, economic, and educational benefits are expected to affect the local residents, as well. Involvement in the process of proper management and growing of the forest p

Bulgaria