State: Pleven, Veliko TarnovoArea: 6897,03 ха
Ownership: state - 100%
Description:
The site includes the biggest Bulgarian Danube island, Belene, with the three freshwater marshes on its territory, surrounded by old riverine willow forests, as well as the nearby islands Milka and Kitka (Ljuta), which are entirely covered by riverine forests. The islands are located between km 576 and 560 of the Danube River, north-east of the town of Belene and 18 km west of the town of Svishtov. The prevailing habitat is natural riverine forest mainly of willow Salix sp. and White Poplar Populus alba, on the island of Milka – White Elm Ulmus laevis too. Their formation is directly related to the river’s water regime. The high waters do not allow the complete development of the spring vegetation. The water withdrawal coincides with the high summer temperatures, as a result of which lush summer vegetation covers the island. The tree – shrub vegetation has poorer composition compared with that on the riverbank of the Danube and is dominated by White Willow Salix alba and Blackberry Rubus caesius. The three marshes on the Belene island (Peschina, Murtvo and Djuleva Bara) are connected by a canal that flows into the Danube. In high spring waters the wetlands are fed by fresh water coming through the open sluice of the canal. Typical marsh associations develop in the marshes - Nuphar lutea and Potamogeton natans in the deeper sections, Nymphoides peltata, Hydroharis morsus-ranae and Тrapa natans in the shallower ones. The marshes are overgrown to a different extend with Phragmites australis, Sparganum ramosum, Alisma plantago-aquatica, etc. The formation of Azola filiculoides is quite typical for these marshes. Part of the territory of Belene island is occupied by meadows. The grass associations are represented by several plant communities that often merge, dominated by Cynodon dactylon, Scirpus michelianus, etc. In the eastern and western parts of the islands sand strips, usually without vegetation, are being formed (Ivanov 1993).
Birds:
The Belene Islands Complex provides mosaic of important habitats for breeding, feeding and roosting of waterbirds during all the year. It supports 141 bird species, 40 of which are listed in the Red Data Book for Bulgaria (1985). Of the birds occurring there 62 species are of European conservation concern (SPEC) (BirdLife International, 2004), 5 of them being listed in category SPEC 1 as globally threatened, 15 in SPEC 2 and 42 in SPEC 3 as species threatened in Europe. Until 1970 the Persina Island hold the biggest mixed colony of herons, ibises, spoonbills and cormorants along the Bulgarian part of Danube River with more than seven thousand pairs of breeding birds (Ivanov, 1985). With construction of dykes along the island and drainage system on it, as well as building the Iron Gate Dam upstream of Danube River the colony gradually disappeared. Until several years ago the Pygmy Cormorant Phalacrocorax pygmeus, Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus and Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia also used to breed in the site (Grimmett, Jones 1989), but in the recent years these species have been established only feeding in the island wetlands. Recently the complex holds significant breeding populations with international value of Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca, Purple Heron Ardea purpurea, Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybridus and White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla. The marshes are one of the few breeding ground of the Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena in Bulgaria. Although in small numbers, the Corncrake Crex crex nests on the island. The Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola too occurs there on migration. The Belene Island Complex is an area regularly used by considerable numbers of Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus, Pygmy Cormorant Phalacrocorax pygmeus and Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo for feeding and roosting during breeding season, on migration and during the winter.
Threats:
The area is very sensitive to drainage, because it is highly dependent on the flooding, which maintains the marshes, riverine forests and all the various tree associations. At present the area is drained for the maintenance of meadows and arable land, as well as for forestry activities. In some years the marshes dry up completely. Processes and species dependent on temporary inundation and fish occurrence on Persina Island are extinct. The unique forests have been partly destroyed by cutting and replanting with non-native species. The western part of Persina Island is urbanized, where a prison is situated. Urgent measures are needed for the restoration of the natural water balance on the Persina Island. During the recent years a restoration project started on the island, but the type and scope of the restoration measures are stils not agreed. The shipping on the Danube River influences the water quality of the river. Deepening the bottom of the Danube, planned by the Government with EU funds, will cause in this particular part of the river further disturbance of water regime and deterioration of the wetland habitats in the Belene Island Complex. The planned construction of the Belene Nuclear Power Station south of the Belene complex by the Government will have significant impact on the water characteristics and parameters, which will change the species composition in the area and the food base for majority of the water birds.
Legal protection:
The land territory of Belene Island Complex is situated in “Persina” Nature Park, designated in the year 2000. Two reserves – the islands “Milka” and “Kitka” are established in the area respectively in 1956 and 1981 to protect the unique riverine forests. The “Persina marshes” Maintained reserve with a buffer zone, as well as the “Persina iztok” Protected Area were designated in 1981 to protect the representative wetlands, with typical habitats and breeding grounds for terns, ducks and geese. In 1998 the Persina Island was appointed as CORINE Site because of its European value for habitats, rare and threatened plant and animal species, including birds. Whole the area of Belene Island complex was designated as Wetland of International Importance under The Ramsar Conventionin 2003. In 1989 the area was designated as Important Bird Area by BirdLife International. The proposed SPA borders a proposed Special Protection Area in Romania.
