State: Dobrich, VarnaArea: 38132,83 ха
Ownership: state - 39%; municipality - 14%; private - 47%;
Description:
The site is located in north-eastern Bulgaria, to the north of Varna, and covers the Batova river valley and the bigger part of Frangensko Plateau, including the coastline from Albena to Zlatni Pyasatsi Resorts and the adjacent shallow littoral area. To the north it borders on the villages of Sokolnik, Odurtsi, Hrabrovo, Ljahovo and Obrochishte, to the east – on the Black Sea coastline south of Albena tourist resort down to Zlatni Pyasatsi. To the south-west of Zlatni Pyasatsi the border passes along the edge of the plateau north of the villages of Vinitsa residential area, Kamenar, Vladislavovo and Aksakovo. Near the village of Izvorsko it turns north through Novakovo and Debrene to Sokolnik. There are several types of habitats on the site’s territory, but the biggest share belongs to the broadleaved forests of Quercus cerris, Q. frainetto and Carpinus betulus and the farmlands. The rest of the site’s area is occupied by open grasslands, at places overgrown with shrub vegetation, pastures, meadows, orchards and vineyards. The latter are located around the settlements. The region of the Batova estuary is occupied by natural longoze flooded forests of Baltata with marshland hygrophyte formations. The longoze flooded forest is dominated by Fraxinus oxycarpa, Ulmus minor, Quercus pedunculiflora, Acer campestrе and Alnus glutinosa, with undergrowth of Crataegus monogyna, Cornus mas and Cornus sanguinea, often combined with mesophyte and hygrophyte grass vegetation (Bondev 1991). Other typical plants are the lianas and climbing plants as Clematis vitalba, Smilax exelsa, Periploca graeca, etc.
Birds:
Batova is a complex of different habitats, typical both for woodland bird species and for waterbirds and farmland birds. It supports 184 bird species, 50 of which are listed in the Red Data Book for Bulgaria (1985). Of the birds occurring there 80 species are of European conservation concern (SPEC) (BirdLife International, 2004), 7 of them being listed in category SPEC 1 as globally threatened, 24 in SPEC 2 and 49 in SPEC 3 as species threatened in Europe. The area provides suitable habitats for 70 species, included in Annex 2 of the Biodiversity Act, which need special conservation measures, of which 62 are listed also in Annex I of the Birds Directive. The site’s most outstanding feature is its location on the western Black Sea migration flyway, the Via Pontica. Three flows of migrating birds, coming from the Dobrudzha meet over the Batova river valley – those from the interior of the Dobrudzha Plateau, those following the coastline and flying from cape Kaliakra across the sea directly to Baltata flooded forest. The most intensive flow of migrating storks and pelicans in north-eastern Bulgaria passes through the Batova river valley, using the valley between Frangensko and Dobrudzha Plateaus to gain height and flying low above the plateau itself. Because of its importance for over 30 migrating soaring species Batova is defined as a bottleneck migration site of global importance. 11% of the migratory birds fly not higher than 150 m above land, and 35% of the migratory birds fly between 160 and 500 m. At Batova was recorded also the biggest number of migratory White Pelicans Pelecanus onocrotalus and Cranes Grus grus along the northern Black Sea coast. The forests in Batova are used regularly by raptors as roosting sites during migration. The coastal parts of the site are of key importance for the migration of Common Gulls Larus canus. Significant numbers of waterbirds overwinter in the area of Batova, mainly geese Anser albifrons, which stay there between December and March. They overnight in the sea and every day they fly over Batova in order to feed in the inland arable lands. Often they land to feed in the arable land in the limits of the proposed SPA. Batova is one of the most valuable sites in the country on European Union scale for the Middle-spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos medius and Semi-collared Flycatcher Ficedula semitorquata. The Green Woodpecker Picus viridis, the Corn Bunting Miliaria calandra, the Pied Wheatear Oenanthe pleschanka, the Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla, the Olive-three Warbler Hippolais olivetorum, the Barred Warbler Sylvia nisoria, the Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana, etc. also breed there in considerable numbers.
Threats:
The wetland habitats related to Batova River and particularly Baltata Flooded forest are sensitive to all human activities related to water management. The water regime of the flooded forest is destroyed and that is considered as a main threat to its normal functioning as an ecosystem. The main reasons having led to this problematic situation are the embankment and canalizing of the river bed, construction of an international road though the forest as well as the mining extraction along the upper and the middle stream of the Batova River. The continuing urbanization related to the intensive development of tourism, enlargement of the settlements cause fragmentation, deterioration and even loss of habitats mainly in the coastal zone, but also in the grassland areas on the plateau. The realization of the plans for enlargement of Kranevo village will cause loss of the only unpopulated area around of the eastern part of Baltata flooded forest, which is under legal protection, and will further cause isolation of that area from the surrounding natural habitats. The significant human impact on the area is determined also by concentration of people at valuable areas along the coast and by illegal deposition of waste in many places in grassland habitats even in arable lands. The plans for construction of local airport in close vicinity the Baltata flooded forest and the place where the three migration corridors are coming into one is dangerous both for migratory and breeding birds as well as for the safety of the aircrafts. The region of Batova is particularly sensitive to plans of development of wind turbine farms. This development could disturb the free movement of birds, especially of soaring migratory birds, and will limit to a significant extent the access of birds to the suitable habitats. They will cause direct collision and killing of them, fragmentation and loss of valuable the habitats used by birds for feeding and soaring, as well as places for avoiding of severe weather conditions. They will be a barrier for thousands of migratory soaring birds and night migrants on their flyway to the south and north and will cause further decline in their populations. Forest habitats are threatened by overexploitation of forest resources, burning and natural fires and afforestation with non-indigenous species. Removal of old semi dead trees and those with holes limits the possibilities for woodpeckers and flycatchers to find proper breeding grounds and food.
Legal protection:
Only 4% of the territory of Batova is under legal protection according to the national nature conservation law. There is one maintained reserve – “Baltata”, which was designated in 1962 for protection of the unique flooded forest along the Batova River mouth. The part of the forest situated west from the international road is designated as buffer zone of the reserve. The biggest protected area in the region is Zlatni Pyasatsi Nature Park, designated in 1943. Its aim is to protect plant and animal species and their communities as well as typical landscapes. In 1998 the Nature Park was designated as CORINE Site, because of its European value for rare and threatened habitats. In 2005 it was designated also as Important Bird Area by BirdLife International.
