State: SofiaArea: 13180,40 ха
Ownership: "state - 46%; municipality - 25%; private - 29%;"
Description:
Rayanovtsi covers the wet meadows located in the valley between the town of Dragoman and the village of Tsruklevtsi, including the Dragoman Marsh, Chepun Ridge and the karst hills stretching from Dragoman to the grounds of the villages Bezden, Bogjovtsi and Ponor to the south. The area’s eastern limit passes along the Sofia – Godetch road in its section from Belidie Han to the area of Vartopite. The wet meadows are overgrown with mesophyte grass vegetation, dominated by Carex spp., Poa pratensis, Alopemrum pratensis, Poa sylvicola, Lolium perenne, etc. (Bondev 1991). Drainage canals have been cut through the bigger part of the territory. They are fringed by single groups of willow Salix spp. and poplar belts Populus spp., as well as strips of marsh vegetation – reed Phragmites australis, reed mace Òypha spp., etc. Common stinging nettle Urtica dioica grows on the dykes of the canals and provides the first refuge of the Corncrake Crex crex in early spring and the beginning of the breeding season. Typical marsh vegetation covers parts of the Dragoman Marsh and water pools remain at certain spots throughout the year. Since 50-ties the drainage system stopped to operate and the Dragoman marsh natural restoration process started. By 2005 the marsh covers area of nearly 400 ha. Chepun Ridge is overgrown with xerophyte and calciphyle grass and shrub vegetation, with presence of rare and endemic plant species. At some places there are plantations of pine /Pinus nigra/ and dispersed broadleaved forest.
Birds:
Rayanovtsi meadows include valuable habitats of rare and threatened bird species – meadows, pastures and wetlands: 196 bird species have been recorded there, 84 of which are of European conservation concern (BirdLife, 2004) – 6 species are included in category SPEC1 (globally threatened), 21 in SPEC 2 and 57 in SPEC 3 as threatened in Europe. Forty-five of the species that occur there are listed in the Red Data Book for Bulgaria. The area is of global importance for the Corncrake, which breeds there regularly, as well as of European Union importance for a complex of 11 bird species, included in Annex I of Bird Directive. It is one of the most important sites in the country for the Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris, Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca, Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla and Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana. It supports considerable populations of the Short-toed Eagle Circaetus gallicus, Common Quail Coturnix coturnix, Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio, Woodlark Lullula arborea.
Threats:
The area is sensitive to human activities related mainly to agriculture, forestry and water management. The drainage of wetlands and the change of water regime of wet meadows cause the drainage and deterioration of the key habitats for endangered species. In addition, conversion of the grasslands into arable land causes complete loss of habitat for Corncrake and other threatened species of EU importance. Burning vegetation on harvested arable land causes big fires in the reedbed and forest habitats. Other activities leading to deterioration of bird habitats are military activities, expansion of stone pits, insufficient waste management. Hunting, poaching and disturbance such as military activities, alpinism, gliding and hang gliding, all affect birds during the breeding season. The area is vulnerable to activities related to industrialization, urbanization, as well as electricity production through wind generators, which could significantly damage the habitats. An investment project for construction of Wind Turbine park in the area already exist.
Legal protection:
The area does not have legal protection under the national conservation legislation. In 2005 the area of Dragoman Marsh is proposed for designation as Protected Area. In 1997 the area was designated as Important Bird Area by BirdLife International.
