State: PernikArea: 17398,80 ха
Ownership: state - 51%; municipality - 20%; private - 29%;
Description:
The site’s limits coincide with the orographic limits of the Bulgarian part of Ruy mountain, including the kettle plain to the south with the Erma river course. Its northern and western limits follow the state border, its southern limit follows the edge of the plain from the village of Srezimirovtsi to the town of Trun and its eastern part includes the hills to the south-west of the Trun – Breznik road. The site’s habitats are patchily situated. Broadleaved forests of Beech Fagus sylvatica and farmlands prevail. Coniferous and mixed forests comprise about 8% of its total area. There are also pastures, open grasslands, meadows, rocks and rock complexes. Mesophyte communities of Festuca pratensis, Poa sylvicola, Alopecurus pratensis, Lolium perenne and Agrostis stolonifera are typical for the meadows there. The site includes the Erma river gorge.
Birds:
The region of Ruy Mountain supports 97 bird species, 11 of which are listed in the Red Data Book for Bulgaria. Of the birds occurring in the Ruy 36 species are of European conservation concern (SPEC) , 2 of them being listed in category SPEC 1 as globally threatened, 10 in SPEC 2 and 24 in SPEC 3 as species threatened in Europe. The area provides suitable habitats for 19 species, included in Annex 2 of the Biodiversity Act, which need special conservation measures, of which 18 are listed also in Annex I of the Birds Directive. The site is of global importance for the Corncrake Crex crex. It is one of the most important sites in the country on a European Union scale for this species, as well as for the Montagu’s Harrier Circus pygargus and Saker Falco cherrug. The Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana, the Syrian Woodpecker Dendrocopos syriacus and the European Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus also breed there in good populations.
Threats:
The Ruy Mountain is a low populated border area highly affected by unemployment and emigration. It is sensitive to the traditional use of the meadows and pastures, forestry and future development of the area. Livestock breeding is of vital importance for maintaining the grasslands. The most serious threats are the haymaking activities, which do not take into account the breeding period of the Corncrake as well as the conversion of grasslands into arable land. Forestry activities along the state border were very limited in the past, which is the reason for the well-preserved beech forests there. During the past decade the forestry has become much more intensified, which has begun to affect the composition and the quality of forest habitats for birds. Poaching is a common practice in the region, which leads to disturbance and persecution of birds, including Corncrake. During the past decade tourism has started to develop more intensively, which could cause negative impact on birds and habitats if the process is not regulated.
Legal protection:
The territory of Ruy is not protected by the national nature conservation law. In 1998 the area became part of CORINE Site because of its European value for rare and threatened habitats, plant and animal species, including birds. In 2005 it was designated as Important Bird Area by BirdLife International.
