State: Kardzhali, HaskovoArea: 15995,61 ха
Ownership: state - 85%; municipality - 13%; private - 2%;
Description:
A water reservoir established in the rocky defile of the Arda River, with vertical cliffs, steep banks covered by scant vegetation and the adjacent maintain hills. It is located in the Eastern Rhodopes, between the town of Kurdzhali and the village of Studen Kladenets. About 23 of the mountain slopes surrounding the reservoir are covered by secondary broadleaved mixed forests of Carpinus orientalis, Fraxinus ornus, Quercus frainetto or Quercus dalechampii with Mediterranean elements. Pure forests of Quercus dalechampii or such mixed with Carpinus betulus occur more rarely. At places there are woodlands and shrubs of Carpinus orientalis and Paliurus spina-christi, mixed with Jasminum fruticans, Juniperus oxycedrus and a combination of xerothermal grass formations with Mediterranean elements, for instance Cistus incanus. A considerable part of the area is occupied by rock complexes, single cliffs and stony screes. The region abounds in dispersed open plots, occupied by arable lands or meadows overgrown with xerothermal grass associations, dominated by Dichantium ischaemum, Poa bulbosa, etc. (Bondev 1991; Gjuleva, Petrova 1996).
Birds:
The territory of the Studen Kladenets IBA supports 219 bird species, 59 of which are listed in the Red Data Book for Bulgaria (1985). Of the birds occurring there 103 species are of European conservation concern (SPEC) (BirdLife International, 2004), 12 of them being listed in category SPEC 1 as globally threatened, 27 in SPEC 2 and 64 in SPEC 3 as species threatened in Europe. The area is of global importance, as it is a representative biome for the Mediterranean zone. Seven biome-restricted species, typical for the Mediterranean zone, out of 9 established in Bulgaria, occur there: Black-eared Wheatear Oenanthe hispanica, Olive-tree Warbler Hippolais olivetorum, Sub-alpine Warbler Sylvia cantillans, Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala, Rock Nuthatch Sitta neumayer, Masked Shrike Lanius nubicus and Black-headed Bunting Emberiza melanocephala. Studen Kladenets reservoir is proposed for inclusion in the National Ecological Network for conservation of the habitats of a complex of 69 bird species listed in Annex I of the Birds Directive and 21 migrating and wintering waterbird species. It is the only place in Bulgaria where the Black Vulture Aegypius monachus breeds, as well as one of the few sites in the country where the Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni still breeds. One of the two colonies of Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus in Bulgaria breeds on the cliff banks of the reservoir. Studen Kladenets is one of the most important areas in the country on a European Union scale for the species mentioned above, as well as for the breeding Black Stork Ciconia nigra, Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus, Stone Curlew Burhinus oedicnemus, Eagle Owl Bubo bubo, Olive-tree Warbler Hippolais olivetorum and Masked Shrike Lanius nubicus. The area holds a significant on a European scale population of the Blue Rock Thrush Monticola solitarius.
Threats:
Studen Kladenets is an area sensitive to the human activities related mainly to traditional livestock in the region and to forestry. Forest habitats are threatened by burning and natural fires, afforestation with non-native species, as well as illegal cutting of trees. A decreae in grazing as well as conversion of pastures to arable lands cause loss of grassland habitats for birds. Emigration of people followed by a decrease in domestic animals and also a reduction in the dead animals in nature significantly limits the possibilities for vultures to find food. Poaching and use of poison against wolfs directly affect raptors, and especially vultures. Existing electrical power lines are dangerous for raptors, especially for young birds. Direct threats to birds are caused also by rock climbing, gliding, and hang-gliding, taking chicks and eggs from the nests. During recent decades tourism has started to develop more intensively, which could cause negative impact on birds and habitats if the process is not regulated. One of the potential threats both to the habitats and to the birds in the area is the development of wind turbine farms.
Legal protection:
So far 14% of the area of Studen Kladenets is under legal protection as reserve and there are three protected areas. The ‘Valchi Dol” Reserve was designated in 1980 to protect the colony of Griffon Vulture, as well as other rare and threatened bird species, typical for the Eastern Rhodopes Mountain. In 1989 the area was designated as Important Bird Area by BirdLife International. About 95% of Studen Kladenets overlaps with the Arda Valley CORINE Site, which was designated in 1998 because of its European value for habitats, rare and threatened plant and animal species, including birds.
