Estado: Lovech, PlevenÁrea: 26587,18 ха
Propiedad: state - 16%; municipality - 30%; private - 54%;
Descripción:
Studenets is located in the Mid-Danubian Plain. It covers a system of karst canyons in the catchment area of the Vit river – the canyons of the Chernelka, those of the Vit between the villages of Yasen and Uglen, those of the Kamenitsa, etc. It includes preserved riverine habitats, meadows, pastures and oak forests. The forests are presented mainly by mixed ones of Quercus cerris with Quercus pubescens or Q. cerris with Quercus frainetto, but also mixed forests of Fraxinus ornus, Tilia tomentosa and Carpinus orientalis. The pastures and meadows are dispersed among the forest and farmland and are overgrown with xerothermal (with Dichantium ischaemum, Poa bulbosa and Chrysopogon grillus) or mesoxerothermal (Poa bulbosa, Lolium perenne, Cynodon dactylon, etc.) grass communities(Bondev, 1991). In the region of the villages of Sadovets and Beglezh there are vast mesophyle meadows, with prevalence of Chrysopogon gryllus.
Aves:
Studenets supports 86 bird species, 27 of which are listed in the Red Data Book for Bulgaria (1985). Of the birds occurring there 49 species are of European conservation concern (SPEC) (BirdLife International, 2004), 2 of them being listed in category SPEC 1 as globally threatened, 11 in SPEC 2 and 36 in SPEC 3 as species threatened in Europe. The area provides suitable habitats for 41 species, included in Annex 2 of the Biodiversity Act, which need special conservation measures, of which 39 are listed also in Annex I of the Birds Directive. The site one of the most important in the country on a European Union scale for the Eagle Owl Bubo bubo, Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus, Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana, Grey-headed Woodpecker Picus canus, Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis and Barred Warbler Sylvia nisoria. Nikopolsko Plateau holds also representative breeding populations of a complex of threatened species as Black Stork Ciconia nigra, Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus, European Roller Coracias garrulus and Tawny Pipit Anthus campestris. The birds of prey nest in the forests and the rocky cliffs and feed on surrounding grasslands and arable land. The Black Stork feeds usually along the Vit River. The globally threatened Cornckrace Crex crex is found to breed in the region of Studenets.
Amenazas:
Studenets is surrounded by settlements, relatively well developed infrastructure and intensively used agriculture land. North of the area is situated a big district centre – the town of Pleven with developed industrial zone. The whole area are easy accessible to people and are sensitive to human activities related to agriculture, livestock, infrastructure and urbanization. The stability of the whole ecosystem depends on the water regime of the Vit River. The cutting of riverine forests along the river could cause complete loss of that habitat. The meadows along the river are mowed regularly. Decreasing of grazing following by succession cause loss of grassland habitats for birds. Other activities leading to deterioration of valuable habitats for birds are expansion of stone pits, as well as the insufficient waste management. The forest habitats are highly affected by the intensive forestry, including clear-cuts in big areas, as well as and afforestation with non-indigenous species. The area is vulnerable to activities related to industrialization, urbanization, road development, and construction of wind turbine farms and micro-hydropower stations, which could significantly damage the habitats. Direct threats to birds are caused by poaching (taking chicks and eggs from the nests, shooting of raptors) and disturbance to birds by rock climbing, gliding, hang-gliding, off road traffic of motor vehicles, motorcycling, and the heavy tourist pressure during the breeding season at certain places.
La protección legal:
The total percent of the site territory with legal protection by the national nature conservation law is 8,5%. 4 protected areas and 9 nature monuments are designated. All of them protect geologic formations – gorges, rock forms, caves and fossils. Significant part of territory of Studenets is under a final stage of a procedure for designation as Nature Park. More than 60% of the area of Studenets is covered by six separate CORINE Sites appointed in 1998 because of their European value for habitats, rare and threatened plant and animal species. In 2005 the area was designated as Important Bird Area by BirdLife International.
