Estado: LovechÁrea: 12386,98 ха
Propiedad: state - 35%; municipality - 27%; private - 62%;
Descripción:
Mikre Meadows are located in northern Bulgaria, to the south of the town of Lovech. It covers the Mikre heights south of the main road E772 between Sopot reservoir and the village of Stefanovo. A big share of the site’s territory is occupied by forests – mainly broadleaved forest of Quercus cerris and more rarely – mixed forests of Q. cerris with Carpinus orientalis and Fraxinus ornus. The preserved spots of old beech Fagus sylvatica subs. moesiaca and oak Quercus dalechampii woodland in the site’s eastern part deserve special attention. Open areas – pastures, shrubs and grasslands – cover 13 of the site’s total territory. They are predominantly overgrown with xerothermal and mesoxerothermal grass vegetation dominated by Festuca valesiaca, Chrysopogon gryllus, Agrostis capillaris, etc. or xerothermal communities with Dichantium ischaemum, Poa bulbosa and Chrysopogon grillus.
Aves:
Mikre supports 83 bird species, 11 of which are listed in the Red Data Book for Bulgaria (1985). Of the birds occurring there 32 species are of European conservation concern (SPEC) (BirdLife International, 2004), 1 of them being listed in category SPEC 1 as globally threatened, 10 in SPEC 2 and 21 in SPEC 3 as species threatened in Europe. The area provides suitable habitats for 20 species, included in Annex 2 of the Biodiversity Act, which need special conservation measures, of which 19 are listed also in Annex I of the Birds Directive. With its complex of natural wet meadows Mikre is one of the sites with most numerous population of the globally threatened Corncrake Crex crex in Bulgaria. It is one of the most valuable sites on a European Union scale for the breeding of this species and the Grey-headed Woodpecker Picus canus. The area holds representative populations of Honey Buzzard Pernis apivorus, European Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus, Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius, Syrian Woodpecker Dendrocopos syriacus and Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio.
Amenazas:
Mikre is sensitive to the human activities related mainly to traditional land use practices. Pastures are used on a simple rotational basis – those, which are used for grazing in one year, are mowed for hay in the following year. Grazing is carried out on the pastures close to the villages. Pastures further away from settlements are not used completely because of the smaller number of animals today compared with the past. It leads to abandonment of the land and deterioration of key habitats. In addition the conversion of pastures and meadows into arable land also cause of deterioration and loss of habitats. The forest habitats are highly affected by the intensive and unsustainable forest management, including also illegal clear-cut activities on large plots. Removal of old semi dead trees and those with holes limits the possibilities for woodpeckers to find proper breeding grounds and food. There are plans for development of hydropower stations upstream of the Osam River, which will change to a significant extent the hydrological regime of the whole area. The infrastructure development, related to construction of new road, communication and energy network would cause fragmentation and dcreasing of qualityof the habitats for birds.
La protección legal:
Only 0.1% of Mikre is under protection according to the national nature conservation legislation. The “Korluk”, “Petko bunar” and “Mikrenska usoyna” Protected Areas are designated for protection of the typical landscape in the region. About 24% of the site’s territory overlaps with “Mikre” CORINE Site appointed in 1998 because of its European value for rare and threatened habitats. In 2005 it was designated as Important Bird Area by BirdLife International.
