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| Biosphere Reserve Information | ||||
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ALIBOTOUCH |
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| General Description |
Alibotoush Biosphere Reserve is situated in the Slavyanka Mountain, next to the border to Greece. The reserve was established in 1951 to protect the largest forests of Heldreich pine (Pinus heldreichii) in the Balkans and was declared a biosphere reserve in 1977. The pine is a Balkan subendemic, occupying the upper part of the forest belt up to 1800-1900 meters above sea level. The limestone bedrock and submediterranean climate presuppose for very rich and specific flora with more than 1500 species of vascular plants. Except the Heldreich pine, other widespread trees are the Austrian pine (P. nigra), King Boris's fir (Abies borisii-regis), European hop-hornbeam (Ostrya carpinifolia) and beech (Fagus sylvatica). Among the rare and protected endemic vascular plants are Rhodope's tulip (Tulipa rhodopea), Long-spur violet (Viola delphinantha), Centaurea parilica, Convolvulus boissieri subsp. suendemannii, Crepis schachtii, Fritillaria drenovskii. The fauna is characteristic of Bulgarian mountain regions and includes wolf (Canis lupus), brown bear (Ursus arctos) and eagles (Aquila spp.). Apart from forest fires in the past, the area has been little disturbed by man due to its remote location. The biosphere reserve is currently under revision. |
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| Major ecosystem type | Mixed mountain and highland systems | |||
| Major habitats & land cover types | Coniferous (Pinus nigra, P. heldreichii) and mixed (Fagus sylvatica, Abies alba, Ostrya carpinifolia) forests; grasslands; limestone rocks | |||
| Location | 41°25'N; 23°32'E | |||
| Area (hectares) | ||||
| Total | 1,628 | |||
| Core area(s) | 1,628 | |||
| Buffer zone(s) | ||||
| Transition area(s) when given | ||||
| Altitude (metres above sea level) | +1,140 to +2,212 | |||
| Year designated | 1977 | |||
| Administrative authorities | ||||
| Last updated: 07/03/2005 |
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