COST Action E 52 - vTI - Bund.de

CURRENT STATE OF EUROPEAN BEECH
(FAGUS SYLVATICA L.) AND ORIENTAL BEECH
(FAGUS ORIENTALIS LIPSKY) GENE-POOL IN BULGARIA
absTracT
ALEXANDER H. ALEXANDROV – ALYOSHA DAKOV
Forest Research Institute – Sofia, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
132 St. Kliment Ohridski blvd., Sofia 1 56, Bulgaria
European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) distribution in Bulgaria is presented, incl. a map, general
characteristics of beech forests: areas, ecology, species composition of stands, ecological,
morphological and phenotypic beech forms, health status, regeneration and silvicultural practices,
harvested wood, as well as gene pool conservation and research. Briefly data are presented on oriental
beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky).
Key words: European beech, obiknoven buk (in Bulgarian), oriental beech, iztochen buk (in
Bulgarian), gene-preservation, in situ conservation
INTroducTIoN
Some beech populations in southeastern Europe survived during the Quaternary due to their
distribution in areas without glaciations. At present Fagus sylvatica L. and Fagus orientalis Lipsky are
species with primary forestry importance for Bulgaria due to their wide natural distribution, important
environmental functions and valuable timber. The wide range of European beech determines its
large ecological, morphological and phenological variability according to the altitude, forming the
upper forest limit in some mountains. The good beech seed yields in the country are defined in
the management directions relying mainly on the natural regeneration and only in unfavourable
conditions – on afforestation. During the last years the investigation interest in beech increases at
national and at Paneuropean level.
dIsTrIbuTIoN
european beech (Fagus sylvatica L.)
The natural distribution of this species covers Stara planina (Balkan range), Sredna gora, the
Rhodopes, Rila Mt., Pirin Mt., Belasitsa Mt., Osogovo Mt. and Vitosha Mt. (Fig. 1). It is distributed
from 100 – 200 m a. s. l. up to 1,800 m although tree groups and solitaires could be found outside
these limits. The lowest populations of European beech are located at 150 m in Bozhuritsa Locality,
Vidin region – north-west Bulgaria and at 200 – 300 m in Ludogorie – north-east Bulgaria.
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