COST Action E 52 - vTI - Bund.de

The total area of in situ gene conservation of European beech was 41, 24 ha or 6.1% of genus Fagus
area in the year 2005, mentioning a significant increasing in comparison with the year 2000, when
it was 32, 59 ha, while of the oriental beech it was 5,882.3 ha (2005), insignificantly changed from
5,819.1 ha (2000) (Alexandrov, Pandeva 200 ).
Of all forest tree species in the country the largest area of in situ conservation represents the genus
Fagus – totally 4 ,606 ha (32.8%), i. e. 6.9% of beech territory.
European beech occurs in the tree composition of 44 reserves in the following mountains: the Balkan
range, Sredna gora, Vitosha, Rila, Pirin, Slavianka, Osogovo and the Rhodopes at altitudinal range of
330 m (Vulchi gorge) up to 1, 40 m (Shabanitsa). The average age varies from 60 years at Vrachanski
karst to 2 0 in Shabanitsa. Some of the reserves as Steneto, Boatin, Dzhendem and Tsarichina
comprise valuable beech genetic fund.
Oriental beech appears in 6 reserves, out of which five are in Strandzha Mt. (Lopushna, Silkossia,
Sredoka, Tissovitsa and Vitanovo) and one in Eastern Balkan range (Kirov dol) at altitudinal range
from 190 m up to 480 m. The average age is from 100 years for Vitanovo to 150 years for Kirov dol
(Turok et al. 2000).
The in situ gene conservation involves also the virgin forests, of which 5% are in the protected
territories. Within the total area of virgin forests in Bulgaria of 103,356 ha or 2.9% of the total forest area
of the country, beech virgin forests cover 32,338 ha or 31.3% of the virgin forests (Veen, Raev 2006).
The seed stands of Fagus sylvatica L. are on 12,550 ha and of Fagus orientalis Lipsky – 40.3 ha,
which together present about 2% of genus Fagus area; they are sufficient enough for seed production
purposes of these species in the country. They represent valuable autochtonous populations that
could be used for export of beech seeds to other European countries.
research
Investigations of beech forests being done for several decades in Bulgaria resulted in publishing of
three books as follows: Marinov, Nedyalkov, Naumov (1961), Garelkov, Turlakov (19 8) and
Garelkov et al. (1995). They deal with biology and ecology of the beech, its distribution, typology of
beech forests, structure, growth and productivity of beech ecosystems, its management, afforestation,
diseases and pests, and prognoses for the future of beech forests.
On the base of long-term investigations Dobrinov, Doykov, Gagov (1982) published “Forest
genetic fund in Bulgaria” in which, among the deciduous species, the first place is dedicated to beech
(Fagus spp.).
In the field of breeding and forest plantations of beech two Ph.D. theses (Garelkova 1980, Botev
1988) were defended, and one, on variability and selection of Fagus sylvatica L. in the Central Balkan
(Dakov 2010), is under preparation.
During the last 1 – 2 decades a few population genetic surveys in beech were carried out in the
Balkans, including some Bulgarian populations. The presence of rare alleles in the Rhodopes
Mountains populations was found out proving their autochthonous nature and refugia origin at
glaciation time (Hazler et al. 199 ). Polygenesis and genetic differentiation of beech on the Balkan
peninsula reveal the taxanomical status of its populations (Gömöry et al. 1999).
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