Balkan Mountains Research Articles

Digital Geographies and Virtual Landscape Archaeology : Reconstructing the Iron Gates Castle System Under the Miasma of COVID-19

The Iron Gates gorge system is formed by the convergence of the Carpathians and Balkan mountain ranges that collide and plunge directly into the Danube River (Fig. 1). The geographical conditions of this region have created a frontier zone in different periods, and the historical context of this article deals specifically with the period between 1429 and c. 1435 when this castle system was placed under the control of a contingent from the Teutonic Order to help defend the Kingdom of Hungary against an impending Ottoman invasion. The Teutonic Order’s mission was a military expedition and King Sigismund’s use of a contingent from the Teutonic Order as a military force in this region was a part of his overall strategy to protect his kingdom from further invasion by Ottoman armies under Sultan Murad II (1404–1451). The Danube river, itself, at this time served as the frontier between the Kingdom of Hungary and the recently conquered Ottoman territory on the southern bank. The theme of this article centers on the application of traditional techniques of landscape archaeology to perform a military analysis of these fortifications in the Iron Gates castle chain using more novel avenues of research- given travel bans and other restrictions brought about by the on-going Corona-19 crisis.

PHENOLOGY OF THE HORSE FLIES (DIPTERA, TABANIDAE) FROM THE CENTRAL BALKAN MOUNT

The study was conducted in the Central Balkan Mountains in the 2010-2013 periods. On the basis of new and literature data it was summarized that the tabanid fauna in the region is represented by 41 species of 10 genera. The species Tabanus leleani Austen, 1920 is reported for the first time for the fauna of Bulgaria. The phenological features of 31 species of tabanids registered during the study in the region have been analyzed. The terms of activity of the most common tabanid species have been confirmed. The flight period of Tabanus sudeticus Zeller, 1842 in Bulgaria (from the middle of June to the middle of August) are marked.

Silurian metalliferous nodules from the region of Asaritsa peak, West Balkan mountain – preliminary results

First data for polymetallic nodules and host sediments in Silurian sequence from the region of Asaritsa peak, West Balkan mountain are presented. The nodules are rich of Fe, Mn, Co and Ni. Both sediments and nodules have high content of REE. The described Silurian nodules and sediments show a number of similarities with modern deep-sea polymetallic nodule bearing sediments. Some differences such as probable depth of deposition, mechanism of nodule formation, degree of lithification are also established.

THE SOILS OF BOTEVGRAD VALLEY

The paper deals with Botegrad valley soil cover, properties, conditions and vegetation. The soil cover in the Botevgrad region is characterized by considerable diversity in the ravine valleys of the Bebresh River and its tributaries. Alluvial and Diluvial soils occur in the middle of the region in lowest parts. Gray forest soils developed in the Pre-Balkans and the northern slopes of the Balkan Mountains and Light Gray forest soils (Pseudopozolic soils) are spread there too. The most fertile soils are Dark gray forest soils but only in limited area. Shallow soils (Lithosols), are widely spread over reddish-brown quaternary materials, characterized by the presence of many skeletal particles. The soil cover on the slopes is eroded, cut by deep ditches, ravines and valleys. Main part of the land in the valley is cultivated. Arable lands for cultivation and pastures are about 68.4%, other 22% are used for mainly for forestry. Settlements, industrial zones and other infrastructure occupy 9% of the valley.

Patzkea paniculata grasslands in the north-western Dinarides – a crossroad between the Alps and the Balkan mountains

Patzkea paniculata grasslands in the north-western Dinarides – a crossroad between the Alps and the Balkan mountains

Veronica austriaca L. Extract and Arbutin Expand Mature Double TNF-α/IFN-γ Neutrophils in Murine Bone Marrow Pool

Plants from the Veronica genus are used across the world as traditional remedies. In the present study, extracts from the aerial part of the scarcely investigated Veronica austriaca L., collected from two habitats in Bulgaria—the Balkan Mountains (Vau-1) and the Rhodopi Mountains (Vau-2), were analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The secondary metabolite, arbutin, was identified as a major constituent in both extracts, and further quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), while catalpol, aucubin and verbascoside were detected at lower amounts. The effect of the extracts and of pure arbutin on the survival of neutrophils isolated from murine bone marrow (BM) were determined by colorimetric assay. The production of cytokines—tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interferon (IFN)-γ was evaluated by flowcytometry. While Vau-1 inhibited neutrophil vitality in a dose-dependent manner, arbutin stimulated the survival of neutrophils at lower concentrations, and inhibited cell density at higher concentrations. The Vau-1 increased the level of intracellular TNF-α, while Vau-2 and arbutin failed to do so, and expanded the frequency of mature double TNF-α+/IFN-γhi neutrophils within the BM pool.

Influence of the Land Use Type on the Wild Plant Diversity.

Studies on the impact of agricultural practices on plant diversity provide important information for policy makers and the conservation of the environment. The aim of the present work was to evaluate wild plant diversity across the agroecosystems in two contrasting regions of Bulgaria; Pazardzhik-Plovdiv (representing agroecosystems in the lowlands) and Western Stara Planina (the Balkan Mountains, representing agroecosystems in the foothills of the mountains). This study conducted a two-year assessment of plant diversity in different types of agricultural and forest ecosystems, representing more than 30 land use types. Plant diversity, measured by species number, was affected by the land use type only in Pazardzhik-Plovdiv region. More pronounced was the effect of the groups of land use types on the diversity, measured by the mean species number per scoring plot. Climatic conditions, measured by 19 bioclimatic variables, were the most important factor affecting plant species diversity. Six bioclimatic variables had a significant effect on the plant diversity, and the effect was more pronounced when the analysis considered pooled data of the two regions. The highest plant diversity was found on grazing land with sparse tree cover, while the lowest one was in the land use types representing annual crops or fallow. The study also established a database on weed species, relevant to agriculture. A number of common weeds were found in the Pazardzhik-Plovdiv region, while the most frequent species in the Western Stara Planina region were indigenous ones. Overall, the natural flora of Western Stara Planina was more conserved; eleven orchid species with conservation significance were found in the pastures and meadows in that region. The present study is the first attempt in Bulgaria to characterize the plant diversity across diverse agroecosystems representing many different land use types and environmental conditions. The results can contribute to nature conservation, biodiversity, and the sustainable use of plant resources.

Essential Oil Yield and Composition of the Balkan Endemic Satureja pilosa Velen. (Lamiaceae).

Satureja pilosa Velen. senso lato is a Balkan endemic plant that is not well characterized and is found on rocky outcrops of limestone base in Stara Planina (the Balkan Mountains) and the Rhodope Mountains. The objective of this study was to assess the variability of essential oil (EO) content and composition of S. pilosa collected at 33 locations across the Balkan and Rhodope Mountains in Bulgaria using advanced statistical methods including cluster analysis. The EO content in dried aboveground biomass varied from 0.52% to 2.03%. More than 21 EO constituents were identified, belonging to the groups of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. The monoterpenes were the predominant class, comprising 84.8% to 96.1% of the total EO. Thymol and carvacrol were the major constituents of the phenolic monoterpenoids. Thymol varied from 36.6% to 67.1% and carvacrol varied from 52.4% to 93.0% of the total oil. p-Cymene also varied widely, from 9.6%–34.0%. There were significant variations between locations and within a location in the EO content and composition. This study identified several chemotypes: (1) thymol and p-cymene; (2) thymol, p-cymene and γ-terpinene; (3) carvacrol and p-cymene; (4) carvacrol, p-cymene and γ-terpinene; and (5) carvacrol. This is the first comprehensive study on the endemic plant S. pilosa that identified several chemotypes based on the EO composition. The S. pilosa EO from the five different chemotypes exhibited larvicidal and mosquito repellent activity against Aedes aegypti. The identified chemotypes can be utilized for the development of new varieties with desirable compositions to meet specific industry needs and new mosquito management control products.

Chlorophyll a relationships with nutrients and temperature, and predictions for lakes across perialpine and Balkan mountain regions

ABSTRACTModel-derived relationships between chlorophyll a (Chl-a) and nutrients and temperature have fundamental implications for understanding complex interactions among water quality measures used for lake classification, yet accuracy comparisons of different approaches are scarce. Here, we (1) compared Chl-a model performances across linear and nonlinear statistical approaches; (2) evaluated single and combined effects of nutrients, depth, and temperature as lake surface water temperature (LSWT) or altitude on Chl-a; and (3) investigated the reliability of the best water quality model across 13 lakes from perialpine and central Balkan mountain regions. Chl-a was modelled using in situ water quality data from 157 European lakes; elevation data and LSWT in situ data were complemented by remote sensing measurements. Nonlinear approaches performed better, implying complex relationships between Chl-a and the explanatory variables. Boosted regression trees, as the best performing approach, accommodated interactions among predictor variables. Chl-a–nutrient relationships were characterized by sigmoidal curves, with total phosphorus having the largest explanatory power for our study region. In comparison with LSWT, utilization of altitude, the often-used temperature surrogate, led to different influence directions but similar predictive performances. These results support utilizing altitude in models for Chl-a predictions. Compared to Chl-a observations, Chl-a predictions of the best performing approach for mountain lakes (oligotrophic–eutrophic) led to minor differences in trophic state categorizations. Our findings suggest that both models with LSWT and altitude are appropriate for water quality predictions of lakes in mountain regions and emphasize the importance of incorporating interactions among variables when facing lake management challenges.

Foehn classification and climatology in Sofia for 1975–2014

Foehn is a warm, dry, and downslope wind blowing in the lee side of a mountain range. It is a well known example of a local atmospheric circulation. The foehn wind is also an extreme weather event, and its forecasting is an important task for the short-range weather forecaster. The foehn in Bulgaria is observed on the northern slopes of the mountains, as a result of warm air advection from the south and southwest. Its occurrence is highest north of the Vitosha and Balkan mountains. In this study, a synoptic classification of the meteorological conditions leading to foehn in the central meteorological station in Sofia for the period 1975–2014 is made. Foehn climatology is prepared, and in addition, an evaluation of the foehn as an extreme weather event by wind gust is presented. For the period 1975–2014, there were 298 days with foehn in Sofia, which resulted from 220 synoptic cases. A manual foehn classification was developed with four major types. Type I is associated with the Mediterranean cyclone with the highest frequency – 52% of the foehn days. Foehn climatology gives average annual number of 7.5 foehn days but with a large variance between decades. The lowest annual number of days (4.5) is registered for the 2005–2014 period, and it was associated with the lowest recorded wind gust (22 m/s).

Seasonal Activity of the Horse Flies (Diptera, Tabanidae) from the Central Balkan Mountains, Bulgaria

The seasonal activity of the tabanids (Diptera: Tabanidae) was studied from May to September (2010-2011) in three localities on the territory of the Central Balkan Mountains. A total of 2232 specimens from 25 tabanid species and 8 genera were collected and processed. The first horse flies emerge in the first half of May and the last specimens were collected until mid-September. The tabanids reached their highest peak abundance in the first half of July. The most abundant species of the tabanid assemblages in the Central Balkan Mountains were Tabanus tergestinus Egg. (56.73 %), Tabanus bromius L. (12.71 %) and Haematopota pluvialis L. (8.87 %). The largest number of specimens of T. tergestinus was collected during the peak of the seasonal abundance of horse flies on the territory of the Central Balkan Mountains.

<p><strong>Nomenclatural and taxonomic notes on <em>Carex lazarei</em> nom. nov. (Cyperaceae)</strong></p>

Carex bulgarica (Domin) Lazare 1986 is a younger homonym of C. bulgarica Velen. 1889, the latter being validly published as an alternative name along with C. digitata var. bulgarica Velen. Therefore we publish here a replacement name, Carex lazarei, for the species previously called C. bulgarica by Lazare. Carex lazarei belongs to the C. sempervirens Vill. complex and its occurrence is restricted to acidophilous habitats of the Balkan mountains. Although it is often regarded as conspecific with C. sempervirens, we are of the view that this entity needs the status of species. A type specimen is designated here as the second-step lectotype of the name C. sempervirens var. bulgarica Domin.

Red deer on the move: home range size and mobility in Bulgaria

The red deer is a main game species in Bulgaria, as well as in large parts of Europe. However, its behaviour has not been studied in depth on a local scale, especially on the Balkans. This study presents the first GPS telemetry data for red deer in Bulgaria –in the Central and Eastern Balkan Mountains, the Rhodopi Mountains and the lowlands of North-eastern Bulgaria. 18 individuals (2 subadult stags, 12 adult stags and 4 adult hinds) were tracked, accumulating a total of 1159 (for males) and 1464 (for females) GPS fixes. In spite of the pronounced individual differences, all stags were more mobile (average step length/12 h = 857 m) and had larger home ranges (average HR = 7393 ha) than hinds (average HR = 2085 ha, average step length/12 h = 448 m). Three of the individuals (1 hind and 2 stags) dispersed, forming two distinct home ranges. The results from this study outline the need for detailed studies on the behavior of the species, as a vital part of its management and conservation.

THE HELLENISTIC TOMB WITH GREEK INSCRIPTION FROM SMYADOVO, BULGARIA – RECONSIDERED

In 2000 on the right bank of the river Kamchiya, to the northeast of the modern town of Smyadovo, district of Shumen in Bulgaria, rescue archaeological researches were carried out in a mound affected by a treasure hunters’ intervention and a tomb was found, but its inventory was believed to have been plundered. This tomb bears a clearly readable inscription with incised Greek letters in two lines on its facade above its entrance, which, translated into English, is as follows: Gonimasedze, wife of Seuthes. In 2002 the authors of the primary publication of this tomb admitted the possibility that it had been built for an unknown Thracian woman, who was the wife of a certain Thracian aristocrat named Seuthes. This extremely important Hellenistic tomb from the lands of ancient Thrace is represented again and reconsidered here, being put in a broader historical context. The persons mentioned in the inscription are precisely identified as the Thracian ruler Seuthes III and his first wife. It was found, that the tomb with Greek inscription had been built later by the most powerful king of Thrace – Kavaros, to commemorate both the first wife of the Thracian ruler Seuthes III and especially also Seuthes III himself – for the two major battles against the mighty Hellenistic king of Thrace – Lysimachus, and those battles were mentioned by the ancient writer Diodorus. Now we can assume that those battles had taken place in the area of today’s Smyadovo, exactly at the northern end of today's Rish Pass, which is situated in the eastern part of the Balkan Mountains (Stara Planina).

Diversity of Coomansus zschokkei-group (Nematoda, Mononchida) in Bulgaria

The genus Coomansus Jairajpuri & Khan, 1977 encompasses more than 30 species occuring in various habitats. The Coomansus zschokkei-group, characterized by a posterior position of the dorsal tooth, includes 11 species spread in the northern hemisphere: Europe (3 species), Asia (Far East, Korea, Japan – 8 species), North America (Costa Rica and USA – 1 species), which are reported from subalpine habitats and forests, but also freshwater lakes. So far, one species (C. zschokkei (Menzel, 1914)) was recorded from Bulgaria (Iliev and Ilieva 2019). During this study three undescribed species have been found from mountain areas of Bulgaria. These three closely related Coomansus species were studied using an integrative approach. Based on the dimensions of the buccal capsule and the posterior position of the dorsal tooth they are similar to C. zschokkei, C. cobbi (Eroshenko, 1975), C. mucronatus (Eroshenko, 1975) and C. simenensis (Kreis, 1924), but differ from them by a number of characters such as buccal capsule length, tail length, and lateral piece shape. Coomansus cf. menzeli Loof & Viniszewska-Slipińska, 1993 recovered from moss around birch tree at the Central Balkan Mountain is a new geographical record for Bulgaria. Phylogenetic analyses based on 18S and D2-D3 expansion domains of rRNA genes have been performed for the first time for members of Coomansus zschokkei-group. In both phylogenetic reconstructions, all Coomansus species with the exception of C. gerlachei (De Man, 1904) formed a monophyletic group with very high bootstrap support values. Speciation within the group seems to be related to glaciation and post-glaciation events in mountain areas.

Geophilus serbicus sp. nov., a new species from the Balkan Peninsula (Chilopoda: Geophilomorpha: Geophilidae).

Geophilus serbicus sp. nov., a new epigeic centipede species, is described and illustrated based on specimens collected from the Stara Planina Mountains (the Balkan Mountain Range), Eastern Serbia, Balkan Peninsula. Considerations on the taxonomic relationships with some similar Geophilus species are briefly presented, and the distribution of the new species is mapped.

Mitochondrial Diversity of the East Balkan Swine (Sus scrofa f. domestica) in South-Eastern Bulgaria

Abstract The East Balkan Swine (EBS) is the only preserved local swine breed in Bulgaria and one of the few indigenous pig breeds in Europe. The EBS is distributed in the region of Eastern Balkan Mountains and the Strandja Mountain. To reveal the breed’s genetic profile, we analyzed 50 purebred individuals according to mitochondrial DNA (D-loop region, HVR1) and sequence analysis in the Scientific Center of Agriculture (Sredets region) in the country. The obtained results show the presence of four haplotypes: three Asian specific haplotypes (H1, H2, and H3) and the European specific E1a1. The haplotypes H2 (6 %) and H3 (2 %) were newly described and were branched from the basic clade H1 (90 %). All haplotypes belong to the Asiatic clade A (98 %), except one sample assigned to the European haplogroup E1 (2 %) in contrast to samples from East North Bulgaria where Asiatic and Europen clades were with almost equal distribution. The coexistence of two mtDNA clades in EBS in Bulgaria may be related to the source of the pig populations and/or the historical crossbreeding with imported pigs. In conclusion, due to its native origin, the East Balkan Swine may be the only possible option for a solution to the exhaustion of the beneficial genetic variation of available cultural breeds. With its participation, high-productive populations can be restored and established after a long and purposeful selection.

Intra- and interpopulation variability of Balkan endemic - Satureja kitaibelii based on n-alkane profile

Satureja kitaibelii Wierzb. ex Heuff. is endemic species of central Balkan that lives along the Balkan mountains range. The aim of this research was to study the variability of n-alkane profiles of four S. kitaibelii populations growing wild in Serbia in regards to biogeography and chemotaxonomy. Using GC/MS and GC/FID, seventeen n-alkane homologues (C19–C35) were identified. n-Hentriacontane (C31) was dominant in all populations, except in population Djerdap and Rtanj were it was co-dominant with n-nonacosane (C29). Population Temšica and Poganovo also had high percentages of n-nonacosane and n-tritriacontane (C33). However, these two compounds had similar quantities in population Poganovo. Statistical analyses showed differences between studied populations based on n-alkane profiles. Moreover, geographically closer populations had a similar profile.

About existence of coniferous belt on the northern slopes of Shipchenska mountain in the past

The names of geographical objects on a particular area are peculiar store for conservation of historical-geographical information. Typical versatility of the toponymic system gives possibility for usage of different approaches for analysis of it, including spatial analysis. Information for state of natural environments and their changes is coded in the toponymic system. Historical localization of landscapes with coniferous vegetation on the northern slopes of Shipchenska Mountain (Balkan Mountains, Bulgaria) on toponymic basis is presented in the article. Some conclusions about probability for existence of coniferous belt in the past are formulated. The study is an initial attempt to build a link between toponymy and onomastics on the one hand and historical geography of landscapes on the other. The used approach has some weaknesses and could be used successfully in combination with the results of other studies such as paleobotanical, paleoecological, etc.

Assessment of Genetic Diversity and Population Genetic Structure of Norway Spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karsten) at Its Southern Lineage in Europe. Implications for Conservation of Forest Genetic Resources

In the present paper we studied the genetic diversity and genetic structure of five Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karsten) natural populations situated in Serbia, belonging to the southern lineage of the species at the southern margin of the species distribution range. Four populations occur as disjunct populations on the outskirts of the Dinaric Alps mountain chain, whereas one is located at the edge of Balkan Mountain range and, therefore, can be considered as ecologically marginal due to drier climatic conditions occurring in this region. Due to the negative effect of biotic and abiotic stress factors, the sustainability of these populations is endangered, making conservation of their genetic resources one of the key measures of Norway spruce persistence in Serbia under climatic changes. The insight on genetic diversity and genetic structure of the studied spruce populations can provide the information required for the initiation of programs aimed at the conservation and utilization of spruce genetic resources at the rear edge of species environmental limits. Norway spruce genetic variation and population genetic structure were estimated using eight EST-SSR markers. The results showed that mean expected heterozygosity was 0.616 and allelic richness 10.22. Genetic differentiation among populations was low (Fst = 0.007). No recent bottleneck effect or isolation by distance were detected. Bayesian clustering, obtained with STRUCTURE, grouped the populations into two genetic clusters, whereas UPGMA analysis distinguished three main groups approximately in line with the geographic area of occurrence. Based on the study results and the EUFORGEN Pan-European strategy for genetic conservation of forest trees, the establishment of additional dynamic gene conservation units must be considered in Serbia in order to protect the adaptive and neutral genetic diversity of the species.