Byala Reka (424)
Bulgaria, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2005
National site name: Byala reka
Central coordinates: Latitude: 41.4013, Longitude: 25.9642
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 51 to 1255
Area of KBA (km2): 446.0744
Protected area coverage (%): 99.93
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The Byala river valley and neighbouring hills, situated in the eastern Rhodopi mountains in southern Bulgaria. The vegetation is rich, consisting of old broadleaved deciduous forests of Fagus, Quercus and Carpinus, and sclerophyllous scrub (pseudo-maquis) of Juniperus, Phyllirea, Paliurus and Fraxinus, with Salix trees along the riverbanks. There are also coniferous plantations and rocky outcrops. Land-uses include hunting, forestry, fishing, extensive stock-rearing and cultivation. There is a small abandoned marble quarry, but drilling for minerals and other geological investigations still go on.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas)
Additional biodiversity: The site is important for its assemblage of Mediterranean-restricted species, and is one of the most important breeding areas in Bulgaria for raptors (Aegypius monachus, Circaetus gallicus, Accipiter brevipes, Hieraaetus pennatus, Otus scops) and Lullula arborea. Significant proportion (³1%) of national population breeding at site: Ciconia nigra (3-4 pairs), Neophron percnopterus (2 pairs), Aquila pomarina (1-3 pairs), Dendrocopos medius (5-10 pairs).
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (29%) | forestry (60%) | hunting (70%) | tourism/recreation (2%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 60 | |
| Grassland | 2 | |
| Shrubland | 10 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 27 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 1 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Some nesting bird species are disturbed by hunting. A BSPB project for the eastern Rhodopi mountains (of which this area is a part) is ongoing under the Bulgarian-Swiss Biodiversity Conservation Programme.