This work represents the first study of the floristic diversity on Bulgaria’s ancient mounds. The objective of this research was to assess the importance of the mounds for the preservation of the native vascular and cryptogam flora. Our sampling design included 111 ancient mounds distributed throughout the country. We recorded a total of 1059 vascular plants, 58 bryophytes and 61 lichen taxa. Despite their small area, the mounds were shown to preserve nearly a quarter of the Bulgarian flora. The vegetation cover on the mounds included 61% perennials indicating a long-term persistence and stability. The majority (98%) of the established vascular plants were native species. Although the conservation significance of the vascular plant species were not common, we recorded 2 critically endangered, 9 endangered and 14 Balkan endemics during the present study. The lichen Arthopyrenia salicis was recorded for the first time in Bulgaria and a new locality of the rare bryophyte Ceratodon conicus was discovered. The established compositional difference between plots from the northern and southern slopes of the mounds (88.95%) is a testament to the high local habitat diversity. The prevalence of species characteristic for Festuco-Brometea suggests that the mounds preserve fragments of native grasslands and steppes. The variation in cover of agricultural and other human modified areas in the mounds’ immediate surroundings did not substantially affect their species richness. We argue that the ancient mounds should be taken into consideration in future green space planning.

Coastal dunes are valuable and vulnerable habitats that require scientific exploration and understanding of their natural processes; therefore, the aims of this study were to determine the current vegetation characteristics of dune habitats along the Bulgarian Coast in terms of species richness and cover of typical psammophytes and different non-psammophytic plant groups, and to analyze how they respond to certain environmental drivers. Data were collected from 12 dune systems. The research was focused on embryonic, white and grey dunes. The field work was conducted throughout July and August 2017. The vegetation was sampled at 154 phytosociological plots (5 m × 5 m). To understand how the vegetation responds to different drivers, we tested the correlation of defined species group richness and cover in relation to (1) the soil pH and EC values, (2) the distance from inland to the sea and (3) the range of different categories of land cover in the surrounding area. In order to track temporal vegetation changes, we compared the cover of defined species groups between 2003 and 2017. We registered a total number of 269 vascular plants, 12 bryophytes and 5 lichens. The strongest presence in all dune types, both in species richness and cover, was the group of grass- and shrubland plants. Weeds and ruderal plants had significant coverage in grey dunes, while the richness and cover of forest and alien plants were negligible among the studied dune habitats. The comparison of data between 2003 and 2017 revealed a substantial decline in the cover of psammophytes. We observed a clear pattern regarding the share of species richness of psammophytes and non-psammophytes among different locations. We detected that grey dunes were the most affected by the penetration of non-psammophytes.

As a distinctive component of the cultural landscape in Eurasia, burial mounds are well known for their historical value. Recently their role as biodiversity hotspots, especially in the homogenous agricultural landscape, has become particularly important. Archaeological excavations, although necessary, are destructive to the natural elements on the mounds. Restoration and vegetation recovery after such disturbances are needed for the preservation of biodiversity and for the cultural landscape integrity. In this study, we aimed to find out how effective is the natural vegetation recovery on the mounds after archaeological excavations. Successional stages between 2- and 30-years post-excavations have been studied. Vegetation sampling was performed on 15 mounds within 300 plots (1 × 1 m). Spontaneous succession was found to start immediately, and during the first decade, anthropophytes prevailed. In the subsequent years, their cover significantly decreased at the expense of species typical for the natural communities in the surroundings. Total species richness increased with the successional age and the vegetation composition became more similar to the semi-natural communities commonly established on mounds in Bulgaria. In the advanced successional stages, we registered a high rate of heterogeneity on the mounds, facilitated by the establishment of target plant species with different ecological requirements, including bryophytes. Provided the obtained results, we conclude that the natural vegetation recovery on the excavated and subsequently recovered mounds were very successful, and the current practice must continue in the future.

The growing human population's demand for food and organic materials has a severe impact on the environment as conventional agriculture expands, destroying habitats and wildlife. This highlights the need to balance provision security with biodiversity conservation through new agricultural practices. This study investigates how different agricultural practices affect the plant diversity found in rose fields located in Kazanlak region, Bulgaria. We compared conventional and organic farming methods, while also looking at how the management of spaces between the rose rows by mowing or ploughing affects their plant diversity. Our results show that mowing management, as opposed to ploughing, leads to greater plant diversity and a higher vegetation total cover. Additionally, organic farming practices combined with mowing management were found to support plant communities with higher diversity, compared to conventional farming under mowing. We conclude that organic farming combined with mowing management is the most beneficial practice for promoting plant diversity in Bulgarian rose fields.

A rare species, endemic to the European part of Turkey: Centaurea kilaea Boiss., was found on the dunes at Veleka River Mouth, Southern Black Sea Coast, Bulgaria. This newly found population is a small one - comprising of 43 individuals, participating in the species composition of typical psammophytic vegetation (white dunes). The proximity of the beach at Igneada in Turkey has probably allowed spontaneous dispersal (by wind or maybe ants or seabirds) to the Bulgarian territory. The very limited size and small number of the population, as well as the high dynamics of the coastal strip in this area, call into question its long-term existence in Bulgaria.