RESTORATION AND PROTECTION OF THE POPULATION OF SALIX PENTANDRA L. AND GALANTHUS ELWESII HOOK IN VITOSHA NATURE PARK
DESSISLAVA GYUROVA1*, SLAVCHO SAVEV2
1 – Vitosha Nature Park Directorate, 1303 Sofia, 17 Antim I Str, Bulgaria
2 – Department of Silviculture, Faculty of Forestry, University of Forestry, Sofia
*Corresponding author: dessybg2001@yahoo.com
Keywords: plants, restoration, protection, vegetative propagation, Vitosha Nature Park, Salix pentandra, Galanthus elwesii
Abstract: One of the objectives of the Management Plan of Vitosha Nature Park is to protect the natural conditions and restore populations of species of conservation significance. Bay Willow (Salix pentandra L.) and Giant Snowdrop (Galanthus elwesii Hook.) are included in Annex 3 of the Bulgarian Biodiversity Act and are enlisted in the Bulgarian Red Data Book as Critically Endangered (CR) and Endangered (EN) species respectively. Bay Willow in Bulgaria occurs only in the territory of Vitosha Nature Park with limited numbers and Giant Snowdrop is considered extinct from the park territory. Methods of vegetative propagation, suitable substrates and period of collection of vegetative propagules are established through an in vivo experiment. New individuals of the two species have been produced and they have been planted in their natural habitats in Vitosha. High degree of survival of new individuals has been found through subsequent monitoring.