Shrubland habitats in Dragoman municipality: a case study from western Bulgaria

The current research focuses on the investigation of shrubland vegetation in Dragoman municipality. study is motivated by willingness authors to check habitats’ territorial extent and their importance ecosystem processes, following increased degree succession over last three decades. On other hand, governmental subsidizing has been common for decade, leading a clearance lands with shrubs. Shrublands were studied through application Braun-Blanquet approach defined European Nature Information System (EUNIS) classification. One main habitat type subtypes have defined. Those are Subcontinental continental deciduous thickets (F3.24) that covers largest area, Peri-Pannonic dwarf almond scrub (F3.24122), Moesian oriental hornbeam (F3.2431), lilac (F3.2432), covering total area 52.32 km2. Secondary be considered among reasons distribution. lower number grazing animals forest clearings act as boosters this ecological process. Large areas municipality characterized also shallow soils unable sustain vegetation, thus giving way